I am not a big miniatures fan. In 1E, it was not too difficult to run simple combats without miniatures. The occasional diagram would suffice. With attacks of opportunity and flanking, that's not possible in 3E. I'm wondering if anyone has come up with a re-balanced set of rules that can run without miniatures -- obviously, a number of feats, class abilities and rules would have to be removed and/or replaced. What work has been done on that front?
3E Without Miniatures
- Thread starter fusangite
- Start date
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
I don't use minatures
I just assume that unless they say they are holding back (to hide, use missiles etc) then they are moving forward to melee.
Range - if you have a 10 ft range then your attacker needs to get closer to hit you (and gets whacked)
AoO - if you 1. Try to do something other than fight (drink a potion cast a spell etc) you get whacked. 2. Try to run past your opponent you get whacked.3. Get too close you get whacked
Flanking - if two or more people attack the same target then it is flanked.
I just assume that unless they say they are holding back (to hide, use missiles etc) then they are moving forward to melee.
Range - if you have a 10 ft range then your attacker needs to get closer to hit you (and gets whacked)
AoO - if you 1. Try to do something other than fight (drink a potion cast a spell etc) you get whacked. 2. Try to run past your opponent you get whacked.3. Get too close you get whacked
Flanking - if two or more people attack the same target then it is flanked.
ConcreteBuddha
First Post
fusangite said:
I have never played DnD without some form of miniatures or a battlemap. (Even using dice as placeholders.) I think it would take too much work to make DnD playable without miniatures.
I'd rather just play Exalted.
Dragongirl
First Post
I have never used miniatures to play D&D, just need a good DM and cooperative players and it runs smoothly.
Bagpuss
Legend
I've played 3rd Edition without any minatures or changes to the rules, you just scribble a quick map on a piece of paper and show folks starting positions.
I fail to see what the problem is.
If a wizard is toe to toe with a monster and he states he's stepping back to cast a spell then he's effectively taken a 5ft step so no AoO.
If a fighter has to get past two orcs to get at the shaman at the rear, then he's going to suffer AoO.
The basic rules work fine without minitures.
I fail to see what the problem is.
If a wizard is toe to toe with a monster and he states he's stepping back to cast a spell then he's effectively taken a 5ft step so no AoO.
If a fighter has to get past two orcs to get at the shaman at the rear, then he's going to suffer AoO.
The basic rules work fine without minitures.
Frostmarrow
First Post
fusangite said:
I haven't actually tried this but one could change AoOs to Parrys of Opportunity. Once per round you get to parry once (by rolling better than the attacker you manage to escape the attack). If you get Combat Reflexes you get to parry more often. When you draw an attack of opportunity for bullrushing the parry thwarts your attempt. When you draw an attack of opportunity from quaffing potions and such a successful parry hinders you from finishing or makes you lose the spell. Try it out and see if it works, why don't you?
ConcreteBuddha
First Post
Bagpuss said:
Maybe at low levels, but placing a Fireball, or a Cone of Cold or working out who is hit by the dragon's breath, is kinda difficult without a battlemap. I just find it easier to properly adjucate a combat with more than two bad guys with some visual representation. There are just too many variables to keep in my head, and I want to make sure the players know what is really going on. (Not to mention my properly ruling on cover and concealment and height and range and lots of AoOs)
The games where battlemaps are not necessary for me are White Wolf and DC heroes type games. (They are less about squad warfare and more about personal one-on-one combat.)
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