CoC: Miniatures vs. No Miniatures

[Fearkeeper]

I'm trying to decide whether to include miniatures and grids in my CoC games. I've been Keeper several times for my gaming group in the past, and we've never used them, but yesterday's scenario made me wonder if we should be using them. The two investigators got attacked by three ghouls, three zombies, and a cultist with a rifle, and it got kind of confusing trying to keep track of who was where and who could attack what. I think it wasn't very fair for the investigators because if we had been using miniatures they might have been able to coordinate their efforts better (one ended up being eaten and the other one left for dead and the scenario ended). But I'm also afraid the scenarios might lose some of their creepiness if the big, scary monsters were reduced to little plastic figures on a game board. What are your thoughts on this? Do YOU use miniatures? Does it reduce the fear factor?

 

[frankthedm]

Of course it reduces the fear factor to have a god's eye view of the battlefield. It also will slow the game down as folks will try to think out tactical options, sometimes using information from outside their line of sight.

 

[Crothian]

I've never seen CoC played with minis in all my years of gaming. I';m not saying no one does it. I'd stick with no minis.

 

[Mark CMG]

I prefer CoC without minis if the GM is good at being inclusive of player narrative. When a CoC GM was just railroading the players to present a gruesome story, then I have liked having the tactical element included so the players had some input in how the game time was spent. I have found CoC to be a game most fun for me when played entirely in our heads. I've played games of it in impromptu settings where we merely chose character types and had no paperwork, no pens, no dice (the GM had some dice, used secretly).

 

[Fearkeeper]

OK, you've convinced me. Thanks, guys!

 

[scourger]

If you want to include minis, I suggest Realms of Cthulhu. Since it uses Savage Worlds as a base, minis are easily integrated in the game. It is a blast, and using minis does not decrease the fear factor; although it does increase the fun factor--for me. But then, I really didn't like Call of Cthulhu as well.

 

[Holy Bovine]

I've never seen CoC played with minis in all my years of gaming. I';m not saying no one does it. I'd stick with no minis.

Have to agree. Even though I have a dozen or so CoC miniatures they have never actually been used in a CoC game. It just doesn't lend itself to a battlemat style game.

And every combat in CoC should be unfair. Fighting usually happens when every other option has been tried or ignored.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

I'll echo that I've never played with minis and I'd recommend not playing with them.

But in a game without minis or a board I always find it helpful to have something at hand to draw a simplistic sketch to give players a snapshot of the combat's layout if they need it. Simply "You're here, Sally's here, the zombies are here, and the cultist is here." Then move on.

 

[Tewligan]

But in a game without minis or a board I always find it helpful to have something at hand to draw a simplistic sketch to give players a snapshot of the combat's layout if they need it. Simply "You're here, Sally's here, the zombies are here, and the cultist is here." Then move on.

Yep. When I ran my CoC campaign, I just used a small dry erase board like you hang on the refrigerator to scribble down any quick sketches or whatever to illustrate what was going on when needed.

 

[Ariosto]

I'm not seeing any compelling reason to make a rigid "always or never" rule either way.

Use figurines, or any other tools, when they are useful. Don't use them when they're not useful.