The Dungeon: Books of Battle Mats - A Versatile DM Tool

[@mpeterll]

These books might be even more versatile with the spiral binding cut away. They can still be kept in the same sleeve, but as 80 individuals maps that can be joined in any order - just a thought.

[@gretasim8472]

Backed the Kickstarter and absolutely love these! They line up so so well and absolutely flat. We just ignore the spine and its never an issue. I cannot be without these now.

[@FilmshooterOH]

I backed this on Kickstarter and I got a while ago. I think they are great and I'm designing adventures to go with them. Thanks for the heads up on their next Kickstarter campaign.

[@tabithawinx5435]

scott spears I am also very excited for that Kickstarter!

[@TraptRevelation]

I just started being the dm and getting back into D&d and all of your videos have help me so much so thank you and keep up the great work

[@alphawolf2993]

I really like that the art is all done in-house, mostly because it means you won't run into duplicates of maps you already own from other sources.

[@cartoon80s90s]

This is an amazing product and offers more options and combinations than I expected. We can even add some 3D terrain pieces to increase immersion.

[@tabithawinx5435]

I love these! The spine is great, means I can fold the book in half and you don’t notice it at all.

[@Guts3570]

If you do solo play these are absolutely perfect. You can even randomize encounters by rolling for which page you'll open it to.

[@CrexCrex77]

I joined the kickstarter for this and received my books, plus some sticker sheets, a couple of weeks ago. I haven't used them yet and probably won't in the near future, but they're a beautiful high-quality product and the format has a lot of potential. You're spot-on about the incompatibility with published modules - this is why I'm not likely to be using them any time soon - and equally spot-on about their value for improvisation. They would also be useful for the DM who needs to "travel light" - you could build an entire adventure around these maps and just pull them out of your backpack when you need them.
What I think this format would really lend itself to, and what I could really do with in my campaign though, is a book of random encounter maps - generic wilderness, rural, cave, city maps and so-on, with stickers for trees, haystacks, stalagmites and market stalls. I'd get a lot of use out of something like that and I'm sure a lot of other DMs would too. The Towns and Taverns book looks like a step in the right direction so I'll be following that with interest, thanks for posting the link. Good review.

[@johnleach8553]

Love the colors! Super inspiring! Would seriously consider purchasing this. Definitely like the hard back protection and prefer these to s roll up map. Price is reasonable for the quality of what they are offering. Being able to connect the books is awesome. Shows they really thought out the functionality.

[@stephenmclaughlin8059]

I've used something similar to this before. May need to buy one on pay day

[@tangoedtaz]

Just bought these really like them but i have removed the spiral binding, it gives much more options, 3x2 or 3x3 ect, will be looking at their kickstarter

[@mlabuguen]

😮😮😮great idea. Are you still happy with them after removing the spiral?

[@dustybunny6716]

I was curious about doing that too but I dunno how hard it would be to put the pages away

[@Jeffs40K]

I picked up 2 set the Dungeon Mattle mats off the Kickstarter and they look great, cant wait for next one. There cool option IF you make your Own Dungeon to use these Maps as a Start, they you List whats in the rooms and encounters etc and make a whole Module your self.

[@stevekirkby6570]

I wish they would sell these as a separate sheets set without the ring bind, but all boxed up for random assembly. It would also presumably be cheaper as no hard cover required, apart from perhaps a decent box. But, non the less I am ordering these and the tons and taverns.

[@PatrickSamphire]

Incredible detail and the 3D effects are astonishing. Just from your video, it almost looks like you could reach in and pick up some of the items. The downside, for me, of that detail is that individual pages won't be that re-usable. They are so specific that players are going to think they're back in a place they've already visited. Maybe if used in conjunction with something like the Dungeon Craft cut-out terrain they could have more variety.

[@jagelsdorf1385]

These are very cool! It’s great that they are laminated so that you can write on them with a marker!

[@juliantaylor7663]

I have the digital copy (imgae/vtt) of the dungeon books and the little book.
It would cost a little more to print separately but I’d be able to print what I want even match ones you can’t even if you took the binder out.
I may get the physical copy’s eventually for the quality so obviously I won’t have to print.
I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking the binding out just cause once it’s done it’s done.
A cool thing for them to do would be to make the books like their box of adventure packs
Have 2 separate boxes with them all inside stacked so you’d have the maps and 2 dice boxes.

[@BennyLlama39]

I don't know how practical it is, but at the start of the game, tell players to ignore the page binding and consider the spaces on either side as adjoining.

[@WASD20]

That did strike me as one approach after I made the video. Good way to go.

[@Mind_of_MATT]

@Colin Deal You may be right.

[@Hvetebolle_]

I can imagine this tool is great for new DMs who may not be too experienced with drawing Dungeons themselves, or maybe not comfortable with how their maps look.

[@bjhale]

Heroic Maps should put out a product like this.

[@theheavymetaldm]

DAMN this is so sweet and useful! Without your review, I wouldn't have discovered it, thanks

[@designed4freedom]

Wanted to say thanks for all this info Nate. I'm juste getting started with becoming a d&d DMing Dad, with my kids. ;)
Thus far, they love it, and I am pretty stoked about it too. So thank you! -adc

[@robertb3214]

I do not understand why they would not have put them in a 3-ring binder so they could be removed and then you can mix and match to an almost endless number of possibilities.

