Combat in your game

[Saeviomagy]

However, I will concede that if I ever play under a DM who can keep most everything straight without one, I won't raise a fuss. I also think that the use of a battlemap somewhat inhibits the 'feel' of cinematic combat. So it's not perfect.

Yeah, if I could find a DM who's mental picture meshed with mine, I'd be fine.

However, I've yet to find a DM who can keep things straight.

 

[Psimancer]

We had a couple of the D&D Miniatures battlemaps laminated and now use them with whiteboard markers. Generally we use D&D minis, but leads also feature (as do kids toys; Harry Potter’s giant spider was great).

We have found it invaluable to track initiative on the edge of the map just in case we need it for the next game…

It’s rare that we actually use scenery rather than just draw it in; if I have the chance, I will actually draw up the location of the party (or where they are going to be) on the spare map and just pull it out at the appropriate time…



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[nopantsyet]

Before 3E it was always verbal. Once 3E came out it was straight with the minis, provided minis were available, which varied by the group. I started using glass gaming stones in my game. Different colors for different combatant types. But the players never liked all being gray--they forgot which gray stone was their PC. So once the D&D minis came out, I picked up a few boxes, and that's been working great.

 

[Pants]

Merric, you should have made the poll multiple choice.

Ditto.
My group uses a combination of glass beads, metal minis, plastic WotC minis, and coins along with the chessex battlemat.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

I voted "other" because the groups I play in use different methods.

In the d20 Wheel of Time campaign, fights are these days run on a mapgrid with miniatures - the DM having recently decided it was necessary. Prior to that, and in other games I've played with my university friends, we've used pencil sketches to establish the battlefield, and just moved Xs or initials of characters or players around by erasing and rewriting them.

Hong's game tends to use grids and little cardboard figures.

When I run, I intend to use a battlemat and either eraseable markers or some kind of miniatures - for a while in a Planescape game the DM used a grid stuck to a corkboard and coloured pins, and while I wouldn't use that method I might consider counters rather than either metal or plastic miniatures (since most of the people I play with can't or won't paint, and no-one's interested in collectible pre-painted plastic).

 

[Talon5]

Back years ago we used lead figures, then it was down to descriptions.

After a time we revived the use of lead figures only to replace them with Shadow Run plastic/cardboard figures. Just recently two of the group have been buying up D&D minis and they seem to work just as well.

Peace

 

[S'mon]

I think if you want to run 'balanced' encounters and treat it as a skirmish wargame, minis or other visual representation is a must, and I always use minis for my regular D&D game. However for a cinematic or literary type game minis & battleboards can badly harm the flavour IMO, and I'm not planning to use them in my Conan RPG game in future - in Conan XP isn't dependent on CRs, indeed there are no CRs and no concept of a 'balanced' encounter.

 

[MerricB]

Merric, you should have made the poll multiple choice.

One of these days, I will.

Actually, there's a reason I didn't: I'm collecting data about that decision to slant 3.5E towards miniatures-use. If I make it multiple choice, I lose the perspective I need.

If people can think of a list of various things you might use to run combat (styles, verbal or otherwise), suggest them here and I'll start a new poll in a couple of days.

Cheers!

 

[Jakar]

Miniatures are the bane of imaginative gaming.

I really do disagree with that statement.

We have used miniatures in our games for a heck of a long time now, and we have found that it really does enhance the game. Combat flows a lot smoother and we have not found that it takes any more time to play out. :\

It also stops a lot of arguments over who is where and it stops the players "teleporting" allover the battlefield when they see something interesting happening.

But then again, this is just my humble opinion.

 

[Desdichado]

I really do disagree with that statement.

We have used miniatures in our games for a heck of a long time now, and we have found that it really does enhance the game. Combat flows a lot smoother and we have not found that it takes any more time to play out. :\

It also stops a lot of arguments over who is where and it stops the players "teleporting" allover the battlefield when they see something interesting happening.

But then again, this is just my humble opinion.

Yes, but that's a uniquely D&Dism. Do you use miniatures when you play Vampire or Exalted? Or Call of Cthulhu (non-d20)? Or BESM? Or Feng Shui? Or Orkworld?

The point is, d20 kinda demands mini's use, but most systems do not. Therefore combat in d20 almost becomes a tactical wargame within the greater roleplaying game, while (IMO) it's more seamlessly integrated with most other games.

As I said earlier, I find using minis, or counters, or at least some graphical representation of combat works very well in d20, but it does nothing to encourage more imaginative, out of the box thinking about combat options.