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How Close do your Minis Need to Match?
- Thread starter Mark
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I have a host of plastic dragons, dinosaurs, snakes, spiders, squids, octopi and other toys for use, and BOY HOWDY do they come in handy! Not only are they handy for the DM, but they also rock for all those critters the Druids and arcanists summon.
I'm always looking down the toy aisles & toy stores in my neighborhood.
And if we ever need a Cthulhu or a Giant Germ, I have plushies!
I'm always looking down the toy aisles & toy stores in my neighborhood.
And if we ever need a Cthulhu or a Giant Germ, I have plushies!
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WalterKovacs
First Post
Generally it's about finding something that, if it doesn't look like the character, is easily recognized. We may not have the exact race/weapon/armor combo. But the halfling is the halfling, the fighter is the fighter, the paladin is the paladin, the dragonborn is the dragonborn and so on. Whether it has a shield or not is also useful.
In games I've DM'ed, we've mostly used the common "box" of minis that is kept at the store. This meant a basic set of minis to represent the PCs, and then the "recurring" monster creatures that would generally be get enough that look the same to represent similar groups of creatures. On the other hand, I would sometimes use different figures for each of the monsters just to make it easier to track which is which (since I would track conditions, in addition to damage, on the monster stat blocks themselves.)
The game I play in, it's usally an approximation for the monsters. It speeds things up to not have to look for the exact fig, also it helps cut down on metagaming by needing to recognise the vague descriptiion of the monster (or actually making the knowledge check) instead of just recognizing the monster that we're up against. It's ussally attemped to have, in addition to size (of course), the humanoid/non-humanoid distinction correct.
In games I've DM'ed, we've mostly used the common "box" of minis that is kept at the store. This meant a basic set of minis to represent the PCs, and then the "recurring" monster creatures that would generally be get enough that look the same to represent similar groups of creatures. On the other hand, I would sometimes use different figures for each of the monsters just to make it easier to track which is which (since I would track conditions, in addition to damage, on the monster stat blocks themselves.)
The game I play in, it's usally an approximation for the monsters. It speeds things up to not have to look for the exact fig, also it helps cut down on metagaming by needing to recognise the vague descriptiion of the monster (or actually making the knowledge check) instead of just recognizing the monster that we're up against. It's ussally attemped to have, in addition to size (of course), the humanoid/non-humanoid distinction correct.
Same for me...even when finding minis for other players.
Best improvised mini: One guy in our group listed his Paladin as being 6'5", 170lbs in full plate...
So I got some of that flower-arranging stiff green styrofoam, cut it into a hex shape, and stuck a sewing machine needle in it. Everyone at the table knew exactly who it was supposed to be the instant it hit the table.
After a few sessions with that, he erased the "1" and replaced it with a "2," so I found him a real mini.
Good times, good times.
I don't use any mini's at all. Instead I printed out small (1inch) circular monster tokens with images that I gathered from all kinds of sources representing the monsters. I printed them on a color printer and then plastified (is that the right word) them so they are sturdy and easy to manage. I made hundreds of those so most of the time the tokens represent the actual monster.
Greetings,
Greetings,
TwinBahamut
First Post
I tend to get annoyed by any mini or visual representation of character unless it is very, very close to how I imagine it. However, this is only a problem if I am using something that is meant to resemble the character it is depicting. This is one of the reasons that I don't use miniatures.
Most of the time, I just draw letters and shapes on graph paper to represent combat and tactical movement. Besides being cheap, it also helps preserve my own mental image of the characters (though I admit it doesn't help share my mental image of the characters).
Most of the time, I just draw letters and shapes on graph paper to represent combat and tactical movement. Besides being cheap, it also helps preserve my own mental image of the characters (though I admit it doesn't help share my mental image of the characters).
Jeff Wilder
First Post
As a player, when it comes to my PCs, I'm perfectly willing to make suboptimal choices so that my PC looks like its miniature. (For example, my current half-ogre sticks with a chain shirt, when he could easily have afforded mithral plate armor long ago.) I also willingly pay folks to paint and/or modify minis for use as my PCs.
As a DM, I'll change minor details about how a creature is written up in order to be consistent with the miniature, but it's less important. I'm fine with using proxies, such as when I recently used my War Trolls as bloodrager trolls. I'll occasionally get repaints done in anticipation of using them. For example, I paid for two Treants to be painted up much more menacing than they usually are.
As a DM, I'll change minor details about how a creature is written up in order to be consistent with the miniature, but it's less important. I'm fine with using proxies, such as when I recently used my War Trolls as bloodrager trolls. I'll occasionally get repaints done in anticipation of using them. For example, I paid for two Treants to be painted up much more menacing than they usually are.
Why not go digital then? Shouldn't you enjoy more content? Or is it miniature love that goes beyond gaming?
Jeff Wilder
First Post
I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're asking.
Software that can depict things on a monitor. Video graphics. Why don't you use this sort of thing? If you want to depict the things that a miniature does, it has more possibilities and would even provide more content for your games.
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