Combat in your game

[Li Shenron]

We have used the occasional toys around (yes, Lego figures are the best ones ) counters or dice, and sometimes even real miniatures from a couple of players...

In 3rd edition it is absolutely necessary to use a battlemap and something to locate each creature, movement and spells are the most critical thing to adjudicate without a battlemap.

However I have become somewhat bored in recent times about being 5ft-precise in spells' areas and distances in general, I used to be very fond of this kind of precision until a couple of adventures before but now sometimes it feels so lame... I feel like I want to go back and use verbal representation, except in some specific circumstances, instead of the other way around.

 

[pogre]

Miniatures are big part of why I enjoy the new D&D. Everything in our campaign is represented with a painted miniature. All terrain is laid out with mastermaze or pieces I have made with my Hirst Arts molds or from foam board and balsa. I really enjoy the visual appeal of our games, but of course it still requires lots of imagination. It's strange to me to claim that it somehow inhibits imagination...

I am kind of a snob about the new D&D miniatures (I don't allow them in my campaign), but I have two observations concerning them:

1. Some of them look fairly decent these days

2. I like anything that draws folks into using/playing with miniatures more.

I can see where these are real boon to many, many campaigns out there.

The strange thing is when I run other RPGs on rare occasions I almost never use miniatures: Including other fantasy games like WFRP.

 

[wedgeski]

Dry-wipe whiteboard, 4 differently coloured markers, D&D minis (these days, used to be various-denomination spare change from someone's pocket!), PLUS a healthy dose of verbal icing. I usually only block out scenery and physical props on the battlemat and embellish them with description.

Verbal descriptive quality is inversely proportional to the size and complexity of the scrap; I often have to force myself to wax lyrical about the various combat maneuvers going on, since so much of my brain is engaged with trying to challenge my players with my awesome combat prowess (*ahem*). This is why intense fights against few, very powerful foes are the most fun for me, and climactic confrontations with the uber-villain are the most fun of all.

 

[Whisper72]

I voted other. Use pen and paper to draw out locations, using arrows to show how ppl are moving. I detest the whole tactical side of the new versions of DnD and have thrown out all the AoO, flanking etc. stuff. I use basically the old system. No partial actions, move actions and other such stuff. If you want to move, just say that during combat you try to make your way to a certain point and depending upon your success with fighting, I'll judge when you get there... Since readying some actions / items is now a regular turn action, you can thus not attack that round, automatically getting a 'AoO' effectively etc. Works fine for us...

 

[Black Omega]

Hex map and painted minitatures. Makes things easier to keep straight, moves the game along more, gives the impression of what a character looks like, avoids misunderstandings. Not for every group, but I'd have a hard time playing in a group that didn't use miniatures or something similar.

 

[MonsterMash]

Largely verbal which is odd as I've plenty of metal minis (27 years worth) and came in as a miniatures gamer, but we've limited space so I often use pencil maps to get an approximation of where things are.

 

[diaglo]

use whatever i have on hand.

in ye olde dayes it was lead minis... some of which are 35years old now.

i've used cardboard counters, pebbles, legos, playdoh, coins, gummy monsters (yes, there were monsters made of sugar put out by TSR at one time), washers, sticks & stones, etc...


i came from the wargaming side.

 

[DragonLancer]

Verbal interaction. We tried the mini's approach but it just bogged down the game and slowed combat right down. D&D is not chess.

 

[Sir Elton]

Verbal interaction. We tried the mini's approach but it just bogged down the game and slowed combat right down. D&D is not chess.

I like the way you think. Eyrx. D&D never was chess.

 

[KB9JMQ]

I use a dry erase battlemap and the D&D Minis.
Never did either until 3.0 then I got tired of "Where am I again, How close is the bad guy" questions. I like the more tactical feel to the game now.
I also feel I can verbally describe scenery and actions better now that I can "see" the scene rather than trying to keep it from becoming a jumbled mess in my head.

But with this I still am arbitrary about some things. My mini's and grid are "not to scale" if you throw a fireball you can tell me where you aim it but I will tell you the area it affects whether or not it coinsides with the lines on the grid.