Skyscraper
Explorer
Color poster maps (I have about 20, each two-sided) and wet-erase mat for me.
Maps/Tiles or Dry/Wet Erase?
1. For published adventures where a map is given, I'll almost always draw it out on the dry-erase flipmat. Doesn't look great but usually works ok. If the adventure includes a poster map, I'll use it of course.
2. For published adventures with no map, or a very simple map, I may use a similar predrawn flipmat instead.
3. When using 'Dungeon Delve' I actually did what they wanted & bought Dungeon Tiles & precreated the maps. This is doable with DD because it's just 3 predictable rooms per adventure/session.
4. I once created my own 3-room 'Dungeon Delve' using tiles, on the same model. My 3-year-old helped me come up with a fiendish final encounter, which killed 2 PCs.
5. When creating my own stuff in sandboxy style, I'll typically create the encounter first, with no map, *then* look for a suitable flipmat or poster map to set it in. Otherwise it's the blank dry erase flipmat again.
6. I could use dungeon tiles for stuff I create myself, but I have bad experience of putting tons of effort into creating a major encounter aimed at PC X's backstory, pre-setting up the tiles on a board, assembling 3D stairway & platforms etc, then player of PC X drops the campaign and the work is wasted. So now I'm very reluctant to touch the tiles, at least while I have lots of poster maps I've never used.
Designing the adventure / encounters comes first, looking for fitting poster maps second. However, sometimes a poster map inspires me to create a particular encounter.
TheUltramark
First Post
The Human Target mentioned the easel-board pads of 1" grid paper, and it is huge (27" by 34")
I use these, some pre drawn for "set-peice" style encounters.
However, lucky me, my wife the school administrator has access to a laminator and plastic laminated 27X34 sheet of grid paper is just as good as any battle mat you could ever hope to buy. I use dry erase on it, and after the encounter a slightly damp mr clean magic eraser works brilliantly - I would also recommend that trick for all other mat users (though I have no experience with other mats, its worth a try). I have three laminated sheets which have been used like rented mules, and they all look like new.
I use these, some pre drawn for "set-peice" style encounters.
However, lucky me, my wife the school administrator has access to a laminator and plastic laminated 27X34 sheet of grid paper is just as good as any battle mat you could ever hope to buy. I use dry erase on it, and after the encounter a slightly damp mr clean magic eraser works brilliantly - I would also recommend that trick for all other mat users (though I have no experience with other mats, its worth a try). I have three laminated sheets which have been used like rented mules, and they all look like new.
The Human Target
Adventurer
Some men want to marry super models.
I want to marry a woman with access to high end office supplies.
Havrik Stoneskimmer
Adventurer
I bought the three Dungeon Tiles master sets and I have used them a bit (especially for generic wilderness encounters where I can just slap down 4 or 5 large forest tiles), but I generally find that it takes too much preparation time for not enough benefit. So I have mostly returned to my trusty Chessex wet-erase mat. I think we all have enough imagination that my rough line sketch in black marker doesn't detract from immersion. In fact, in some ways, I think it might help to have such a crude map - the imagination fills in the details better that way.
We just had this discussion 2 nights ago. I use a projector and maptools, so some of my maps get pretty detailed. One of the guys said sometimes he missed the old dry erase markers as it left more of the visualization up to him. Yet, our Wizard was more than happy to hide behind a huge barrel I dropped on the map and then thunderwave it down a hill at a bunch of minions. I gave him the rule of cool on that. It was a great idea and the visual in everyone's head really hit the mark.
I know I'll continue to use maptools, but will only "dress up" the map when needed or for a really big battle.
I know I'll continue to use maptools, but will only "dress up" the map when needed or for a really big battle.
MarauderX
Explorer
I thought I'd share what I have been typically doing with my Tact-tiles, Dungeon tiles, Haba blocks, dry-erase markers and some printed props. It really helps with getting the 3D depictions, which seem to happen more in the higher levels.
http://correl.wikispaces.com/CII+Session+56
http://correl.wikispaces.com/CII+Session+56
