Not using Grid / minis / pawns

[Tiles]

Without a doubt Totm has become the fallback to all combats these days. Faster more creative and more often is the new norm. I'm a fan of a "set piece" model when I can put something together for a boss battle, but I'm the last DM to bring it out anymore. I don't miss grids when not used and enjoy them when they add to the experience. I'm playing often with different DMs - while running my sons group. Grids, minis and the rest help with flavor more then anything since they busted out the playtest 3 yrs ago.

 

[MostlyDm]

I got tired of handling miniatures (real or cardboard) and our group opted to go completely digital. I make all my maps in advance (and have a ton of them on standby), so I always have every situation covered. I have tons of digital miniatures for every monster or NPC, and the players are happy to play with their real miniatures on the digital landscape.

Here's the nice gaming table that one of the guys in our group built, that has a 40" TV in the center. The table is hollow in the center with supports for the TV and a place to put a small computer. We use MapTools and set up a local server (I have a laptop behind my screen to help me run the DM side of things during combat).

Works out pretty nice.

If I tried to go TotM now, my players would lynch me!

That is a super cool setup!

 

[Kithas]

In my weekly game we currently aren't using a grid and it has helped in some ways and hurt in others. Overall I vastly prefer the grid as my style of play loves the margins, if I trip someone with my reaction of polearm master to make sure he can't get within 5' of me I want it to count. I have given up even trying that move as my dm just fudges the guy close enough to me anyways. I like to think I take it in stride but it definitely frustrates me. I like to use small advantages to add up to big differences, and when half of my small things are fudged over by 'close enough' then most of what I am trying to accomplish also goes out the window.
That said I do think it has made combat somewhat faster, it is still a relentless slog but it is marginally faster. Right now I am convinced that the issue is that we have 2-3 big fights a day instead of 6-8 small ones :/ dunno. Personally I love grids I know theyre extra work but whether hex or square I feel much more at home when I can make informed decisions about my play.

 

[devincutler]

In my weekly game we currently aren't using a grid and it has helped in some ways and hurt in others. Overall I vastly prefer the grid as my style of play loves the margins, if I trip someone with my reaction of polearm master to make sure he can't get within 5' of me I want it to count. I have given up even trying that move as my dm just fudges the guy close enough to me anyways. I like to think I take it in stride but it definitely frustrates me. I like to use small advantages to add up to big differences, and when half of my small things are fudged over by 'close enough' then most of what I am trying to accomplish also goes out the window.
That said I do think it has made combat somewhat faster, it is still a relentless slog but it is marginally faster. Right now I am convinced that the issue is that we have 2-3 big fights a day instead of 6-8 small ones :/ dunno. Personally I love grids I know theyre extra work but whether hex or square I feel much more at home when I can make informed decisions about my play.

Not sure how they are extra work. If need be, don't draw out terrain or the dungeon on the grid. But if you don't even use it for relative positioning, then you are really losing out on a large facet of the game and, more importantly, turning combat into a static dice rolling fest. I find when people don't now precisely where they are, they don't bother with tactics (why should they?). There is no need for jockeying for position or a clear shot. No need to clear the lane for a line effect or cone effect, et al.

 

[S'mon]

I like how 5e benefits from minis & maps to show relative positioning, but doesn't need an artificial Grid. 5e N/PCs don't need to occupy specific 5'x5' squares, but the Paizo flipmats still work well using the grid only as a guide to relative distance. Basically the same as pre-3e.

My online 5e game works fine with no map/grid, but it doesn't use Feats. Playing in a game with Feats and no map, it can get confusing and potentially spur arguments.

 

[Kithas]

Not sure how they are extra work. If need be, don't draw out terrain or the dungeon on the grid. But if you don't even use it for relative positioning, then you are really losing out on a large facet of the game and, more importantly, turning combat into a static dice rolling fest. I find when people don't now precisely where they are, they don't bother with tactics (why should they?). There is no need for jockeying for position or a clear shot. No need to clear the lane for a line effect or cone effect, et al.

I agree completely. My tactical play has basically turned into how to spend my actions right, not positioning or any higher-level play :/ It has also made any aoe effect monstrously more powerful, we had some djinns the other day that almost completely wrecked us because they had a nice line attack and we assumed each one hit 3+ of us, the dm blamed us for our positioning... <.<
Don't get me wrong, I love our dm but sometimes he annoys me.
On the extra work, usually it means someone needs to bring the grid/minis and the dm usually wants to decorate it somehow.

 

[Psikerlord#]

I prefer no grid. Sometimes a rough map for relative positioning but that's about it. If a distance is uncertain and a close call, I rule in favour of action over inaction (both for PCs and monsters). In my experience grids encourage square counting and feel more "boardgame".