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Message: <blockquote data-quote="milotha" data-source="post: 1528266" data-attributes="member: 17122">We've done the following for all editions.Sometimes for complex dungeons we will draw the dungeon out in a smaller scale than 5' squares.  Then we will have a single die or miniature represent the general location of the party, unless we split up.  When it comes time for combat, the room will be drawn out in 5' scale and we will use miniatures.  In the earlier editions this helped clarify area of effects for spells, who was nearby to heal someone, and other movement based tactics.  The same is true for later editions.In 3.X, we found that battle maps were essential for allowing players to fully utilize the system.  The battlemat is ingrained into the system due to attacks of opportunity, threat ranges, different movement speeds for characters, spell ranges, area of effects, cover, bull rushing, point blank shot, precise shot, cleave, trip, etc.  If you drop it, you are removing character abilities.As for the map instilling metagame tactics, is that such a bad thing?  It is a game after all.  What's wrong with playing all aspects of it.  The appearance of a battlemat doesn't preclude role playing.  As for mages and clerics counting out squares to fully utilize their spells, we are talking about characters with 20 ints/ 20 wisdoms.  These people aren't dummies.  Of course you are going to place something to have the maximum beneficial effect.  If you cast spells all the time, you would proabably become a good judge of distance.  Besides, it's feakin magic.  Whose to say that the actual casting of the spell doesn't help convey a sense of distance and a sense of the area it will effect.  I've never seen anyone say, gee your fighter misjudged the distance between him and the monster, so he missed it.  Lastly, failing to use a battlemat can cause metagaming tactics too.  First, you get the I'm nowhere in specific character.  We've all seen those characters that never seem to be anywhere when something bad happens, yet are right near the monster when it is time to attack.  Next, you get the no matter where you are, you got hit by the monster or spell GMs.  Plus, you can get the super effective characters.  I drop my spell X and it effects all the monsters and none of the players.</blockquote>

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