How do you handle forrested terrain in combat?

[Creamsteak]

I've always simply ignored the precise placement of foliage and trees unless it has something directly related to the encounter to include, such as timber blocking a road or a ridge. I would like to have trees placed naturally in realistic places on a map, but I don't know how to show this to the players. How do you go about doing that?

Since trees and foliage provide concealment, and often cover, how do you show these things in combat? Do you just allow players to state that they hide behind a nearby tree, or do you have trees placement in a fashion where you KNOW when they have cover?

 

[Grazzt]

Do you just allow players to state that they hide behind a nearby tree, or do you have trees placement in a fashion where you KNOW when they have cover?

I generally just let them state they hide behind a nearby tree....esp when none of us really feel like using minis for that game session. But, even when we do break out the many hundreds of minis I now own (thanks Reaper!), I still usually just let them state they are hiding behind a nearby tree.

We dont usually break down tree placement like that on the battlemat, tabletop, or whatever surface we are playing on.

Like you said here:

I've always simply ignored the precise placement of foliage and trees unless it has something directly related to the counter to include, such as timber blocking a road or a ridge.

That's generally how we play it.

 

[diaglo]

depends on the characters knowledge of terrain. i would cut the ranger, druid, and barbarian some slack. they know the dangers of the forest. they also know how to hunt and use cover/concealment outdoors, the shifting of the wind and their scent, the amount of light and shadow, the sound of approaching doom, the normally sounds in familiar terrain, etc...

as such i would probably draw some foliage if combat occurred.

 

[frankthedm]

I drop my dice on the table if i am in a big hurry.

I take out my felt tree representers otherwise [big circle of green fel to represent the foliage and a brown center circle for the trunk.

 

[LordOfBlah]

I draw the trees and shrubs on the battle map. We have a lamanated one so it only takes a few seconds. I put no tought into it. I just draw them at random. But you wouldn't believe the effect on the battle with just randomly placed crap on the field.

Player "I charge the baddie"
DM "There is a tree in the way"

It's funny but me taking five second to draw some stupid pictures that a 4 year old could draw on my map adds a great element to combat.

 

[shilsen]

I drop my dice on the table if i am in a big hurry.

Since my current group plays with a battlemat (which I much prefer), I'll just do that and have some of the dice represent trees and others represent bushes. It works well enough for my purposes.

 

[Shallown]

I use an easel pad marked in 1 inch squares saw to draw on it I use wax pencils.

For brush that hampers movement but not enough to provide cover (unless prone) I use light green or just an outline.
For heavy brush I use dark green or color in the whole are. This is enough to provide concealment and maybe some cover.

Trees are done in black with a green kinda of circle to indicate how big the tree is as far as limbs and coverage go.

I do most of my encounters outdoors so these maps come into play alot. I notice dargon mag and other companies often provide small poster sized maps for dungeons and sewers etc. But seldom if ever just for an outdoors scene. A patch of woods. a section of road. etc.. it would be nice.

Later

 

[MerricB]

There are guidelines in the 3.5E DMG for drawing wilderness battlemaps.

It'd be nice if those guidelines were used to create a few "tiles" that could be placed down and rearranged to form different wilderness schemes.

Cheers!

 

[Shallown]

I use an easel pad marked in 1 inch squares saw to draw on it I use wax pencils.

For brush that hampers movement but not enough to provide cover (unless prone) I use light green or just an outline.
For heavy brush I use dark green or color in the whole are. This is enough to provide concealment and maybe some cover.

Trees are done in black with a green kinda of circle to indicate how big the tree is as far as limbs and coverage go.

I do most of my encounters outdoors so these maps come into play alot. I notice dargon mag and other companies often provide small poster sized maps for dungeons and sewers etc. But seldom if ever just for an outdoors scene. A patch of woods. a section of road. etc.. it would be nice.

Later

 

[MerricB]

There are guidelines in the 3.5E DMG for drawing wilderness battlemaps.

It'd be nice if those guidelines were used to create a few "tiles" that could be placed down and rearranged to form different wilderness schemes.

Cheers!