Maps Feature on D&D Beyond Becomes Free to Use

Wizards of the Coast is making its popular 2D VTT service Maps free-to-use over on D&D Beyond. Announced today over on their website (and likely coinciding with a press event over on Gen Con), D&D Head of Franchise Dan Ayoub announced that its Maps VTT service will be free to anyone with a D&D Beyond account starting on September 16th. Anyone with an account will be able to host a game over on Maps, a privilege that was previously reserved for Master-tier subscribers.

Maps became the default VTT service for Wizards of the Coast after it started to wind down the expensive 3D Sigil service just a few days after launch. The service allows players to use official D&D maps pulled from most adventures as well as 2D tokens. Starting with Dragon Delves, the service also includes pre-made maps using encounters from adventures.

 

[occam]

Storage is cheap as chips. Processing power is a bit harder.

That depends. It isn't cheap when you're storing gobs of biological image data (as my current employer does). Granted, adventure maps are on a different scale.

 

[AlViking]

That depends. It isn't cheap when you're storing gobs of biological image data (as my current employer does). Granted, adventure maps are on a different scale.

I have over 100 map images on my hard drive, some of which I used, some of which I just downloaded from modules and whatnot. They take up a few hundred MB. Out of curiosity I compressed them, they were less than a MB. Meanwhile my free email gives me 20 GB of storage, the storage cost for all of those maps is minimal.

 

[SkidAce]

Well, no, you could still use it with the free content on DDB.

Maps is really good; much easier to use than Roll20. With a master tier subscription , which I considered an incredible bargain before maps ever existed, it’s amazing.

This is how i feel also.

Once I can upload custom tokens, I'm set.

 

[Clint_L]

There are 9 Free Basic Maps that DMs can use without purchase, and all 9 have animated versions (the ship map is simple but very useful).
Nonsubscribers will be able use the tool without purchases. They'll just get more options if they buy products with maps.

I presume that you would also be able to use maps that come with free adventures, like Frozen Sick (my favourite mini-campaign for newbies)

 

[Clint_L]

I have over 100 map images on my hard drive, some of which I used, some of which I just downloaded from modules and whatnot. They take up a few hundred MB. Out of curiosity I compressed them, they were less than a MB. Meanwhile my free email gives me 20 GB of storage, the storage cost for all of those maps is minimal.

I have well over 100 uploaded to Maps on DDB. I note that there is a limit of 10 GB worth of maps that you can upload, but given that I have gone all out and only managed to use 7% of that I think I'll be good for awhile. And that doesn't include the maps that are included with adventures and sourcebooks (so, for instance, when I bought One Shot Wonders all of their maps became available to me).

For me, Maps is perfect because it's so well integrated with all the other features on DDB, particularly the encounter builder/manager, and because you can be totally thick about technology (raises hand) and it is still dead simple. I've twice spent considerable time trying to get what I needed out of Roll20 and gave up in frustration.

 

[AlViking]

I have well over 100 uploaded to Maps on DDB. I note that there is a limit of 10 GB worth of maps that you can upload, but given that I have gone all out and only managed to use 7% of that I think I'll be good for awhile. And that doesn't include the maps that are included with adventures and sourcebooks (so, for instance, when I bought One Shot Wonders all of their maps became available to me).

For me, Maps is perfect because it's so well integrated with all the other features on DDB, particularly the encounter builder/manager, and because you can be totally thick about technology (raises hand) and it is still dead simple. I've twice spent considerable time trying to get what I needed out of Roll20 and gave up in frustration.

I got Roll20 to work, even lighting, fixed and I individual along with darkvision. It was interesting to see people and how they reacted when they really couldn't see more than their characters could.

But it was painful and Maps would be my choice today if I had to go back online.

 

[smiteworks]

When the map starts showing characters with darkvision more than characters without, then you start seeing people create more non-human races. It's pretty eye-opening how important that little feature is when you start delving into dark dungeons. Torches and lamps are fine, but darkvision is super sweet.
I never thought that much about it either as a GM or player until we implemented it for Fantasy Grounds.

 

[Zaukrie]

When the map starts showing characters with darkvision more than characters without, then you start seeing people create more non-human races. It's pretty eye-opening how important that little feature is when you start delving into dark dungeons. Torches and lamps are fine, but darkvision is super sweet.
I never thought that much about it either as a GM or player until we implemented it for Fantasy Grounds.

Every single PC that has played in my campaigns for like 10 years has had it, or worked hard to get a magic item that gave it to them. I've given up trying to fight it at this point......

 

[darjr]

Shadow dark without night vision is a breath of fresh air.

So much so that I really stress, in other games, that dark vision is FAR from perfect vision.

 

[kayakingpoodle]

Well I read the article that was linked to (regarding the free maps), and the following phrase stood out to me (emphasis mine) :



The way I read it (but perhaps I'm just being too cynical here) is that you still need to buy stuff (like a map, module, or adventure) on D&D Beyond, before you can actually use the map part of the 2D VTT for free ? So it's not like they give the maps away for free, but if you bought one then (and only then) can you use it in combination with the maps part of D&D Beyond ?

That was always the case with the exception of the free stuff they released

The way it reads tracks with my experience from about a year ago, which was you had to own the content associated with the maps and content sharing did not give access to the maps others owned when content sharing was enabled. It was a huge turn off for someone who didn't own the maps and wanted to DM because if someone in the group owned them there was no way to share them.

I stop by ther forums on occasion hoping the site improves, sadly the censors aka mods are worse than ever and selective enforcement is their favorite method of pushing their narrative, it is such a shame to see how bad the site has become since Wizbro acquired it.