I'm kind of new to D&D just started playing this year and this spring I started DM'ing, while I had some experience with RPG's before, none used the concept of maps and mini's and its kind of expected in the AL community (some players have even told me they are very visual and get lost in combat if running theater of the mind).
My question is, what do you do to handle maps during session, I was using a chessex erasable mat at first, but it became troublesome in big dungeons where you are switching locations often, so I got some presentation paper with 1x1 grid and started using that, but I feel its a big waste, I dont really think I'll DM the same adventures again, and even if I did the quality of the paper is not so great and with the folds its difficult to reuse.
So what are your tips on handling multiple maps for a game session that will use multiple locations?
Keep all poster maps you ever come across. Use them as often as they are "close enough."
Have dungeon tiles for quick and simple encounter locations (the master sets for dungeon and wilderness are my go-to (these links are just to show the product I'm talking about, not to endorse whatever prices might be found there - they should be findable at reasonable prices somewhere out there), but there are companies like Fat Dragon that offer all sorts of tiles/terrain options)
Keep that Chessex mat handy for complex encounter locations that the above options can't quite do justice
Use large gridded paper if you need a lot of complex locations and don't have session time to erase and redraw on your Chessex mat - but get a poster tube and always roll, not fold, your maps (of all kinds, actually) because folds wear through all manner of map decades faster than they'll wear out if rolled and stored in tubes (and they usually flatten out well enough just by tightly rolling in the opposite direction for a short period of time before use).
My ideal approach to maps, that I will eventually implement: A digital screen in the center of the table that miniatures can be placed upon, and to which a monitor feed from my computer will connect, loaded with a great number of pre-painted digital maps that are exactly what I want them to look like, plus digital map tiles for quickly thrown together locations, and the digital equivalent of the Chessex mat (a photoshop template with grid and mid-toned background that I can quickly draw on, but save and open a clean template rather than erase). All I am waiting on is to have the family decide it is time to by a new TV again, so that the project doesn't leave us without a spare TV to watch in the office.
I've actually been eyeing those tile sets for a while, I guess, I might buy one and see if that improves my workflow.
I started drawing and erasing, but it grows tiresome and we are short on time (the store usually stays open one more hour just for us) but I'm always running short on time as it is, which is why I started looking for alternatives.
They used to make poster sized gridded maps (especially during the 4th Ed years) that were for all manner of areas and were usually double sided with an "outside" location on one side like a field or roadway and an "inside" location on the other, like a dungeon or a building layout.
Here is an example of one:
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
Something to help you with your goal, I don't know if you've ever heard of Infinitas DM, but I find it super helpful. It's not a perfect app, but it's definitely pretty nice. It lets you cast maps to a TV from a computer or tablet, edit fog of war, etc.
I can't draw so I reuse old maps that came in some of my RPG books, Also Some Board games come with really cool boards that can double as maps for example I have a game called The Market of Alturien. It's like a trade simulator very boring but comes with a board that looks like a market place with a large Castle on the end, So I use that. I never used the tiles before , but I am thinking of switching to legos as it might be cheaper.
They used to make poster sized gridded maps (especially during the 4th Ed years) that were for all manner of areas and were usually double sided with an "outside" location on one side like a field or roadway and an "inside" location on the other, like a dungeon or a building layout.
Here is an example of one:
Cool! I've never seen those posters, like I said I'm fairly new to D&D; Other rpgs I've played only use theater of the mind, but I'll keep it in mind if I ever come across one.
Something to help you with your goal, I don't know if you've ever heard of Infinitas DM, but I find it super helpful. It's not a perfect app, but it's definitely pretty nice. It lets you cast maps to a TV from a computer or tablet, edit fog of war, etc.
I've never heard from that app, I play at a store, so we dont have that setup, but sounds like it could be a good idea for a home setup I'm sure others will find it useful, thanks for sharing! :)
The boardgame boards sounds like a good Idea, I'll go over the ones I have and see If any can be useful for the same purpose, I'm guessing it might not be as many as I hope since many have specific sections for each game, but there might be some hidden gems
I have printed large maps and then used post-it notes to cover the map. As the players explore, peel the post-it to reveal the map. It worked ok, we had a few glitches and it takes a while to setup.
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I'm kind of new to D&D just started playing this year and this spring I started DM'ing, while I had some experience with RPG's before, none used the concept of maps and mini's and its kind of expected in the AL community (some players have even told me they are very visual and get lost in combat if running theater of the mind).
My question is, what do you do to handle maps during session, I was using a chessex erasable mat at first, but it became troublesome in big dungeons where you are switching locations often, so I got some presentation paper with 1x1 grid and started using that, but I feel its a big waste, I dont really think I'll DM the same adventures again, and even if I did the quality of the paper is not so great and with the folds its difficult to reuse.
So what are your tips on handling multiple maps for a game session that will use multiple locations?
Here's my approach to maps at current:
My ideal approach to maps, that I will eventually implement: A digital screen in the center of the table that miniatures can be placed upon, and to which a monitor feed from my computer will connect, loaded with a great number of pre-painted digital maps that are exactly what I want them to look like, plus digital map tiles for quickly thrown together locations, and the digital equivalent of the Chessex mat (a photoshop template with grid and mid-toned background that I can quickly draw on, but save and open a clean template rather than erase). All I am waiting on is to have the family decide it is time to by a new TV again, so that the project doesn't leave us without a spare TV to watch in the office.
I've actually been eyeing those tile sets for a while, I guess, I might buy one and see if that improves my workflow.
I started drawing and erasing, but it grows tiresome and we are short on time (the store usually stays open one more hour just for us) but I'm always running short on time as it is, which is why I started looking for alternatives.
What do you mean by poster maps by the way?
Something to help you with your goal, I don't know if you've ever heard of Infinitas DM, but I find it super helpful. It's not a perfect app, but it's definitely pretty nice. It lets you cast maps to a TV from a computer or tablet, edit fog of war, etc.
-Dresden White
I can't draw so I reuse old maps that came in some of my RPG books, Also Some Board games come with really cool boards that can double as maps for example I have a game called The Market of Alturien. It's like a trade simulator very boring but comes with a board that looks like a market place with a large Castle on the end, So I use that. I never used the tiles before , but I am thinking of switching to legos as it might be cheaper.
I've never seen those posters, like I said I'm fairly new to D&D; Other rpgs I've played only use theater of the mind, but I'll keep it in mind if I ever come across one.
I have printed large maps and then used post-it notes to cover the map. As the players explore, peel the post-it to reveal the map. It worked ok, we had a few glitches and it takes a while to setup.