Gaming Tables

[KnowTheToe]

Most of these large tables go down into basements. Make sure you make your basement as warm and cozy as you can with your budget. Concrete walls and floors feel dingy after a while. Good lighting and a large carpet remanent can go a long way

 

[diaglo]

You want to see an interesting gaming table? Check this out:

http://www.agyris.net/v3/ugt/default.asp

I think it's a bit elaborate, but definitely the Cadillac of gaming tables.

with DIO and Dakken prohibited on the table i'd say that drops it down at least 2 categories... more like the Yugo of gaming tables if you ask me.

 

[Whimsical]

My DM created a small table just for the battlemat to be placed on the gamer table. He cut a piece of plywood to be the exact size of the battle mat. Then he cut a 2 inch by 2 inch stick of wood into four table legs. We determined how high it should be by taking our HERO Games book (the thickest book we own) and opened the cover so that it was perpendicular to the book. We decided that the table should be high enough so that we could open this book while it was partially underneath the table. We put each leg so that it was halfway between the center of the table and a corner of the table.

Then he put hinges on each leg so that they could be folded into the table for storage.

He put latches on the middle of the legs so that they would stay put when they were folded into the tabletop and latches where they meet the tabletop so they would stay put when they were extended out.

He put a handle underneath the table so that we could easily carry it around if we wanted to transport it.

He put felt on the bottom of the table legs so that it wouldn't mar the table that it was resting on.

This has worked wonderfully. The battlemat is always clear of books and papers, while remaining viewable by us while we are seated, and there's plenty of room for us on the main table for our books, papers, dice, food, and beverages. We put bowls of chips and other snacks underneath the small table so that anyone can reach it. We have been using it for several years and I can't think of how it could be better.

 

[KnowTheToe]

Whimsy, that is an excellent idea. I would like to thank you for your conserted efforts to share the wonders of both its engineering and functionality. Bravo

 

[jodyjohnson]

We use a custom built table in the gaming room/laundry.

4'x8' sheet of plywood mounted on a roughly 3'x6' 2x4 frame (4 studs the long way and 2 across with 2 extra toward the ends.

Attached to the bottom of the 2x4 frame are 1x12 boards used as under the table shelves (the extra boards provide the mounting point for the shelf sides.

The legs are 4x4 posts attached with 2 8" lag bolts to the frame (attached at two sides, sandwiched between studs in the frame).

Not as heavy as a pool table but it doesn't wiggle/slide. Legs fitted with adjustable feet.

For a covering I use a green twin bedsheet attached on the sides with thumbtacks so I can toss it in the washer a couple times a year (or after a tragic Dew/nacho incident). It cuts down on the glare from the 500w work light over the table.

For battlemats I use 2 dark green matte boards marked in 1" squares (pencil for 5' and then marker at 10'). When they get too greasy/smudged to use, drop another couple bucks to replace them (although a smattering of chip/pizza grease gives them a nice natural look).

Use tray tables for laptop computers and an end table for extra DM stuff to keep the gaming surface clear and visible.

For some battles that still isn't enough space.


Add: for power 2 4 outlet boxes are mounted under the table on two separate circuits and a 8 port switch sits on one end on the shelf with up to 6 network cables running along the shelves.

 

[weezoh]

I posted a link to this in the 'photos of your gaming group' thread but here they are as well.

The table is a set of 30+ year old ping pong tables, removed the game markings; painted them almond to give a lighter backdrop. The grid is made of 'fade-out' 1"x.25" vellum roll used by draftsmen covered with .125" plexiglass sheet from Home Depot. I used double-sided non-perminant tape to hold the vellum down, the kind of tape used for photo albums.

the grid is made of 'fade-out' 1"x.25" vellum roll used by draftsmen covered with .125" plexiglass.

No lip or anything. the best thing about the table is that it's plenty large enough for people to lay out their sheets etc. . . and still have map in the center large enough for a lot of things. The table is almost too big to reach the center from the edges but not quite.

http://www.wolfandmoose.com/gallery/GamingDen

 

[Nyarlathotep]

Here's how I did it for my gaming table. 4x8' sheet of plywood, legs (the cheap fold-up kind), 4x8 sheet of melamie (sp? it's basically whiteboard, without the brand name, costs about 25$ Canadian, so if you're in the states it would be like.... a quarter or something). T Square, and carpenter's knife to score a 1" grid on the board. Throw the whiteboard on the plywood table and voila!

It actually works really well and it's nice to have dry-erase markers. Our old table was just the plywood with a plastic sheet over it that we used wet-erase markers on... which led to a lot of blue/green/black hands at the end of the night.

I'll try to take pictures of it later tongiht.

 

[Red Viper]

I saw this poker table and i thought the design of it might work for a rp table. It was short, about coffee table height, then you can all sit around on the floor, couches or chairs and everyone can see. Then i thought just replace the surface with a white board or plexi-glass, or some other surfce to make a grip system that you can use white board markers on. It also had a nice shelf underneith that would work to hold book while not in use.