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View Full Version : Better miniatures board for handling battles



hawkboy772042
2007-12-27, 03:44 PM
This is a project that a player and I (the DM) put together when we got sick of having to improvise with coins, pencils, etc., to put together obstacles on a map to represent the battles with miniatures so we came up with a new idea.

We took the battle map (found in the back of the Dungeon Master's Guide) then put it into a glass frame then got some dry erase markers to draw the obstacles that the characters (or miniatures) couldn't pass through along with any other things that would be static.

FireSpark
2007-12-27, 06:16 PM
This is a project that a player and I (the DM) put together when we got sick of having to improvise with coins, pencils, etc., to put together obstacles on a map to represent the battles with miniatures so we came up with a new idea.

We took the battle map (found in the back of the Dungeon Master's Guide) then put it into a glass frame then got some dry erase markers to draw the obstacles that the characters (or miniatures) couldn't pass through along with any other things that would be static.

Just so everyone knows, I am currently restraining every snarky reflex in my body, but it is so tempting.

But on a nicer note, to you OP, this is something my group discovered a few years back, except we've expanded upon your concept. We have two Chessex battle mats (the 44 sq. x 33 sq. kind, tan color) that are set side by side on the gaming table, and are under plexiglass (in 3 pieces for ease of maintenance). This makes it ever so easy to not only change terrain, but also draw out huge sections of dungeons (or other locales) for truly great battles.

In addition to this, I suggest you google papercraft. It's an easy and very cheap way to add props like tables, chests, and what-not to a board, and give that extra flair!

Proven_Paradox
2007-12-27, 06:44 PM
For my group, I like to just go into the game with Maptool going. The group I play with most often has access to four or more laptops at their place, so I email myself the .cmpn file and when I get to their place, one computer is set aside for me, the others for the players, and we just all connect over a local server. It's worked like a charm so far.

Demons_eye
2007-12-27, 09:46 PM
we just use monopoly houses and other game board piece, Got to love the mouse trap game nothing like a gnome fighter flying down some slides runing from a giant metal ball.

TheThan
2007-12-27, 09:56 PM
I’m slowly working on gridless conversion for dnd. Because I play at a gaming store, and he has some very nice terrain set up for use with miniature games and stuff like dnd. The thing is that it’s all gridless terrain so now I’m working on it so I can use it with dnd.

hawkboy772042
2007-12-27, 11:45 PM
In addition to this, I suggest you google papercraft. It's an easy and very cheap way to add props like tables, chests, and what-not to a board, and give that extra flair!

Ahh... origami... I was never that good with my hands, but I can give it a thought if I ever cared to actually spend the time on such a thing. I like how you've expanded on the concept though of putting the map inside in glass frame though.

Triaxx
2007-12-28, 10:07 AM
That reminds me, of our Origami boulders. Crumpled wads of paper. After a rockslide, it looked like we'd dumped a garbage can on the board.

Which is usually what happened. Not having miniatures, one of our tricks was to use the little plastic army soldiers, usually co-opted from the younger sibling of one player.

TheThan: You might consider using just lengths of string laid across the table. If you want you can tie it into a net, but that's a little complicated.

FireSpark
2007-12-28, 08:27 PM
I’m slowly working on gridless conversion for dnd. Because I play at a gaming store, and he has some very nice terrain set up for use with miniature games and stuff like dnd. The thing is that it’s all gridless terrain so now I’m working on it so I can use it with dnd.

Upon seeing your idea, I thought back to the days when I was still playing WarHammer (no comment). The first thing that came to me was that all you would need to play DnD on a table with no grid is simply turn every thing into measurements and templates. A 5-foot space on a battlemat is typically a 1-by-1 inch square (approximately). Thus, a character with a move of 40 feet, now has a movement of 8 inches. To determine reach, all you would need is a toothpick or string cut to an appropriate length (1 inch for 5 foot reach, 2 inches for 10 foot reach, etc.)

Templates are easy. Instead of having squared off cones and funky looking circle-esque shapes, you can smooth things out into actual circles, cylinders, and what-not.

Admittedly, this mandates the constant use of a ruler or small measuring tape to determining ranged attacks and spell casting ranges. (Those that have palyed WarHammer or other table top army games are probably fluent in this art.) And as for the obvious constant occurances of characters being 'not quite' in the are of effect, you just use the fall back rule of "if the effect covers half the square (or in this case, the character's space), then that space is effected".

So there you go. Go grab yourself a cloth measuring tape, some paper circle cut outs, and knock yourself out. :smallbiggrin:

Hawriel
2007-12-29, 01:54 AM
firespark beat me to it.

yeah best way to do mini battles is to chuck WOTC rules and use time and true free form battle of the traditional tabletop wargames. get a table buy or make terrane use a ruler or mesuring tape there you go. 1in = 1 squar for D&D. Non of that diaganal movment penalties or other crap. LOS is what you can see looing strate from one mini to the next. Go get some poster board from mijers or what ever and make tables and stools what ever. You will find you have alot more options when you move off the grid.