The importance of miniatures in RPG games

Dr Zaius

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Do you use miniatures in your RPG adventures? If so, do you use a grid system or map of some kind to keep track of the action? In the past I have used a laminated grid sheet with 1" squares along with markers to draw and erase as needed. This system seemed to work pretty well.
 

Aries

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About 1993, the local gaming shop owner started to literally spaz out on supplies of miniatures :) They had a deal, 1 pack full price, 2 packs 3 packs 4 packs, the more you bought, the more price reduction they would offer.

So myself and 3 other DM friends, well we made sure they rarely had stock for like about a solid year.

I ended up with massive sums of the things. Orc armies dwarf armies elf armies. Keep in mind, this are of the collectible sort of miniature not meant for table top wargaming. I had several hundreds of unique minatures.

But even carried around several hundreds of lead miniatures? Key word here LEAD :)

They were fun, but there was no real easy way to use them, you the DM couldn't easily keep track of which miniature had lost hit points last round. It bogged down under the weight of the chore involved in using them.

So, I went back to the original method, "there's 5 orcs charging from here" (points to 5 X marks on plastic sheeting drawn in green grease pencil).

I use heavy guage table cloth plastic cover, and drawn on it with grease pencil. If you have a grid of some manner of terrain graphic underneath it you're all set as far as I am concerned.
 

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I bought a hex gridded map designed for PRG miniatures. Each = @6' scale or 1 "person" per hex. Easy to keep track of everything moving. I use waterbased markers to draw on them. I also have RPG "floors" I lay out for hallways, cavern passages, rooms etc.

There's a new system out: 2-sided hex floor plan layout that has everything drawn out in color on heavy cardboard. Street, temples canals etc. Just can't remember the name of it, but they look great.

I think having a special miniature for each player is important: it puts them "into" the RPG environment.

I have unique miniatures for the players @150 total. The players seem to want theirs to be as close to possible as what they envision they look like or carry. I've even gone out & bought several especially for individual players. I then have monster miniatures, usually bought in groups. Each is different and we keep track of them by using: the 1 with the sword/shield/broken sword/wearing the black cap etc. system.
I carry them around in a tackle box with foam inside. (I used to have 2x as many but an EX claimed she bought half so half were hers. No, she doesn't play & doesn't remember what happened to them...) :mad: :curse:

I do my best to find a drawing or picture of what the players are "really" facing so they can imagine fighting that & not a horde of little rats or orcs everytime.

I also have a collection of: trees, brush, hills, rocks, "water," wagons, horses etc that I've picked up over the years. When they escorted a special caravan across country they set themselves up as guards around the wagons & animals, exactly as they would have in "real life." I then ambused them in the "tree covered hills." They enjoyed battling & chasing the bandits in and out of the terrain, plus it gave instant & realistic LOS.
 
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Maedhros

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No miniatures...

I run a very fast-paced, story-driven theatric style. One's imagination is much more detailed than any clump of miniatures could be. And I'm not really big on tactical simulation in RPGs (that's what ASL is for!).
 

Whizbang1963

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I've only ever played in one session where miniatures were used. It was interesting, but did not really add much to the game other than to give a visual representation of the order of the party when it came to being attacked by something..
 

Dr Zaius

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Whizbang1963 said:
I've only ever played in one session where miniatures were used. It was interesting, but did not really add much to the game other than to give a visual representation of the order of the party when it came to being attacked by something..
How did you keep track of where the party members were vs. the enemies and their relative positions within the room (or location)?
 

Maedhros

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Don Maddox said:
How did you keep track of where the party members were vs. the enemies and their relative positions within the room (or location)?
I use some rudimentary sketches from time to time to clear up positional issues, but generally it's not necessary. The narrative descriptions (GM and player) are usually enough to keep things straight.
 

Aries

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Don Maddox said:
How did you keep track of where the party members were vs. the enemies and their relative positions within the room (or location)?
This can be a blessing as much as a curse.

I usually play on a gridded surface. But, if the player is said to occupy a 10' square, and the corridor is only 10' wide, do you utterly refuse to let anyone by them?
If they are standing at a corner, do you nitpick about sight around corners? Do you allow combat at corners where 1 of 3 possible targets is only marginally connected through that corner intersection?

Rigid use of minis can be more burden than benefit.

In my gaming group (I'm a player), the DM has us position our minis to depict who is where in a column or a room. He tends to use minis for adversaries, but, he rarely can have as many as he needs, or of the verbatim right creature. So the players end up knowing at best, well this miniature is such and such a creature, and as it's still there, it's not dead yet.

I find narrative is more able to respond to the needs of the DM for all of the above justifications. I draw a terrain on a grid, and then I describe the event if detail is required. Minis can help, but they are not required.

What is required, is exacting attention to specifics.
 

Whizbang1963

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The DM did not have any kind of aid in that regard...plain wooden tabletop..
 

Dr Zaius

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I used to use just a few generic minis way back when, but then I switched and started using a marker and a laminated map board. This was particularly helpful if the party encountered a group of enemies. It was helpful for me to know who was fighting who, etc.
 
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