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Post by danielc on Jan 10, 2013 12:00:04 GMT -5
So I was trying to deside what to do: I love the idea of Gridless Play but I already own a lot of tiles and maps with the grid on them. Lots of money spent.
Last night I pulled out one fo the maps and played out a small encounter. We just ignored the grid and played as if the grid was not there. It was fine. After a few moments of trying to ignore the lines, it worked.
Have the rest of you tried to play "gridless" using your maps etc?
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Post by dm1scotty on Jan 10, 2013 12:08:22 GMT -5
thats a great solution
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Post by vipertek247 on Jan 12, 2013 17:09:33 GMT -5
The thing about grids is, they're more like reference markers really. Moving 3 spaces, simply means moving 3 inches. If someone is in the space next to you, they're simply standing next to you. I used pre-grided maps all the time, simply because I have them. But I don't put grids on the tiles I make. If I want to make a room that's 12 squares by 12 squares, I simply make it 12 inches by 12 inches. If you honestly can't tell the difference between moving a character 2 inches in relation to moving a character 8 inches, then by all means, use grids. But if you just made tiles of a beautiful, lush, enchanted forest... Would you really want to cover it with a bunch of black lines?
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Post by danielc on Jan 12, 2013 19:00:03 GMT -5
vipertek247,
I think you misunderstood my post. I am not adding grids to new tiles. I am using pre-bought maps that have grids already printed on them. Money I spent before DM scotty was on Youtube. I was just pointing out that in using these maps with grids already on them did not force us to play using grids. We just ignored the "black lines" and used our rulers.
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Post by vipertek247 on Jan 12, 2013 19:44:11 GMT -5
I'm sorry. I just re-read my post and I think I kind of worded it wrong. I was trying to agree with you, plus make a separate statement at the same time. It understand that you felt I misunderstood your post.
What I meant was, I do use grided maps, but ignore the lines. And if the map takes place in a dungeon or castle, we just imagine that the floor is tiled, lol. We never pay attention to the grids. Like Gary Gygax said, "We don't need the rules!"
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Post by onethatwas on Jan 14, 2013 4:02:31 GMT -5
I can see how this is definately possible and can be accomplished, and kudos to you for trying it and making it work for you. I myself have difficulty when Grids are present; I have a hard time ignoring them, because it seems a waste to ignore a tool made to function in a meaningful way. Yeah, I'm one of those. If it's there, I have to use it. it's a bit OCD, but that's the way I am.
I have been dedicating myself to using DM scotty's method so I don't get stuck with the conundrum of doing grids for half and doing gridless for the rest. So, thar you go.
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Post by evilolle on May 11, 2013 15:32:29 GMT -5
If it is possible to colour every second square on your prepainted tiles, then it makes it easier to pretend it is floor and not grid for following 'rules'. If you get what I mean?
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Post by althalusredeemed on May 11, 2013 17:40:37 GMT -5
That's not a bad idea at all, evilolle. I'd try it, but I don't actually have any gridded maps Lucky me, I guess...
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slurpy
Room Planner
Posts: 283
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Post by slurpy on May 11, 2013 21:16:39 GMT -5
Actually, that could work really well, if you make or buy a custom rubber stamp. And assuming you can find the appropriate colors of ink. .
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AJ
Room Planner
Posts: 315
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Post by AJ on May 11, 2013 23:46:03 GMT -5
Thats a really good price for those stamps, I'm impressed!
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Post by icewind1462 on May 26, 2013 9:10:03 GMT -5
So I'm coming into this one a bit late, and have only recently stumbled into the vids by DM Scotty. Before his wonderful techniques I had a whole bunch of published tiles. In addition I also have the Descent Journeys in the Dark (First Edition) board game with a few expansions, and on top of that I have all three D&D Adventure board games and I plan on getting Descent 2E, and the D&D Dungeon Command games. (something I planned before I came across DM's Craft) I think though it would be a waist to not use the stuff from those games, after all they are great for the game. Ever since I've started watching DM's Craft however, I decided gridless is the way to go. I still plan to use my published tiles but just ignoring the lines. I think the tiles from those games can be great for random dungeons. Especially the D&D Adventure games tiles. I love how modular they are and very quick to setup, plus the dungeon itself can be randomly generated. I love the techniques presented by DM Scotty (A big Thank You Scotty!) I just find these techniques to be so simple and neat. I went a bit crazy and started making a whole bunch (more than I can paint at this time) but what I really love about these ideas and techniques is being able to bring to the table dungeon layouts from some published modules I have from Dungeon Magazines. I love the idea that I could bring them to life "so to speak" in a fun creative way.
