Minis and Grids, do you use them?

[TheGM]

I use mats and minis for massive combat that's about it.

The problem I run into is that once they see a grid a couple of my players become The Rules Lawyer, and I have to rein them in. Instead of "you can't hit around the door - it's too narrow", you get "the door is five feet! He gets cover, but I can hit him!" etc, etc.

So I avoid them unless they will be a positive to the combat. Simply put, they're a tool that I use when they will improve the quality of the game and the enjoyment of the majority.

 

[HellHound]

To those who chose option #2, how do you allow tactical warrior-type characters to use their abilities? Imagination is nice and all, but it sure seems to me that many character options would be wasted in a campaign that doesn't allow the use of a tactical map.

Like I said in my original post, we've had -no- issues at all with this, including running games with characters of large size, characters with combat reflexes and long spears, characters with spring attack, etc.

In a year of running this way, I would say that a -few- characters have gotten away with actions that might have provoked Attacks of Opportunity on a grid, and in turn -maybe- one or two monsters have enjoyed the same benefit.

But I've been running games like this purely verbally or with simple visuals (no combat grids)for nearly 25 years now, in a variety of games and genres. And my players worked with a grid for nearly two years prior to going back to running this way - so we all KNOW how the combat grid works, so it is easy to work that way in our head.

 

[fusangite]

Most people who know me can attest to the quality of my memory. But the fact is that I cannot keep a 2 dimensional geometric grid in my head and update it from action to action. I don't like miniatures; I don't own any and consider them to be a waste of money but using pencils and erasers, I draw out D&D combats on paper with my players. I don't do this because I like it; I do this because there is absolutely no way my players and I could all store the identical grid layout in our heads and know when different combattants are flanked and when attacks of opportunity are triggered. I admire those who can store that kind of geometric data in their heads, and would do it myself if I could but, frankly, my brain is just not up to the task. And the rules become unbalanced if attacks of opportunity and flanking are removed.

Is there third-party material out there that contains balanced rules for unmapped combat? If so, I'd purchase it.

 

[Psion]

To those who chose option #2, how do you allow tactical warrior-type characters to use their abilities? Imagination is nice and all, but it sure seems to me that many character options would be wasted in a campaign that doesn't allow the use of a tactical map.

I didn't answer option 2, but when I do eschew the mat, it never is a problem.

Basically, the battlemat rules are just a representation of general combat conventions. All that is required to take advantage of tactics is PCs announcing intent and the DM interpereting it accordingly:

Player: I charge the Wizard!
DM: You'll have to rush past the guards... they'll get an attack of opportunity on you

or

Player: I move into a flanking position
DM: That will take you an extra move action.

 

[KenSeg]

Our gaming group has used them from the beginning, over 20 years ago. We have collected and painted an assortment that must number over 150 figures or so. The grid has varied from a scored white board to a battlemat. We have just found it easier to visualize everything that way.

-KenSeg
Gaming since 1978

 

[Krypter]

Never use miniatures. I detest the little buggers. I have an experienced and mature group and we play without AoO, in fact, without a lot of the D&D tactical baggage, so combat is much more fun and quick than in a regular d20 game. Using our imaginations is more work, and sometimes there is some confusion, but it's a minor problem in my game and the benefits are great. These include: players talking in roleplaying terms and not in tactical-miniatures-speak; better visualization of monsters (I have a better picture of a blue dragon in my head than any miniatures designer will ever make); feeling more part of the world than a bunch of cute little toys can convey; practising my descriptive and storytelling skills rather than relying on mat placement to do the talking.

I knew I was in a minority on this, but I'm surprised it's such a small minority (only 7.5%?).

 

[adwyn]

We use the battlemat for allmost all melee combats, but I also find myself frequently using the battlemat for roleplaying as my players like to split up and there's a few that always want to be in two places at once. To avoid this I'll simply draw an oval label it "professor's house" or whatever and stick the appropriate figs in the oval. Eventually there might be a dozen or more locations key to what's going on, and the visual also helps the players by providing visual cues as to where they've been.

 

[Brakkart]

Mat and Mini's/Tokens every time. Not only because it makes combat so much simpler and less argumentative with regard to things like AoO's, line of sight, spell effects and such, but also because I love to paint figures. I provide all the minis for the game, have painted a figure for each member of the pc group and am now working on newer figures that better reflect what the characters now look like. I'm working on having a shelf or two full of painted minis for the various D&D monsters (thank god for Reaper Miniatures, love their stuff!). Recently finished a Spirit Naga, Basilisk and Beholder, working on a Tarrasque, Dracolich, Lich, Bard, Ranger and Slavegirl at the moment.

I have a bunch of the cheap Citadel plastic minis (Chaos Warriors, Skinks, Orcs, Bats, Rats, Spiders etc) that I use as tokens. Battles just look a lot better and are easier to understand in 3D.

 

[Shade]

We use miniatures and a grid for every combat. However, we don't actively buy miniatures, use miniatures rules other than to show placement, and don't read articles on miniatures play. In fact, some of the "miniatures" we use are just drawn in with a marker, or are other objects like a Pringles lid or jelly beans.

Before we used "miniatures", we just had too much of a problem keeping track of flanking situations, attacks of opportunity caused by reach, location of ongoing spell effects, etc.

 

[Mystery Man]

A grid is completly useless when floating around in the Astral Plane, on the other hand its nice to have for a room by room dungeon crawl. Grids are much handier at lower levels, but after a certain point you just don't need them.