Getting the Best Out of VTT Maps

Matt Henderson of Loke Battle Maps

Using maps in the Virtual Tabletop (VTT) world is surprisingly like using physical maps on your table, but arguably digital maps play an even bigger role in the game when the group is playing virtually, as almost every player will be looking at a screen.

Roleplaying should, in my opinion, be a very different experience from that of playing an RPG video game. And I would go one step further and say that every game, in person and online, should feel very different. Even if it’s two similar groups playing similar campaigns, they should be individualized, personal experiences. That for me is the heart of our hobby.

And using maps is a key part of how to steer this experience for each group.

A Shared Focus

Firstly, of course, when we play on VTTs like Roll20, we are playing together while physically apart. Having a map on screen so everyone is focused on the same thing, exploring the same area, really helps the group feel part of the same experience.

Choosing a Map That Works

Of course, there are a lot of practical things to consider when choosing and using a map beyond just getting a theme that fits your needs and looks good.

Top of my list is space, as most encounters will have more options and will flow better if there is space for the characters and enemies to manoeuvre. Part of this would be to consider the size and capabilities of everyone, so that large or bigger creatures aren’t stuck, fast/flying/burrowing creatures have enough ground space to move along, and that spells and other area effects are viable.

Narrow passes and corridors are a staple of many a dungeon and can offer tactical advantages, but be careful of too many long, narrow corridors that make the party form the “D&D conga line,” which can lead to very repetitive play as everyone stands in line and performs the same action repeatedly.

Essentially, if you can encourage people to move around a map, you’ll have far more dynamic encounters.

I recommend you choose a map you like, one which has everything you need to run the encounter you have in mind. Of course, you can also pick a map you like and design an encounter around it. Or, as I often find myself doing, it’s a combination of the two.

VTT Practicalities

Map size considerations are universal.

File Size (mb) — The actual megabyte file size of a VTT map may impact performance on some platforms, so make sure you test out the map before your session to make sure it’ll perform as planned. Make sure to test any dynamic lighting too!

File Size (px) — The dimensions in pixels of a map are used to make sure the map can align to a grid as planned. This will either be the number of pixels per map square or the overall pixel dimensions (usually in width x height). In Roll20, you can simply set the dimensions of the map in units (i.e., number of squares).

Creating Maps

Of course, you can also draw your own or assemble a map from tiles/assets to get exactly what you need.

When I draw a map, I start with the practicalities — spaces and how they work together — and make sure the architecture of the scene allows for lots of different possibilities. It’s good to be able to reuse maps, so having a good basic layout that can be adapted and added to is a must.

Once you have your basic map, either drawn or acquired, printed out or on screen, then you add in features. I do this in two stages. Firstly, the essentials for the encounter you will be running: Customise the rooms, add in any plot features, and you’re almost ready!

Another Roll20 feature is dynamic lighting, which can limit the visibility of the map on-screen to that of each character token’s perspective — i.e., each player sees only as much of the map as their character should be able to see. This is a separate layer in the platform, called “Dynamic Lighting,” that marks out areas that block line of sight and/or movement.

If assembling a map from assets on Roll20, I tend to place everything I might need in my Art Library either by uploading from my machine or from marketplace purchases, then just drag and drop onto the map.

More Immersion

Remember that any features you add will be seen by the players and they will ask to interact with them; allowing this is great for adding variety and creative problem solving to encounters, so a good amount of ‘scatter’ features will increase the options available for players. You can’t release a barrel landslide on the unsuspecting guards if there isn’t a stack of barrels in the room, after all…

The VTT world lets you amend and customise your map by adding features and assets in much the same way as if you were physically adding 3D scenery to your table or drawing directly onto your physical map. Don’t be afraid to get creative since these assets can move and change.

For example, trees can fall or catch fire if there are fireballs flying! Walls can collapse or suddenly reveal secret doorways. Furniture can come to life; chests reveal secrets at the worst possible moment; loose stones fall away to reveal hidden tunnels full of adversaries. The list is endless, and most details on a map can be used in this way. The aim, of course, is to create unique encounters and encourage the characters to use different tactics then they might normally and to make them adapt quickly to the unexpected.

Nothing helps with immersion like surprises! And immersion helps with the roleplay, and the more roleplay the characters do, the more personal the encounter becomes, and then the higher the likelihood they may use new tactics and try new approaches.

Beyond Maps

While we’ve talked a lot about maps, it’d be remiss not to mention briefly other tools that help take VTT session up a few levels, such as music, sound effects, light/visual effects, and digital handouts.

For example, on Roll20, dynamic lighting, the jukebox, animated effect tokens, and journal handouts can all be used to really increase immersion for a scene, and of course it also really helps in creating an enticing encounter where the players are really invested in the action!

Happy Adventuring!

Matt Henderson is the head designer and forever DM at Loke Battle Mats.