Tactical vs. Freeform Combat: How do you blend it?

[Cadfan]

My answer is complex.

I often run the game as a sketch on a sheet of paper, with me adjudicating important issues like flanking. Its not hard.

But on the other hand, I'm a little bit old school. Adjudicating something like a full scale war as a battle of Warhammer is entirely within the realm of my vision of D&D.

I'll probably switch to a battlemat for 4e.

But in the end, Hong once again wins a thread.

 

[Carnivorous_Bean]

Since Hong is supposed to have won the thread, can someone please translate for me?

 

[CleverNickName]

Since Hong is supposed to have won the thread, can someone please translate for me?

He pointed out that "roleplaying" was not the opposite of "tactical wargame," as I had implied. I have since fixed it. (Well, as much as I could, anyway.) :\

 

[JesterOC]

I voted handwaving. Not because we don't like combat mechanics, but rather because no-one but me (the DM) owns the books for 3.0 (and I don't own 3.5). I think 4E will help us out a lot as if the rule is written on the page it is going to get played. My wife plays a fighter in many games, and she never performed a bull rush or a disarm attack. I bet she will be using Tide of iron.

I have a feeling that our combats are going to get a lot more iteresting with 4E

JesterOC

 

[mach1.9pants]

I couldn't understand the poll. We stick pretty close to RAW, but we don't use minis.

This I use gridded paper and pencils, no minis....At the moment we are combat RAW

 

[Henry]

We use it as the rules do, and pretty much have minis on the map at all times; we usually configure them in "marching order" when not in combat, so that the DM can get an idea where people are if something suddenly catches us off guard outside of combat.

 

[CleverNickName]

Poll fixed. Sorry 'bout the confusion.

 

[el-remmen]

We use some additional rules for minis, in terms of having rules for more than one mini in a box or space - but while we like and use minis and the rules that go along with them, they are just a place holder for a combat that is in our minds.

We also use rules that we think help to emulate the chaos of battle, for example more gradation in the cover rules than 3.5 has (i.e. we stuck with 3.0), the chance to hit a friend that provides cover, you choose a target before you count out the range, and there are no "take backs" or counting squares when you move your mini (the DM is immune to this rule, however, as he's got a lot to keep track of).