The DM's tools for a fight, without the pile of tabs
A typical DM runs combat across a map tool, an initiative tracker, a monster page and a notes document, alt-tabbing between them while six people wait. TerrainTale folds the table-side part into one screen: the map, who is up, how hurt they are, how far it is, and a way to point at things.
Build the encounter in minutes, not the night before
The room tool drags out a floored, walled room; the tile brush paints floor and wall materials; the shelf drops in doors, crates, torches, gravestones and minis, all snapped to the five-foot grid. Five finished starter scenes (a tavern, a dungeon, a crypt, a forest road, a castle gate) cover the fights a first campaign actually has. Duplicate one, move a few walls, and the encounter you improvised is on the table before the players finish arguing about marching order.
Run it: initiative, HP, conditions
The initiative tracker lists every mini in order with a round counter; the mini whose turn it is glows on the map. Each mini has a card with HP, a damage and heal field, a size, and conditions you toggle as chips. Base rings show ally, hostile and neutral at a glance, and names and HP sit next to the mini so players can read the fight from across the table.
Measure and point
The ruler counts squares and reports feet with your table's diagonal rule (5e, 5/10/5 or true distance), follows waypoints round corners, and reports height alongside distance, so the archer on the wall is "30 ft · 10 ft up" rather than a discussion. Double-click pings a spot so everyone is looking at the same crate.
Prep with an AI assistant
Scene recipes are a small JSON format an AI assistant can write from a sentence ("a ruined shrine in a swamp with a collapsed roof"). Import the recipe and the app expands it into grid-correct floors, walls and props. It is the fastest way to turn a session's prep notes into maps.
What it leaves to your other tabs, on purpose
No monster stat blocks, no dice roller, no character sheets and no encounter-difficulty calculator. Those live in the books and the tools you already use (a sheet app, a stat-block reference, an encounter builder), and they change with every edition. TerrainTale is the table itself, so it pairs with any of them and replaces none of them.
Questions
Does it include an encounter builder or CR calculator?
No. Build the encounter's difficulty in your usual tool; build its map here.
Can I save encounters for later?
Yes. Scenes save in your browser and export as JSON, minis and initiative included, so a prepared fight is a file you open on the night.
Does it roll dice?
No. Use physical dice, a dice app or a Discord bot; the table tracks the results you apply as HP and conditions.
Will it run on my laptop?
Any modern browser with WebGL 2. Integrated graphics run the low quality tier, which still has lighting and animated minis.
Is it free for DMs?
Yes. Sign-up is free, every feature is included, and the library is CC0.
Keep reading
Battle Map Maker: Build a Map in Minutes
A fast battle map maker in the browser: drag a room, paint tiles, drop props and lights, then play on the same map with miniatures, a ruler and initiative.
Build with AI
Scene recipes, and how an assistant writes them.
D&D Virtual Tabletop in 3D
A 3D virtual tabletop built for Dungeons & Dragons: realistic battle maps, animated miniatures, a ruler in feet, initiative and HP.
Features
The builder, play mode, the library and the renderer.
Ready to put a map on the table?
Sign up in a minute. Five starter scenes are waiting on the welcome screen.