Secret Lesson 17

Playing on a Grid: Miniatures, Tokens, Squares, Distances, and Positioning

Up to now, we have described movement and exploration mainly in terms of:

  • feet

  • distances

  • relative positions

  • descriptions from the Game Master

But many groups prefer to represent the adventuring environment physically.

They might use:

A SQUARE GRID

together with:

MINIATURES

or:

TOKENS

The grid provides a visual representation of:

  • where creatures are

  • how far they can move

  • how far apart things are

  • which spaces are difficult to cross

  • where walls and terrain block movement

The SRD provides a small set of specific rules for playing this way.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE A GRID

The SRD introduces these rules conditionally:

IF YOU PLAY USING A SQUARE GRID AND MINIATURES OR OTHER TOKENS

then use the grid rules.

This means the game can also be played without a physical grid.

A group might instead describe positions verbally.

But when a square grid is used, everyone follows the same spatial measurements.

WHAT DO MINIATURES AND TOKENS REPRESENT?

A miniature or token normally represents a creature's position in the game world.

For example:

  • your hero miniature represents your character

  • another token might represent an ally

  • monster miniatures represent enemies

  • objects and terrain can also be represented on the map

The important point is that the grid converts imagined distances into clearly measurable spaces.

EACH SQUARE REPRESENTS 5 FEET

The fundamental grid rule is:

1 SQUARE = 5 FEET

 

This is the conversion used throughout grid-based play.

SIMPLE DISTANCE CONVERSION

1 square

5 feet

2 squares

10 feet

3 squares

15 feet

4 squares

20 feet

5 squares

25 feet

6 squares

30 feet

And so on.

SPEED ON A GRID

Instead of moving your miniature foot by foot, you move:

SQUARE BY SQUARE

Your Speed is converted into 5-foot segments.

The formula is:

SPEED ÷ 5 = NUMBER OF SQUARES

EXAMPLE — SPEED 30 FEET

Character Speed:

30 feet

Calculation:

30 ÷ 5 = 6

Therefore:

SPEED 30 FEET = 6 SQUARES

The SRD gives this exact conversion as its example.

MORE SPEED EXAMPLES

Speed Squares
20 feet 4 squares
25 feet 5 squares
30 feet 6 squares
35 feet 7 squares
40 feet 8 squares
50 feet 10 squares
60 feet 12 squares

The principle is always:

DIVIDE SPEED BY 5

RECORDING SPEED IN SQUARES

The SRD suggests that if your group frequently uses a grid, you may want to record your Speed in squares on your character sheet.

For example:

Speed: 30 ft. / 6 squares

That can make movement faster to resolve during play.

ENTERING A SQUARE

To enter another square:

YOU MUST HAVE ENOUGH MOVEMENT REMAINING TO PAY FOR IT

 

You cannot begin entering a square if you lack enough movement to cover its movement cost.

NORMAL SQUARE

Entering an adjacent, unoccupied square normally costs:

1 SQUARE OF MOVEMENT

 

Since one square represents 5 feet:

NORMAL COST = 5 FEET

ORTHOGONAL MOVEMENT

You may enter a square directly:

  • north

  • south

  • east

  • west

relative to your current square.

That is often called orthogonal movement.

It costs:

1 SQUARE

for a normal unoccupied adjacent space.

DIAGONAL MOVEMENT

You may also enter an adjacent square:

DIAGONALLY

The SRD treats an adjacent diagonal square as costing:

1 SQUARE OF MOVEMENT

just like an orthogonally adjacent square.

IMPORTANT: DIAGONALS DON'T COST EXTRA UNDER THESE GRID RULES

Suppose your miniature moves:

one square diagonally.

That movement costs:

5 FEET

not:

7.5 feet

and not:

10 feet.

For the SRD's square-grid rules:

ADJACENT ORTHOGONAL OR DIAGONAL SQUARE = 1 SQUARE

provided no other terrain rule changes the cost.

EXAMPLE — DIAGONAL MOVEMENT

Your Speed is:

30 feet = 6 squares

You move diagonally six times through normal terrain.

