Posts Tagged by terrain
| December 24, 2012 | Posted by Guest Author |
Today’s guest article was written by Tom Puketza, and he has some practical rules for time-strapped GMs looking to create their own tabletop terrain — as well as a fantastic finished piece — to share. Thanks, Tom! Like any gamer, I like tiles, scenery, and terrain. Like any responsible adult, I have a built in conflict with the expense and time it takes to purchase or make the stuff. Still, I caught the terrain bug somewhere. I hold this man responsible. Nonetheless, as good as…
| July 11, 2012 | Posted by Patrick Benson |
Sometimes we fail to see the forest for the trees. I have found myself so caught up in trying to perfect one particular aspect of my game that I blinded myself to the whole of the game itself. It is easy to become focused and obsessed on a few details that seem oh so important the night before the game, but that really are not deserving of so much attention. A few of the monumental wastes of my time in the pursuit of perfection have…
| July 26, 2011 | Posted by Troy E. Taylor |
I admit it. I’ve resisted using a mounted whiteboard for my game for a long time. It’s not that I have anything against dry-erase markers. On the contrary, a dry-erase initiative tracker and a basic Flip-Mat brand 5-foot base map are both fine GMing tools that have a place at my table. (And yes, I realize, they are just smaller versions of the same thing.) My resistance to the mounted whiteboard was my fear of falling into the trap of becoming what I can only…
| January 19, 2011 | Posted by Troy E. Taylor |
What’s the Crock Pot? Just a simmering bowl of lentils and herbs, with a dash of GMing observations. Don’t be afraid to dip in your ladle and stir, or throw in something from your own spice rack. We’ve had so many fine suggestions in the Stew lately about how to apply templates to your game prep. DNA Phil wrote about his goals in this regard and Gnome-in-chief Martin Ralya has shared how he applies it to his Star Trek game. But to be honest, I’m…
| March 25, 2009 | Posted by Martin Ralya |
Chances are good that as a GM, you’ve heard about Tact-Tiles (often mis-identified as Tac-Tiles): modular, interlocking dry-erase boards with built-in 1″ grids suitable for use with miniatures. And if you’re lucky enough to have bought a set while they were still being produced, you guard them with your life. I’ve used my set more or less constantly for over three years, and every single person I’ve gamed with has loved them; ditto with every gamer I’ve ever described them to, or discussed them with.…
| August 26, 2008 | Posted by Troy E. Taylor |
Most of the local terrain around my house is flat. This part of north central Illinois is prairie — flatlands in every direction. It’s no surprise, then, that the dungeons we design around here are flat too. The grid paper we design dungeons on is flat. The coffee tables we gather around are flat. The footmaps and map tiles we buy are flat. The minis we use certainly stand up better on a surface that’s flat. Flat, flat, flat. Breaking free of flat thinking is…
