DND Beyond has been working hard on the MAPS area. In the alpha phase, I found their VVT for the maps to be lacking what was basic for most other VTTs. MAPS has now been moved to the Beta phase. I checked out the changes. The changes are good but MAPS still isn’t at the level I am used to.
I have been using Above VVT for some time. It is more dynamic. I can access character sheets for monsters and players right on that screen. I can roll from it. I cannot do any of that from MAPS at this time. I believe MAPS will get there but it isn’t there yet for me.
Below is what is new with MAPS and the video. Check it out.
“MAPS IS OFFICIALLY IN BETA!
You can now run combat encounters in Maps. With this feature—along with a host of UX improvements, performance enhancements, and bug fixes—Maps has moved into the next stage of its evolution. We deeply appreciate all of the feedback and support we’ve received, and we’re extremely excited to begin this new phase with you!
COMBAT ENCOUNTERS
We have rolled out an intuitive tracker within Maps designed for the new rules from the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide.
You can now:
- Add player and monster tokens to an encounter.
- Use initiative scores or auto-roll initiative for all combatants.
- Keep track of rounds and turns.
- Dynamically edit active encounters, like quickly adding new monsters to the map and the initiative order, without interrupting your game.
- Save one active encounter per map.
Check back soon for even more features!
A Suite of Fantastic Tools
If you’re new to Maps, welcome! We
have a ton of great tools and features to help you run your games:
- Play with official maps and monsters from your D&D BEYOND library.
- Easily upload and scale your own maps.
- Add characters and monster tokens with ease.
- Roll dice directly in Maps or from your character sheet with the shared Game Log.
- Use tools like fog of war, overlays, ping, and more to streamline your playing experience.
Performance & UX
We have made several improvements to the Maps experience via stronger game servers, better error detection, tool use on larger maps, and more. We hope you have a fantastic time, but if anything goes wrong, please let us know in the Feedback tab! ” (DND Beyond)
Stay Geeky!