As of September 16, Wizards of the Coast has made its dedicated DnD virtual tabletop free for all D&DBeyond users. No, not Project Sigil. That elaborate 3D vanity project has been dead in the water for some time now. Instead, we’re talking about Maps, a simple 2D VTT that offers pre-built maps for all the modules you’ve purchased on D&DBeyond.
We’re not calling it simple to be insulting, mind you. Not everyone needs the endless customization and flashy animations of a Roll20 or an Alchemy VTT. Some people (me) prefer a virtual tabletop that prioritizes ease of use. Based on our experiences, Maps fills that niche in a manner similar to Owlbear Rodeo.
Practically any book you’ve bought through D&DBeyond has its maps pre-uploaded to the virtual tabletop. Any monster stat blocks you can access are available to search for, with tokens that can be dropped into the scene. In terms of tools, you’ve got a basic Fog of War effect for DMs, rulers, drawing tools, overlays to represent spells and effects, and a point and ping system to highlight objects of interest.
Of course, this all comes with the caveat that you’ll need to buy some DnD books on the official platform. D&D’s head of franchise previously said that homebrew maps and custom tokens are still locked behind D&DBeyond’s Master Tier subscription. There are a few basic maps included in the free version, but they’re not substantial enough to support an entire homebrew campaign.
When you consider Maps from this perspective, it becomes clear why Wizards of the Coast would want to make the VTT free – it’s great advertising for D&DBeyond as a marketplace. Market leader Roll20 makes life easy by selling you the books you need and setting them up stress-free in your VTT.
Wizards of the Coast seems to be trying to emulate Roll20’s success. While its VTT may be less expansive, it does have one ace up its sleeve. D&DBeyond is the easiest place to build and store DnD character sheets. Roll20 requires a plugin to sync your D&DBeyond sheets with the VTT; Maps naturally has the sheets built in.
You can tell us which VTT you prefer and why over in the Wargamer Discord. Or, if you’d like to get playing, here’s all you need to know about DnD classes and DnD races.