Minis or Theatre of the Mind? (Survey)

For combat with more than 5 I will pull out minis. Exploration going into towns 99% theater of the mind

 

[flametitan]

Even if we grant, for the sake of argument, that optional DMG rules are on par with 13A's standard rules, that's a pretty big failing when you think about it: the game is supposed to default to TotM, yet the mechanical presentation of the PH isn't conducive to that. Support for TotM - along with the 'tactical' module - is relegated to the DMG.

I never disagreed with that. Like I said, it's in the wrong book. It should've been in the same sidebar as the basic grid rules in the PHB and Basic rules, titled "Theatre of the Mind and Playing on a Grid".

 

[Tony Vargas]

I never disagreed with that. Like I said, it's in the wrong book. It should've been in the same sidebar as the basic grid rules in the PHB and Basic rules, titled "Theatre of the Mind and Playing on a Grid".

It's not just that the rule is in the wrong book, but that it's tacked-on. 5e is full of references to distances in feet, geometric areas, relative positions and the like. 13A consistently uses its TotM terminology throughout - 1d3 Close Enemies, 'Engaged' and so forth - as well as providing some measures.

The former can suck you into trying to run TotM by visualizing and tracking everything down to the foot (and, y'know, some of us can do that). The latter works smoothly with TotM as the default (it also works fine when you pull out minis, without having to evoke a whole 'nuther set of optional rules). FWIW.

(Mind you, I'm saying all this while running 5e a lot more than 13A, so don't take it as too serious a complaint...)

 

[NotActuallyTim]

TotM. Just so much cheaper and easier to move around.

 

[JonnyP71]

Prefer TotM for smaller encounters and general exploration.

We use minis for bigger combats, but NEVER with a grid, distances/AoE are all estimated and the concept in 'one's own space' does not exist in our games.

 

[GMMichael]

TotM FTW! Although, the poll is a little black and white. I'm with Vex on using markers to assist with describing relative positions.

I've found that as DM if I use a drawn grid or poster map I tend to point to the map rather than describe things, so Ive started to use minis on bare tabletop just as relative distance markers.

Killing it (for having only two posts in the forum)!

The GM's job is to describe things! Sure, a board game can be fun, but it's also what your game becomes when you start moving pieces and counting spaces instead of saying "I dive to the side, rolling just behind a big piece of rubble, then pop up and fire my blaster at the combat 'droid with the red power unit."

 

[JonnyP71]

100% agree. That's why when we do use the minis, they are placed on a white board with nothing more than the rough dimensions of the location sketched out.

 

[manduck]

I've enjoyed both, but I prefer TotM. Any time my group had to break out the maps, position minis, wait for everything to be set up and everything that goes into mini play, it just broke the moment for us. It took us right out of the drama and the excitement of what was about to happen. We found it a lot more fun when there was some tension that lead right into action smoothly rather than tension, take a break to set up as quickly as possible, then jump in for action. Plus many of us at the table had a hard time focusing on role playing our characters when moving minis around a map like a board game. So we prefer TotM style play.

 

[Highland Raider]

I voted miniatures, and that's typically how I've played since high school many moons ago. However, when running in town stuff and even some dungeon exploration stuff, I've gone with a TotM approach. Really depends on the group and how "involved" everyone is at the table. If everyone is actually paying attention and not playing with their phones, painting miniatures, sleeping, playing video games, or reading a book, then I can go with TotM reasonably well and just set out minis to show where things are located at the beginning of a combat.

 

[orderofthings]

I prefer totm, but the guys at my table like their minis and i wouldn't want to deny them that. Thank the gods we aren't playing 4e

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[Lanefan]

Once again our crew seems to be unorthodox in that where many seem to have only started using minis with 3e or later, we've been using them since the early '80's. Handy for combat, marching order, who's on watch when, etc. They're intended (and usually work out to be) an aid to imagination rather than a replacement for it.

That said, we're by no means "married to the grid" for combat - fireballs are spherical, we're much less formal than 3e-4e on space occupied by someone, etc. - but having a grid is still a very useful aid for eyeballing ranges, movements, and so on.

Lan-"nothing is worse than seeing the character piece of a favourite character of old slowly corrode into metal dust"-efan