Battle of the Battlemaps

Battle of the Battlemaps

For some folks, theatre of the mind is the ultimate way to play Dungeons and Dragons. And honestly, there is some real wisdom in that. But (I have an unhealthy amount of miniatures hidden in my attic and I want to show them off) for me, one of the biggest joys of DMing in person is bringing a scene to life by slapping a cool map on the table!

Over the years, most DMs end up trying a bunch of different ways to present battle maps. There are a lot of options out there. Today, we are taking a closer look at five of the most popular ones, with a quick rundown of the pros and cons of each.

And yes, we are sticking to 2D battle maps for now. Unless a certain terrain company wants to get in touch for a sponsor deal;)

 

Dry Erase Mat

The old reliable. A gridded mat you can draw on, wipe clean, and use again next session.

Pros:

  • Endlessly reusable

  • Comes in a ton of sizes

  • Foldable ones are great for travel

  • Perfect for drawing maps on the fly

Cons:

  • Pre-drawn maps can fade if you fold or roll the mat

  • You need dry erase markers

  • Ink can be a pain to clean if it sits too long

  • Big rollable mats are awkward to carry

  • Drawing mid-session eats up precious game time

 

1-Inch Flip Chart Paper

Basically oversized grid paper meant for office meetings, now living its best life as a battle map.

Pros:

  • Huge sheets for big, sprawling encounters

  • Draw everything in advance with as much detail and color as you want

  • Use whatever pens, pencils, or paints you like

  • Cheap

Cons:

  • Thin paper that tears quickly

  • Large sheets are awkward to throw on the table unless you cut them up first

Prefab Battle Maps

Pre-made maps you can buy in books or packs. Open, drop on the table, done.

Pros:

  • No drawing skills required

  • Full color, detailed, and themed for just about anything

  • Often comes in book form for easy transport and quick setup

Cons:

  • They can box in your creativity

  • The layout never quite matches your adventure perfectly

  • You will reuse the same maps more than you would like

 

Digital Battle Maps

Screens, software, fancy lighting, the whole package.

Pros:

  • Build your own maps with digital tools or grab amazing ones from the internet

  • Animated environments and realtime fog of war add a lot of wow factor

  • Super easy to use official maps without redrawing or printing them

Cons:

  • Not everyone has the setup, patience or income for it

  • Screens already take up enough of our lives (yes, I’m one of the grognards who likes to play D&D as analogue as possible)

  • Prep Alert: Once you go high definition, it is very hard to go back

  • The more detail you add, the less space you leave for imagination and creative play

Grid Paper

Simple 1-inch grid paper, but made with actual tabletop play in mind.

Pros:

  • Three sizes that you can mix and match however you like

  • Draw your maps in advance exactly how you want them

  • Nice, sturdy paper that can take a beating

  • Reveal the map sheet by sheet for a DIY fog of war

  • Instant old school D&D vibes because the grid has a hand-drawn look

Cons:

  • Not erasable

  • You still have to draw everything yourself (which honestly is kind of the point)

 

So, What Wins?

There is no perfect solution here. It all depends on what you care about most. Speed, flexibility, spectacle, or that classic pen and paper feel.

What about you? What hits your table when initiative gets rolled?

 

Zurück zum Blog