D&D 5E How Often Do You Use Grids?

[Tonguez]

Mainly theatre of the mind or zones if they are needed

 

[Jd Smith1]

I use a VTT for every engagement (we play face-to-face). It really speeds up combat while opening vast opportunities for flair and roleplay within combat.

It also vastly cuts down on descriptions and explaining away misconceptions.

 

[Coroc]

I use "grids" not in the normal context, rather a sketch of the surroundings and miniatures especially when there are many different opponents or some tactical positioning is going on.
What I do not use is exact scaling to determine move actions, that is rather free judgment by me.

 

[akr71]

Its funny, back in the 80's we only ever played theatre of the mind. With 5e, my wife and kids wanted to learn to play and I defaulted to what I know.

That changed very quickly to sketches on a dry erase board. It helped my youngest visualize things and grasp what is going on. Now, I've backed two Reaper Bones kickstarters and I'm building my own dungeon tiles and scatter terrain.

 

[ccs]

At the shop for the Thur/Fri night games we've got one of the BIG (4'x8') Chessex mats that simply stays on the one RPG table week to week. (most people think it belongs to the shop)
So we're always kinda using a grid.

Most battles. Though sometimes it's abstracted. And sometimes it's 3d terrain.
Some non-combat encounters. Just depends upon if that's the best way to represent things.

Over at my buddies house in our Sun. PF game we have a similar (but much smaller) set up & approach. Less 3d terrain though.

 

[Shardstone]

A few times out of my many games. I much prefer theater of the mind for the following reasons

1. I play online and don't use VTT, so setting up a grid isn't possible.
2. When I do play IRL, I much prefer to orient players in a narrative space, not so much a tactical one.
3. Grid paralysis has been a thing every time I've had a group at a table, and that slows down combat too much for my liking.

 

[jasper]

Hexes are the best but I can live with squares.

HSSS
He is Six Sided Silly!

 

[pogre]

I never use grids, but always use a visual representation. I voted even for roleplaying encounters, as I assumed the OP was interested in ToTM versus a representation on the table. We use rulers and measuring tapes.

An example of a place that might be familiar to some of you:

 

[dave2008]

As usual, people fail to remember there is a third way. We use NO grid and NO theatre of the mind! We use minis on a gridless map and measure distances with a ruler.

We did that back in the day, but didn't worry about the ruler. We just eyeballed it.

 

[Hussar]

I never use grids, but always use a visual representation. I voted even for roleplaying encounters, as I assumed the OP was interested in ToTM versus a representation on the table. We use rulers and measuring tapes.

An example of a place that might be familiar to some of you:

Damn!!! That's pretty.

VTT player here - for many, many years. So, yeah, grid 100% of the time. Heck, even RP encounters generally have a background map and images. I'm using the tools, I might as well use them to their greatest effect.