Would giant mountain ranges automatically trigger a desert?

>>54684215
Not always, but generally yes.

>>54684215
No, because deserts don't have particularly strong political or ideological views, especially not relating to mountains, and thus are not easily triggered.

>>54684215

It's called the rain shadow effect. As moist water blows in from the ocean, it eventually abuts up against a mountain range, dropping all of its water as rain on the side facing the ocean. There's tons of real life examples:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_shadow

>>54684278
>>54684319
Thank you.

Could I still have a varied landscape? I do not want to make half of the map a desert.

>>54684215
How are deserts made? The Sahara desert isn't near gigantic mountains

Neither are the Namib, Gobi, or Sonoran deserts

>>54684378
You can do whatever you want, it's your setting. Especially if you involve supernatural geography.

>>54684378
Easily, just point the winds in some manner such that they don't dead end into the mountains.

>>54684215
No, rain shadows are a meme, latitude is much more important. Most mountain ranges do not result in deserts, and most deserts are not associated with mountain ranges.

>>54684215
not necessarily
the alps are not known for causing deserts
but mountains can cause deserts as listed previously

>>54684378
It might be dry but it doesn't need to be a desert. Look at the Caucasus. They have a steppe on one side, which is dry, but it's fertile land and good for grazing animals.