H1 - Keep on the Shadowfell (Our Experience)

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:18 am

Lets face it, using 3D models from Fat Dragon or Dwarven Forge with some appropriate minis looks darn cool! Wargamer or not, miniatures gamer or not, they look frikkin awesome!

Even just using a lot of various mats from Fat Dragon, Paizo, WOTC, etc... and mini's looks pretty good too.

So mini's aren't all bad.
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rabindranath72 · Post by **rabindranath72** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 8:24 am

Treebore wrote:
Lets face it, using 3D models from Fat Dragon or Dwarven Forge with some appropriate minis looks darn cool! Wargamer or not, miniatures gamer or not, they look frikkin awesome!

Even just using a lot of various mats from Fat Dragon, Paizo, WOTC, etc... and mini's looks pretty good too.

So mini's aren't all bad.

I do not like them Really, I never liked minis. When I DM classic D&D, AD&D etc., I use at most paper counters, or some spare lead minis which are 20 years old. Or the paper minis which came with some old Classic D&D modules. But any games which cannot be run without minis, I try to avoid. Sometimes I may use them for particularly important encounters (and I have been doing this will all the games I ever ran), but the norm for me is not using them.

DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 8:30 am

I'm mixed in my thoughts of using mini's and battlemaps. Regardless of the system, my experience is that they slow down combat to a degree whatever you are playing.

In other games, I don't use mini's about 95% of the time. So far in 4e I've been about 50% on mini usage during play. Although that is probably fixing to change.My players informed me that they want to use the battlemap and minis. They're digging it. In fact, after the last session they are digging it in a big, big way. Even my wife, who is not a wargamer or mini lover at all, is pretty stoked about the battlemap play after our last session.

IN fact, she usually grumbles about the price of mini's when I buy them. After our last 4e session though she was, "We need to find me a miniature that fits my character better. Maybe pick up some more monsters too." (I was using a lot of pennies as generic counters).

So looks like I'm outvoted here.

DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 8:46 am

I wont be using the WotC mini's though. Crappy plastic, random mini's don't do it for me.

Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 11:17 am

We use mini's for position and such but don't usually follow strict movement rules. Nine times out of ten a mat isn't involved either.
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rabindranath72 · Post by **rabindranath72** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 11:19 am

DangerDwarf wrote:
IN fact, she usually grumbles about the price of mini's when I buy them. After our last 4e session though she was, "We need to find me a miniature that fits my character better. Maybe pick up some more monsters too." (I was using a lot of pennies as generic counters).

So looks like I'm outvoted here.

It's hilarious when a wife grumbles about something YOU do, but then, when she starts liking it, she makes it appear that, all of a sudden, it is not THAT bad

Aladar · Post by **Aladar** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 1:53 pm

I for one still use mini's, sort of. I went on the cheap though and use all of my SJG Cardboard heroes and Dungeon tiles. Not as spiffy as actual mini's, but they get the job done.

I have found that mini's of some type help the players visualize the area and encounter better.
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serleran · Post by **serleran** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 1:55 pm

Yes, minis look cool. That is about it.

Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 2:03 pm

I found some free ones around the net and if you look you can find paper models of buildings and such free. Not to detract from FDG though. His products are schaweet as hell. All of them do the job especially if you don't have the money or time for regular mini's.

Battlemats are just as easy with something called Ghostline posterboard, a sharpie and contact paper. Hmmm, A gaming on a budget article for Domesday?
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Valerian · Post by **Valerian** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 3:01 pm

When I ran 3.5/3.0 i s used minis a lot at first . Then i saw how it slowed things down to a crawl , drawing every room ect. I got rid of attacks of opp. for movement and the feats assciated with them then all went fine.

I run AD&D and C&C these days I still use a mat but mostly for party order or complex battles. I find it amazing how since 3.0 how many players have lost the ability to imagine what the DM describes without need to draw it out.

I do use wotc miniatures , I don't have time to paint anymore . Last mini I painted is in gary's glass case . I buy them online piecemeal as i hate the randomization , prices are not the bad.

4th edition does seem to anime for my tastes. I have tried there neg. HP rules and the healing surges from 4th though , in all fairness they seem ok. As no one likes playing a cleric , as he's a healing bag. The surges take the pressure off.
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Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 3:31 pm

I usually won't use minis for smaller encounters. However the bigger ones I do find them useful.
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Deogolf · Post by **Deogolf** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 4:29 pm

I don't use minis all the time. I'll use them with my children, gives them a good concept of what is happening. Plus, they think it's cool!

I collect them more for the way they look than using them in a game. But, there are times when it just feels right! Definitely not needed though. If you like them, go crazy!!
I don't think we ever used any in any of Gary's game sessions.
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DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:03 am

rabindranath72 wrote:
It's hilarious when a wife grumbles about something YOU do, but then, when she starts liking it, she makes it appear that, all of a sudden, it is not THAT bad

Yeah. Just lastweek she was grumbling about the amount of money I've spent on recent RPG purchases and told me no more RPG books until we got a few other things we needed.

Understanding, I told her that was cool and that I'd cancel the 4e core books pre-order. We could pick them up some other time. The response?

"I meant after you get those books."

Women.

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:05 am

DangerDwarf wrote:
Yeah. Just lastweek she was grumbling about the amount of money I've spent on recent RPG purchases and told me no more RPG books until we got a few other things we needed.

Understanding, I told her that was cool and that I'd cancel the 4e core books pre-order. We could pick them up some other time. The response?

"I meant after you get those books."

Women.

Yep. There are two sets of realities. The male version, then the real one.
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DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:06 am

Deogolf wrote:
I don't use minis all the time. I'll use them with my children, gives them a good concept of what is happening. Plus, they think it's cool!

I collect them more for the way they look than using them in a game. But, there are times when it just feels right! Definitely not needed though. If you like them, go crazy!!
I don't think we ever used any in any of Gary's game sessions.

Yeah, my main mini use had always been for my kids. They love 'em. For our standard games though, nah. Just didn't feel the need for them. I collect some mini's, just for the look too though.