Should you use a grid in Dungeons & Dragons?

While Dungeons & Dragons can be played entirely without cards or character tokens and takes a “theater of the mind” approach 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide contains rules for playing with a card and a grid. For many gamers, especially those who play games online, this is probably the usual approach. A map divided into squares measuring 1.5 by 1.5 meters allows player characters to position themselves opposite their enemies and get a more consistent visualization of the battlefield.

However, a square grid isn’t the only card type that players use, and it’s not even the only card type with official rules DMG. There are also Explanations for using hex grids or even how to use maps without any grid overlay. Any of these approaches can work, but how does a party know which one will work best for them?

Using a square grid ensures simplicity

The best card type to optimize combat

A square grid is undoubtedly the easiest way to design a battlefield, especially when playing online. Basically, Every feature, spell, and ability in the game measures distance in multiples of 5 feet. This means that these squares can be used to quickly and easily figure out how far a character can run based on how much space a wall of fire takes up.

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For DMs who want to make combat faster and players who don’t like having to constantly take measurements, this is probably the way to go. But that doesn’t mean that a square grid doesn’t have disadvantages. This method of map measurement has since become extremely inaccurate It counts the distances diagonally across a square, corresponding to the length of its sides. That’s not how math works and creates situations where players can move further than intended and AOEs can take up more space when measuring across diagonals.

For some players and DMs, this can be a major thorn in their side and annoy them while playing. Additionally, The square grid is rather restrictive in terms of creature positioning. Especially on smaller maps, this limits positioning options quite a bit and can limit the creativity that players could otherwise express through their character’s movement.

Hex grids are mathematically more accurate

No more weird diagonals

The hex grid more or less solves the problem of mathematical inaccuracy. It makes a diagonal move the same distance as a normal move and can More accurately represent the space occupied by large creatures or areas of effect. For DMs and players who struggle with the oversimplified dimensions of the square grid, this is the way to go.

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This is worth mentioning Playing on a hex can be more complicated for players used to a square gridand there may be a bit of a learning curve as they get used to the new system. It’s important for DMs not to force big changes like this on their players without discussion, and it’s important to make sure they prefer the change. Additionally, some may still find the hexes restrictive, as they create certain locations where characters are “allowed” to stand on a map.

Not having a grid gives players more freedom

Stand wherever you want

Of course, the least restrictive method is to not use a grid at all. Maps should still be scaled to fit the size of the player characters and their enemies, but This method allows these creatures to stand anywhere they want on the battlefield. Instead of relying on a grid to represent distances, rulers and other distance measurement tools are used when necessary.

This is also the most complicated method and is not for everyone. Not every player wants to pull out a ruler whenever they need to move The excess of choices in terms of positioning can even be overwhelming. Still, many Dungeons & Dragons Parties prefer this method because it offers a lot of freedom, and it is also fairly easy to use in an online environment, provided the platform the party uses offers measurement tools.

Source: Dungeons & Dragons/YouTube

Dungeons and dragons

Original release date

00.00.1974

editor

TSR Inc., Wizards of the Coast

Designers

E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson

Number of players

2-7 players