Why I Switched to a Battle Mat for D&D (Black Magic Craft Episode 063)

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This episode I discuss my reason for switching for 3d dungeon tiles to a classic dry erase battle mat for my current dungeons & dragons campaign.

[@FedesaurusRex]

So my wife surprised me for my birthday last year by setting up a secret game with a bunch of my friends and family. The kicker was that I was supposed to DM the game (being the only one with DM experience) and I only had a week to prepare. I was running the introductory Lost Mines of Phandelver module so content wasn't an issue. I was able to utilize maps I found online and scaled them to 1 inch grids to print out for battle map use. I however wanted to have a fog of war effect. It was at this point I came up with something I thought was quite clever. I had a few thin sheets of acrylic laying around and I simply laid them on top of my maps and filled in the areas I didn't want the players to see with dry erase marker. I was able to wipe away the dry erase on the fly during the game, revealing the map underneath. It worked really well and would definitely be compatible with 3D terrain if you simply placed it on top of the acrylic sheet. Alternatively, if you didn't have an acrylic sheet like I did you could probably use tightly stretched clear plastic wrap to achieve the same effect!

[@TheDungineer]

This is a really great idea! I'm going to try this for my next game!

[@alexloudenslager4224]

If you laminated the prints I would assume that would work to similar effect.

[@mathewcoppola8622]

Great idea.

[@blueducks0]

If you uploaded some kind of tutorial for this it would be the best!

[@Braincain007]

I know this is 6 years late but giving someone something that is ostensibly work as a birthday present is funny. I hope that you have gotten to be a player in recent years!

[@h347h]

One tip as a veteran DM since the 90s, feel free to alter any maps that come in premade adventures to suit your terrain on hand.

[@jayspeidell]

I don't think I've ever run a map exactly. Even when I'm printing them, I make a copy in Dungeondraft that's fits my vision and also fits nicely on one or more 11x17 sheets from my work printer.

[@TheAnon26]

Yeah, for sure. Though Ill admit that 3x3 tiles are a bad choice for anything featuring narrow hallways. 2x2 can be fudged enough to work, but 3x3 will get some very wonky results where rooms probably wont line up in a way that allows them to connect.

[@GeneCavalcante]

Here in Brazil is not easy to get those battlemats, so I did one myself with vinyl fabric (2m x 2m) and a lot of patience drawing the squares. It was really fun and it played well on the table.

[@ppdrro]

Eugênio, I got mine here ( www.catarse.me/grid_para_rpg_isometrico_e_quadriculado_48e1 ) and I really like it, way better than the one I tried to make for myself. I love they have an isometric grid in one of the sides, I'm looking foward to draw isometric maps for my players

[@GeneCavalcante]

Not 2m rulers, man...

[@RottenMechGaming]

Eugênio Cavalcante Perfect idea to make your own. Probably even better than the real thing.

[@Keraejis]

I got white posterboard from the dollar store and covered it with that laminating peel and stick stuff. It works with dry erase and wet erase markers. But yes, I had to draw the squares myself. I think these days you can find posterboard with inch wide squares.

[@ferrusfylax]

the paper square grid is the a part of the classic D&D aesthetic imo

[@sarduchehivalshan4265]

Some of us found this out back in the 70's when we made our own 3D underground terrain. Too many players/DMs think "old school" automatically means "obsolete". A big Thank You! for putting together such an excellent video on the use of battle mats. Dry erase battle mats are much better than the much older 'wet erase' vinyl maps from the 90's. The dry erase drawings can be easily modified/repaired using a paper tower without having the chance of mess that using water for wet erase battle maps requires. Also, the white side of your maps are wonderful for outdoor winter encounters.

[@Raven.flight]

I actually prefer the vinyl wet erase. I don't find a big problem as I just have a damp rag ready to go and it erases quickly and smoothly. Each to their own though.

[@daplumma3]

This is also what I find to be the perfect balance of 'showing and telling'. It's time-tested, too! When I started playing in 1982, we had paper and pen. Then we started using miniatures. In a couple of years, our local game shop had vinyl wet erase maps, and we started drawing maps. Spools, clay, extra dice, and doll furniture(!) were pressed into service as features and obstacles in the rooms. It's funny how things come full circle.

[@CloudMan123]

A cheap alternative that worked for me was to buy one of those folding cardboard boards used for science projects, draw out the grid on it, then cover the surface with packing tape. You end up with a decently large dry erase battle mat that while it may not store as small, it still folds up and is light enough to transport.

[@WASD20]

Great video, dude. I also recently ran the sunless citadel. Just like with you it was a good break from homebrew. When you were talking about module dungeons with lots of turns and little rooms, my mind immediately went to that module before you even said it. :)

[@1mDozer]

I really like how you organize all the room pieces in the tray before the game, keeping the fetching of material to a simple pick up and go.

[@kurtkyre]

We've used your tiles in pre-published modules with great success! The maps aren't EXACTLY as printed, but close enough to get the point across.

