tonym
First Post
It is much easier for the DM to manipulate the PCs and railroad events if there are no minis for him to be accountable to.
Imagine a big battle in a large area...
PLAYER: Oh no! Dungeon Master, am I close enough to heal Tracy's dwarven Fighter before he goes unconscious?
What will the DM say?
It depends. If this was supposed to be a challenging battle and the PCs are having an easy time of it, the DM will likely say "No," simply to up the excitement-level.
On the other hand, if the PCs are being badly beaten and on the verge of a TPK, the DM will almost certainly say, "Yes, you are close enough."
Allowing the DM to make so many judgment calls makes the game more predictable, once a Player figures-out the pattern behind the DM's canned responses. A good DM will be harder to figure-out, but even they will become predictable eventually.
Minis on the table add to the excitement of D&D because they increase the risk of PC death; this is because the DM is accountable to the locations of the minis.
That is why I prefer minis.
IMO, players who prefer a mini-free game are players who want their DM to have the power to pull their PC's fat out of the fire during battles. And DMs who prefer a mini-free game are DMs who want more control over battles.
Tony M
Imagine a big battle in a large area...
PLAYER: Oh no! Dungeon Master, am I close enough to heal Tracy's dwarven Fighter before he goes unconscious?
What will the DM say?
It depends. If this was supposed to be a challenging battle and the PCs are having an easy time of it, the DM will likely say "No," simply to up the excitement-level.
On the other hand, if the PCs are being badly beaten and on the verge of a TPK, the DM will almost certainly say, "Yes, you are close enough."
Allowing the DM to make so many judgment calls makes the game more predictable, once a Player figures-out the pattern behind the DM's canned responses. A good DM will be harder to figure-out, but even they will become predictable eventually.
Minis on the table add to the excitement of D&D because they increase the risk of PC death; this is because the DM is accountable to the locations of the minis.
That is why I prefer minis.
IMO, players who prefer a mini-free game are players who want their DM to have the power to pull their PC's fat out of the fire during battles. And DMs who prefer a mini-free game are DMs who want more control over battles.
Tony M