Would you buy...

[Dannyalcatraz]

Monster tokens made from plastic or metal?

I don't own any of the 4Ed tokens, but I get the impression they're made of cardboard? I have only one problem with this: durability. In my 30+ years as a gamer, I've seen cardboard pieces tear, burn, and destroyed by spilled liquids.

In the same span of time, certain possessions of mine of similar thickness made of plastic or metal have proven to be virtually indestructible...at least to accidental destruction.

Plastic tokens could be produced with vibrant colors. Metal ones could be coinlike. Thinking ahead, RFID chips or magnetic data stripes- or similar tech- could be placed in them containing full game data on each.

So the tech is there to make tokens into something more...but would you BUY them?

 

[Treebore]

I've been buying Fiery Dragon tokens since day one, and I own their Digital versions. So when I need more tokens, due to a large army, or damages, I just print them out on heavy card stock and then laminate them.

Between the lamination and storing them in zip lock bags I suffer far less damages than I do with my metal miniatures. Even when they do get ruined they are far easier for me to replace.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

I would buy plastic token sets that are designed to go with a set {Ghoul Horde} or with a specific module {Key NPCs of the Mad Kings Banquet}

I have some tiles with printed monsters that I use alot of, goblins and humanoids. And not being a fan of buying the perfect mini for every BBEG {who lasts all of 4 to 6 rounds}, I would like an in-between option.

Now.. there is credit for the full scale mini's for specific critters. In a game I set a nice DDM Bullette off on the side of the map behind a pile of rubble... and my players got a bit paranoid about it! The critter didn't show up for another couple encounters, but the tension that mini added to the game was well worth it.

 

[Ourph]

I would love plastic tokens if they cost the same per unit as the cardboard ones. But since that isn't going to happen, I would rather stick with the lower-cost cardboard tokens (which, while not indestructible are PLENTY durable for my needs) than switch to the more expensive alternatives.

 

[Dice4Hire]

No, not really.

I like my MV tokens, but I like minis far more.

 

[shadzar]

I wouldnt buy metal tokens when i could jsut use coins, unles the tokens had the lacquered artowrk on it.

For plastic I don't really need anything but a simple disk of various colors, and can number them. If they were to be like some thigns and have an imprint of a monster face to tell what it was, that would be cool, but only if they have the for all monsters.

Otherwise I will use the various Po-ke-no chips, and Axis And Allies chips, and poker chips and whatnot for tokens.

If I would need an image to tell what it is, I could make stickers or glue on paper printouts, and then just spray on a sealer to protect it from liquids and such.

I wouldn't buy paper-based tokens because of all those reasons listed and more: torn, bent, ripped, folded, burnt, liquid warped, stained, molded, etc.

Well if the paper baed one slide into a plastic token and the paper graphic was easily replaced, them aybe so I don't have to print my own.

I can get plastic tokens for a quarter each if i need to from those silly little egg-toy vending machines...or just buy the eggs from somewhere and use the bottoms upside down with an image between and glue them together to make the token water-proof-ish.

To get me to spend money, it will ahve to last a LONG time, or to have something of really good value in the design as well as last a LONG time.

 

[Treebore]

I wouldn't buy paper-based tokens because of all those reasons listed and more: torn, bent, ripped, folded, burnt, liquid warped, stained, molded, etc.

That is why I buy those rolls of lamination in the kitchen section of Walmart. Big roll for under $5, and I am able to laminate hundreds, if not thousands, of my card stock tokens. No ripping, no staining, no folding, no mold, none are bent, have lasted for over 4 years now.

The only problem I have is they are still so thin they are easy to lose track of. So I have to be thorough about keeping track of them. Even so when I do eventually rediscover them they are still in good shape and usable.

So maybe I should attach them to cheap poker chips or washers to maybe make them a little easier to keep track of.

 

[shadzar]

That is why I buy those rolls of lamination in the kitchen section of Walmart. Big roll for under $5, and I am able to laminate hundreds, if not thousands, of my card stock tokens. No ripping, no staining, no folding, no mold, none are bent, have lasted for over 4 years now.

The only problem I have is they are still so thin they are easy to lose track of. So I have to be thorough about keeping track of them. Even so when I do eventually rediscover them they are still in good shape and usable.

So maybe I should attach them to cheap poker chips or washers to maybe make them a little easier to keep track of.

Not really sure how the laminate could prevent them form getting bent/spindled/mutilated, but it might help a little. That is likely your players are just being gentle with them.

You could try getting manget strips to stick your tokens too, and some metal sheeting to place under your maps/tiles so the tokens try to stay in play, and store them in a container lined with some metal enough that the magnetic tokens will stick to each other and them so they dont "blow" away of fall out and go everywhere when knocked over.

Then you could stick them on your refrigerator, computer case, etc if you wanted as well.

Maybe more expensive, but to help without the metal you could get polystyrene plastic sheets used in modelling and make your own "chips" to match the sizes of DDM bases, or whatever game you were playing, so that you had the proper scale.

You could even use wooden disks from crafts etc....

Plastruct, Inc. - Home
Miniature Bases & Bottoms - LITKO Game Accessories

Depending on your needs, making paper-product tokens stronger shouldnt be too hard if you are happy with them, but find them a little "flat" and difficult to manage due to lower weight.

Also you could get some foam and give them some thickness to handle, or washers or both...cut foam the thickness you want and glue a washer inside so it has thickness and weight to make it easier. Just remember to use white (PVA) glue on the foam before anything else to seal the foam so stronger solvents don't dissolve it. Then you can paint the foam a certain color, seal the entire thing with a spray clear sealer, maybe put different tokens on either side so you can flip them over to use different things, or even just a skull on the bottom to flip over to denote a dead creature if your game would have that creatures body as terrain of some sort that would hinder movement.

 

[JustKim]

I see tokens as a cheap alternative to miniatures. If you make them out of the same stuff you use to make miniatures, it completely defeats the purpose.

 

[shadzar]

I see tokens as a cheap alternative to miniatures. If you make them out of the same stuff you use to make miniatures, it completely defeats the purpose.

Why? Plastic disks would be cheaper than a sculpted plastic mini.