Each square costs:

1 square

So you can move:

6 DIAGONAL SQUARES

using your full Speed.

DIFFICULT TERRAIN ON THE GRID

You already know that Difficult Terrain makes movement more expensive.

On a square grid:

ENTERING A DIFFICULT TERRAIN SQUARE COSTS 2 SQUARES OF MOVEMENT

 

That corresponds to:

10 FEET OF MOVEMENT

to enter one 5-foot Difficult Terrain square.

EXAMPLE — DIFFICULT TERRAIN

Speed:

30 feet

Grid Speed:

6 squares

You enter one square of Difficult Terrain.

Cost:

2 SQUARES

You now have:

4 SQUARES OF MOVEMENT REMAINING

MULTIPLE DIFFICULT TERRAIN SQUARES

Suppose all six physical squares ahead of you are Difficult Terrain.

Each costs:

2 squares of movement

With a movement allowance of:

6 squares

you can enter only:

3 DIFFICULT TERRAIN SQUARES

because:

3 × 2 = 6

SOME SQUARES CAN COST EVEN MORE

The SRD notes that other effects can increase a square's movement cost beyond the normal Difficult Terrain cost.

So:

Normal square

Usually:

1 square

Difficult Terrain

Usually:

2 squares

Special effect

Possibly:

even more

Always check the specific rule.

YOU MUST BE ABLE TO PAY THE FULL COST

Suppose you have:

1 SQUARE OF MOVEMENT LEFT

The next square is Difficult Terrain.

Cost:

2 SQUARES

You cannot enter it with only one square of movement remaining.

You need enough movement available to pay the full cost.

CORNERS

Diagonal movement has one important restriction.

You cannot move diagonally across the corner of:

  • a wall

  • a large tree

  • another terrain feature that fills its space

 

WHY CORNERS MATTER

Imagine four squares arranged like this:

A | WALL
WALL | B

Your character is in A.

Square B is diagonally adjacent.

But the two corners between them are occupied by terrain that blocks the diagonal path.

You cannot simply move diagonally through the corner.

YOU CANNOT CUT THROUGH SOLID TERRAIN

The grid does not allow your miniature to squeeze through the mathematical corner of a wall merely because the destination square touches your current square diagonally.

The physical terrain still matters.

EXAMPLE — WALL CORNER

You are standing beside the corner of a stone building.

The square on the opposite diagonal is technically adjacent on the grid.

But the building's wall fills the corner between you and that square.

You cannot move diagonally through the wall.

You must move:

AROUND THE CORNER

RANGE ON A GRID

The grid is also used to determine:

RANGE

between:

  • creatures

  • objects

  • other relevant locations

The SRD gives a specific counting method.

HOW TO COUNT RANGE

To determine the range between two things:

STEP 1

Start counting from a square:

ADJACENT TO THE FIRST THING

STEP 2

Continue through squares along the:

SHORTEST ROUTE

STEP 3

Stop counting:

IN THE SPACE OF THE SECOND THING

 

SIMPLE RANGE EXAMPLE

Your character occupies one square.

An enemy is three squares away according to the shortest grid route.

Each square represents:

5 feet

Therefore:

3 SQUARES = 15 FEET

RANGE USES THE SHORTEST ROUTE

Suppose multiple possible paths connect your square to the enemy.

You do not deliberately count a longer route.

The SRD says:

COUNT BY THE SHORTEST ROUTE

 

DIAGONALS AND RANGE

Because diagonal adjacency counts as one square in these rules, diagonal spacing can also be counted using the grid's shortest route.

For example, a target one diagonal square away is:

1 SQUARE = 5 FEET AWAY

under these grid rules.

EXAMPLE — SPELL RANGE

Suppose a spell has:

Range 30 feet

On the grid:

30 ÷ 5 = 6 squares

A target whose shortest grid distance is:

6 squares

is within range.

A target whose shortest grid distance is:

7 squares

is beyond that 30-foot range.

EXAMPLE — WEAPON RANGE

Suppose a ranged weapon has a relevant distance of:

60 feet

Convert it:

60 ÷ 5 = 12 squares

The grid makes it easy to determine whether the target is within that distance.

