Boards & Maps

[Dannyalcatraz]

I had a "Duh!" moment the other day while looking at my vast collection of games: there are many non-RPG games out there that have boards or maps that are of interior or exterior spaces, large vehicles (or the like) and which are on about a 1" grid. Many even have the grid marked out in hexes or more commonly squares, making them ideal for use in RPGs.

Not just miniatures wargames like HeroClix, but things like RoboRally. Or Clue.

I haven't yet gone rummaging through my whole collection to tap into this heretofore unused resource for RPGs, but I will be.

How about you guys & gals out there? Any non-RPG boards or maps you know of that would be adaptable for use with your RPGs & minis?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

CARP! Wrong forum. Will ask a Mod to move.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Thanks for moving it to the proper forum.

 

[Oryan77]

Yep, a chess board. A checkers board works well too.

Mousetrap would make a good dungeon.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

Not sure about actually using the board in the game as a set piece, but a trap room based on Hungry, Hungry Hippos would be awesome!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

With the PCs in "Atlas Spheres" from American Gladiators?

 

[the Jester]

I've always thought it would be awesome to use RoboRally boards, or something very similar, for a trap-laden/spaceship section/tech zone something something in D&D. Thanks for reminding me of the idea.

 

[Oryan77]

I remember sometime back around 1990 (give or take a couple years) there was a fantasy war game that came with a giant poster terrain battlemap. My brother had it at the time. I always wished I could find out what it was in case that map could be used for D&D.

I thought about asking about it here, but my memory is so vague that I can't really give a good description about it. I just remember the map had images of rivers and grasslands and there were plastic fantasy warriors. The map was really big from what I remember.

I've always wondered how many board games like that would have good maps for D&D.

 

[Ravilah]

I had (well, I still have) a game called Fireball Island, which has a board that is a 3-dimensional terrain map of a mountain island, covered in trails and ruins, topped with a giant idol-head carved over a volcano. During the game, "fireballs" can pour out of the various volcanos on the island (which are actually red marbles you roll down the trails).

Anyone else remember this game?

Anyway, I have always wanted to use that board for an adventure. It's not good for an actual battle-mat, but I thought that it would be a fun way to explore an island and have lots of random encounters (like travelling the world map in a Final Fantasy game).

You know what? This thread has made me really want to do this. I'm gonna make this happen.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Humph...come to think of it, I probably should have bought some HeroScape just for the terrain.