Battle Maps

5 Common Battle Map Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

Avoid the most frequent battle map design errors that frustrate players and slow down combat — with practical fixes for each.

RPG Map Editor Team 2026-05-15 3 min read

Mistake 1: Maps that are too large

The most common error is creating a massive map "just in case" — 50 × 50 or larger — when the encounter only needs 20 × 25. Oversized maps cause problems:

Combat takes longer because movement distances are huge
VTT performance drops with large image files
Players feel lost without clear boundaries

Fix: Size your map to the encounter. A tavern brawl needs 15 × 20. A forest ambush needs 20 × 30. A boss arena needs 25 × 25 at most. You can always make a second map for the next room.

Use RPG Map Editor's grid settings to pick exact dimensions before you start painting.

Mistake 2: No cover or obstacles

A flat, empty room with nothing but floor is boring to fight in. Ranged attackers dominate, melee characters have no way to close distance safely, and area-of-effect spells hit everything.

Fix: Add 3–5 pieces of cover to every combat map:

Full cover: walls, thick pillars, large boulders
Half cover: waist-high walls, barrels, overturned tables
Concealment: fog, dense bushes, dim lighting areas

Think about cover from both sides. Enemies need places to hide too, or the fight is over in one round.

Mistake 3: Misaligned grids

Nothing frustrates players faster than a grid that does not line up with the VTT. Tokens snap to the wrong cells, movement is ambiguous, and area spells hit uncertain squares.

Fix: Set your pixels-per-cell in the editor before you start drawing, and use the same value when importing to Roll20 or Foundry. With RPG Map Editor, the grid is baked into the export — no alignment guessing needed.

See our battle map sizing guide for exact pixel recommendations.

Mistake 4: Missing tactical purpose

A map full of decorative props but no tactical meaning is just a pretty picture. Props should do something:

A river forces swim checks or bridge chokepoints
Elevated terrain gives ranged advantage
Narrow corridors prevent flanking
Destructible objects create dynamic changes mid-fight

Fix: For every prop you place, ask: "How does a player or monster interact with this during combat?" If the answer is "they don't," consider removing it or replacing it with something functional.

Mistake 5: Ignoring lighting and sight lines

Many DMs build maps without considering where light sources are or what each token can actually see. This matters especially in:

Dungeon crawls — torchlight radius limits vision
Outdoor night encounters — darkvision ranges differ
Interior scenes — windows and doors create asymmetric information

Fix: Before the session, place a token at each starting position and trace sight lines to key enemies. Mark areas of darkness or dim light on your map (or in VTT settings). At minimum, make sure there are no spots where a creature has permanent full cover they can attack from without being seen.

Putting it all together

Good battle maps are not about art quality — they are about tactical clarity. A simple map with clear terrain, appropriate size, aligned grid, meaningful obstacles, and considered sight lines will play better than a gorgeous illustration with none of those things.

Start your next map in RPG Map Editor with these principles in mind:

Size to the encounter (not the whole dungeon)
Place cover for both sides
Set the grid before painting
Give every prop a purpose
Check sight lines from starting positions

For more design techniques, read our guide on designing dungeon rooms for tactical combat.

Try it yourself

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common battle map mistake?

Making the map too big. A 50×50 grid with no cover or objectives turns combat into a slow slog. Most encounters work better on a 20×25 map with meaningful terrain.

How do I know if my map has enough cover?

Place tokens for both sides and check sight lines. Every creature should have at least one piece of half-cover within one move. If a character has to spend two turns reaching safety, add more obstacles.

Should I always include difficult terrain?

Not always, but usually. Difficult terrain creates tactical choices — do you take the short path through rubble or the long path around? Without it, combat becomes a straight line.

Keep reading

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A beginner-friendly guide to creating your first D&D battle map with terrain, grid sizing, props, and VTT export — no art skills required.

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