[@jakewaitart9507]

Cheap alternative for people who don’t want to buy a battle mat: wrapping paper! If you find a roll of wrapping paper with a dotted grid on the back side it works great! I used it for the first session I did with my brothers, just drew the rooms as they went in sharpie and it ended with this epic ritual thing that ended up cracking open a hole to another dimension in the ground and spur of the moment I decided to actually tear out the hole in the paper lol Another idea which I learned from my art class is that staples will print big sheets of “blueprints” for super cheap. Id use them usually to print out my digital sketches I wanted to transfer to a canvas to paint, but in the future I wanna try making templates for that so I can draw out maps digitally, have them printed before the session and then use that black paper method to block unexplored rooms and such

[@chriseash6497]

At one point I ended up finding about six 4' x 4' sheets of Plexiglas, I painstakingly drew in Sharpy a 1" x 1" grid on one and would just layer one of the other sheets on top of it. It worked amazing

[@CriticalRoleHighlights]

I find that tiles work the best in combination with battle mats. They're not made for larger areas like cities etc. If you need a place that's detailed and immersive, use tiles for the inside of a house where your battle takes place or for a town square or something similar, and the battle mat for the surrounding city area when the players travel to said destination to do battle.

[@robjones7962]

That makes sense, maybe boss battle rooms or event rooms.

[@danielramsey6141]

@@robjones7962 Yes! Exactly! You’re not going to be setting up Maps constantly. Instead you can preset-pre make your encounters instead.

[@jayspeidell]

I do the same. If I'm not using a map I drew, I use a battle mat or Loke book of battle maps. I print out multi-floor houses, tower floors, and lots of other features, cut off the excess, and laminate it. Then I lay those stock assets on the generic maps.

[@Spartan-yq4qp]

I predraw my dungeons on sheets of projector transparencies. Then I roll a d100 to pick a random number to write on it so I remember what order to lay them down. Works great!

[@DaceyR]

I love the numbered tray idea! I've used zip lock bags in the past, but the tray looks so much more efficient!

[@Castor586]

I've been using a vinyl wet-erase mat for some time. The problem with the mat rolling up was quickly solved with a hair dryer, and stains can be removed with some Windex lol It's a little more maintenance intensive, but having a battlefield that the PCs pieces won't smudge up and create random doorways is totally worth it

[@RollforDamageRFD]

Very nice. My entire game table was painted as a battle map using a foam stamp that I made. I do my games very similar with the exception of dropping walls in place where they need to be not having a dry erase marker capability over acrylic paint.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

That’s a cool idea. Did you know you can buy clear dry erase paint that you can put on any surface to turn it into a dry erase board? Could be cool for your set up.

[@RollforDamageRFD]

Black Magic Craft I had not thought of that but I’m definitely gonna look into it because that would help speed up my process exponentially. Thanks for the tip man great videos alway!

[@xJasonHatx]

You can get a thin sheet of clear plastic, cut it to the size of your board and place it over the map. then you can draw on it as well as put any walls or 2d elements on.

[@RollforDamageRFD]

xJasonHatx that’s a great suggestion too thanks

[@phayes2]

I use large 1 inch ruled Easel Paper. I pre-draw the material and when I need the map I whip it out and place it under our plexiglass table top.

[@spaceflows]

Great video! I've always used my Chessex dry-erase board under the tiles, for many reasons. It helps keep everything organized as tiles get laid out, delineates the play space on the table (we don't have a fancy gaming table...yet!), allows me to "write in" additions like secret doors, wall hangings, messages scrawled in blood(!), etc., and we all can write down notes, hps, other info. The pluses go on and on! I haven't run into the situation yet where tiles hinder play, but the mat is always on the table, just in case.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

My favourite part of using the dry erase mat was being able to draw in a trail of footprints as they were discovered.

[@dustinkirby7101]

Legitimately took me back to the beginning of my gaming days, got some hero quest vibes going On! Great job on scatter as always, and I'm glad you were able to work it out!! Keep up the good work!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I mean who doesn’t love hero quest?

[@DaisyMae404]

I was just in that room in my campaign I'm running of sunless citadel the goblins archery practice area. That map is a frustrating one. Love that you're covering a way to deal with it.

[@deadlytriforce3914]

Walmart, 3 bucks = Xmas/Bday wrapping paper. Get the non-reversible kind. Most brands have a 1x1 gray-blue grid on the back. Dry erase won't smear w/o moisture. Colors show up really well. No fear of damage. And, honestly, in the midst of play, the grid is pretty easy to see on the white background even from across a table. I use battle mats, too, but the wrapping paper has come in handy too many times. You can cut rooms out very easily (does not have to be exact, kind of better if it's not), then lay them out organically based on exploration. I mostly use the mat for outdoor encounters. If that sounds like too much, the black coverings in the video present the same and other problems (such as not covering enough/too much). At the store just open the plastic wrap about 1/3 of an inch, and peel the paper back to see if it is indeed gridded and not double-sided/blank.

[@annethornton9938]

I think I've only seen wrapping paper with the grid on the underside _once_ here in my part of Canada, and it wasn't at Walmart. Definitely a great & cheap solution if you've got it. Although I do confess I'd probably still stick with my Chessex. I like the fact that it's got a hex grid on the back for if/when we do wilderness exploration.

