Does anyone know where I could get a quality, cheap battlemat?

[MonkeyDragon]

I wanted a nice vinyl battlemat like my DM's chessex. Except he paid 30 bucks for his.

I went to Jo ann fabrics and bought a $5 piece of vinyl and a new ultrafine sharpie.

After about an hour communing with a yardstick, and I had a mat that's now lasted me almost two years with no wear other than the sharpie being a tiny bit faded. Even better, it's about twice the size of the chessex mat, and I don't have mortal fear of it getting a stain, cuz it's cheap and easy to replace.

 

[MithrilKnight]

Another option, although an expensive one

I know you mentioned cheap, and my suggestion won't apply, but I can't help but mention my new favorite alternative to battlemats and overhead projector pens that require trips to the sink (to wet the paper towel) to erase.

For Christmas, my wife let me buy Tact-Tiles. They're basically 10-by-10 inch blocks of thin plastic material that work like a dry erase board. They're pre-lined with one-inch grids. They lock together so you can form grids of large or small sizes. And they use dry erase markers so it's so much easier to erase and redraw stuff. And dry erase markers are cheaper than the OHP pens.

The only drawback (at least the only one in my mind) is price. They were running about $60 when I purchased a package with 12 blocks in November/December. But I like them so much my old Battlemat has been collecting dust on a shelf somewhere...and it may never come out again.

There's probably a cheaper way of achieving the same effect -- perhaps cutting up a dry erase board and using a sharpie to draw the permanent grid. But if you have a windfall....

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

For Christmas, my wife let me buy Tact-Tiles. They're basically 10-by-10 inch blocks of thin plastic material that work like a dry erase board. They're pre-lined with one-inch grids. They lock together so you can form grids of large or small sizes. And they use dry erase markers so it's so much easier to erase and redraw stuff. And dry erase markers are cheaper than the OHP pens.

I concur. Make the investment in Tac-Tiles. You will NOT regret it.

If you buy them, and you regret it, I will buy your set off you.

Wulf