Area-of-Effect Templates: Experiences and Advice?

[Slipperychicken]

What experiences and feedback do people have relating to AoE templates in grid-based games? I'm currently thinking along the lines of metal wire shapes, not so much example images on websites.

How useful are AoE templates? What properties, materials, or features are most preferable? Do you find that the use of AoE templates speeds things up? Does their use meaningfully change the way your group thinks about area effects during play? My first thought was that laying something like that on the table would highlight collateral damage and other unintended consequences, and make it easier to adjudicate lighting effects, but I have no experience with them at all.

Also, has anyone found good ways to label AoE templates or specify their point of origin? And is it better to make them a little bit wider than the enclosed area, or try to conform as closely as possible with the grid?

I've seen a few products to this effect, but before I throw down $30-60 USD, or spend more quality time mutilating my spare coat-hangers (I've already made an ugly 2x2 square), I want to hear what the playground has to say.

[Joe the Rat]

While the various print pieces look neat (the ones on clear plastic look fabulous), I liked wireframes. Set your lines to the outside of the AOE, so you can drop it over the top, and miss all the minis or tokens (barring oversized). For duration area effects (grease, various clouds), you can leave it in place. If you have creatures overlapping the edges (as huge creatures are wont to do), you only need to move the offenders.

I used pipe cleaners. They're easy to work with, and come in a variety of colors for quick reference or to mimic effects. (plus a 2" x 2" x 2" frame = gelatinous cube) The down side there is that they are easy to bend out of shape - particularly on the larger templates. And you now have to keep Mr. Tower of Dice Builder from undoing your 20' radius template to make weird little stick men.

[Telok]

Clothes hangers work fine, fairly sturdy too. They're pretty nice for effects that just last a couple rounds too, you don't worry about drawing it on the mat and then erasing it mid-combat.

[Vitruviansquid]

My experience with templates is that the more a system circumvents them, the better that system plays.

I'd rather have the strange, square-shaped dragon breaths of D&D 4e than have to put a thing on the table and judge "is that technically touching the character? Is that covering over half of the character, or is that fully covering the character?" and sometimes having disputes about it.

[Grod_The_Giant]

My experience with templates is that the more a system circumvents them, the better that system plays.

I'd rather have the strange, square-shaped dragon breaths of D&D 4e than have to put a thing on the table and judge "is that technically touching the character? Is that covering over half of the character, or is that fully covering the character?" and sometimes having disputes about it.
I tend to agree with this. Having a rough battle map is a great thing, and will save you just... so much time answering questions about the relative layout of things on the field. But as you put more detail you put into it, as you get more careful about counting out exact details and ranges, you start to lose that. It becomes too easy to get bogged down in minutiae.

Don't bother with templates. Take a look at the board, go "eh, looks like you get catch this whole cluster of orcs," and move on with your turn.

[Malimar]

Contrary to Grod's experience, I've found that having a couple of homemade templates (http://luduscarcerum.blogspot.com/2012/07/pi-bursts-and-cones.html) handy makes "and move on with your turn" happen much faster than constantly getting into arguments after trying to just eyeball everything.

[Tinkerer]

For me it really depends. I tend to only use templates for cone effects and depending on the system I'm running and the type of effect it's either touching or a % chance based on the eyeballed percentage of the model covered (sounds complex but I've got it down to about 5-10 seconds regardless of the number of models). I can't really say that I run into any disputes because... well one of the GMs jobs is judge and I calls 'em as I sees 'em.

But in about 90% of situations I just don't use them, circular effects are easy enough to spot on a grid without requiring them and if the situation is self evident I also forgo the use. I just wish that system books would stop wasting valuable pages on them...