dungeons and dragons (D&D) anyone?

[D-rock]

I don't like using the actual mechanics of a grid for movement and such, but when drawing out maps I often had them drawn out on paper or on a mat sheet like the chessex grid one and I would put those plastic sheets for overhead projectors on it, tack it down, and used those markers your supposed to use to draw things on the sheets when the situation called for it. All characters, NPCs, monsters, and anything else where either a miniature somebody had for themselves or a slip of paper that went over the plastic sheets to represent it. Washing them off was simple. Drying them if you had to quickly reuse them was a pain though. One of the advantages is that I could have different sheets pre-made so I could quickly plop down something the players weren't expecting without having to go to a lot of trouble drawing it out on the spot. Often it was good in extending the life of my grid mats.

I don't think my system was the best though. I've seen some pretty elaborate setups in a variety of ways that put mine to shame. Of course they were a lot more expensive. I just wish I could have convinced my players to use pins and scaled down maps in some situations though because drawing out a very huge dungeon or complex was sometimes a pain in the ass (and I would sometimes run out of physical room), but even a lot more so outdoor areas or areas with huge spaces where line of sight and effect was very far out.

 

[Petra]

Check out the Gamescapes from SavageMojo.com. They're very nice, though I believe they're going out of print for awhile. I was tempted to buy a few at Conception as Cubical 7 had the physical products.

Paizo.com has some nice flip mats and you can write with permanent marker on them. I have several.

I love my chessex mat, but I've already detailed the problems. Need a water based pen and after awhile it starts bleeding into the matt regardless. Though I wouldn't give mine up for the world.

Another alternative is taking a look at the Dundjinni forum...lots of folks have made beautiful maps there that you can print out and use. I used to use Dundjinni when I was running Fantasy Grounds games for the longest time since it was easy to make a map and put it in the program folder of FG. ;-)

As for Mini's...I tend to use the paper cutout type (look at Drive-Thru, you'll find them) because they're cheap and I don't have time anymore to make the minis I do have pretty. I also tend to use coins, rocks, little plastic toys from the latest supermarket action, and the all popular with any group I've run games for....the edible option. Jelly beans, wrapped chocolates, gummy bears....groups are very eager to kill the NPCs and monsters. ;-)

 

[squallumz]

Jelly beans, wrapped chocolates, gummy bears....groups are very eager to kill the NPCs and monsters. ;-)

haha good idea. i should use some cheez-its next time for my decrepit skeletons.

i was checking out paizo.com last night. they should like a good option but a lot of people complained that their mat came all wrinkled from being shipped poorly. i reallllly want a mat but i dont want to get it if its all fucked up.

 

[AlexanderAvery]

We are creative with our Minis. But I like the idea of using jelly beans as an extra reward for killing monsters.

I have some Glass Beads from when I played the Pokemon Card Game. They work well.

 

[squallumz]

We are creative with our Minis. But I like the idea of using jelly beans as an extra reward for killing monsters.

I have some Glass Beads from when I played the Pokemon Card Game. They work well.

hehe i still play pokemon.

 

[AlexanderAvery]

I would if I could find some players around here. Also if I was not 8 sets behind.

You are trying to out geek me arn't you? YOU WILL FAIL!

 

[Petra]

haha good idea. i should use some cheez-its next time for my decrepit skeletons.

i was checking out paizo.com last night. they should like a good option but a lot of people complained that their mat came all wrinkled from being shipped poorly. i reallllly want a mat but i dont want to get it if its all fucked up.

The chessex matt? They do come wrinkled but if you lay it out for a few days it'll flatten. And you can go over it with a cold iron.

 

[Petra]

We are creative with our Minis. But I like the idea of using jelly beans as an extra reward for killing monsters.

I have some Glass Beads from when I played the Pokemon Card Game. They work well.

I use mini candy bars for perversity points in Paranoia. I don't accept wrappers when they use their perversity either.

 

[squallumz]

im waiting on my paizo flip mat. should be here maybe tomorrow. cant wait!

 

[squallumz]

slowww shipping on my mat. still waiting for it. meanwhile ive gotten both permanent and dry erase markers and now i want minis.

whats the fucking deal with minis anyway?

none of my stores have em. and i hear they have been discontinued!

ive decided im going to make my own as im a bit artistic.

what do you guys do for minis (if you even use em)?


im not sure how the booster system even worked. and how do u know you can actually use the damn things you get in the random booster.

like me. i need a fighter and a female elf and some basic minions and such. how do i go about getting what i need?

 

[AlexanderAvery]

The booster thing is for the D&D clicks game. Yea. It was fucking stupid.