[@deadlytriforce3914]

Anne Thornton Odd, I've always had luck at Walmart, it's about the only thing I buy there, and that's AK. Also seen it on Amazon. I guess people might not like the bright white, but for my DM style disposable can't be beat.

[@kendo5862]

Or alternatively ...wrap your Xmas presents in battle mats

[@justeric1107]

I use the large pathfinder flip mats when I'm at a friends but at my own place I use gaming paper and lay a sheet of vinyl from the fabric store on it. It's easy to use and also protects the table from spills caused by players with low dexterity scores. I also plan on creating my own battlemats by making a poster sized image and going to the local print shop.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I’ve been thinking about doing a glass inlay for my table to do a similar layering thing.

[@justeric1107]

Black Magic Craft Matt from fist full of dice uses glass and the results are definitely worth the investment in that case. My only concern would be with the issues of terrain slipping whilst on top of it.

[@OmniscientStrike]

My DM had low dexterity scores, bye bye homebrewed

[@sasjhwa]

I like that they are dry erase rather than the standard wet erase which is a big mess to clean up and often stains the mat.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Yea me too, so far they clean up really well.

[@mitchellsink2584]

That's good. One of the reasons I went to 3d terrain was because cleaning off my battle mat was a hassle. I am happier picking up the tiles vs scrubbing off all the marks.

[@axiom2472]

I can't imagine using dry erase instead of my wet erase. All you have to do is touch a line and its gone. What a mess. I use crayola washable markers and they do not stain at all. You have to give them a moment to dry but thats it.

[@mitchellsink2584]

I haven't tried dry erase. You are probably right that the marks might come off too easily while you are playing. I had a buddy of mine also suggest washable crayons. He says they clean off easily, but I haven't tried that either. lol

[@workaccount7666]

I have had a wet erase mat for years and it still looks new. The trick is to get a small misting bottle, it gets it just wet enough to where you won't have a mess but still get it clean. The staining comes from using too much water and not getting the mat completely dry.

[@Gio-cz9gz]

Very versaTILE

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

iseewatudidthere

[@merek5380]

I think Hank over at runehammer broke it down really well in his talks about positive vs negative space. That was one of my favorite talks of his

[@annethornton9938]

I did the exact same thing when I ran Sunless Citadel this spring, dungeon dressing over mat... I even guessed that's what you were running in the first moments of the vid! Funny how deeply ingrained maps can become when they are fun to run (or terrible lol). I ran at our FLGS, and having tried hauling tiles back and forth before, I was happy to go with just my Chessex grid mat and load up on the dungeon dressing (my favourite part anyway). Chessex vinyl battlemats are ostensibly only wet erase, but you can cleanly erase dry-erase marker with just about any plastic/rubber eraser - test it for yourself in a corner! The used eraser bits can be a bit annoying, but were less so than the wet-erase I had, which was too wet and smudged.

[@gregorcykf]

I love your video's . I miss being a Patron, and getting things in advance. This video is brilliant. I have battle mats, this was 2017 and there are better versions on the battle mats, now that it's 2021. (Amazon) . The construction paper idea is what really got me going. Absolutely Brilliant. I'm getting ready to start a module with multiple layers of underground. Fortunately I have 5 battle mats, both sides are squares, and five hex. I've been drawing free hand and never considered this idea. Many ideas from many people is what makes the D&D community so great.

[@Znobishtucon]

I haven't played D&D in a couple years (sadly), and never ever played with miniatures as I recall. But as an artist and craftsperson, I love this channel. Good on you, mate.

[@holyordersol2668]

I like how just as soon as i was thinking about the fog of war aspect, you segway into it

[@patrickhoscheid7223]

I actually recently, the curling was an issue but I solved it the way you did. The product today comes with 2 double-sided sheets so you have 4 total terrain backgrounds and includes an eraser as well. So far, it's been used in several systems and is great for on-the-fly prep and for changing maps on the fly. We do most of our game in imagination, but this is very handy when it's time for an encounter.

[@DeathxStrike18]

A dungeon set came out recently through kickstarter that allows you to build towns and dungeons seamlessly by just placing the walls on the ground planes or prefab rooms that can be stacked or left as 1 story

[@silvervase]

had a dnd club with elementary kids at the school I work. with a few trees, rocks, and cave pieces, I was able to use a 3X5 foot dry erase board with black electrical tape to make a grid. Need a river. Color a bunch of squares blue, set up some rocks on the edge. Fine tipped marker used to draw quick doodles of candles and doors, (or even just write the word statue). For a bunch of second to fourth graders, it was perfect.

