"Geek Lasagna"

[Spreeth]

I have found a lovely solution to D&D tiles mapping:

1) buy a large piece of felt (you can get these at most fabric stores),
2) buy the D&D tiles and arrange them on the felt,
3) buy a large piece of plexiglass (you can get these at most hardware stores like Home Depot) and lay the plexiglass over the D&D tiles (this keeps the D&D tiles from moving).

The plexiglass allows me to draw on its surface and erase the drawings with a spray bottle and some paper towels.

Moreover, because of the felt I can actually layer several progressive "dungeons" on top of one another and peel them off to reveal them to my players.

I love this "Geek Lasagna" approach. It is my hope that this post will help DM's out there. :smallsmile:

[AslanCross]

My quick and dirty solution to mapping is drawing an inch grid on A3 paper and having that laminated. I then draw with a whiteboard marker. My maps are often ugly, but they're helpful enough.

[SilverClawShift]

That's what my group does, plexiglass on a hinge, with maps, critical information, and sometimes artwork underneath. Some dry-erase markers, and you're good to go. Makes things much better.

My DM actually uses two layers of plexiglass, the second one is the grid, so he can change grid sizes and types easily.

[AgentPaper]

I just took the big grid sheet out of the back of my 3.5 book, got it laminated at Kinko's, and draw on it with markers. Works just fine, use a rag to clean it off. I've been able to leave maps on there for days to weeks, though after a few weeks it takes a little elbow grease to get it off.

One thing I would like to see would be an entire "Geek Tablecloth", which would be a large plasticy sheet with a grid on it, similar to the normal patterned type you see everywhere. If it was designed so you could write on it with markers and then clean it at least a month later without trouble, that would be awesome.

[Theodoxus]

Couldn't you, in theory at least, laminate one of the Chessex style wet erase battlemaps, for use with longer lasting dry erase markers?

hmm... I might have to try that some time.

[Prometheus]

I use a dry-erase, foldable map with gridlines on it. I can draw on it and slide minis (which are pieces of paper taped to pieces of cardboard) around on it.

[Thurbane]

My quick and dirty solution to mapping is drawing an inch grid on A3 paper and having that laminated. I then draw with a whiteboard marker. My maps are often ugly, but they're helpful enough.
That's what we do as well.

Although I'm really coming around on the OPs idea, might give it a try myself.

On a sidenote: I've found that if you cover paper with rolls of adhesive clear plastic, like the type you use to cover books, they tend to erase much better than the heat-shrink type lamination.

One thing I would like to see would be an entire "Geek Tablecloth", which would be a large plasticy sheet with a grid on it, similar to the normal patterned type you see everywhere. If it was designed so you could write on it with markers and then clean it at least a month later without trouble, that would be awesome.
I've got an old kitchen table that we game on when the game is at my place - I've been very tempted to cover the entire top with a 1-inch grid pattern, then put perspex or similar over the top, so we can utilize the whole surface area for maps.