Exploration should be motivated by more than greed. Come up with a concept for the campaign world. This is the thing that gives the heroes purpose and motivation to go adventuring and explore the realm.

I’ve written previously about adventuring companies (champions, spies, traders, monster hunters, etc.), but this is about the nature of the campaign world, where the heroes are more independent in their pursuits.

It may help to consider the immediate cause of the heroes going adventuring. That sort of thing will give your campaign flavor and differentiate it from others using the same map.

1. Orc Invasion

Orcs are trying to expand their territory or have been forced into human lands by a foreign realm’s armies. The heroes are part of a border guard that is specifically tasked with rooting out their camps and turning them back.

As they have successes, the party is asked to take on tougher assignments, becoming a kind of strike force. They find that other, greater monsters are the cause of the orc invasion.

2. Recovering from Disaster

The realm is recovering from a time of troubles. In the past few years, poor weather, war, or disease resulted in famine that caused some remote locations to lose touch with the broader society. Monasteries, temples, towns, small castles, etc. were sometimes abandoned or overrun by raiders or monsters.

The queen wants to reclaim abandoned settlements. But many nobles died during the disaster, leaving many disputes of succession and a lack of administrative connection between the common folk and the royal court. The result is local warfare and legal dispute and even occasional open revolt, as well as the problem of monsters occupying castles.

3. Reestablishing Contact

The church wants to reclaim convents and monasteries lost in the fall of the Old Empire or the previous king’s Suppression of the Faith.

The heroes are part of an effort to find out what happened and possibly reestablish contact or recover valuables. They are sent by church officials and nobles to explore abandoned areas, find ruins, explore them, help those in need, and return with any news or valuables they can return to the rightful owners.

4. Lost Treasures of an Empire

The heroes are part of a general effort to explore the remnants of the Old Empire to reclaim its treasures. These places were abandoned or destroyed many generations ago when the empire collapsed and have since come to be occupied by evil people and monsters.

They may have a patron or advisor, such as a sage or church official, who helps direct their efforts. They must dig up information, follow up on clues, and explore antique maps. Some of the treasures they may keep for themselves, but some may be recovered for the good of their patron or faction.

5. Resisting a Dark Overlord

An evil tyrant has risen to power here or in a neighboring land, and his/her/its minions are causing trouble. The overlord’s tendrils seem to be everywhere:

• An evil cult is led by one of his henchmen priests.
• Monsters have been prodded by his champions to invade.
• His spies are fomenting unrest.
• His raiders are committing atrocities on the border.

The heroes may take these events individually as how their world works. But eventually, the heroes may ally with other good people to try to overthrow the dark overlord.