D&D 5E To what degree will you use (or are you using) miniatures and a battlemap for D&D Next?

[Mercurius]

Fairly straightforward. Take Next as it is, or as it is likely to be - and if you're either already playing it and/or plan on playing. Now ask the question: Will you use (or are you using) miniatures and a battlemap, and to what degree?

I'll include a poll for gits and shiggles, but please discuss.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I used the grid and minis for 3rd and 4th, so will probably use them for 5th more often than not. It's just easier. The only time I wouldn't would be probably small combats that occur wandering monster style. Ones meant to just rough the group up a bit where there's little expectation it would last more than a round or two nor have any "events" that might occur during it.

 

[MJS]

Minis, and especially battlemats, ruin the RPG experience for me. I like them, but not for RPG's.

 

[Mistwell]

I've been using it with Roll20 online, and so far that seems the most likely method of playing. So it's not minis and a grid, but close enough.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I voted "light", though not for the reason given.

We've not needed them for combat, but they're always fun to have on the table. A visual marker for players, allowing them to set up (and commit to) marching order, and to provide a point of scale for monsters (which can also then get figures). Just not needing the grid (yet).

 

[TerraDave]

I have used minis in for D&D about 20 years, so will probably continue to do so. (I have been trying to remember when I started with a dry erase grid. 95?).

However, I would still like the option of not doing so.

 

[Aldeon]

I plan to never use a battlemat, but use a few minis. I am going to import the basing rules from 13th Age in order to play with Next, unless they include a basing module for Next in itself.

 

[Weather Report]

Never used minis or a grid/map from 1986, until I ran a 3rd Ed campaign and started using them religiously (and in 4th Ed), I look forward to not having to use a grid.

I might also go back to the classic cloth measuring tape instead; and, as Aldeon said, I might import the "basing" rules for some combats, I used something similar back in the day, Zones, basically.

A lot of ways to go in 5th Ed, I dig it

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I didn't vote (as I've only played D&DN once and probably will not play it once it's out), but that one time we did use a battlemat.

It was the first playtest document, and I don't think it had attacks of opportunity yet. Also, orc charge was "broken" at the time (later since fixed).

It wasn't all that slow, but that's probably due to the lack of AoOs. If I were to make a major 4e house rule, it would be eliminate opportunity attacks except for defenders, soldiers and maybe brutes.

I wouldn't want to eliminate visual guides from the game entirely, but Warhammer RPG (the 3rd Edition) had a really simple "melee range/short range/long range" chart that you would use to keep track of where PCs and enemies were. It wasn't officially supported, but you could add extra back rows if someone decided to move further back and unload with a longbow or rifle.

 

[Klaus]

Have been using minis/tokens/stand-ups since 2e, so I'll keep using them. Makes my combats run faster, clearer, and more immersive.