D&D Beyond's Maps Have Gotten A Lot Better, But There's Still A Big Caveat

Summary D&D Beyond's Maps feature improves online gameplay with intuitive layouts and useful tools.

Maps integrates with the official D&D Beyond platform, but requires a Master Tier subscription.

While still in alpha, Maps has seen significant updates and could be a strong choice for dedicated D&D Beyond users.

The Maps feature on D&D Beyond is currently in alpha, but it's already seen a lot of progress as a good way to run Dungeons & Dragons games online. Although it's perfectly possible to play DnD without any maps at all, having a proper layout for exploration and battles can make the game a lot more intuitive. D&D Beyond's Maps come with some upsides that are hard to find elsewhere, but there's one complication that makes deciding whether to commit to it a bit tricky.

Introduced as an alpha feature in September 2023, Maps integrates directly with the official D&D Beyond platform that houses digital versions of published books, character sheets, and more. It didn't arrive fully formed, however, missing a number of key features like rulers and a robust fog of war system. Although the tool is still in alpha, it's been getting consistent updates, and it's now on a level where most dungeon masters could probably feel reasonably comfortable using Maps to run adventures.

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D&D Beyond Maps Are Becoming A Strong Feature

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Screen Rant recently participated in a play session of a Quests from the Infinite Staircase adventure that made use of D&D Beyond's Maps, and there's a lot to appreciate in the current iteration. Some features added in recent months simply make life a lot easier for dungeon masters, like the ability to pause games to allow for private set-up of things that players don't need to see. DnD is also releasing multiple digital versions of maps in new books, providing variants that show or hide information for the DM's sake.

The biggest come-up for combat probably lies in the addition of more tools for measurement. A basic ruler is an important one for figuring out diagonal ranges, but Maps has also added slightly more complex tools to determine the radius of spells and the reach of conical attacks. Everything's simple and responsive, and the lack of overall clutter makes it easy to find the right tool without fumbling around in obtuse menus.

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D&D Beyond's Maps feature still has room to grow, and groups that like having as many features as possible might be more driven to look elsewhere. All the same, it's a world apart from the earliest alpha release, and the essentials are all now more or less in place. Having something directly integrated with D&D Beyond could make life a lot easier, especially when it comes to running official adventures with tokens, maps, and more available for anyone who buys the books through the service.

A Subscription Model Makes Maps A Harder Sell

Some Alternatives Offer Fewer Barriers To Entry

For anyone who isn't already committed to the D&D Beyond ecosystem, however, the Maps feature might be a much harder sell. It's currently only available through a Master Tier subscription to D&D Beyond, which costs $5.99 when billed monthly or $54.99 annually. It's not the most expensive virtual tabletop subscription in the game, but other options tend to offer ways to play for free or a one-time purchase.

A subscription can be especially intimidating when launching into a DnD campaign, as it's not something that can be conveniently paused or canceled for budgetary reasons as long as regular sessions continue. The D&D Beyond Master subscription is certainly useful for DMs to have in general, but there are plenty of ways to run online DnD without it, Maps notwithstanding. If anyone's used to improvising, DMs are, and how much value is placed on ease of access varies from person to person.

Another major perk of Master Tier is the ability to share unlocked content with others, a cornerstone feature that makes it easier to run campaigns without players needing copies of books.

There's no confirmation that Maps will always be locked behind a D&D Beyond Master subscription, as it's standard practice for alpha features to be restricted. If other options for access ever do become available once the feature reaches a full release, it's already looking like it should be easy to widely recommend. For now, however, the Maps option is shaping up to be a great Dungeons & Dragons tool for dedicated D&D Beyond subscribers and a more complicated choice for anyone else.