How much detail do you put into drawing on your battlemat?

[Shadowslayer]

I see that your group has been fighting Canadians down on the bottom right side

Heh

 

[el-remmen]

I forgot to mention the "green spiders".

For a while whenever I tried to draw trees on the battlemate my players would inevitably shriek, "Eek! We're being attacked by green spiders!" - At first I thought it was funny, then it was annoying, eventually I changed how I drew them.

 

[D.Shaffer]

I only draw as much detail as needed, adding in more details as needed/requested. Of course, the fact I have the same level of artisty as a chimp doesnt exactly make me prone to wanting to add much beyond this.

I do use a ruler to make my edges straight, however. Lately, I've been looking into 3d-paper terrain too.

 

[KB9JMQ]

I normally do not predraw because if I do the characters won't go that way
I detail the map to the point of what the characters see on a cursory glance, (ie walls, desks, bed, columns, etc.)
The rest I just describe unless they specifically ask where something is then I will draw it on.
Now my artistic skills suck so the desk and bed are both squiggly rectangles

 

[Wombat]

Paraphrasing my battle-mat artestry:

"Okay. (circle circle circle) These are trees... and this (blob) is a big rock (writing in the words "Big Rock" for effect), over here, this (Elongated oval, kidney shaped) is a small pond. These (line, line) are the sides of the road you've been travelling on. Now, place your minis in standard walking formation."

Yep, that's the level I want. Close enough, but not horribly detailed. Combat is something to get through, not get overly detailed.

 

[jodyjohnson]

We use a projector so maps are detailed (not super detailed) in Dundjinni or Campaign Cartographer and then projected from within a photo editor with a masking layer to hide unexplored areas.

Really looking forward to what CC3 has to offer.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

My current DM gets pretty detailed about furniture for some reason. Outdoor scenery, large natural formations and stuff are just general blobs and outlines, but if there is furniture in the room, he draws it out with a sort-of 3D look.

We have on occasion given him some grief for his apparent furniture fetish.

 

[buzzard]

I put as little detail into my battlemat illustrations as I can get away with. If it's outside, I simply draw nothing. Of course I have all the artistic talent of a rock.

buzzard

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I try to put as much as possible, but I'm bad when it comes to placing cover. Very bad. As in I actually read novels just to see what kind of junk the heroes use for cover. You can't keep using barrels, you know.

 

[Arnwyn]

I never pre draw anything on my mat. I draw out the room as they enter it. Therefore all I draw is a black outline of the room, a rectangle for a bed or desk, a blue outline if it's a pool of water, or a red outline of flames if there is fire in the area. I'll make drafting marks for doors and windows, but that's about it. I have never actually colored in any shapes. I might draw some quick slashed lines in the shape so they know it's supposed to be a pool of water or something. But it's nothing that looks like I spent time on at all.

How much effort do you put into drawing information on your battlemats?

Yeah, pretty much exactly as you do, above.

As a player (theoretical!), I'd be fine with the sketch (if I wouldn't be happy as a player, I certainly wouldn't do it as a DM!).