While the imposing peak of a mountain will add significant drama to a landscape, realistic topography will also include a variety of features of smaller stature. To keep your world from remaining flat, both literally and figuratively, make sure to scatter some hills throughout the land.
Good Hill Names
A good place to start is to decide on the physical attributes of your hill, as there is a huge difference between a gentle tump and an imposing mesa. If you’ll be placing a settlement atop its crest, make sure to choose a hill where life could find a way. If the feature will form a significant role in local legend, use its name to hint at what mysteries await on high.
- Moonshine Mesa
- Wildflower Wolds
- Sniper’s Spur
- Lover’s Rise
- The Mole Hill
- Skyview Point
- The Tumbling Tump
- Whaleback Ridge
- The Knight’s Mount
The Sunken Spur
Only the very crest of this hill can be seen above water level. The lively town that was once built in its shadow lies in crumbled remains beneath the swollen dark lake.
- Gianthold Hills
- Foothills of the Fawn
- Mockingbird’s Knoll
- The Giggle Hills
- Riverview Ridge
- Hallowed Hummock
- Picture Perfect Point
- Jagged Ledge
- Twisted Tump
- Rattlesnake Rise
El Toro Tor
Tired of being tortured for human entertainment, a great bull burst through the gates of its enclosure, goring any handlers in its path to this jagged mound. This caused something of a revolution among the town’s workers, who vowed to leave the bull to live out the rest of his days here in peace.
- Springview Summit
- Rolling Range
- The Witchpeak
- Horizon Breaker
- The Beaten Drumlins
- Snowy Owl Hill
- Dizzying Heights
- The Snow Berg
- Sunset Spurs
- The Painted Pike
Mesa in the Mists
When standing atop this mesa, it seems to be but one piece of a plateau for miles around. Yet this is a trick of the eyes, as any traveler who has stepped into the surrounding heavy fog has learnt the hard way.
- Maidenhair Ridge
- Roc Tor
- Bumblebee Brae
- Sandy Spur
- Cityscape Spot
- Ham Hock Hummock
- Westward Tor
- Butte of the Beast
- Darkness Fell
- Ridge in the Fens
Sunrise Sierra
Pilgrims trek the world over to see the dawn over this range, where the layers of ancient rock catch the light in an awe-inspiring rainbow of nature’s might.
- Knight’s Rise
- Godhammer Pike
- Berg in the Bluebells
- Tabletop Plateau
- Tor of the Tortoise
- The Sugarloaf
- Rotten Ridges
- Mesa of Majesty
- Satyr’s Spur
- The Littlest Koppie
Fool’s Fell
A legendary site for all jesters, where the craft of wisdom through foolery can be honed. Though the landscape is harsh, peals of laughter and music can always be heard on the wind, rising from a keep that remains hidden to those without a key.
- Cloudview Hills
- Hellbound Banks
- Bonnie Brae
- Hogback Range
- The Smog Stacks
- Flat Top Pike
- Swollen Banks
- Sierra in the Clouds
- Drumlins of the Damned
- Rise of the Gods
Naming these hills has inspired me to add some to my next fantasy landscape, they can really add some atmosphere! Which ones are your favorites? Let me know in the comments!
