What is a D&D Battle Map? (+ Free Download)

A D&D battle map is a visual tool used in TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder to display different environments and encounters.

This is most often combat, but it's also very common for dungeon exploration.

Battle maps can illustrate any environment. You can use them to illustrate bustling city streets, mysterious forest clearings, or twisting corridors of ancient dungeons.

For instance, the free battle map below is a ruined cemetery your party can explore. Maybe there will be combat, or maybe they just need to see some kind of landmark before moving on to a different part of the session.

Most battle maps feature a grid overlay, which helps everyone keep track of where characters, monsters, traps, and environmental hazards are. Each square on the grid represents a set amount of space (commonly five or ten feet), though some groups prefer a non-gridded approach to increase immersion.

Battle maps come in both printable formats and digital files, making them easy to use whether you’re gaming around a table or connecting with friends online through virtual tabletop platforms like Roll20 or Foundry VTT.

Are Battle Maps Necessary for D&D?

No, no, and no. Using a battle map in Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, or any other game is not necessary. While they can enhance play, both in person and online, they are in no way necessary for play or enjoyment.

Some groups thrive with being able to see the tactical situation in combat or the precise layout of a twisting cavern, while others prefer a more abstract, “theater of the mind” style of play that relies more on their imaginations.

Battle maps are especially useful when encounters involve lots of participants or when the layout of the environment plays a big role in the action. Everyone coordinates more easily, plans, and then coordinates again after their plan goes sideways, like they always do.

In the end, whether you use a battle map or not is all about what feels right for your group and the story you want to tell.

How Do You Use TTRPG Battle Maps?

If you're using a battle map like the one above, then you're almost certainly using a Virtual Tabletop (VTT) like Roll20 or Foundry. Make sure that you've uploaded the map to the VTT before the session so you can line up the grid and get the scale set. If you use dynamic lighting or any other special features, those might also take lots of extra time to set up.

You will also want to make sure that you've prepped (or your players have prepped) tokens to use for their characters on the battle maps, as well as for the monsters they're going to encounter.

Battle maps tend to speed up play and clarify a lot for the players and the DM, but if you just throw them up without properly setting it up, they can slow things down a bit.

So don't wait until 5 minutes before the session starts to get your session's battle maps ready.

Sometimes, it's a generic map that just gives the vibe of the encounter. Maybe it'll be a dark forest, bright woods, a crowded tavern, or a set of ruins. If there's a specific place they're going, then I make sure the map lines up with the rooms keyed in the adventure (if it's not the official map, that is.)

I use battle maps so that I don't have to draw really bad outline sketches of every room or location my party sees. Dry erase sketches in person or whiteboard drawings just can't compare to a fully illustrated battle map.

Most importantly, take a few minutes to get to know your battle map. Make sure you note where the entrances and exits are, mark any interesting terrain features, and think about how your players might interact with the environment. There will always always always be a player who asks “what is this thing?” and you need to have an answer ready.

Where Can You Get Battle Maps for D&D?

So many places have battle maps for download! Some of the more prominent are Czepeku (pronounced Chay Peek Ooo, btw), 2-Minute Tabletop, and Dyson Logos.

In fact, many of my adventures on DriveThruRPG and DMsGuild have maps that I made already included and ready for use in the VTT of your choice. Some are simple grids like the one above from Now That's What I Call Necromancy while others are more detailed, fully decorated dungeons like this one from my adventure Into Castle Duckenstein:

If you buy adventures on either Roll20 or Foundry, those modules will come with their own maps. And when you buy official adventures made by one of the big companies like Paizo or Wizards of the Coast, all the lighting, effects, and monster/NPC tokens are already placed for you. That saves a ton of time on your end by not having to configure that stuff.

I personally also use 3d battle maps in person, where I 3D print tiles and miniatures for my group. I love those so much, and I wrote about my first foray into 3D printing D&D terrain a while back.