I use D6s usually. Each player has a figure they use. I use a Bronze D6 my ex gave me as a gift. My Brother uses a Zubat Figure. We have a player that uses a D&D mini he owns. One uses a MEchwarrior figure. One a DBZ figure he has. And one a lego man.

So yea we get kinda creative. Then NPCs use coloured D6s (Like if we are fighting 5 orcs and a troll. WE'd have 4 green D6s on numbers 1-4, then a red D6).

Sometimes I use glass beads when enemies act as a group, or the things I got from my 4E red box thing.

 

[AlexanderAvery]

Oh also, yesterday we played our first night of the FF RPG. It was pretty fun. I play a Hume Redmage Air Pirate who's life goal is to have a bounty on his head, as well as to finally get an Airship. And break a princess' heart.

I am having a lot of fun with our over the top Liefeldian Action Hero with an axe bigger than him, and a thief who wants to steal an artifact from a king. And an Elf Time mage who does not remember her past.

They can't all be winners. The Time Mage is a really lame character.

We all decided my brother. The 120 LB fighter with massive shoulderpads and a 210 lbs sword is the "main character". Because that is so a FF hero. My character is the comic sidekick. God I am loving "Captain" Drake Rose.

 

[Petra]

I tend to use whatever is lying around for mini's. If I'm a player, I tend to use my "mood" die for myself (has all sort of smily faces on it). My husband uses a rock.

If I'm running a game that's mini heavy, I use figure flats. Google figure flats and a whole new world opens up. Here's an example: http://www.sysabend.org/champions/images/Ell1.jpg

For vampire, it rarely comes down to using a battle matt and mini's...if I do, its usually to give a visual layout of the scene vs actually counting movement. "not to scale" has become my DM disclaimer in my Sunday game. :1orglaugh

 

[D-rock]

My players had their own mini that they used. Other than that everything else was either some random mini that was used out of a very limited selection that we just pretended to be something other than it was when it was different, or it was a square or rectangular piece of paper cut to the right size that I either drew what it was on it or just wrote the name of what it was.

 

[CunningStunts]

If you want to play a good dungeons and dragons based game, Neverwinter Nights series is one of the best.

Very true... NWN and NWN2 were pretty darn good.

I just started learning DDO, the system is very much like NWN2, based on the 3.5 rules, going ok so far though I'm too used to pausing and/or turn based systems to be very good at live action yet

 

[D-rock]

The worse part about the Neverwinter night games is that you're almost forced to turn off friendly damage with your own spells, because once you select them it can take seconds to fire and by then everybody has moved. The table top is turned based so it doesn't have that problem. I wish they would have allowed the casting of spells immediately on selection to correct that problem.

I also didn't like the ending of NWN II Mask of the Betrayer. I was so hoping at the end I could personally put an end to my most hated and other people's hated aspect about the Forgotten Realm setting and they didn't let you do it even though that goal is a big part of the later part of the game.

 

[Born2Jizz]

D & D is the shit! You're in for a blast! :clap::glugglug::thumbsup:

 

[squallumz]

i thought making minis was gonna be easier than it turned out to be. i hate this fimo clay shit. its totally sticky and fingerprints are terrible on it.

those flats are a good idea. i dont mind the tokens that came with my red box set though. i still think the real deal minis would be nice to have. what sucks is now they are gonna become a rarity and go up higher in price soon since this discontinued business.

i hate what ebay does to the market. i really do.

 

[Petra]

i thought making minis was gonna be easier than it turned out to be. i hate this fimo clay shit. its totally sticky and fingerprints are terrible on it.

those flats are a good idea. i dont mind the tokens that came with my red box set though. i still think the real deal minis would be nice to have. what sucks is now they are gonna become a rarity and go up higher in price soon since this discontinued business.

i hate what ebay does to the market. i really do.

If you want real mini's (and have the time to paint them) there's loads of shops out there. I just got 6 zombie hunters for my paranoia one shots. :1orglaugh Look at Hasslefree Miniatures...they have a great range (including scooby doo!! They even have a Frank n Furter mini!)

Games Workshops has a metric ton for the Warhammer Game. Reaper Miniatures is a household name for gamers. There's lots!

 

[squallumz]

If you want real mini's (and have the time to paint them) there's loads of shops out there. I just got 6 zombie hunters for my paranoia one shots. :1orglaugh Look at Hasslefree Miniatures...they have a great range (including scooby doo!! They even have a Frank n Furter mini!)

Games Workshops has a metric ton for the Warhammer Game. Reaper Miniatures is a household name for gamers. There's lots!

ill check that out. i made a couple. its hard to work with the clay i bought on such a small scale. my skeleton turned out .. ok. i made some cool treasure chests though.