D&D General How to 3D Battlemap (Roll20)?

[plisnithus8]

I have a specific Roll20 space ship battle question, but it’s applicable to aerial D&D and other situations/combat as well...

I’ve just started DMing an Ultramodern5 Redux/Esper Genesis mash-up sci-fi campaign. We’re using Roll20 and importing maps to grid battles online. Players just got in a spaceship. My plan was to send a few enemy ships their way so they can practice the ship rules (We’re using Ultramodern5 for most rules but switching to Esper to simplify space battles).

Does anyone have a good suggestion for 3D battle? I’ve gotten a handle on 2D battles. I can do 3D aarakocra or dragons with minis using stands, but I’m just racking my brain trying to figure out a decent way of doing this online and would appreciate recommendations. Thanks in advance.

 

[J-H]

When using Excel for battle maps, I have the different floors side by side and just move the tokens to different areas as needed. This works for 2-3 levels, but may not work beyond that.

 

[Oofta]

The only thing I've been able to do is indicate height difference with labels and/or auras. So flying creatures always have a blue aura set to 0 feet to outline them for example and a label indicating how far up they are. If I were doing space combat, the PCs would always be at 0 and everyone else plus or minus relative.

 

[Dias Ex Machina]

I have a specific Roll20 space ship battle question, but it’s applicable to aerial D&D and other situations/combat as well...

I’ve just started DMing an Ultramodern5 Redux/Esper Genesis mash-up sci-fi campaign. We’re using Roll20 and importing maps to grid battles online. Players just got in a spaceship. My plan was to send a few enemy ships their way so they can practice the ship rules (We’re using Ultramodern5 for most rules but switching to Esper to simplify space battles).

Does anyone have a good suggestion for 3D battle? I’ve gotten a handle on 2D battles. I can do 3D aarakocra or dragons with minis using stands, but I’m just racking my brain trying to figure out a decent way of doing this online and would appreciate recommendations. Thanks in advance.

Hey, how did this turn out?

 

[plisnithus8]

Hey, how did this turn out?

We didn't end up doing much space battling, but we did have a lot of fun with Ultramodern 5 Redux; we used it a lot more than the Esper Genesis stuff.
I ended up home brewing a Cider class and some archetypes: Burglar, Cyber Ninja, Investigator, Sabateur, Street Samurai, and Wrangler.

I just backed the Affinity trio.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I use one of the "hp bars" to indicate height in feet.

 

[Dias Ex Machina]

We didn't end up doing much space battling, but we did have a lot of fun with Ultramodern 5 Redux; we used it a lot more than the Esper Genesis stuff.
I ended up home brewing a Cider class and some archetypes: Burglar, Cyber Ninja, Investigator, Sabateur, Street Samurai, and Wrangler.

I just backed the Affinity trio.

YAY! Thanks for the support, and glad it worked out!

 

[Zaukrie]

I use one of the "hp bars" to indicate height in feet.

This is a great idea. Also, I take Matt Colville's advice and use the longer of the two sides of the triangle I know as the distance, rather than try to figure out how far something "really" is.....

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This is a great idea. Also, I take Matt Colville's advice and use the longer of the two sides of the triangle I know as the distance, rather than try to figure out how far something "really" is.....

It's pretty easy to use Pythagoras' theorem with a calculator.

 

[Zaukrie]

It's pretty easy to use Pythagoras' theorem with a calculator.

It's easy to use a tape measure and not grids..... doesn't mean people want to. I just don't want to use a calculator.