Organizing and using Dungeon Tiles

[blargney the second]

I stick them all in a bag and draw them out piecemeal to make random dungeons.

 

[Asmor]

I stick them all in a bag and draw them out piecemeal to make random dungeons.

That's..... actually rather novel. I'm not sure if you're being serious or not, but either way it's a good idea!

Especially if you can pull it off without the players knowing what you're doing... Imagine if they think you're just reaching into the bag and pulling out exactly the piece you need. Every. Single. Time. Sweet.

 

[megamania]

I use one gallon ziplock bags... they are:

a) Waterproof
b) See-thru so I can see what is in each bag
c) Durable
d) Have a little area where I can write on the bag with a marker to identify the contents
e) Dirt cheap

I organize them by set, one set per one gallon ziplock. Works great for me. For storage I just keep them in a hanging file.

Ditto only I place them by size/shape and then I put them into the large beginner's boxes (Black / Blue dragon editions) for transport.

 

[blargney the second]

That's..... actually rather novel. I'm not sure if you're being serious or not, but either way it's a good idea!

Totally serious: it's fun and liberating. I usually keep the outdoor tiles separate in the interest of keeping room descriptions from getting too outlandish.

 

[Asmor]

How do you do doors? Do you just roll randomly to decide where doors are and then stick tiles there?

 

[GlassJaw]

Totally serious: it's fun and liberating. I usually keep the outdoor tiles separate in the interest of keeping room descriptions from getting too outlandish.

Very cool. That would be great for a one-shot or if you need a quick session (players can't make it, taking a break, whatever).

I'd definitely like to hear more about how you run this.

 

[blargney the second]

I typically start with a 2'x3' pad of 1" graph paper, and put a single biggish tile down somewhere on the pad as the starting room. Then I reach deeper into the bag to pick up a handful of little tiles (they separate by size like broken potato chips). I place those around on top of the main room as window dressing, doors, or traps that remain hidden from the players. I usually place the detail tiles wherever it seems like it would be the most fun.

Then as they explore a given route, lather, rinse & repeat. If I feel the need for a particular passageway, I just draw it on the graph paper with a marker.

@GlassJaw: Yep, it's great for when you're short on prep time for whatever reason. I also grab a bunch of minis & their cards semi-haphazardly and toss them in a box to draw from as the area gets explored.

 

[Kristian Serrano]

Regarding storage, I wonder how well these Game Saver boxes would work. They seem to accommodate large boards up to 1/2" thick that rest above compartments for pieces that are at most 2" wide. The Container Store sells them.

 

[Asmor]

Whoa, those rock. I can't believe I've never seen them before.

They should really try and branch out into the RPG audience. I can't imagine that there's that big a market of people looking to re-box their copies of monopoly and clue jr.

 

[Kristian Serrano]

By pure coincidence, I have found and purchased an awesome solution for storing, sorting, and transporting Dungeon Tiles. Behold, the Craft Organizer by Home Logic.

It can hold the large 8x10 tiles inside the top lid (yes, INSIDE the top lid), with room to spare. I was able to include the 4x8 tiles as well as the 2x8 tiles.

The inside of the box itself is deep with a front and back half. The front half has two trays with lidded compartments for small peices. This is where I store and organize the 1x1 and 1x2 tiles. There are longer compartment on the ends of the trays where I can store four short stacks of the 2x2 tiles. Did I mention that there were two of these trays?

The back half is a large, deep space that has two adjustable/removable dividers. The is where I store all of the 2x4 tiles and all other the medium-sized tiles.