Tag: RPGaDay

Posted in: Collecting, Role Playing Games

New RPG Miniatures For My Collection

Written by TardisCaptain

For my Day 27 entry of the 2024 RPGaDAY challenge I talked about how few RPG miniatures that I owned. In that blog post I mentioned that I wanted to obtain more miniatures for gaming use, but I didn’t want to spend too much on it. At the game swap at SaltCON, I had seen a few packs available, but again the price was just a little bit more than what I wanted to spend. I had been looking for miniatures (or smaller toy figures) at different thrift stores and continuing my bargain hunting. Well thanks to my friend Ross, I finally had a chance to get a start on a collection that I’ll be able to use in different RPG sessions.

Ross is one of my friends who has hopped on the 3D printing craze. There are opportunities now to print gaming miniatures and cosplay props that we never had access to before. A large number of artists are designing STL files that can be downloaded and used on various 3D printers using spools of plastic. Last spring while visiting him he showed me a bunch of fantasy RPG miniatures that he had printed out. I had inquired about printing some up for me and his response was, ‘buy a spool and I’ll use it for your miniatures.’ A spool (at the time) was only $18 and for that, he printed out 153 miniatures of different sizes. That’s eight and a half cents for each one.

So now, when I find some bargains for smaller sets at SaltCON or other locations, I’ll probably be more inclined to pull the trigger because I can now add to the set. I’ve already shown them to a few gaming friends and one inquired if I wanted to paint these. I don’t really have the paints or brushes to do so, plus I’m not a patient person at this. That was one of the reasons I never kept up with building models. So while someday I may. But for now, I’m over the moon at just having some figures now that I can drop down in the middle of the map on the game table.

I took some photos of the miniatures that Ross put into the plastic tub for me. He had them separated into different groups which is how I photographed them here.

Here is a goblin raiding party.
Mushroom men, troglodites and kobolds.
An adventuring party.
An orc raiding party.
Barbarian warriors which may or may not be friendly.
Turtle warriors (I don’t know if they are teenagers) and rats.
Townsfolks and other adventurers.
I can use these for warriors, guardsman or militia.
This is a lively bunch of skeleton warriors.
A necromancer and his undead gorillas.
Some naga warriors and ogres.
A giant slug, adult and baby owlbears, spiders of different sizes and a rust monster.
Different minotaurs that I can throw at the party.
A Beholder, Gelatinous Cube (which is hollow to put over a figure) and rising tentacles.
More monsters to terrorize my players with.
The largest piece, a fully grown dragon.

All of the miniatures except for the dragon fit into a plastic tub that Ross picked up at the dollar store. He brought me the miniatures to a meeting we recently held at a nearby library. When I was leaving I was carrying out the tub with the dragon on top and passed a father and son who were walking in. I heard the boy, who I believe was about ten years old, whisper under his breath “Oh wow a dragon” as he saw what I was carrying. If the father hadn’t been in a hurry, I might have stopped them to talk.

So thank you Ross for taking the time to do this. He was even sending me sped-up videos of the figures being printed so I could see how it looked. Also a shout out to all of the amazing artists who put together these files and released them to the internet. Your efforts are appreciated.

Now I really need to get a campaign going. Who wants to be my victims…. err…. players?

Have you had any experience with 3D printing or 3D printed miniatures? Any tips on painting them if I ever get the chance to actually sit down and paint them? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games

RPGaDAY2025 After Action Report

Written by TardisCaptain 1 Comment on RPGaDAY2025 After Action Report

So, I’m quite proud of myself for getting 31 posts in 31 days for the RPGaDAY 2025 Challenge. With the mishap that I had encountered with last January’s Character Creation Challenge, I wanted to prove to myself that I could handle a month’s worth of blog posts and keep up with my real-life duties (as well as keep my sanity).

I think a few of my posts may have gotten a little too personal. But, I also feel that I was speaking from the heart. Getting heavily back into RPG geekdom after taking some time away (other than to participate in a game) has brought me some much needed joy and relaxation in my life. And when you geek out about something, you want to share it with others.

I would like to thank all of you who sent me different forms of feedback across the various social media and internet platforms. I really appreciated interacting with all of you and finding new people to follow. I’ve also found a few new blogs that I want to check in on as well. I’m really loving the conversations on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. Even my own geek family was cheering me on when I reported that I had another blog post ready to go. And a special tip of the hat to those readers that ordered products from my Amazon and DriveThruRPG sponsored links.

Some of the posts that I think I’m most proud of are: Day 2 P.R.O.M.P.T., Day 3 Tavern, Day 10 Origin, Day 14 Mystery, Day 16 Overcome, Day 20 Enter, and Day 29 Connect. While going through the posts again, I found it hard to keep the list of my favorites from getting too big. I think I’m really proud of the fact that I’m getting better at writing these.

