The 2024 edition of theDungeons & DragonsDungeon Master’s Guideincludes15 maps for player use, but not all of them are equally good. These maps are designed to be flexible, able to be slotted into almost any kind of campaign. As a result, some of them are complex and layered, with overlapping paths and multi-use rooms where DMs can really flex their imagination. Others are simple, too generic for their own good.
That said,every map clearly has its purpose; it’s just that some of them will inevitably be more fun to run or play on. They’re the perfect thing to support theDMG’s new premade one shot campaigns, or even to take a little burden off the DM’s shoulders during a long-running custom game. Here’s how each map compares to the others.
15D&D’s Ship Map Is Small & Specific
Only Useful In Certain Campaigns
The least useful map in the newDMGis the one simply called “Ship.” The most that can be said about it is that it delivers what it promises,featuring a simple, two-deck shipcomplete with mounted weapons, a captain’s quarters, and lifeboats. Admittedly, this can be really cool in certain scenarios; DMs can use it to simulate the party boarding an enemy vessel, finding a wreck full of treasure, or evacuating a sinking ship.
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However,the Ship map is justtoo specific for its own good. It’s a simple, small, two-masted vessel, with not a lot of room to expand or explore. It works well for what it is, but can never be anything more.
14The Caravan Encampment Is Overly Simple
A Tiny Tent City
In a similar vein,the Caravan Encampment map is small and sparsely featured. It consists of five unhitched wagons surrounding a central campfire, evoking the image of a well-earned rest at the end of a long day. It also includes a small, grassy nook with table and chair, and an entrance to a nearby road, but that’s all.
The resource management and varied nature inherent to caravan campaigns can be really cool, but ultimately,this map is a little too simple to be of much use. If the player party needs to protect (or raid) a caravan at some point, it makes an excellent staging ground for the ensuing battle. But beyond that, there’s little to explore here.
13The Dragon’s Lair Is Overly Specific
Too Clearly Defined
The Dragon’s Lair map is a little bigger, withthree different floors - each one of them albeit pretty small. The first consists of what’s clearly a landing platform/roost. Beneath that are a few small rooms that appear to be designed for human lodgings, perhaps worshipers or riders of the dragon. The third and final room is large, empty, and cavernous, clearly intended to be either the dragon’s hoard or some kind of altar.
The issue is thateach of these rooms has too clear a function. It’s hard to justify using this map for anything else, and that limits its usefulness.
12The Wizard’s Tower Is Overly Simple
But It Has Potential
Running a Wizard’s Tower session can be a lot of fun. There’s a ton of potential forDMs to pepper in weird magic items, bizarre occult tomes, and deadly arcane traps, and snicker gleefully as the player falls prey to all their tricks. There’s a Wizard’s Tower map in the newDMGfor players to use, but on its own,it’s a little too simple to do a DM much good.
The Wizard’s Tower consists of five simple, small, circular floors, few of which have any unique features. There’s also a small basement area that can serve as a dungeon, bedroom, or secret chamber - whatever the DM likes. There’s a little to work with here, butthe Wizard’s Tower isn’t anything even a beginner DM couldn’t createwithsome free mapping softwareand a spare hour.
11The Underdark Warren Needed To Be Bigger
Unrealized Potential
The Underdark Warren map could’ve been so much more. Ostensibly a tunnel system existing beneath the wider world of Faerûn, it consists entirely of narrow corridors that often cross paths. Unfortunately, it’s rendered at such a large scale thatjust a few short passageways take up the entire page. There are no big, cavernous rooms or unique features; players will almost certainly be able to explore the entire thing in a matter of minutes.
The Underdark Warren is too easy to navigate, anddoesn’t provide enough room for DMs to build out something interesting. It definitely has its uses, but none of them are terribly exciting.
Defensive Strategies
The Farmstead map is decidedly larger than some of the previous entries on this list, butit mostly consists of empty space. There’s a small, three-room farmhouse, a midsize shed, and a large barn/stable, plus a grain silo and a handful of rolling fields. And that’s all there is to it, making this map highly specialized.
That said,there’s some potential here for an interesting, strategic battle. Say the players need to protect (or even destroy) a settlement’s supply of food - this farm gives them the perfect battlegrounds. They’ll have to place their characters thoughtfully to accomplish their goal.
9The Roadside Inn Has Plenty To Explore
Staying Inn
The Roadside Inn is another map similarly dominated by barren space; the majority of it is taken up by the titular road, while the actual structure is shoved into a corner. However,there’s a lot that can be done even in this small space. There’s a small tavern downstairs, which is perfect for staging bar fights or exposition sessions. There’s a private back room, a large kitchen, and a pantry. Upstairs, players will find a variety of small rooms, ideal for a night’s rest or a little snooping.
This map is perfectly fine - there’s just not a lot more that can be done with it. However, inns are a pretty prevalent part of almost anyDnDsetting, so it’s possible to work it into a variety of different campaigns.
8The Barrow Crypt Is Great For Beginning Adventurers
Baby’s First Dungeon
The Barrow Crypt map isexcellent for an early-game dungeon. It’s relatively small, but not so small that players can clear out the entire thing in just a few minutes. It has a few winding paths, but everything’s so well-connected that it’s nearly impossible to get lost. It contains rooms of various shapes and sizes, so a DM can slot almost anything in anywhere, to fit any kind of campaign.
Ultimately, it seems like the Barrow Crypt was designed with new DMs or inexperienced players in mind; it’s even the first one in the Maps section of theDMG. Even so, it’s flexible enough that it can be used at almost any point in a campaign - technically, it doesn’t even have to be a crypt.
7The Volcanic Caves Are Huge
The Floor Is Lava
The first thing most players will notice aboutDnD’s new Volcanic Caves map ishow huge it is. It’s an absolutely sprawling map, and almost every inch of the page is used. It consists of labyrinthine passages that loop back in on one another, and narrow corridors that suddenly open up into cavernous rooms. The only bad thing about it is that it’s unmistakably a volcanic cave; it’s certainly not passing for a necromancer’s lair.
The Volcanic Cave also has a unique feature:a few of its rooms can only be accessed by crossing over lava. All the DM has to do is put some juicy treasure on the other side, and they’ve created an instant puzzle.
6The Keep Is Tough, But Rewarding
An Impenetrable Fortress
The Keep is also pretty large, but a lot more spread out; it consists of seven different floors, each of a different size, spread out throughout a sprawling fortress. Almost every floor is only accessible from a single entry point, which makes exploration difficult. Ideally, a DM will want to concoct something interesting in each of these side rooms, to incentivize curiosity.
The linearity of the Keep map is rife with opportunities for unique enemy and trap placement. Alternatively,it could be a great way to incorporateDnD’s new Bastion mechanic; have the party clear it out, then take it over.