[@williamaitken7533]

I've been using clear acrylic interlocking squares for a while. Mine were custom made by a friend who has a laser etching machine, but I have seen them for sale on Amazon. I think it's a good alternative to battle mats because you can easily do fog of war (just place down the squares as the players enter that area), and you can use pictures under the grid to illustrate what kind of terrain you're on. If you have limited table space like I do, then it helps to be able to lift up unused tiles and put them away. I do like the aged parchment look though! And the terrain looks very nice on it :)

[@jonathandavis4819]

What I like about this video is that @blackmagiccraft shows he's willing to try new things and is open to new ideas. He may have strong opinions about certain things but I think it's a good idea for everyone to be able to step back and reassess their situation and their own opinions. This is a good life skill in general. Not just related to nerd hobbies. I already had a battle mat but your trick with the black construction paper gave me some good ideas! Thanks for the video.

[@BouncingTribbles]

I actually use a large pad of graph paper if I have time to prepare. They may not be erasable, but that means you can have familiar settings or go back to places again. If you decide to try this, a cardboard tube for storage is great; but definitely label them.

[@lucasyoungers]

honestly just seeing the map of the sunless citadel being drawn is so cool, it was the first adventure i ever dm'd

[@boxcarsbilly]

I have been using black cardboard cutouts for fog of war since 4e D&D, but it never occurred to me to make little tabs on the top. I am always struggling to lift them without cause havoc to the Fog tiles around the one I'm trying to pull up. You're never too old to learn something. Great tips and great videos. I think I bought my loyal Chessex wet erase in 1988-9. It's always treated me well.

[@hawkeyepearce1066]

Great vid. As always, it's horses for courses. All the options for tabletop visuals have their place, it comes down to choosing what's best for your session rather than getting stressed over making one style work with everything.

[@TheRealCobra1117]

Took me about 10 seconds to realize what module that is. I just finished running it for my group. The whole "archery range with blockade in the middle of the room" gave it away. :-) Hope your group enjoys it!

[@Csrumk]

Cobra1117 The Sunless Citadel? We just finished it, and the same area made me think of it.

[@thekillbreathfamily7371]

I've run Sunless Citadel for over a decade. I knew exactly what room was being drawn out. The archery range was a dead giveaway. Can't wait to build those targets!

[@Joeyace665]

Haha same here

[@kustisammul8453]

I watched the video the same day I finished reading the module, haven't been able to play it through yet

[@BoardGameHeaven]

Same here! saw the blockade, the archery range, and thought: OH! Sunless Citadel! Just finished it a month ago :D

[@davidlabuda6351]

I can't believe it. I did this several months ago because I didn't want to draw during the game. The party was very amused by my paper cutouts and plastic straw tabs. But now I feel 😌 vindicated. Thankyou!

[@sportszahn]

Thanks for the video. I like the battle maps for my games, but for a pre-made module, I spend a little time up front drawing out all the scenes and rooms on a standard size piece of paper, with 1" grids. I made a one blank copy and took it to a copy center to make more. Then, when I am playing the game, when it is time for a scene with minis, I pull out the necessary papers, lay them out on the table and everything is there. If there are hidden rooms, I just pull out those papers when the players discover them. It is work up front, but saves time having to erase the board every scene and drawing the new one.

[@timothybeebe6382]

Some cool idea’s from a new perspective, thank you. I like the organization of your dungeon scatter and the photograph of the map those are pretty cool. Will definitely be implementing those. Couple of things I like about the battle mat. It allows for greater expression of dungeons through creativity. I never worry if I don’t have a terrain type. I can create an ice cave or a living flesh dungeon and not worry that all I have is stone tiles. It is fun to also draw irregular shapes as dungeons creating tight spaces and interesting features. Last I prefer wet erase markers so that the dungeon erases fast but doesn’t get accidentally erased.

[@fg09403]

I just bought a cheap projector off amazon and mounted it looking down at the table from straight above.

[@fg09403]

we just mounted it to the ceiling. but you could probably also use PVC to make mounting arms like for an air hockey table.

[@therazorrookie8176]

David Stairs the group at my store used a projector mounted to a repurposed photography backdrop rack. Same effect AND portable. Their game looks like so much fun...

[@jakewaitart9507]

Ooo that’s a really cool idea

[@xezazase]

The Sunless Citadel and Forge of Fury are great adventures for new players. They’re good for anyone, actually, but they have a nice mix of elements that really show off the flavor of D&D. I still look back at them for reference and inspiration when designing my own dungeons. Time is a huge factor for me. If I spend too long making my maps into works of art, I cut into the time I could be spending at making random encounters or working on plots. The same could be said for fussing with dungeon tiles and other props. I like that you said “what works for me” a couple of times. That’s also huge. Runehammer himself says the key to making great art is to find a way to make it fun for you.

[@johnp1806]

This is actually my preferred way to play! The grid is never obfuscated, so the tactical aspect is always there, but you can be quickly distinguish very interacts features on the map. I'll make specific puzzle rooms or challenges from the full tiles, but any time I'm doing a whole area to for a boss or wave of enemies encounter, i go to this. I also just don't have all the terrain tiles, so they're harder to put together lol 😅

[@deluchiha957]

My players and wife got me a pair of these mats and they are amazing! One of them came with a paid of plastic sliders to straighten the side, so once you roll the opposite way, you can add the sliders and its perfect straight. One of them came with a ocean side as well!