Thank you to those who read my posts. And thank you to David Chapman for putting this together. I’m looking forward to the #CharacterCreationChallenge in January 2026. Thank you for reading this after-action report. If you would like, you can read the same reports on my 2024 RPGaDAY, 2023 RPGaDAY, 2022 RPGaDAY and 2021 RPGaDAY submissions at the links provided.

Did you participate in the #RPGaDAY2025 Challenge? Did you have a favorite post of mine from the last 31 days? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games

RPGaDAY2025 Day 31: Reward

Written by TardisCaptain

Yay, we made it to Day 31 of the RPGaDAY 2025 Challenge and our topic is (appropriately) ‘reward’. There is only one thing for me to talk about here.

We are geeks to have fun with a subject. We play games of the roleplaying or video game variety, to have fun. We read our comics, watch our TV shows, go to the movies, listen to the music for fun. Fun is the reward when we are trying to relax. We have so many stresses in the real world that we have to de-stress by not thinking about it any more. Go into that dark theater and turn the phone off while your focus is glued to the movie. Put on those headphones and spin an album by an artist that you’ve always loved. Push the buttons to make the character on your computer screen move. Joke around the table with friends as you throw dice and eat pizza. Or what ever you do to have fun (as long as it’s not hurting someone else).

This way when it comes time to tackle those real world issues, you are coming at it with a fresh mind. The reward is relaxation, getting things done and having fun in the process. If you are on high alert all the time and focused on the negativity (or spreading negativity), then you are doing yourself (and others) a grave disservice. Don’t miss out on the rewards. Take a mental break.

Programming Note: This weekend I’ve been at SaltCON End-of-Summer so I may not have seen any feedback posts that were sent to me. I’ll be posting an RPGaDAY 2025 After-Action Report in a few days. I’ll try to catch up on the responses you’ve sent me. And thank you for the interaction, I’ve really appreciated it with how bad this year has been.

What rewards have you received lately? Has my blog contributed to you? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games

RPGaDAY2025 Day 30: Experience

Written by TardisCaptain

The light at the end of the tunnel is Day 30 of the RPGaDAY 2025 Challenge and we have another topic that I don’t know what I’m going to blog about until I start putting my fingers to the keyboard. What can I say about “Experience” in roleplaying games? The obvious ones are popping up like how to distribute experience points, what should players get experience points for, etc. But I won’t want to take that road just yet. But now that I see those titles on the screen, I’m starting to wonder if they could be a future blog post?

I have read a few blog and social media posts within this challenge after I already had my topic posted (I try to type these in advance to keep this as fun and not a chore) and I wished that I had taken their idea. My post for “Challenge” could have been about how much I had enjoyed Challenge Magazine. This was a publication from GDW that covered other systems like FASA Star Trek, WEG D6 Star Wars and more. Something you don’t often see from a house magazine.

I guess that is part of my experience with running a geek and RPG blog. I was suddenly reminded of this quote.

“Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom.” — Terry Pratchett

As I’m writing more, I’m learning more. As I’m reading more, I’m thinking more. As I’m playing more, I’m planning more (and having fun). Playing with friends and strangers has led me to understanding how different things are viewed. All of this new wisdom is coming from experience. On my personal character sheet, as I gain more Experience Points, I’ve upped my scores in Wisdom, Intelligence and more. Sure my Dexterity and Strength might be a little bit lower, but that was the trade off that I knew was coming.

Feedback from Phil Hatfield on MeWe re: “Tactic“: Are you referring to “tactics in the operation of the game mechanics” or are you referring to tactics the players come up with, within the game, to gain ridiculously advantageous benefit against game foes? The FASA Star Trek system accentuated the nature of tactics, with its “action points” and action lists. I didn’t run games that way, nor did the GM when I was a player in college. The game Twilight 2000 was all about using tactics, and there were varying levels of tactics used by the players. If you’re not talking about “in game” tactics but instead about tactics to take advantage of a game system, I couldn’t tell you as I don’t tend to play games the “mechanically crunchy” way that allow the mechanics to be front and center and therefore the focus of thought to circumvent or manipulate.

I responded back to him (in probably a clear as mud way as I was typing on my phone): When I play a TTRPG system I want to see how it works in the simulation style. Does the random generator (dice, cards or ???) fit the type (tactical, narrative, combo, etc.) There have been some games with really good world building, but the random generator sucks badly. If I find myself thinking “I can see what they are doing and it works”, that is when my “tactical” mind engages.