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Post by dm1scotty on May 26, 2013 9:15:31 GMT -5
Welcome to the craft icewind1462
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AJ
Room Planner
Posts: 315
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Post by AJ on May 26, 2013 9:48:03 GMT -5
I hear that icewind1462! See that full trunk of gridded dungeon tiles in the back there? I have been using those since they first started selling them and I'm not about to throw them away.. but they never really fit what I want to do perfectly, I always have to modify my ideas to fit the tiles. The box full of monster and NPC tokens is the Monster Vault.. I have a moderate collection of pre-painted miniatures (just one tackle box full) that I share with other local DMs when I am not using them (I figure they are made to be played) but the tokens from that monster vault are excellent value, I highly recommend them. The folder is my DM's stuff, I nabbed that genuine Emergency Response Plan folder from a Gas station I used to work at, when it was shutting down.. perfect for the job of a Dungeon Master! And one should always provide healthy snack options for the players.. such as a tasty bowl of cashew nuts.
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slurpy
Room Planner
Posts: 283
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Post by slurpy on May 26, 2013 15:00:52 GMT -5
And one should always provide healthy snack options for the players.. such as a tasty bowl of cashew nuts. Nuts to that. Those cheap bastards can feed themselves! Heck, they should be feeding me, considering how much effort I put into them having a few hours of fun for which they just have to show up.
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Post by althalusredeemed on May 26, 2013 17:48:59 GMT -5
considering how much effort I put into them having a few hours of fun for which they just have to show up. ^This. DMing is where the hard work gets done, and the players should be the ones making our lives easier.
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AJ
Room Planner
Posts: 315
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Post by AJ on May 26, 2013 20:06:36 GMT -5
I see where you guys are coming from, but consider this.. When your players fizzle out after a couple of hours, the sugar high and caffeine buzz wearing their attention span mighty thin, the cheese snacks, salty and fatty potato snacks, all start to digest and drag their higher cognitive functions down into a soupy organic sludge of diverted blood supply and disruptive enzyme action.. then your job as the DM, keeping them focused on all your hard work and maintaining the mood of immersion into the game becomes more and more difficult. Granted, I prefer to have a simple mug of black coffee, a few bits of fudge, a bowl of nuts and some popcorn (unbuttered, plain and lightly salted) as my snack selection, while snagging the occasional M&M or whatever else the players have brought along. I am not advocating putting out a fully laden banquet spread of vegetarian gourmet canapés, fruit bowls, smoked salmon and cheese on rice crackers, etc. Just an observation over the years that maintaining player engagement is as much about what is going in their gullets, as much as what is going in their eyes and ears.
Food for thought?
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Post by danielc on May 27, 2013 0:58:37 GMT -5
Ah AJ, you make i ttoo hard. When my players begin to fizzle out I just hit them with the baseball bat until they re-focus on the task at hand. <Just kidding>
On a more serious note, I have found over the years that if I make a specific time for a break and try to keep the single session to three hours or less I don't have as many problems. In the past I began to have breaks where the players and I can stand, walk around, talk about other things etc. That 10 minute or so break can often change the quality of the game quite a bit.
As for the original topic: I not only stilluse my old "grid tiles" but I even use the blank grid mat. I just no longer feel the need to draw within the lines. :-)
Daniel
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AJ
Room Planner
Posts: 315
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Post by AJ on May 27, 2013 3:03:20 GMT -5
A baseball bat! Why did that never occur to me? I have a Nerf gun, maybe that will do..
Last week my players remarked on my gridded tiles and said "We thought we were going gridless for this campaign?" as it was an intro evening, I had the tiles just in case.. but this week we get into a proper encounter, with crafted terrain, plasticine cocoon/egg sacks (Thanks for that tip DMS, they look great even as unpainted putty), stone ruin/outcrops and floating boulders.. its going to be a blast to DM this, plus another of the local DMs is coming over to just sit and watch how it goes.
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Post by dm1scotty on May 27, 2013 10:27:40 GMT -5
Cool AJ, spread the gridless word as well as how cool and creative you can be with crafting.
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Post by dm1scotty on May 27, 2013 10:29:34 GMT -5
We usually have long sessions since we only get together about once a month but we have a dinner break so everyone can recharge a bit.
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