[@dadderrathstonecandle1014]

I've been using the modular dry erase tiles and I like them a lot for the fog of war problem. I have 2 sets of 32 5" x 5" tiles. One set currently in use for a session on Wednesdays and I loaned out my second. In this even my Friday session needed a play mat. My sister had this exact battle mat. I loved it, it worked great and I liked how easy it was to clean. I've noticed with some other battle mats of different materials they are a lot harder to keep clean. My rating is 9 out of 10 mostly because I would want a bigger battle mat. The tiles are great for small rooms and dungeons but not so much for large maps or open fields. If I were to purchase a mat I would like it quite large. Awesome video by the way!

[@kitcat123ful]

I love the classic look with the 3D upgrade. Looks great!

[@bob8mybobbob]

My “poor man’s” method of creating dungeon maps is printing 1” grid paper, laminating it, and then cutting them into various room shapes (usually just circular and rectangular, any truly weird shapes I just draw in the walls on the closest sized piece). When I’m prepping a session I’ll number the back of the appropriate piece with its room number, and draw any appropriate furnishings in the room with dry erase markers. Then as players explore I can just lay out the appropriate room. Because it’s laminated you can erase the dry-erase, but it’s more effort than with a normal white board so I’ve never had problems with accidentally erasing in transport/play. (You can also use wet erase, but from my experience wet erase is messier when erasing). I already had a laminator, but you can buy the exact one I’ve been using for years and a bunch of lamination pouches for under fifty bucks, so while it’s not that absolute cheapest option it is more affordable than a lot of other options. (And less epic and 3-D, but you can’t have everything).

[@doubeld.7536]

The way I do my maps is by shining a projector down on the table. It has so many advantages, I can't believe it isn't used more. There are millions of beautiful digital maps online you can use for free. You can switch maps on the fly with a click of the button. Fog of War can be achieved by using a painting program and drawing a black square on a layer above, which you erase as you go. By adjusting the Gamma on your laptops screen and a mirroring program, you can even see the entire map while your players only see the FoW, so you know what to erase. This can even be saved to continue the next session. No wasted paper, pencils or tons of time needed.

[@donovanledoux4515]

I currently run 5e D&D campaign, and use dungeon tiles. I have recently begun making my own encounter maps on 1 inch grid easel paper, because it allows me the freedom to utilize my imagination to create battle maps without feeling constrained by my selection of dungeon tiles. That fog of war idea is brilliant. Fog of war has always been my foil when using easel paper, so thank you for that. I hope to use that in the future.

[@infinitefes2812]

I actually have dry erase tiles that I got online, works great as I can place as I go if I’m smart about it

[@scribblingjoe]

Thank you so much! My old DM used to use these and I lost contact with him but I wanted to buy one for myself, for my solo campaigns. He use to use wet erase markers though.

[@planetdee3587]

Gaming mats/gaming paper is really nice because even though it is more simple, you get what you are imagining in your head as far as layout. I made a small town/village with gaming paper that is about 47x29 inches. It has about 24 structures with about half being houses and the rest commercial/political structures. Also ran up the blue prints for a castle which would be about 41x29 inches and would be a self contained square shape with a courtyard, jail, tavern, great hall, chapel, armory, court/conference room, and several rooms making up the royal champers, along with a few other rooms in the castle. The inner walls of the castle are outlined with 2x2 size rooms for all the main staff. So imagine a dark hallway that travels around the entire castle with doors every 10 feet going all around the castle (along the inside). Pretth cool.

[@CosmicGaijin]

The way I fixed and tackled this issue myself was making a 1.5 inch grid gaming board out of a piece of 3x3 styrofoam. And I made walls and whatnot to place them and generate dungeons catering to what the party wanted to explore and making it fun to explore since we only do homebrew one shot stories we all write and multi floor dungeon excursions.

[@jonathanpidcock1686]

Ordered one of these a couple weeks ago when i was in a pinch and needed a second map for an adventure. Pretty solid item and very happy with it. Glad to see them getting noticed :)

[@pascastro9928]

The solution that I found is to layout an entire ¨mat¨ or surface with the tiles and work around with different types of walls. Honestly, you can actually make any type of map ever with crafted tiles. Imagine you fill up a space of 50¨ x 80¨ (for example) and place the walls anywhere to distribute the layout. You could tell your players ¨these void spaces between walls are actually void or filled¨. That way you can place walls parallel, adjacent and even diagonaly. You can do whatever and still enjoy all the texture and hard work. Using a premade map shouldn´t stop you from using your marvelous tiles!! Make more walls! 1¨, 2¨, 3¨, 6¨ corner walls and curved corner walls.

[@Blandco]

I use bandanas to cover the board. That way I can poke them and pick one up as the PCs advance.

[@hijodelmarineroII]

Blandco cool

[@3nertia]

Love it! Thank you!

[@BigMac8000]

Me too!

[@zeusthunder6799]

I thought it bananas 🍌 lol

[@nexus1g]

Nice. You can have the board all set up in advance that way and it helps things flow.