The detailed weapon-range rules come later in the Combat section.

POSITIONING MATTERS

Once creatures are represented on a grid, their exact positions become mechanically important.

A creature's position can determine:

  • how far it can move

  • which targets are within range

  • whether Difficult Terrain lies between locations

  • whether a wall blocks movement

  • which creatures are near each other

Later combat rules will add concepts such as:

  • creature spaces

  • reach

  • cover

  • Opportunity Attacks

  • movement around other creatures

  • melee positioning

But the foundation is the grid system you have learned here.

POSITIONING BEFORE COMBAT

Remember the marching-order rules from Lesson 16.

When combat begins, the GM establishes everyone's positions based on:

  • the adventurers' marching order

  • their stated positions in the area

  • the locations of enemies

 

A grid can make this transition especially clear.

EXAMPLE

The party has been exploring a corridor.

Their marching order is:

Fighter

Rogue

Wizard

Cleric

Suddenly, enemies attack from the front.

If a grid is being used, the GM can place the characters according to that established order.

The exploration decision now directly affects combat positioning.

MOVEMENT AND POSITION ARE SEPARATE FROM YOUR ACTION

The grid represents movement, but movement is not automatically your action.

When combat begins, the SRD states that on your turn you can:

MOVE UP TO YOUR SPEED

and:

TAKE ONE ACTION

You decide which comes first.

The detailed combat movement rules begin in later lessons.

EXAMPLE — MOVE THEN ACT

Speed:

30 feet = 6 squares

You move:

4 squares

Then use:

ATTACK ACTION

You still have:

2 squares of movement

available if the later movement rules allow you to continue.

BREAKING UP MOVEMENT

The broader movement rules allow you to split movement around Actions, Bonus Actions, or Reactions taken on the same turn.

For example, a creature with 30-foot Speed could:

move 10 feet

take an action

then:

move 20 feet

 

On a grid, this becomes:

move 2 squares

take an action

move 4 more squares

A SIMPLE GRID EXAMPLE

Your hero has:

SPEED 30 FEET

Therefore:

6 SQUARES

The map ahead contains:

  • 2 normal squares

  • 1 Difficult Terrain square

  • more normal ground

Movement:

First normal square

Cost:

1

Remaining:

5

Second normal square

Cost:

1

Remaining:

4

Difficult Terrain square

Cost:

2

Remaining:

2

You may now move through:

2 MORE NORMAL SQUARES

before exhausting your Speed.

FULL GRID EXAMPLE

Suppose your character begins six squares from a door.

The path includes:

  • three normal squares

  • one Difficult Terrain square

  • two more normal squares

Movement cost:

Normal:

3

Difficult:

2

Normal:

2

Total:

7 SQUARES OF MOVEMENT

But your Speed is only:

6 SQUARES

Therefore:

you cannot reach the final destination using only your normal movement that turn.

You need another source of movement, such as the Dash action, or you stop before reaching it.

DASH ON A GRID

You already learned that Dash gives extra movement equal to your Speed after modifiers.

If your Speed is:

30 feet

you normally have:

6 squares

Dash gives another:

6 squares

Total possible movement:

12 SQUARES

through normal terrain.

The grid changes the presentation, not the underlying rule.

DIFFICULT TERRAIN WITH DASH

Suppose:

Speed 30 feet

Dash gives a total movement allowance of:

60 feet = 12 squares

If every square is Difficult Terrain and each costs 2:

you can move:

6 PHYSICAL SQUARES

because:

6 × 2 = 12 movement units

GRID VS. GAME WORLD

It is important to remember:

THE GRID REPRESENTS THE GAME WORLD

The characters do not know that they are standing on squares.

The squares are a tool for the players to measure:

  • distance

  • movement

  • position

The fictional world remains continuous.

The grid simply makes spatial rules easy to apply.

MINIATURES AND TOKENS ARE POSITION MARKERS

A miniature does not change the character's statistics.

A token does not make a monster mechanically different.

They provide a visual way to track where creatures are.

