Tiles? Terrain? Battlemats?

[EricNoah]

Battlemat plus whatever handy counters (numbered poker chips, dice, the occasional paper token or plastic mini, usually not at all representative of the actual creature). Usually on a 5' per square basis, occasionally on a 10' per square basis (when I feel like being a little bit more loosey-goosey about AoOs and such).

 

[kenobi65]

A Chessex Battlemat or Megamat (if we're playing someplace with a big-enough table), with wet-erase markers and a mix of painted metal minis and plastic D&D minis.

I've got a small MasterMaze set, which is really cool, but only occasionally useful.

 

[Odhanan]

I use 3D environments, Dwarven Forge (see Seven Spires End Game for pictures), card board buildings, but also the Tact-tiles and various battlemaps (like those of the Compleat Encounters of Paizo Publishing, for instance, or Ed Bourelle's/Skeleton Key Games e-Adventure Tiles).

Variation is good!

 

[Odhanan]

One of the stores near me has the really expensive 3D terrain for about 30-40% off as the connectors are missing (what is the name of that company again?) and I'm considering it.

Dwarven Forge. Well, 40% off, I'd jump on the occasion, personally, especially since you can buy 55 bowties (connectors) for $3 on their website.

 

[Grymar]

Tac-tiles for combat, but often with handouts and pictures for reference and feel.

 

[Zaukrie]

Yeah, I remembered the dwarven forge name during lunch today.

I have lots of skeletonkeygames tiles, and love them.

I think the dwarven forge stuff looks limiting compared to what I can do with either worldworks cardstok or 2D stuff.

Plus, I just blew a fortune on outdoor furniture - gotta keep the wife happy too!

 

[Brottor Dankil]

We typically use Tact-Tiles and DnD plastic minis or Reaver metal minis. If we don't have a particular monster, we draw the monster base location on the tile and lable it (Giant, Dragon, Orc, etc.). Also helps in multiple opponent encounters, you can write the opponent # next to each mini to help keep up with individual bad guys (Example: Orc #7 of 15, write a 7 next to the appropriate mini).

IMHO Dry-erase is the answer when you want to DRAW the battlefield.

I do like the video option, though it is more time consuming to work the programming than make a simple drawing on Tact-Tiles. Video also requires a lot of expensive hardware. You can improvise easier with Tact-Tiles than with video. But the overall video effect is much more visually detailed (every little bush, tree, blade of grass) than hand drawings which DOES increase the player immersion into the game. It's a trade off, most of the time we use Tact-Tiles due to time contraints, rarely we use the video/projecter option (when we have the time and want more special effects in the game).

- Brottor

 

[Mercule]

Our group uses several 24"x30" gridded Lexan sheets with dry-erase markers.

Ditto.

I'm strongly considering getting some Tact-tiles, though. They look nifty.

I've tried wet-erase maps and hated them.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Battlemat for some stuff, but an XGA LCD digital projector over the tabletop for others. I project the actual maps created by Paizo or of my own design, usually created in the NWN1 Toolset.

Say what you want about any of the alternatives - nothing touches digital tabletop projecton for detail, speed and ease of use in game.

 

[wmasters]

A battlemat if there's space, otherwise tacttiles if space is a limitation (one of my groups meet in a pub, so a battlemat isn't always practical). And a dry marker, and D&D minis, or other minis. Or jellybabys.