[@waynebraun9824]

I'm actually running the Sunless Citadel myself and have stared at those maps so much recently that I recognize which rooms he's drawing.🤣🤣

[@erikmyers1573]

Your comment about the Sunless Citadel choices you faced. There was a third option open to you as well. Instead of scrapping the module, you could have kept the module and just reconfigured the map to better work for you. I do that often, without using tiles to begin with (I already use battlemats), and often find the maps less than attractive to begin with, or oddly designed. In this case, you could have reconfigured it to better work with your own tile system.

[@wizzarin424]

Have you tried Fantasy Grounds? Best described: it's like the best of both worlds, it very visual and can be played in a variety of ways. Being a computer software (hold on don't stop reading yet). You can play with players while not being in the same room: like if one was sick and didn't want to spread their germs but still wanted to play, or you got a buddy from the other half of the world who wants to play. You can also play it the old fashion way with everyone being in the same room. The viewing can be placed on everyone's computer, or project it onto a TV screen or projector. I have used it with a projector from a stand (didn't want to mount it onto the ceiling), pointing down onto a white surface. This allowed to still use you mini's. The best part is that it has fog of war, and it allows you to see what your play actually can see. For example: When it is Sam's turn, who is playing an elf that can see in dark the visual effects will allow Sam's player to see more than a player running a human. here is a link that better shows what I'm talking about. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHOWnWqDqNOrmrs This system also allows you as DM to set up in ahead of time where all the monsters are and what their stats are way in advance - or- Allows you to generate a group of monsters on the fly. Can also be set up to allow for sounds effects to be used as the players enters an area. It's an overall great tool that should be explored.

[@terryazamber1021]

I appreciate this video because I like the idea of making terrain, but you really did a good job of explaining how to use one and keep in the suspense factor. Very clever.

[@scizzer12]

I mix like this too. Have a bunch a battle mats I predraw and then when it needs to be revealed I'll populate it with tiles and furniture. I think what makes it easier on me though is I made a bunch of 1x1 and 2x2 tiles to go along with my 3x3 so I can make any geometric rooms with basically no fuss. I also made a couple magnetic tile mats and put magnets in all my tiles so they wouldn't slide so much with drunken combat. Long story short: both. Both are great.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I've been thinking about putting a sheet of metal as my play area and magnets in my tiles.

[@carlossoltero20]

I have been gaming for 43 years and after trying many types of terrain, I agree with you that many of them have limitations; thus, I have also backtrack to the grid map but my preference is the older gamemastery flip maps. I also use the pieces of terrain to dress up the maps. The precuts of black paper are a nice touch!

[@level2noob317]

Forget the mat, while interesting, that table is fucking awesome.

[@kitkatwitch]

We do 1.25 inch grid tiles for dungeons and castles, but for adventuring outside we use Terratiles to make a unique background and cover it with an acrylic board that has the grid drawn on it. This was the easiest way to get the aesthetic I wanted in each situation.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I've been really considering the Terratiles for a while, I think they look great.

[@beautysyx]

That looks so cool! I love the idea of mixing the traditional battlemat and some 3d elements. Variety is usually a good thing. Keeps you from burnout and adds different challenges and advantages. Love this vid....seems like you're always one chapter ahead of where I seem to be going LOL. I just complained to John Suski about how I was having 3d terrain burnout and needed a simplified solution that let me still use 3d stuff......and BAM a few days later this vid. Brilliant.

[@Caitlin_TheGreat]

Yeah, I got a mat like that years ago.. 2010? Grid on one side, hexes on the other, thick vinyl. I keep a fully drawn map on a piece of grid paper behind the screen (or from a published adventure), and then draw the map on the mat as the players progress. And if you don't have money for all the expensive minis and decor, it's super easy to just place the characters as initials on the map. I even write the initiative order on the map since it's all dry erase (protip, use washable markers and not dry erase, as dry erase can stain most battlemats while washable won't and erase very easily with just a finger or cloth or whatever).

[@Sammo212]

I really enjoy the Chessex battle mats. I've been using them for like a decade or something now. In fact, I think my first battle mat is exactly a decade old. I have two of their regular size and one of their larger size.

[@scottsmith9936]

Another great way to do this is to use clear plexiglass so you can predraw several maps for really cheap and the just lay it on top of the mat

[@MastertheGamerpg]

I love it. The combination of dry erase mat and accessories is great.

[@GravenHurst35]

Sheeet, I learned about sticking with mats decades ago, and still use those duotang, cashier, graph paper pads, where we use numbers and x's for players and creatures. Plus mats are cost effective vs anything not 2D. But finding the right dry erase or wet marker mat, and the right pen, is key to reuse value, and both have pros and cons. But honestly, nothing beats a permanent map. Keep for possible replay value in the future with new players or old revisiting an old haunt, or buy new mats for each campaign, or purchase large paper graph sheets and recycle. I like your fog of war map blocks with tabs and will use great idea. Better than my layers of overlaped paper sheets and pulling them away as map is uncovered. Cheers!