You can therefore use:

  • detailed miniatures

  • simple tokens

  • coins

  • markers

  • other suitable representations

The SRD refers broadly to:

MINIATURES OR OTHER TOKENS

 

PRACTICAL GRID CHECKLIST

Whenever you use a square battle map, remember:

1. ONE SQUARE

5 FEET

2. CONVERT SPEED

SPEED ÷ 5 = SQUARES

3. NORMAL ADJACENT SQUARE

COST 1 SQUARE

whether orthogonal or diagonal.

4. DIFFICULT TERRAIN

COST 2 SQUARES

unless another rule says otherwise.

5. CHECK CORNERS

You cannot diagonally cross the corner of terrain that fills its space.

6. RANGE

Count squares along:

THE SHORTEST ROUTE

7. TRACK REMAINING MOVEMENT

Deduct the cost of each square you enter.

COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES

MISTAKE 1 — TREATING ONE SQUARE AS 1 FOOT

One square represents:

5 FEET

 

MISTAKE 2 — MOVING 30 SQUARES WITH SPEED 30

Speed 30 feet means:

6 SQUARES

not 30 squares.

MISTAKE 3 — AUTOMATICALLY MAKING DIAGONAL MOVEMENT COST MORE

Under these SRD square-grid rules, entering an adjacent square costs one square whether it is orthogonally or diagonally adjacent, unless another effect changes the cost.

MISTAKE 4 — IGNORING DIFFICULT TERRAIN

A Difficult Terrain square costs:

2 SQUARES OF MOVEMENT

 

MISTAKE 5 — ENTERING A SQUARE WITHOUT ENOUGH MOVEMENT

You must have enough movement remaining to pay the entire cost of entering it.

MISTAKE 6 — CUTTING THROUGH WALL CORNERS

Diagonal movement cannot cross the corner of a wall or another terrain feature that fills its space.

MISTAKE 7 — MEASURING RANGE BY A LONGER ROUTE

Use:

THE SHORTEST ROUTE

between the two things.

MISTAKE 8 — THINKING USING A GRID IS REQUIRED

The SRD's grid rules apply when the group chooses to use a square grid with miniatures or tokens.

LESSON 17 — KEY TAKEAWAYS

A SQUARE GRID CAN REPRESENT POSITION AND DISTANCE

Miniatures or other tokens show where creatures are.

ONE SQUARE EQUALS

5 FEET

CONVERT SPEED INTO SQUARES

SPEED ÷ 5

Example:

30 feet = 6 squares

 

NORMAL ADJACENT MOVEMENT

Entering a normal unoccupied adjacent square costs:

1 SQUARE OF MOVEMENT

This includes:

  • orthogonal adjacency

  • diagonal adjacency

 

DIFFICULT TERRAIN

Costs:

2 SQUARES OF MOVEMENT

to enter.

YOU MUST HAVE ENOUGH MOVEMENT

You cannot enter a square unless you can pay its full movement cost.

CORNERS BLOCK SOME DIAGONAL MOVEMENT

You cannot diagonally pass through the corner of a wall, large tree, or another terrain feature filling its space.

RANGE

Count squares from adjacent to one thing to the other thing's space using:

THE SHORTEST ROUTE

 

GAME FUNDAMENTALS COMPLETE

With Lesson 17, you have completed the first major section of the course:

GAME FUNDAMENTALS

You now understand the foundation required to begin learning combat in detail.

NEXT LESSON

LESSON 18 — STARTING COMBAT: ENCOUNTERS, ROUNDS, TURNS, AND INITIATIVE

The next lesson begins the dedicated:

COMBAT SECTION

We will learn:

  • how combat begins

  • how the GM establishes starting positions

  • how rounds work

  • how long a round represents in the game world

  • what a turn is

  • how Initiative is rolled

  • why Initiative is a Dexterity check

  • how monsters roll Initiative

  • how groups of identical monsters can share a roll

  • how Surprise affects Initiative

  • Initiative order

  • resolving Initiative ties

  • what you can do on your turn

  • communication during combat

  • how combat ends

From Lesson 18 onward, the individual rules you have learned begin working together as a complete battle system.

SRD 5.2.1 ATTRIBUTION

This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.