Lighting a torch in the fiction does not automatically reveal the room in DMGrid. Fog and piece visibility are manually controlled; the documentation does not offer lighting that changes during play. First resolve what the characters can perceive, then show the appropriate information to the group.
DMGrid’s official facts publish hidden, visible and explored fog states, Player View and table tools. These controls present the scene; they do not replace rules or decide what each character sees.
Draw two boundaries rather than one fully lit room
The D&D 2024 basic equipment rules describe a torch casting bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for another 20 feet. Those are two zones: bright light out to 20 feet, followed by a band extending to 40 feet from the source. The whole 40-foot radius is not bright light.
The light and vision rules distinguish bright light, dim light and darkness. A circle is a range reference, rather than proof that a character sees behind every obstacle. Apply the scene’s circumstances and character senses using your table’s agreed rules.
A preparation you can take to the board
Fictional example: the group enters a corridor with a torch. A junction lies 15 feet away, with a bend behind a wall 30 feet away. Saying both are within 40 feet is not enough to reveal everything.
- Locate the source. Establish who carries the torch and check map scale before transferring distances.
- Review the space. Distinguish the area reached by light from the bend behind the wall and from previously explored space.
- Adjust the presentation manually. Use available fog and visibility states according to your ruling. Do not attribute automatic shadow calculation to a circle.
- Check Player View. Review what information you show on the player display before continuing the description.
This is not a button sequence for a lighting engine: DMGrid does not publish such an engine. Nor does this guide claim testing a real table or shared display.
When the torch moves, decide again
If its carrier advances, the fictional source changes position. Review which parts of the presentation need updating. Explored space and currently illuminated space mean different things; agree which remembered information stays available without treating a map state as a new sensory ability.
A short session note can record who carried the source and which area needed further review. Avoid recording only “room seen” if it erases a distinction you need later. Notes and map help retain your decision; they do not make it.
Choose the tool with that boundary clear
DMGrid is a Windows beta for an in-person Dungeon Master, with local campaigns and a purchased licence for one device. It does not provide browser multiplayer or dynamic lighting during play. If the latter is essential, compare documented workflows such as Foundry VTT lighting, without assuming product equivalence.
Review DMGrid’s current presentation and offer to decide whether it suits your table. Its role here is controlling what you show after resolving the scene, keeping light, fog and remembered map information distinct.