X1 (1983) Isle of Dread, 6 miles per hex
1983’s update to X1 didn’t change the maps much. The scale problem of 1981’s map remains in place, and likely unnoticed. The surrounding ocean was expanded slightly, but not enough to include any new islands. The main innovation was the addition of village names to the map. These were provided in the text in 1981, but it was unclear which village was which; 1983’s revision placed the names on the map.
Replica Map (April 2018)
Sources
- X1 The Isle of Dread (1983) (PDF of 1981 edition at DriveThruRPG)
- Map 1 The Isle of Dread, page 13
- Players’ Map, cover gatefold
Chronological Analysis
This is Map 11. It was published in August 1983. The updated version of this map has not yet been released. See also Appendix C for annual chronological snapshots of the area. For the full context of this map in Mystara’s publication history, see Let’s Map Mystara 1983.
The following lists are from the Let’s Map Mystara project. Additions are new features, introduced in this map; Revisions are changes to previously-introduced features; Hex Art & Fonts track design elements; and finally Textual Additions are potential features found in the related text. In most cases, the Atlas adopts these textual additions into updated and chronological maps.
Revisions
- Reefs — the reefs flanking the label “3” on the 1981 map have been merged into a single long reef, with the label displaced to the west. However, the player’s map still has two separate reefs.
- Settlements — the villages mentioned in the text are now labelled on the map: Burowao, Dawa, Kirikuka, Mora, Panitube, and Usi.
Hex Art
- Fonts — Baskerville.
Textual Additions (X1 1983)
- Fauna — most remain the same as X1 (1981). Differences are: crocodiles at 2 (replacing bull sharks); water termite at 6 (replacing giant squid); and sea hydra at 24 (replacing sea dragon). These changes were apparently made due to these monsters being removed in the updated Expert Rulebook (1983).
Join in the Discussion at The Piazza
Come and join in the discussion about this map at The Piazza, where I am holding a “read through” of the Let’s Map Mystara project.
