GF9 to produce official D&D stuff

[Nifft]

That's your opinion, of course. It's not objective fact.

Here on the internet, people frequently post opinions without marking them as such. If we were forced by convention to stick "IMHO" in every single statement we made, that would not particularly enhance discussion (IMHO, of course).

My own opinion is that tokens like this (similar to those used in Warhammer FRP 3e) are pretty handy. They've also been used for ages in wargames without issue (and wargames are, of course, far more mini-intensive than D&D 4e is). FWIW, I've formed my opinion based on the experience of using tokens like this in RPGs and wargames.

How much space is there usually between minis in WFRP?

Do combat rounds have the same degree of mobility as 4e, with its plethora of Push, Pull, Slide, etc. effects?

I ask because my group tried using some magnetic under-the-base condition markers which move with the mini, and even those were inconvenient at times, given the crowded nature of our 4e combats. We have a Fighter who enjoys Come And Get It, and as a Wizard I frequently inflict both status effects and forced movement.

Our combats tend to have a few very crowded spots, and it seems to me that (IMHO) these huge cardboard markers simply will not fit.

- - -

There's also the issue of large, small, and huge minis. Things custom made to conform to a medium mini base won't conform to the bases of other sizes. That's part of why we stopped using the magnetic markers -- they were useless for large critters. (IMHO, of course.)

What I'd like to see for mini marking are holes for push-pin sized status markers (which could be anywhere on the mini, presumably somewhere thick and high enough to work in crowds), or nubs for LEGO-esque markers with divots. If we're stuck with plastic minis, markers should play to the strengths of plastic.

"IMHO, of course", -- N

 

[Transformer]

I think the condition tokens are fine. Maybe I'm missing some big innovations in how miniatures markers are designed, but even if I have some nice color wooden circle that sits under my minis' bases, wouldn't I still have to pick up the mini, place or take away the token, and replace the mini whenever the condition was inflicted or removed?

I suppose little magnetic circles would be best--they would move with the mini and wouldn't need to be carefully picked up whenever the mini moved--but even then, wouldn't I have to pick up the mini, pry off the magnetic circle, and replace the mini whenever the condition was inflicted or removed? And if the mini had multiple conditions on it, mightn't I have to pick up the mini, pry off several magnetic circles, replace some of them, and then replace the mini?

Tokens that just sit next to the base of the mini are much easier to put down and remove, and they shouldn't be a space problem unless the character is absolutely surrounded by at least 6 or 7 baddies. I've used little gem counters that just sit next to the mini for conditions before, and it worked fine. The only problems we had were forgetting which mini each little gem went with and remembering which color meant which condition. With their wrap around sides and the name of the condition printed on them, both problems are solved. I guess if your combats regularly have large melees these markers would be a problem, but that's not generally my experience.

 

[Morrus]

If that's true, then IMHO they're misusing the term. "Around" implies encirclement, rather than mere adjacency.

I think they mean that multiple tokens will wrap around the base together, not one.

 

[Nifft]

I think they mean that multiple tokens will wrap around the base together, not one.

Ah, that could work. Six of those markers do indeed wrap around a single mini.

At that point, though, movement might become inconvenient.

"IMHO, of course", -- N

 

[Henry]

That is a bad design, IMO. Better to fit under or something, rather than make the base effectively three times larger when he's ringed with status chits..

 

[Maggan]

That is a bad design, IMO. Better to fit under or something, rather than make the base effectively three times larger when he's ringed with status chits..

Heh, yeah but a mini ringed with status chits aint likely to be doing much moving, with it being stunned, immobilized, marked, grabbed, restrained and dazed, or any combination of six statuses in effect at the same time.

/M

 

[Imaro]

I have to agree with the people that are posting this is a bad design. I can already picture these markers (probably more than once a game) being scattered all over the place by the movement of the minis and/or rolling of dice. Right now I use different colored pipe cleaner, bent into circles and it works pretty good, without interefering with movement since they drape over a mini...

Honestly I wouldn't have as much of a problem with the design, if the markers snapped on to the base with a clip designed to fit snugly on the thickness of the base (which I believe is standard, or pretty close on small/med/large minis... I think the Huge might be thicker.). I guess I'm just not seeing from a useability perspective how these are any better (or in some cases equal) to most homemade option I've found on the internet.

 

[Tortoise]

In another recent thread someone mentioned making table tents out of folded index cards. The idea was to write the character name on both sides and then hang smaller conditions along the top of them. While these aren't next to the minis, they still might help everyone see what conditons everyone has on them.

I'm surprised GF9 didn't go with a design something similar to that method. I could see nicely colored plastic table tents and markers with art working pretty well and not getting in the way in the battle space since they'd be sitting by the player instead of the mini.

Another idea for those using DM screens ... something that hangs over the screen with the PC names written in wet/dry erase marker and notches along the top where condition markers could be placed. This would also allow the hangers to be placed in initiative order. (Although it could get in the DM's way potentially.)

These are other ideas I've seen mentioned in other threads on here.

 

[weem]

We have been using condition cards I made (screenshot), and have found it to work really well. They keeps things off the battlemat and DM screen, and also gives the players (at a glance) knowledge of not just what is affecting them, but what it means mechanically.

Of course the cards don't do anything for areas of effect, etc, but I have been meaning to pick up the pipe cleaners for just that purpose

 

[Nifft]

I guess I'm just not seeing from a useability perspective how these are any better (or in some cases equal) to most homemade option I've found on the internet.

Yeah, exactly.

I think a better solution would even be Post-It Arrow Flags. Gonna try those out next time we play.

"IMHO, of course", -- N