Do you use miniatures or counters to resolve combat?

[KB9JMQ]

Well Psion stole my joke

Before 3.0 we used anything lying around but mostly dice.
With 3.0 we used some unpainted minis and counters and dice
Now with 3.5 we use the new minis and counters and possibly dice.

 

[DaveStebbins]

Like most of the other respondents we use miniatures where we can, counters if available, then dice.

Though we have begun experimenting with the caramels as bad guys idea others have brought up frequently on these boards. You kill 'em you eat 'em has been popular when we've had the 'hoard of enemies' battles.

 

[johnsemlak]

Does the "or whatever" option include "all of the above?"

Ah, sorry, I knew this wasn't a well designed poll.

By 'whatever' I meant anything besides a counter or miniature. (a group I'm in uses dice and coins primarily).

 

[Gregor]

We use Imagination

Hahahaha, that reminds me of a Spongebob Squarepants episode.

On the topic of this thread however, my group used to use miniatures out of the Hero Quest board game. Now we use mini's that we paint or the new WOTC ones (which are a great bargain imho).

Cheers,

 

[KnowTheToe]

We use minis when we can and rocks when we can't.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

We use mini's for PC's and major NPC's. If there are large numbers of foes that need HP or spell tracking, I'll often use d6's of various colors - so I can have them numbered 1-6 in groups of 6. I can muster up 5 or 6 groups with all the dice I've got. If it's large numbers of little guys who are unlikely to survive beyond one good blow, I use glass counters (of which I have lots of various colors).

I don't use the carboard counters much, primarily because they're so tough to move around on a battle mat.

 

[John Crichton]

"We use imagination... and tactics. Our two metheds are imagination and tactics... and miniatures. Our three main methods are imaginaiton, tactics, and miniatures... and counters. Our four..."

Shall I fetch the comfy chair and the soft DM screen?

 

[jerichothebard]

Lego minifigs for PCs and major NPCs - I bought most of their recent Movie Studio line of minifigs, so I have a werewolf, vampire, couple ghosts, skeleton, and a witch, I think, in addition to a bunch of knights and rangers and ninjas.

A collection of toys from Monster's Inc, which are used for an assortment of monsters.

green army men for mooks, thugs, and bystanders. I wish I had bought a combo pack of green and tan, but I didn't think that far ahead.

Occasionally other stuff as needed.

 

[frankthedm]

We use mage night pieces, minis, counters and sometimes dice and also 20 plastic zombies (from a bag of 100) that I've taken the time to number if the party is facing fairly similiar mooks.


It's not fair to somebody who passed up taking alertness, stealthy and nimble fingers for dodge, mobility, and combat reflexes if they don't ever get to use their skills because where they are in battle is probably going to get glossed over more often than not.......

Also, if I maxed out tumble, I'd be pretty upset if I never got to use tumble because where people are on the battle field isn't clear and the battle devolves into one-on-one combats.....

With all the options the feats and skills in 3.X provide not having a map limits the options worth taking.

There's plenty in the game I can still use my imagination for but I think it does the players a disservice not to have a battle map or at least some hex paper on a cork board with some pushpins...

It is teh suck when you have improved trip, combat reflexes and a reach weapon when dealing with a DM who thinks minis are unneeded. [who's normal orcs can teleport into melee range {we were on an open field and charged us first round] and have a dex bonus of +10].

 

[Greybar]

Minis for PCs, sometimes for NPCs.
Counters primarily for mobs of baddies.
pennies, poker chips, etc for trees/spell effect/etc