D&D 5E (2014) Miniatures, or Theater of the Mind

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[iserith]

Miniatures - also known as tableau vivant, and not just for combat scenes.

 

[Fedge123]

Theater of the Mind for the most part. The only time we use miniatures is when it's a very complex scene or situation, and just to keep track of where everything and everyone is.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE miniatures! I'm an accomplished miniature painter and have entered my work in contests the world over, but none of them has ever been as beautiful as the princess I imagined, or as fearsome as the demons in my mind.

 

[CaptainGemini]

Both. There are some situations you simply cannot model with miniatures, and some situations that are a nightmare to keep track of with theater of the mind.

So, I use either as the situation calls for it.

 

[Lanliss]

Theater of the mind out of combat. Which would a map of the room drawn on graph paper with some marks for positioning count as? That is how I run combat, as I do not have access to miniatures or a big area to fit a map.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Since I paint minis we use them for most encounters unless they aren't necessary due to scope or whatnot. But for a 7 PC game vs 5-10 foes it helps keep things orderly. I tell them its a general description of the battle though since 5e isn't a tactical mini game when it comes to combat.

 

[JediGamemaster]

I'm about 50/50 on witch I use and when

 

[Gnarl45]

Both. Sort of. I like having some kind of visual representation for encounters with multiple foes. I find it really helps for AOE attacks and determining things like cover. If there's less than three opponents, we usually manage without it.

I don't like playing with codified grid rules like in 3e or 4e. I only like minis/drawings as a visual support to enhance the roleplaying experience. Codified rules turn D&D fights into a really bad boardgame.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I have a butt ton of minis because I like to paint them, but only use them on complex battles or for things like marching order.

 

[El Mahdi]

However, do not use [Other] just because you are using a hybrid Theater of the Mind / Miniatures system.

Sorry, but can't do it. I use both, and neither is primary. They are just tools to me. I use whichever tool works best at the time.

I always have my game mat out but only draw out locations when necessary. Figures are always on the table for general relative positioning, and used for exact positioning only when a situation requires it. Theater of the Mind is in play all of the time to one degree or another.

It's impossible for me to quantify how much I use either. Making an educated guess, I'd say 50/50.

Sorry, but it's really not an either/or situation in my games.