Guide

Dungeon map design basics

Plan dungeon rooms, routes, chokepoints, and reveal flow before spending time on decorative detail.

A good dungeon map creates decisions. Build loops, clear thresholds, cover, hazards, and readable reveal points first; then decorate without hiding token spaces or grid intersections.

Cave and dungeon encounter map example
Fit

Best for / Not best for

Best for: DMs and GMs who need a practical RPGMapEditor workflow for one map-making task: choose the right size, build the playable space, save the source project, and export a PNG for DnD, TTRPG, VTT, Roll20, Foundry VTT, print, or sharing.

Not best for: generic map theory, hidden keyword pages, fake popularity claims, or promises that RPG Map Editor exports Roll20 dynamic lighting, native Foundry scene JSON, walls, doors, tokens, or automation data.

Flow

Rooms and corridors should create decisions

A useful dungeon map is not just rooms connected by hallways. It gives players choices: risk a noisy door, take a longer route, fight through a chokepoint, or spend resources to scout.

Sketch the route graph before polishing art. If every path is linear, add a loop, secret bypass, balcony, collapsed passage, or vertical connection.

  • Use loops to reduce hallway fatigue.
  • Vary room shape to make fights feel different.
  • Mark doors and thresholds clearly on the grid.
Combat readability

Chokepoints, cover, and sight lines matter most

Dungeon detail should support combat rulings. Rubble can be difficult terrain, pillars can block sight, pools can split movement, and furniture can create cover. Decoration that does not affect play should be quieter than tactical objects.

  • Keep token spaces obvious.
  • Avoid props that hide grid intersections.
  • Use contrast for walls, hazards, and doors.
Reveal

Design for fog-of-war or table reveal

If players explore room by room, export the whole dungeon for VTT fog tools or crop individual encounter rooms for lightweight reveals. Both workflows are valid; choose before you overbuild.

  • Whole map: better for exploration flow.
  • Room crops: easier for low-bandwidth sessions.
  • Keep labels out of player-facing exports.
Product workflow

How to do it in RPGMapEditor

Open RPGMapEditor, start from a blank map or demo, paint the terrain that defines movement, place props only where they affect play, keep the grid readable, save the map when you need to return, then export a PNG for Roll20, Foundry VTT, print, or sharing.

Use the screenshot or map example above as proof of the workflow: the article should show an actual editor-created map, not a stock fantasy image.

Use this article in the editor

Turn the guide into one map: pick a grid size, build the example, save it, and export once.

Dungeon map maker Pricing

Keep building from useful pages

Compare the workflow against real examples, read the feature list, or check limits before you commit the tool to a campaign.

Features Showcase Pricing