When the scene needs a grid, not just a mood
Alchemy leans into cinematic, theater-of-the-mind play: atmosphere, music, art and scenes that set a mood. TerrainTale is for the moment the fight starts and everyone asks where they are standing: a 3D place with miniatures, light and a ruler that counts feet.
Side by side
| Topic | TerrainTale | Alchemy RPG |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Tactical battle maps in 3D | Cinematic scenes, atmosphere and storytelling |
| The map | A 3D scene built from a realistic library | Scene art and backdrops, with tactical maps available |
| Tokens | Realistic 3D miniatures; image standees for anything else | Image tokens |
| Measuring | Feet with diagonal rule, waypoints and height | Grid tools on maps |
| Audio and video | None built in; use your usual call | Music and ambience are central |
| Character sheets | None, by design | Built in |
| Initiative and HP | Tracker, HP, conditions and round counter | Supported |
| Remote play | Shared rooms by link | Yes, in the browser |
| Pricing | Free plan with one saved scene; Premium $6/month | Free tier and a paid subscription |
Alchemy RPG is a trademark of its owners and is not affiliated with TerrainTale. Feature notes describe the other product in general terms as we understand it at the time of writing; check its site for current details.
A place to fight in
Mood art tells players how a room feels; a 3D scene tells them where the pillars are, how high the balcony is and who has a clear line to the door. TerrainTale builds that place quickly with the room tool, the tile brush and a shelf of realistic props. A worked example: a tavern brawl on a floor 10 squares by 8. The bar is a line of props the party can vault, the balcony stands 10 feet up, and the ruler tells an archer on it how far the door is and how far down. Those are the facts that make tactical choices possible.
Light does the atmosphere
A time-of-day slider, a sun whose shadows follow it and torches that light a room carry a lot of the mood that music and art carry elsewhere. The same tavern serves a quiet afternoon and a midnight brawl. A torch attached to a sconce lights the corridor around it, bloom makes flames read as bright, and walls cast real shadows. The hour is saved with the scene, so the mood is ready when the session opens.
Where Alchemy is still the better pick
Story-forward groups who rarely use a grid, tables that want soundscapes and character sheets in the same window, and campaigns that live in theater of the mind. TerrainTale has no audio, no sheets and no journal; it is a battle map. Alchemy's strength is the storytelling package in one place. If most of your sessions never reach a grid, that is worth more than a better battle map.
Moving across
There is no Alchemy importer. A common setup is to keep the narrative side where it is and open a TerrainTale room when combat starts. Rebuild the arena from a starter scene or the room tool, or have an AI assistant draft a scene recipe from your description and import the JSON. Players who have joined before come straight back in through the same link each session, so switching from story to fight takes a minute.
Combat on the map
Start combat and every mini on the map joins initiative. Roll or type each number, press N to move on, and the active mini glows while its movement resets. HP sits on the token card with damage and heal buttons, and conditions are badges the table sees. Players drag their own minis, and the feet they move are charged to their turn. A dice tray throws physics dice the whole table watches land.
Fog and surprise
The DM paints fog over the parts of the map the party has not reached and reveals them as it explores. Players see black there, and what stands in the fog is not sent to their browsers. A single mini can be hidden from players until the moment it steps out. This is not a vision system: there is no automatic line of sight, and every reveal is the DM's decision.
A two-tool evening
One way to run it: open the session in Alchemy for narration, music and sheets. When initiative is called, the DM shares the TerrainTale room, players join from the link, and the fight runs on the 3D map with the dice tray, the ruler and the tracker. When it ends, everyone returns to the story. Fog painted over a dungeon stays saved with the scene for the next fight.
Questions
Can I use TerrainTale with Alchemy?
Yes. Keep story, music and sheets in one tool and open a TerrainTale room for tactical fights.
Does TerrainTale have music or ambience?
No. The time of day and the lights set the mood on the map; play audio through whatever your group already uses.
Can players join remotely?
Yes. Share a saved scene by link; players sign in, ask to join and see the table live once the host lets them in.
Is it free?
There is a free plan that keeps one saved scene. Premium, $6 a month or $48 a year, keeps up to 200 and imports your own models.
Does TerrainTale have fog of war?
Yes. The DM brushes fog on and reveals it, in the editor or mid-game. Players see black there and are not sent what stands in it. There is no automatic line of sight.
Is there a dice roller?
Yes. A dice tray throws physics dice the whole table sees, with notation such as 2d6+3 and advantage. A free online roller on this site also works without signing in.
Does it have character sheets?
No, by design. Keep sheets in Alchemy or your usual tool; TerrainTale tracks HP and conditions on the token.
Do creature sizes take the right number of squares?
Yes. A Medium creature takes one square and a Large creature a 2 by 2 space, and tokens snap to match. The ruler measures from wherever you start the drag, so reach from the edge of a large space is easy to check.
Keep reading
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3D Battle Maps for Tabletop RPGs
Make 3D battle maps in the browser from a realistic, CC0/CC BY library: PBR floors and walls, photoscanned props, trees and lights.
3D Lighting and Dynamic Shadows for D&D Maps
Battle maps with real light: a time-of-day slider that moves the sun and every shadow with it, a moon at night, torch lights on lamps and bloom on flames.
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Free Virtual Tabletop: 3D Maps, No Download, No Seat Licences
A free virtual tabletop in the browser: open a 3D battle map, drag minis, measure in feet, run initiative.
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