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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DMZ2112" data-source="post: 6599807" data-attributes="member: 78752">If the players trust the dungeon master, theater of the mind is lightning fast.  If they don't take the dungeon master at his word, it gets bogged down in unnecessary discussion.  It's not all on the players, though; properly managing theater of the mind requires a dungeon master who is good at verbally presenting visual cues.  A lack of ability in that regard leads to a lack of trust and therefore combat delays.Battlemat combat relies less on trust but adds a lot of time for visuals management, most notably miniature movement and map redrawing.  Predrawn maps are not always proof; I had a Shatter spell collapse a portion of a mine a few sessions ago, and I've often had combats exceed their expected map boundaries.  The time requirement for visuals management should not be understated -- it takes longer than you think, and when coupled with the increased need for tactical thinking on a five-foot grid, both player /and/ dungeon master turns can lengthen out of control.I personally find that a battlemat is only ever worth the effort in two scenarios: large-scale combats featuring dozens of enemies or terrain with a lot of impact on the flow of combat, and groups containing at least one player who insists on having one.  The reason for the former is obvious; the reason for the latter is because with a certain type of player every combat will become an argument.  Better to just put up with the extra prep.</blockquote>

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