Monster Stat Blocks and Hit Point Tracking Come to Maps, the D&D VTT!

Tags ddb-features author-davyd-atkins

You can now track monsters' Hit Points and roll directly from their stat blocks in Maps! This update to Maps' combat encounter capabilities is another big step toward freeing up work from Dungeon Masters so they can focus on the fun while running their session.

Excited to see how it works? Read on to learn more about this new functionality!

Ready? Fight!

New to using the official D&D virtual tabletop? The Maps VTT is available for Master Tier subscribers and allows you to populate your digital playspace with tokens and maps from your D&D Beyond library. Once your battle map is prepared, you can invite your players regardless of their subscription and play together in a digital environment! To help you get started, we have articles detailing how to set up encounters within Maps, as well as a comprehensive guide to using Maps.

Tracking monster Hit Points and rolling from their stat blocks is one of the latest improvements we've made to the Maps VTT, and more features are on the way!

Tracking Hit Points

Put down that pen and paper; you can now track monster Hit Points right in Maps' Initiative Order interface! Once you've hit "Start Combat" in the Combat Encounter menu, you’ll see that monster Hit Points have now become clickable. Clicking a monster's Hit Points will bring up the Hit Points management menu, where you can apply damage or healing on the go.

Customize Your Creatures on the Fly

If you have a particularly beefy–or feeble–monster and want to change its Hit Point maximum, you can enter the new value in the Override Max HP field. You can also give the monster Temporary Hit Points by using the Temp HP field. Now, if that Vampire Warlock you've cooked up activates its Regeneration ability and casts Armor of Agathys on the same turn, you won't be erasing and scribbling to try to keep track of their Hit Points!

Stat Blocks and Rolling

A gif of how to roll from a monster's stat block on the D&D Beyond Maps VTT.

Want to handle Initiative without having multiple tabs open or consulting your rulebooks? Now, you can access all of your monsters' stat blocks inside the Maps VTT!

Quickly Roll Ability Checks and Saving Throws

When you select a monster in the Initiative Order, you'll be shown its six ability scores and their bonuses for ability checks and saving throws. Clicking any of the numbers will roll the applicable ability check or saving throw and display it in the Game Log. These rolls are only visible to the Dungeon Master and will be hidden from the Game Log in Spectator View.

Access the Entire Stat Block for Attacks and Abilities

If you need to access a monster's attacks or other abilities (as is often the case in a combat encounter), you can view the monster's full stat block by clicking the "Open Monster's Stat Block" button at the bottom of its summary.

From here, you can make attack and damage rolls for your monster. You can also click any other rollable aspect of the monster's stat block, such as ability recharges. If you need additional information about a monster's abilities, like when it imposes a condition you can't remember the rules for, you can access this by clicking on the associated link.

If you want to see the monster's stat block in its original form, click the "Go to full details page" button to the right of the monster's name to open its classic stat block in a new tab.

Run Your Encounters in Maps Today!

Maps continues to expand its features and fine-tune its functionality, always striving toward the goal of saving Dungeon Masters time and energy when it comes to preparing and running their games. You can start a free 30-day Master Tier trial and try out the official Dungeons & Dragons virtual tabletop for yourself, and, as always, stay tuned for more updates on the Maps Beta!

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Davyd is a Dungeon Master living in the south of England with his wife Steph, daughter Willow, and two cats Khatleesi and Mollie. In addition to D&D, he loves writing, 3d printing, and experimenting home automation, often combining all four with varying degrees of success.

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