Question 1

How do I make a D&D map?

Accepted Answer

Pick the kind of place you need (dungeon, tavern, wilderness), describe it in a sentence, choose a grid scale, and generate. The Map Maker draws the map and writes room summaries, encounters, loot, and secrets alongside it. You then download a clean player version and a DM version with the notes.

Question 2

How long does a map take?

Accepted Answer

Usually under a minute. Larger, more detailed prompts can take a little longer; the progress panel shows a live elapsed timer so you always know it is still working.

Question 3

Do I need to be able to draw?

Accepted Answer

No. Unlike editor-style tools where you place every wall and asset yourself, the layout is generated for you. You steer it with words and settings.

Question 4

Is it free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Anonymous visitors get one generation, new accounts get bonus generations, and signed-in members get free generations each day. Tips unlock extra generations if you need a big session prepped in one sitting.

Question 5

What size should a D&D battlemap be?

Accepted Answer

Aim for 70–140 pixels per 5 ft square. A 30x20 square encounter map at 100 px per square is 3000x2000 pixels — sharp on a virtual tabletop and clean at print size. Going far above 140 px per square mostly costs you upload time.

Question 6

How many squares should an encounter map have?

Accepted Answer

Most combat encounters play well on 20x20 to 40x30 squares. Smaller than 15x15 and ranged characters have nowhere to work; much larger and the party spends turns walking.

Question 7

How do I align a generated map to a grid?

Accepted Answer

Set the grid scale before generating so proportions come out sensible, then in your virtual tabletop use its grid alignment tool: set the grid size in pixels to match one square, and nudge the offset until the lines sit on the walls. Most tools let you drag a two-point calibration box across a known square.

Question 8

Square grid or hex grid?

Accepted Answer

Squares suit dungeons, buildings and interiors, where walls run straight. Hexes suit overland travel and open wilderness, where diagonal movement should cost the same as straight movement. You can pick either before generating.

Question 9

Should the grid be baked into the image?

Accepted Answer

For virtual tabletops, prefer a gridless image and let the software draw the grid — it stays crisp at every zoom level and snaps properly. For printing, a baked grid saves you drawing one at the table.

Question 10

How do I use a map in Roll20?

Accepted Answer

Download the player map, create a new page, and upload the image to the map layer. Set the page width and height in units to match your square count, then check that one grid unit lines up with one square on the image. Keep the file under Roll20's upload limit by exporting at a sensible resolution rather than the largest possible.

Question 11

How do I use a map in Foundry VTT?

Accepted Answer

Create a scene, set the background image to your downloaded player map, then open grid configuration and drag the calibration rectangle over a known square. Set grid size to 5 ft. Foundry handles large images well, so 100 px per square is comfortable.

Question 12

What about Owlbear Rodeo or Alchemy?

Accepted Answer

Same process: upload the player image as the scene background and set the grid so one cell equals one square on the art. Owlbear Rodeo in particular prefers moderately sized files, so export around 70–100 px per square.

Question 13

What file format should I export?

Accepted Answer

PNG is what you get, and it is the safe choice — lossless, no compression smear on walls and grid lines. If your tabletop struggles with file size, convert to WebP or JPEG at high quality before uploading.

Question 14

Can I use dynamic lighting or fog of war?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The generated map is a flat image, so lighting walls and fog are drawn in your tabletop as usual. The DM map's room list is useful for deciding where to place light sources and door barriers.

Question 15

How do I print a battlemap at the right scale?

Accepted Answer

For a one inch = 5 ft table, print so each square measures one inch. Export with a baked grid, then in your printing software set the scale so the image width equals your square count in inches — a 24-square-wide map prints 24 inches wide.

Question 16

How do I print across several pages?

Accepted Answer

Use a poster or tiled printing option, which splits the image across A4 or Letter sheets with a small overlap. Trim the overlap and tape from behind so the seams sit flat under miniatures.

Question 17

Do players see traps and secret doors?

Accepted Answer

No. The player map is generated without visible trap or secret markers. Those details live only in the DM map legend, so you can share the player file freely.

Question 18

What is on the DM map?

Accepted Answer

The same art with a parchment legend appended: numbered rooms with summaries, encounters, loot, traps, and secrets.

Question 19

Can I share a map with my group as a link?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Save the map and create a share link — it opens a clean player-facing view with no DM notes attached.

Question 20

Can I use these maps in a paid game or on stream?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Maps you generate are yours to use in home games, paid games, and live streams.

Question 21

Can I sell maps I generate?

Accepted Answer

You can publish maps to the DM-Workshop marketplace from the tool. Reselling raw generated files as a stock asset pack elsewhere is not what the free tool is for.

Question 22

Do I keep my maps if I stop using the site?

Accepted Answer

Download the files you care about. Everything you generate can be exported as an image at any time from your Vault.

D&D Map Maker FAQ

Getting started

Grid, scale and sizing

Virtual tabletop export

Printing at the table

Player maps and DM maps

Using your maps

Ready to draw one?