Introduction to Animated Maps in Dungeons and Dragons
Whether you are using a Virtual Tabletop (VTT) to run remote role-playing games or using a tabletop tool in a shared space, if you are not using animated maps, you are missing an opportunity to improve your game’s clarity, atmosphere, and functionality.
Benefits of Using Animated Maps
Enhanced Immersion and Engagement
In addition to good storytelling, animated maps contribute to an immersive experience for GMs and players. Environmental elements and props come to life: leaves dance in the wind, torches flicker, and lava gurgles and flows. Want a poisonous cloud to haunt your players; how about adding some rain and lightning to that whitewater rapids scene? All of this is possible with a little preparation. VTTs and tabletop tools make loading animated maps, props, and environmental effects a breeze.
Even the best GM can struggle to keep a group focused across an entire session. The dreaded rule or nostalgia rabbit hole…the halfling’s super-duper important side quest. These fun distractions can tune some players out. A beautifully rendered moving map, punctuated with terrain-bling provides a rich visual environment to keep players anchored in your game.
Visual Clarity and Understanding
Animated maps build upon the clarity that digital tools brought to tabletop role-playing. Players and GMs have a shared experience of the game environment and action outcomes. I still want to describe the scene to my players, but if I can spend less time on orientation and more on the charging abyssal demon lord, then everyone wins – or at least the demon lord does.
For every minute spent preparing animated maps, you’ll recover two, as you show instead of tell. GMs and players must still engage their imagination to fill in details, but all share a proper understanding of the foundational elements of the scene.
Animated maps remind us of environmental conditions that often become lost in the excitement of discovery or battle. Splintering ice, burning trees, bubbling mud, smoke filled air, etc., are harder to ignore when you can see them.
Tips for Effectively Using Animated Maps
Content. There are some fantastic artists out there. If you’re looking for DnD maps, Dynamic Dungeons is the leader. Tamas has an ever-expanding library of truly inspired content and an affordable tabletop tool: Dynamic Dungeon Editor. If you’re looking for adventures to go along with those moving maps, AAW Games has set the bar high with their Mini-Dungeons line including moving maps, audio soundtracks, and PDF adventures released weekly to AAW Games’ subscribers.
Proficiency. Take some time to learn the basics of your VTT or tabletop tool. Fog of war, moving between maps, audio settings, etc. Technology is great until the human interface fails.
Test. Whatever tool you choose, test it on the screen you will use well ahead of game night. There are always things that need adjustment. Go into your live session with confidence.
Terrain. Players still want texture and tactical opportunities, like cover and position. The best scenes combine digital art, animation, and 3D terrain elements. Leverage animated backgrounds to make dungeon trappings pop.
Audio. Animated maps coupled with background audio further the immersive experience. Hearing wolves howl over a blizzard swept tundra is a powerful motivator to keep things moving. Check out AAW Games’ audio soundtracks or access them for free to stream anytime as a subscriber.
Plan B. Even with the best human interface, technology and infrastructure will sometimes fail. If the technology adds complication instead of enhancing the experience, then it’s not ready for prime time. For everyone involved, having fun is the most important part. Ditch the digital in the moment if it causes more hassle than happiness. You can always fine tune things in between games.
Download AAW Games’ enhanced Mini-Dungeons with PDF, animated maps & audio soundtrack.