Miniatures, Maps or Mind? Choosing How Your Table Plays
, by Waterfront News, 1 min reading time
You don't need minis to play D&D, but once combat gets busy they change everything. Here's when to make the jump.
Every D&D table eventually asks the same question: do we keep imagining the fight, or do we put it on the table? Both are right. Here's how to pick.
Theatre of the mind
Everything happens in description. It's fast, free and great for small fights and dramatic scenes. It starts to fall over when there are eight enemies, three doors and a wizard asking "exactly who is in my fireball?"
Grid maps
The D&D Adventure Grid is a wipe-clean board you draw on with whiteboard markers. Suddenly distances, cover and who's flanking whom are obvious. Most groups land here within a few sessions.
Miniatures
This is where the hobby side kicks in. Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures come primed and ready to paint, cost about the price of a coffee and a muffin, and there's one for nearly every character and monster in the game. Paint your own character and you'll never want to go back to a token.
Boss fights
For the big moments, Epic Encounters boxes give you a huge centrepiece monster, a battle map and a ready-to-run encounter. Drop one on the table and watch the room go quiet.
Our advice
Start with theatre of the mind, add a grid when combat gets messy, and buy your first mini the moment a player says "I wish I could see my character." That moment always comes.
Painting your first mini? Read our Hobby Tips & Tricks for the three-paint method that gets a tabletop-ready figure done in an evening.