D&D Dungeon Tiles - Need Some Feedback

[chaotix42]

So, as my game continues I'm finding it harder and harder to make maps suitable for the minis aspect of D&D. The more control the PCs have over where they go and what they do, the more difficult it is for me to have maps ready in advance.

So, I'm thinking about picking up some of the D&D Dungeon Tiles. For those of you who've bought them, have you been happy with the purchase? Do you get your money's worth (I see each set is comprised of 6 double-sided sheets, and are about $10)? Any sets I should definitely look for/avoid?

 

[malraux]

So, as my game continues I'm finding it harder and harder to make maps suitable for the minis aspect of D&D. The more control the PCs have over where they go and what they do, the more difficult it is for me to have maps ready in advance.

So, I'm thinking about picking up some of the D&D Dungeon Tiles. For those of you who've bought them, have you been happy with the purchase? Do you get your money's worth (I see each set is comprised of 6 double-sided sheets, and are about $10)? Any sets I should definitely look for/avoid?

If your problem is not having maps ready, I dunno if DT are the answer. My experience with them is that they are too hard to organize effectively, so the more you have, the less effective they become.

 

[megamania]

I find the tiles very useful but as said before- if its a case of your group wandering irratically / often these may not be as good as an old fashioned battlemap with dry erase markers.

 

[Festivus]

I bought two sets and almost never use them. I love my flip-mat and markers though, use just about any kind of marker on it and it comes off (dry/wet/perm). I have used it so much it's wearing out (the folds after two years of weekly games) that I want to get a new one.. which I hear now extends the grid all the way to the edge of the mat so that you can interface with other things (like dungeon tiles).

I find the tiles to be too hard to assemble quickly at the table... if I have time I usually just print a tabletop size battlemap from the adventure itself (scan/resize/print/cut and tape).

 

[chaotix42]

Well, do you kind folks have any links to some good alternatives? I'm not familiar with battlemaps/flip-mats and such.

 

[malraux]

Well, do you kind folks have any links to some good alternatives? I'm not familiar with battlemaps/flip-mats and such.

Battle mats are the traditional method. Its a large sheet of something (vinyl I think) with a 1 inch grid drawn on it. You can write on it with wet erase markers. Its good to quickly draw out stuff.

Flip mats are basically laminated paper with 1 inch grids on one side, with a generic scene overlain with a 1 inch grid on the other. You can write on it with wet, dry or permanent marker.

If money is no object, you can look into dwarven forge stuff.

If time is no object, you can look into Hirst Arts stuff.

 

[brunswick]

I own Dwarven Forge scenery (not a huge amount but enough for 5-6 rooms and corridors), a vinyl battlemat and also some dungeon tiles. The Dwarven Forge stuff looks amazing and the players are always impressed with it but its very expensive, in my opinion, and it takes a while to set it up on the table mid-game so I only really ever use it for "special" enounters like a finale or something. I bought Dungeon tiles because they look great and I thought it wouldnt take as long to set up as the Dwarven Forge stuff but its still taking too long to set up. So, I'm back to the vinyl battlemat and some of my old resin scenery (chests, doors, tables, chairs etc.,) to round out the dungeon rooms and I've found this the best way to go for years now.

In short, Dungeon Tiles are nice but I rarely use them. I'd definitely look into obtaining a vinyl battlemat. I think the price is reasonable for them from online stores and you'll have it for years. All you'll need are some non-permanent markers and you're good to go!

 

[Nine Hands]

I own probably 10 sets of these now and I find them VERY useful, even in a pinch. Yeah it takes a few mins to put them together but if you have them organized its not a big deal since with a battlemat you need to draw the terrain as well.

Now I still own a vinyl mat and it is used too but the thing I find is that I use the dungeon tiles more often now that I have more than a few sets. Its sort of a critical mass that I reached at some point. Plus they are really worth the money to boot.

 

[Festivus]

I suggest the Flipmat over the Chessex mats for three reasons:

* Price - The flipmat is cheaper
* Folding - You can't (or shouldn't) roll up a vinyl mat, curling is an issue too.
* Pens - You can write on it with any marker. Vinyl is limited to wet erase, and woe unto those who forget and use dry erase (makes it permanent)

paizo.com - Store / Game Aids / Gaming Mats / Flip-Mats

For the blowing up maps thing, I'll have to do a writeup of how I do it sometime, but you need to have access to a cheap color printing method for it to be worthwhile.

 

[Holy Bovine]

I use dungeon tiles almost exclusively now. I actually lay them on my old vinyl battlemat so they don't slide around. I find I can slap down nearly anything at this point but it is vital to keep them organized. I have my sorted by size and type into small cardboard white boxes typically used to store baseball/Magic/Hockey cards. The large sheets I keep in an orderly stack on my DM bookcase (the bookcase next to me when I'm DMing). I find it easier to build impromptu scenes with my tiles than I ever did with my markers (and my players usually think i am laying out stuff I prepared well in advance )