[@mikeet207]

Cool, the sunless citadel was a module I played back in the day...in fact i think it was my first ever. Good work finding this solution, i might whip out my dry erase mat and give it a try.

[@TheActualCaveman]

Well you've solved the fog of war problem for me. Fantastic idea. And really so simple I don't know how I didn't think of it. I would reccomend wet erase with these to keep from having to do touch ups

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I prefer to be able to quickly and easily erase during games.

[@KamienTV]

Very clever tips and tricks during this video was there just for a mat review but actually got very valuable informations for when I'll GM a game ! THANKS !

[@kojakdurham]

Black construction paper is a great way to do it if you don't want to draw on the fly. I used to print out the entire map, cut it, and place down each room as it's discovered, but I actually prefer to draw on the fly, as I tend to create my own adventures, and that gives me the ability to modify the map if I see a need while playing. I tend to DM/GM for my son and his friends, who are all 8-10, so I have to be extremely flexible. I have access to a plotter at work, so I printed a white 1" grid on 3'x4' paper and use that. I want to do several more sheets - one with the parchment look, one with a forest, one with desert, etc., so that I have a wide-range of terrains.

[@ddesouz6]

You’re becoming a black belt DM! Awesome stuff. Versatility is so important. I️ had the same issue with Sunless Citadel. I️ decided to make it a home brew map but use key aspects of the story for encounters. Had it all set up but then the party zigged when they should of zagged and ended up traveling away from Oakhurst. **insert evil DM laughter here**

[@vanessavirtue5373]

It is so easy to make battle mats. And if you make them yourself, you can make them special for each campaign, water, tile, grassland, sand, marble, ect. I love it.

[@ZeliousSigma]

I just started watching your channel, but wanted to say hilariously a couple months ago I organized the Sunless Citadel like this too hah! Was going to play with my nephews, already run the game back in High school. (Never got around to playing it with my nephews after the organization though)

[@Logiwonk]

With all the work you put in I sure hope your players come correct and prepared!

[@bigbossignition]

Ok, the numbered rooms and sorting tray with correlating numbers containing items is simple yet brilliant. I've just ran my 5th game as DM and that's something I struggle with on the fly when I've got a crap tone of npc's and terrain and items to sort through and wanting to keep the story flowing. "Now where did I put the old hag mini? Oh well, pretend this muscular barbarian is the old hag." is a good way to lose the emersion haha. While I'm not a huge fan of draw on battle mats, I fully understand and respect their use. Critical Role was my first time seeing anything d&d, and Matt would often draw his maps, now he uses dwarven forge, which is more up my alley in terms of aesthetics, but drawing a map provides a lot of freedom. As I said in one of your other videos, I'm trying to blend as much as possible between 3d elements, printed maps, and imagination. I'm planning to have the pirate crew swallowed by a kraken in which they will battle inside it's digestive system, which means I will probably have to draw my first map hahaha

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

The more you can do to streamline set up as a DM the better. I find every little thing that takes up time or mental resources is a distraction. It's best if you can not think about setting up the terrain and minis when you do it and just focus on running the game and improvising good content.

[@AaronWilbers]

I've been using a massive Chessex Mondomat for 10 years but I'm switching to 3d terrain tiles, however you are totally right about published adventures. So I think I'm going to start modifying maps to fit the tiles if possible, but keep the maps on standby just in case it won't work. Thinking of running the Enemy Within Warhammer FRP 2e campaign so we will see how well it adapts to a tile system. I've been gaming since the early 80's and your channel, and others, have really added a lot to my game setups. Great channel keep it up!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Up until this point I modified published maps to fit my tiles...in the end I essentially ended up just creating totally original maps, which kind of defeated the purpose of using pre made ones. So now I'll use tiles most of the time for my own homebrew maps and the mat for published ones.

[@xavier21282]

I quickly realized coming out of retirement after 17 years as a GM/DM that the landscape has changed quite a bit over the years. I found myself Paying for high quality 1 inch printed battle maps and working with the 5th edition starter kit. I ended up struggling to get my full core group at first, but then it Hit Me like a lightning bolt. I started to build prototype's on my 1 inch grid redesign, Next thing I know core group is locked in. Best friend artist is helping me build it.. If every moment continues like this with the Grid.. That's right, man. I got in.

[@HarryLThompsonJr]

After 30 something years of trying all sorts of techniques for putting a map out for my players, the easiest and best way was to use a battle mat with some 3d elements. I like using tiles and I love my Ultimate Dungeon Terrain, but nothing beats the battle mat for giving the players the visual treat of a dungeon growing right before their eyes with very little time spent rummaging for the right tile or what have you. Bonus - if you track HP publicly, it is awesome to see the numbers next to the enemies go up, and eventually turn red once the baddie is bloodied - it's a neat visual cue to remind the players how beaten up a foe might seem.

[@michaelwallace3858]

The group I’m with have been using battle mats for more than 25 years. They’re so easy. And quick. We have water soluble pens not dry erase ( which does not work on them) . We are now adding terrain pieces to make them more interesting.