[@connyheb9015]

Those look really useful even if you have ideas for the encounters already,. I think it should work well to customize most of the maps and definitely be quicker than drawing them out yourself. And thanks for the heads up about the next Kickstarter, will definitely check that out

[@50smusicalssuck]

I plan on removing the binding spiral and connect them seemlessly through the outer edges instead of the hole ones. problem is they printed similar terrain on opposite sides which is a huge no in my opinion. should've always kept print of similar terrain on different page backs so there will never be a case where you need two opposing page backs to interact.....

[@HiddenHog]

Great information in this video!

[@freddaniel5099]

Another nice and informative video. I do like this product and appreciate seeing it on the channel.

[@SapphireColonThree]

I've never been this early before.

[@DeusMachina71]

I wish these where done in ring binder and removable.. that would add the best of both worlds for me

[@dureyinpyles6321]

I want to get one of these so bad

[@EpicParsnips]

A new vid love it!
I’m starting my own campaign soon with my friends. Any beginner DM tips?

[@WASD20]

Make sure you read all the books cover to cover and watch all of my videos. 🤣
But seriously, just relax and enjoy it. From your players, expect the unexpected and be ready to adjust or just be honest with them about what you’re prepared to do.
When you don’t know a rule, don’t spend too much time digging through the books. Make up a skill check or something that is relevant, and move on. You can always look up the rule later.

[@EpicParsnips]

Thanks!

[@Galvamel]

Industrial Hellscape looked sort of Planescapey

[@WASD20]

Definitely

[@dureyinpyles6321]

I'm going to do a d&d night with me and my buddies it's going to be pretty fun

[@Eupolemos]

This isn't too shabby!

[@elax4141]

20 views and 6 likes... I'm never this early.

[@ralphreichert8416]

very cool. thanks for the video.

[@dmdc5719]

I really like the artwork and designs of these. But I'm not a fan of them being a binder. I'd rather have each page as a separate page that can be set with the others, that binder in the middle is just an obstruction that I don't think would actually need to be there. I think they could have made a binder with sleeves that the pages could have been put into.

[@homieg3829]

This is a definite buy

[@akahoshirezosama]

looks very good to me.

[@Sgt40K]

Damn it, now I'm mad I bought the Giant Book of Battle Mats. Definitely going to get in on that kickstarter.

[@nathanwhitmore3980]

Don't be mad, collect them all! Haha! Just kidding, but I am about to order more!

[@Pellarhodon]

I am buying them all. It gives you more options.

[@DukeusMostchillius]

has anyone ever tried printing a blueprint sized map through staples or office depot? i think they are 24x36in..is it possible? is there a place to download a high quality image of the maps found in D&D adventure books? i think it would be fun to add map makers NPCs to towns around the swordcoast and hand over a large high quality but low detail map to he adventurers and have them scratch notes as they unfold the events and layout of the dungeons. I thought about buying a second hand blueprint sized printer for this very reason but if i can pay a few bucks for the maps through a chain store it would save me a few hundred bucks and a lot of potential headache

[@timeb9300]

Cool stuff

[@jonathanburke6370]

Just make it a rule that the spiral doesn't count.

[@KortovElphame]

*So we gonna make believe the spiral binding doesn't ruin this?*

[@WASD20]

It doesn’t. Just don’t treat the space with the binding as a square.

[@InhabitantOfOddworld]

I have the Giant books, but it doesn't ruin it - not really. I see the complaint, but the alternatives aren't great. Some are suggesting binders, but binders are A4.
Without a very specialist (and expensive) product to accommodate them, you won't find binders and sleeves in these sizes - the giant books are A3 and the books shown here are perfectly square which is an even more unusual page size format.
They *could* have sold them as individual sheets, but that would make storage difficult.
The binding here at least keeps the pages together, but usable as double-page spreads - even if you can't mix and match different pages.

[@tonymontana5651]

How much for this book and where do I get one?

[@WASD20]

45ish dollars. Check local game shops or link in video description.

[@slyp4494]

5:30 the binding isn't meant to be a space you move on

[@ramonxu90]

The thing i dont like about this is that the story and combat has to follow the maps, when it should be in the other way, the amazing thing would be an easy and cheap battle map making software

[@WASD20]

I disagree. Many things can inspire a good story. A map, a landscape painting, a song, even a cool miniature. It’s rare that someone can sit down with a blank piece of paper and form of a story with no source of inspiration. Why does it matter what the source of inspiration is, as long as the story is good?

[@sebastiang7528]

WASD20 completely agree. These maps help coming up with epic combat encounters. People always say “think outside the box”, don’t do that. Always put yourself in a box, it makes every kind of creative work a lot easier.

[@ghosthell4269]

@@WASD20 I still need some help about DND I don't know about maps or the players and the NPC's?

[@Mind_of_MATT]

@@WASD20 I'm not so sure though I could be wrong. I guess with preplanning the maps would work but what about playing sandbox with more emergent story?

[@kdurden]

1 view, 5 likes, 3 comments. I expected this at 4:20, not 9:05.

[@AceHardy]

📙💯

[@walrusgaming2680]

Hello first comment noice

[@zaidsaleh2445]

Hiii ....im working on anew project related to world building ...quite big....not sure if ur interested on collaborating with us ...if yes do let m know ....

[@manda60]

How nice. Great product that seems to no longer be available.

[@ericdebob620]

Got mine from Noble Knight today, www.nobleknight.com/P/2147795089/Dungeon-Book-of-Battle-Mats-The

[@ralphreichert8416]

very cool. thanks for the video.