Measure distance, then count movement cost
In D&D 2024, each foot moved through Difficult Terrain costs one extra foot of movement. Six five-foot squares can cover thirty feet while costing forty feet of movement. Map distance and turn expenditure answer different questions.
DMGrid documents a distance ruler and circular movement ranges. We do not treat them as automatic terrain costing or permission to reach every point inside a circle.
Four clear squares followed by two rubble squares
This invented route uses the 2024 basic rules, without terrain-ignoring features or other costs. The table confirms five-foot squares, four ordinary squares first, then two Difficult Terrain squares. We count six square-to-square steps on a straight route, with no diagonal movement.
| Section | Distance | Movement spent |
|---|---|---|
| Four ordinary squares | 20 feet | 20 feet |
| Two difficult squares | 10 feet | 20 feet |
| Whole route | 30 feet | 40 feet |
With thirty feet of movement available, the first four squares cost twenty. Entering the fifth, difficult square spends the remaining ten. Under these conditions you can reach that fifth square; the sixth still requires another ten. Do not permanently lower the character’s Speed to describe this section’s movement expenditure.
Prepare the route in DMGrid
Use the ruler to establish the start and destination and read map distance. Then agree which spaces have the extra cost and add the sections. The official presentation shows the ruler in squares and feet; its demonstration does not establish automatic routing or terrain penalties.
An authored preparation note could say: “Corridor: four ordinary squares, then two difficult; five feet per square.” During the turn, confirm the starting point, conditions and character resources before moving the token. This is suggested text for session notes, not a new map property.
If conditions change, revisit the calculation
The reference is Difficult Terrain, Rules Glossary 2024. Difficult Terrain does not stack with itself: two reasons for a square to be difficult do not by themselves make its cost triple. The glossary’s base example turns five feet travelled into ten feet of movement spent; our table applies that cost to two consecutive squares without changing their size. Other effects or movement types require their own rules; do not generalise this table to climbing, crawling or a feature that ignores terrain.
DMGrid is a paid Windows beta for local campaigns and an in-person table. Review its current facts and demonstrations before buying. The cover imagines a corridor; it is neither an included map nor a program screenshot.