D&D combat without minis - is it possible?

[Avatar_V]

I was remembering when I used to play 2nd ed back in the day. And maybe it's because we strayed badly from the rules as written, but we never used miniatures or battle mats or anything like that. It's been a while, so the details are fuzzy, but I remember that combat positioning was largely handwaved or the initial layout of troops might have been quickly sketched.

It definitely didn't lend itself to tactics the way 3.*'s mini-focus does. But, in other ways, it was kind of nice to not have a tactical wargame intruding into our roleplaying game. Or maybe it was crappy and I'm just nostalgic - who knows.

Has anyone tried to play D&D 3.5 without minis or battle mats? How did it go? What rules did you have to change? Are there any supplements published to help with this sort of alternate set of rules?

 

[der_kluge]

If the combat is simple, I won't use minis.

2nd edition didn't use minis per se - the use of minis was an addition to the game, not part of the core game.

I like the use of minis. While it does tend to complicate things quite a bit, it does solve the "Where am I? Can I attack? How close is he? How many goblins are in fireball range? How many can I get with my spell?" problems, which were a major headache.

 

[Peni Griffin]

We only use battlemats for complicated combats. For most combats, it just slows things down - and we're slowpokes at the best of times. We have the figs, just in case, but we may use them once, or not at all, during a session.

All you need is a willing group with good visualization skills.

 

[Crothian]

I mostly only use a battlemap to draw out a complex dungeon more then to use as a place to hold battles. More often I use minis when we have cool minis to use. But it is really easy to play 3e without minis, we do it all the time.

 

[Waldorf]

Sure. It's easy without minis.


I hit monster. Monster hits me.


Rinse and repeat.

 

[Mallus]

My group does it all the time.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

If you want to see 3.5 without minis in action, go check out some of the PbP games that are using 3.5 rules.

What I have found is that players and DM need to be a little more descriptive of their position in relation to others and objects (e.g. I move to keep my back to the wall and attack the bandit on the left side of the room as I am facing).

Everyone has to assume that moves and actions are made with the best effect in mind. Avoid things like, "I move to attack the elemental" "OK. Well, there is a pit between you and the elemental that you seem to have forgotten. You fall in, roll damage."

AoOs are not a major factor, again everyone needs to assume that PCs as well as intelligent enemies will avoid them whenever possible.

Feats like Cleave take a judgement call unless it is obvious there is something to cleave because you are being fought by multiple enemies or you have clearly stated you are standing near an ally who is fighting another opponent.

 

[Doug McCrae]

We don't use a battlemat or even a map, most of the time.

Last session the PCs had a fight with a force of 14 gnolls, 5 ogres and 4 worgs. No map of any kind.

What rules did you have to change?

None.

 

[Eldragon]

I can't stand 3e without Minis. I have started playing in two separate games where the DM didn't like to use Minis and I didn't play long the campaign partially because of it. Half the fun I have with D&D is the tactical combat (The other half is role-play and high adventure).

It seems like without minis, almost half the feats written are useless.

 

[Morrus]

We don't always use minis. Depends on the situation. I'd say 2/3 of combats use minis, but sometimes they're easy enough to adjudicate without.