[@kevinscholz8069]

I am about to run a 5e game at my local library for teens and I was planning on using the old dry erase grid. The photo idea blew me away. It's always so obvious once you see it. Thanks BMC once again!... but please make a crafting video next time.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I know using a battle map aint in anyway clever or new, but I figured that part could possibly be a revelation for some old timers that have been using one for years.

[@bjohnsonmc]

With the Sunless Citadel, I used 1 inch graph paper. I could draw out the rooms in advance and lay them down when a room was explored.

[@DarthMalnu]

I run all my games through my computer on a big screen with my players in the room. I build my maps in a program called Dungeon Painter Studio and then run it straight from the map maker so I can move characters around, hide entire sections of the map and change things on the fly. It's basically like roll20 but offline and more flexible in terms of adding my own art. As much as I love crafting things physically, this allows me to build much more complex and varied encounters in much less time.

[@CidZAER]

I've recently started to use a combination of a battle mat and pre-drawn maps. Drawing out more elaborate maps for hardcover adventures where I personally feel scaling is important, I'd prefer to spend my own time away from the table getting everything prepared to save time when we play. Even then, players gonna play, and often that calls for an off-the-cuff, rough sketched map. That's where the battle map comes into play. It's also a good place to write out initiative rolls and other perishable notes.

[@gomezy3k]

Our gaming group uses a Battlemap for our games. I went to Lowes and bought a piece of 1/4 inch plexiglass that covers the battle map. It works great and you know how some "Dry Erase Pens" are hard to erase (like red). Also it stops the rolling up problem. On the plexiglass it never sticks and we do not have all the faint old lines on the map. I bought a Heroquest game and I use the doors and other pieces for the battle map. I also bought a bunch of Pewter "traps" from a local game store (Dammit they closed. Finding a good game store is hard here in Vegas. One week they are open and the next they are gone)" and use them. I think I will use your ideas for smaller stuff since we really don't use large buildings.

[@TFconfused]

I've been doing a mix of battle matt/paper drawings with 3d terrain for a few months now and it's been the most success I've had running games

[@JoeFranke]

I find that using tiles without walls and replacing the tiles with walled ones while the players are figuring stuff out is rather non-taxing. I used to pre-build the rooms and have them stacked up, but that was a lot of prep. I'd figure, if you are going to pre-build the set-up and cover it with construction paper, might as well use the fancy stuff.

[@solomonkane408]

Been doing this since 94 glad you found a solution and I like the black out idea I would usually just draw it as they went

[@CaptainHorn]

I use a sheet of thin plexiglass on top of all my game maps, adds weight and helps increase the length of wear on your battle mats. $20-60 US dollars at Lowes or Home Depot. Based on length. I predraw 3 dungeons on different plexiglass, removing each until needed. Even more fun to layer them on top of each other

[@RangerGeek71]

I feel you bother. I used battle map and drew them out a great deal in the past, but I had the issue of marker if washable permanently staining the mats ( I used cheesix mats) or if using dry eracer the line getting whipped off and get on player hands and skin. That why I made a gaming table with an inset large screen, LCD screen it. I use the roll 20 for that, so I still have fog of war. I rule a lot of pathfinder game and have the maps in PDF. I always use 3d terrain with this add texture. and improve the feel of it. I use the tile that I built for whole for home brewed adventures. But as work take up a great deal of my time, I usually use the pre-made adventures. On another note I also play a lot of 40K so having a screen save me having to buy multiple different maps to go under the terrain I build for the war gaming as well.

[@callum_boss]

I've been looking at all the different grid options, and nothing has really taken my fancy, so am making my own. I started with the idea of using a whiteboard, but needed to separate the grid from the map layout, so the board became a clear polycarbonate sheet, with permanent marker grid on one side, and dry erase markers used on the other side for the layout.

[@joshuaknight6551]

I've been looking at things like roll20 Keep thinking I'm going look into a screen. Display the floor on the screen I build into a table. Some day maybe. Someday

[@RobertWF42]

An alternative to tiles and battle mats is draw your dungeon on your computer & then make color prints. I use the Campaign Cartographer/Dungeon Designer/City Designer package. There's a learning curve but the results are quite nice.

[@onetruetroy]

Do you want Heroquest? Because that’s how you get Heroquest.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

I haven't actually played hero quest in about 18 years....I should really pick up a copy....and make custom pieces for it.

[@annethornton9938]

That would be awesome! Love to see your take on all the tiny candles & skulls that are the primary decorative motif ;) A friend introduced me & my son to the game a couple of years ago when we didn't have the numbers for a D&D game, and I pieced together a working copy from a couple of partial games I picked up on eBay. Not a bad price for them, either, but the shipping killed me - coming from BC to NB.

[@justnick7691]

Black Magic Craft Just remember that beginners choose the barbarian, but the truly enlightened choose the dwarf.

[@Ace0nPoint]

@@justnick7691 browd sowd

[@johnsalvi3870]

The best thing about Heroquest....

[@SpottedSharks]

Yes, I always favored the matt over the tiles for simplicity of game day use. Allows more time to make the adventure better and to make the other bits. Love the archery targets!