Using flip mats , prepared battle mats etc

[HawaiiSteveO]

How do you folks use these ? Seems overly fussy and time wasty to always be fussing with removing slips of paper to show more of the map as the group explores. Also seems kind of off to just plop mat on the table so group can see everything (post it notes over secret doors and so on)

Already multi tasking like a boss, also don't really have the time to use marker to draw out area on plain flip mat as group explores. Getting a player to do it doesn't work ... No, no not like that like this!

One day I'm gonna get me a cheap tv and duct tape it upside down into and old table and go high tech, but until that day ... Any better ideas ?

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

Dungeon tiles that are only big enough to show a small section of the dungeon at a time...

Search for DM Scotty's 2.5D Dungeon tiles for an idea...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvHnaAPK1_JjZKyARppG9aMegFr2LgcFw

Also, Drunkens & Dragons 2.6D Dungeon Tiles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqUVg6sGiUI

Both take some work, but you might find them satisfactory.

 

[Richards]

I generally prefer the Flip-Mats that are all one big terrain map - winter forest, jungle trail, hill country, etc. The PCs get to see everything on the map all at once but it's not a big deal because generally they'd be able to see everything anyway.

For room-to-room dungeons and buildings and what-not, I prefer to make my own maps with each room a different piece of 1"-grid paper or cardboard, so I can add on only what the PCs have seen thus far.

Johnathan

 

[HawaiiSteveO]

I generally prefer the Flip-Mats that are all one big terrain map - winter forest, jungle trail, hill country, etc. The PCs get to see everything on the map all at once but it's not a big deal because generally they'd be able to see everything anyway.

For room-to-room dungeons and buildings and what-not, I prefer to make my own maps with each room a different piece of 1"-grid paper or cardboard, so I can add on only what the PCs have seen thus far.

Johnathan

Those are the sorts I have , usually used for finale battles etc but usually end up only a small portion of it. I do have the deluxe bigger dungeon one from paizo I'd love to use but so much trouble to uncover rooms one at a time .

I've seen tiles but am not spending any more $ on gaming stuff for a bit .... Ahem spent some on beyond this week.

 

[DM Magic]

I own all the Flip-Mats. As Richards said, they're large enough to get a good battle in, but small enough that the PCs would probably see most everything anyway, with the exception of the cave and dungeon ones.

 

[edhel]

The only prepared maps I use regularly are Inked Adventures Geomorphs.

The old D&D miniatures maps are great for the climatic battles you have prepped. Otherwise I use a mixture of TotM, whiteboard, 3d terrain etc.

If you prepare your dungeons beforehand, you could try drawing it room by room in separate papers like geomorphs. As the adventurers explore it, just drop a predrawn sheet on the table.

 

[TheDigitalMage]

Big flip-mats are good where the PCs would already know the layout, e.g. have gained a map, previously been there etc. To keep an element of surprise I can adjust things (using dry erase markers or extra dungeon tiles on top of flip mat) so secret doors are not obvious, some areas may have become flooded, or filled with rubble from a fallen ceiling etc.

For a dungeon that will be explored bit by bit, Dungeon Tiles are excellent as you can layout things as the PCs explore - though too many fiddley tiles can slow things down.

 

[amerigoV]

On flip mats and dungeons: I rarely put my players through an actual crawl. I use TotM for exploration and small skirmishes. I use select parts of battlemats (a specific room or set of rooms) for the more key encounters.

 

[LordEntrails]

Usually I use a VTT.

When I'm not we use either;
- a dry-erase mat and just sketch out what they can see at the time, or
- pre-printed battlemaps where I just let the players see everything on that map

 

[DM Howard]

I use a combination of no maps, dry erase tiles, and parts of locations given, one at a time, to the party mapper which are drawn on index cards with graphing lines. This allows me to use theater of the mind for most things, let the group explore through mapping, and place out large tiles when complicated combats occur where miniatures might help.