Beware The [Illegible]

Read me first! If you somehow missed the first three installments of Jean's great advice on making props, you can catch up here, here, and also here! 

Creating a good prop isn't just about displaying information; removing information can be important, too.

You can, of course, tear off part of your map. Scoring a line with the back of your scissors where you want it to tear will help with the control. You can print your map with water-soluble ink (aka an inkjet printer) and drip water on the parts you want to smear.

You can also burn it (in a very controlled way!), with nothing more than a black marker, a magnifying glass, and a sunny day: Draw your desired burned edge with the marker. Outside, use the magnifying glass to focus sunlight on the black line. Since it's black, it will heat up faster than the paper around it, giving much more controlled results than other methods. It's also considerably safer! I've never set my paper on fire doing this, which is more than I can say for dorking around with a lighter. (Do it on concrete anyway, just in case.)

The justification for having maps readily available in a fantasy world is simple: Maps are easy to print – much easier than books. Our would-be map printer simply does a woodcut of the map (more or less accurate, as the GM desires!) and uses it as a stamp; this requires a lot less precision than printing books, so long as they have access to a supply of proper ink. Your graphics software, if you're drawing on the computer as opposed to using paper and then scanning, might have a "woodcut" filter to give it the right look. Many civilizations, including that of ancient China (where this process was invented), have printed in this way.

Handouts and props really enhance a game. Try making some simple ones for your next session and see for yourself!

-- Jean Mcguire