DwarvenForge Mastermaze

[aliberator]

Hey there one and all. I was thinking of purchasing some Dwarvenforge mastermaze products and thought I might ask others for their advice. They look pretty darn cool but I have a few questions...

Has anyone used them and if so have you found them to be a good purchase?

How easy are they to set up?

Do you set up an entire dungeon, parts of a dungeon, or just single encounters when you use them?

Does the DM set them up beforehand or as the game progresses?

Of all the mastermaze sets which ones do you recommend the most?

Is there anything you think I should know that I haven't asked?


Thanks in advance!


aliberator

 

[d20Dwarf]

Hey there one and all. I was thinking of purchasing some Dwarvenforge mastermaze products and thought I might ask others for their advice. They look pretty darn cool but I have a few questions...

Has anyone used them and if so have you found them to be a good purchase?

Good god yes. I didn't think they would be as cool as they are, but they really do add something to the game. We've always used a battlemat and markers, but the Master Maze we've bought recently has really made a difference in our game.

How easy are they to set up?

Very easy, but definitely practice a bit before the first game. Soon you'll be pulling off some cool rooms in real time. Not only did I practice, but I set up a big chunk of the dungeon the night before and covered it with the styrofoam planks found in each box. Rearranging as the PCs ventured beyond is easy, and the players even get a kick out of helping.

Do you set up an entire dungeon, parts of a dungeon, or just single encounters when you use them?

I'm now setting up one, maybe two rooms and then just building everything else on the fly. Unless you have a big table and a LOT of sets, you're going to have to be sliding and rearranging a lot.

Does the DM set them up beforehand or as the game progresses?

I do it as the game progresses, and the players usually help as I describe the room. I keep back surprise pieces (like the demonic mouth from Wicked Additions) and pull them out as needed.

Of all the mastermaze sets which ones do you recommend the most?

Well, it's not very sexy, but I really suggest you try to get the basic Room Set first. Without it you won't be able to set up very many rooms. I have only the Room and Passage Set, Wicked Additions, and Short Passages sets, and I really, really wish I had a basic room set as I'm always running out of wall and floor pieces (but especially walls).

Is there anything you think I should know that I haven't asked?

The only other thing I can say is that D&D minis are perfectly sized for Dwarven Forge, so one addiction feeds the other.

Also, if you and your players can be careful, I suggest forgoing the bowtie connectors during play. It speeds up disassembly and reassembly, and things don't really shift around that much anyway.

 

[MythosaAkira]

Has anyone used them and if so have you found them to be a good purchase?

Yes and Yes.

How easy are they to set up?

Very. You just set the pieces out however you want them. Unusual map configurations might require a little creativity on your part, but if what you set up with the pieces is close enough, then you should be good.

Do you set up an entire dungeon, parts of a dungeon, or just single encounters when you use them?

I use them for entire dungeons.

Does the DM set them up beforehand or as the game progresses?

Depends. I usually set them out as the game progresses, though for smaller adventure sites I'll sometimes lay out the whole thing and cover areas with cardboard. As the PCs enter different sections, I remove the cardboard and reveal what they find.

Things moves considerably quicker when the layout is set up ahead of time (for obvious reasons), though it's more prep-work on the DM's part. Also, depending on how many sets you have or how far the party progresses, you may end up putting pieces out during the game anyway (i.e.; you can lay out "level 1", but if the party reaches "level 2", you may need to break and reposition everything).

Using a battlemat with markers is a lot quicker. Doesn't look as cool, though

Of all the mastermaze sets which ones do you recommend the most?

If you're doing anything with caves/caverns, the cavern sets (one for caves, one for tunnels) is good Expensive, though. You probably would want to start with the Room & Passage Set and either the Room Set or the Deluxe Room Set to get a good collection of the basic pieces. I'd also recommend the Advanced Builder Set for handling more variations in designs than what the basic sets can handle. Beyond that, the other sets are gravy. The "Wicked Additions" sets (two of them) add a lot of neat pieces, as well as the Traps sets.

You can also buy the pieces individually as well, so if there's something that you like in "Wicked Additions I" (for instance), you could get that separately.

 

[Davelozzi]

I have the Room & Passage set and the Cavern Set, and yes, if you can afford them, they're worth having. I recommend starting with the room and passage set. Set-up isn't too bad, one thing to help speed it up is not to bother with the bow tie connectors. If I have a pretty good idea about where the first battle will occur, I may set up that room before hand but anything else is set up and/or rearranged as we go.

 

[d20Dwarf]

I have the Room & Passage set and the Cavern Set, and yes, if you can afford them, they're worth having. I recommend starting with the room and passage set. Set-up isn't too bad, one thing to help speed it up is not to bother with the bow tie connectors. If I have a pretty good idea about where the first battle will occur, I may set up that room before hand but anything else is set up and/or rearranged as we go.

Don't you find yourself limited in the size and complexity of a room that you can create with just the Room and Passage set? I know I do, and I have the Wicked Additions room pieces to boot.

 

[Kichwas]

Of all the mastermaze sets which ones do you recommend the most?

Is there anything you think I should know that I haven't asked?

Room and Passage set

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=72811

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mastermazeusers/

 

[Davelozzi]

Don't you find yourself limited in the size and complexity of a room that you can create with just the Room and Passage set? I know I do, and I have the Wicked Additions room pieces to boot.

Sometimes, but I think that until I have a fortune in Master Maze products, that's pretty inevitable, and I like having the passage pieces. If I can't make the room with the pieces I have, I'll either default back to drawing it on a grid, or throw down what I can and then fill in the rest with flat floor pieces, telling my players "this wall really extends down along here" or otherwise describing the situation as necessary.

 

[megamania]

I have them in use many times and once played in a campaign that had them on lone. They are beautiful to look at and do help a great deal. They are pricey however and you should consider the balance of money vs need ( speaking as one on a tight budget)

They are easy to set up so long as you are organized in their storage. Lose in a box may cause delays as you search for your one "T" section. We tended to build as we went along. As the size got out of hand or we needed parts, we cannabilized past sections to build new ones.

Out of common thought, go with the basics first. Buy the original set first.

As for other thoughts- I mentioned the money thing already and also, you are "limited" to what has been made or bought. Sometimes one needs to say that this mermaid fountain is really a fountain depicting a couple of dolphins or war heroes. Using dry erase you can draw these in as needed.

Another thought- if you have a set aside table/space these are great also. They generally don't move around even when the family pet tries to play a feline godzilla on your set.

In the end- I recommend them if you feel you can fund it. I know I want some.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I like them but have some issues.

1. They are expensive.

2. They are time consuming to put up and put away. Be very sure to familiarize yourself with which piece came from which box.

3. You need a lot of them.

4. You need a lot of space to use them.

I rarely use them as it generally takes me 2 hours of set up time and another 2 hours of putaway time. It looks great, it works great and there are some great sets out for them, but man, the time!

 

[d20Dwarf]

I rarely use them as it generally takes me 2 hours of set up time and another 2 hours of putaway time. It looks great, it works great and there are some great sets out for them, but man, the time!

I think you're doing something wrong.

I have 2 single box sets and a double box set, for a total of 4 trays, and it never takes more than 15 minutes to pull them out and put them away again. I have a side table next to my DM chair where all the pieces go during play so I have easy access to the whole library.