Thinking about it again (20/20 hindsight) I don’t think I properly answered his question. Lately I’m more worried about texture not trivia. I want everyone at the table to have fun, but keep within the spirit of the game. The Gates of Krystalia game used playing cards, I could see where the cards gave us random results. I haven’t played it enough to get a sample size of “this works”, “this needs improvement” or “I’m not having fun at all” but my mind was starting to click with the patterns and my mind slips into “tactical mode”. I start thinking “OK, I need to do this and this in order to have my character perform the task I want him to perform.” I don’t think that’s taking “advantage of the rules” but more of “I’m working within the rules as presented”. If a player is taking advantage of the rules, a good GM can (and should) make a table ruling to keep the fun within the spirit of the game IMHO. (Am I still clear as mud? I know you are just reading standard words on the screen and not hearing the inflection in my voice)

What ways have you gained experience in RPGs, or even just real life? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Character Creation Challenge, Conventions, Role Playing Games, Star Trek, Star Wars

RPGaDAY2025 Day 29: Connect

Written by TardisCaptain

It’s time to link up for Day 29 of the RPGaDAY 2025 Challenge and our topic is ‘connect’. Roleplaying games are social events. Sure, there are solo games, and video games. But when it comes down to it, sitting around a table and seeing the faces of the other players, hearing the inflection in their voices, making memories, it’s infectious. It is one of the main reasons we play our different games. We get to geek out with someone that has a common bond. We get to yell at little pieces of plastic when they don’t roll the right number. We get to wear robes and chant from ancient texts… wait, did I give away too much? (No, that doesn’t happen. Bad Carl for making a joke again.)

So, how do you connect with other gamers. Well in this day and age, it’s a lot easier than it was previously. Here are a few suggestions to connect with fellow dice throwers.

Go to your local game store. Most game stores worth their salt will have events where you can meet up. The more people play the game, the more games that they can sell. Sure, a lot of their gaming events are of the collectible card variety. But most will allow you to schedule an RPG session or two there. Meeting in a public place may get you some additional players for your campaigns as people may be more comfortable than going to someone’s home that they don’t know. I’ve also noticed a trend that more smaller game stores are setting up discord servers as a way to connect members of the gaming community together. Some may have Facebook pages, but there’s been a bit of a push back on using that social media platform with the weird algorithms that they keep pushing.

If there is a gaming convention near you, check it out. My time at SaltCON has lead to exchanging information with a lot of local gamers. It also included a one-shot invitation to a D6 Star Wars RPG by WEG and writers sending me their games to get my feedback. And, as I’ve recently said, I really needed the community at SaltCON during this troubling year.

I mentioned discord earlier. There are a lot of discord servers that are put out for the gaming community. I even have one for my blog that is gaining some traction (thanks guys). Several publishers have their own discord servers. I’ve received some feedback from publishers to my reviews and Character Creation Challenge entries via discord. I know that Basic Fantasy still uses a message board. Two good message boards with lots of activity is the one on RPG.net and RPGPub. And yes, even with the pitfalls that Facebook has, there are a lot of gaming sites on it. I’m on some of the MeWe gaming groups, but that hasn’t caught as much attention. And I’ve been very impressed with the gaming community on BlueSky. All of these have options to find players in your area. When I posted on the Modiphius discord server that I was running a Star Trek Adventures 2e one-shot, a gentleman from two counties distant drove up to play. If I had access to these resources in the 90’s (the closest we came were local BBSes) I would have loved it.

And probably the best way to get someone to game with you is talk with your friends. Pick an RPG system that you can explain the rules in under two minutes and show your excitement for the game. If the rules are too complex to explain, they might not jump on board as fast. But try to emphasize the fun that can be had around the table.

Are there other methods that you’d recommend for connecting with fellow RPG gamers? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing Games, Star Trek

RPGaDAY2025 Day 28: Suspense

Written by TardisCaptain

So, what do we have here for Day 28 of the RPGaDAY 2025 Challenge? A topic of ‘suspense’. According to Dictionary.com the definition of suspense is “a state or condition of mental uncertainty or excitement, as in awaiting a decision or outcome, usually accompanied by a degree of apprehension or anxiety. It can also be a state of mental indecision or the state of being suspended.


I’d like to invite you to my future blog post about suspense that will be published later.

…

…

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No, I guess that joke won’t fly as well will it. I seriously considered making that the blog post.

Trying to come up with the text for this post that doesn’t automatically reach for the “how do you have suspense in your game” was something I struggled with. I’m not big on the suspense expected in horror games. How can you experience the emotion of horror when you are comfortably sitting around the gaming table with your friends in a safe and relaxing location?

Perhaps I should run with the last part of the definition that is posted above. The state of being suspended. In my post about ‘tactics’ I mentioned how a poorly executed plot conclusion from a GM ended the FASA Star Trek game that I was in. That was a bad way to suspend a campaign. Occasionally, there is a human-interest story that talks about a D&D campaign that has lasted for 20 or 30 years. I think the reason these are interesting is due to our real-world experiences with RPG campaigns. The Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 campaign that lasted a few years was highly enjoyable. I was able to get a character from the lower levels to a higher one through the experience point process. It was kewl to see the character getting increasingly powerful. But suddenly the DM stated that the campaign was ending soon (this was 2019) and that we would pick it up again later after we had taken a break. We were looking forward to getting back together again and added it to the curses we give the year 2020.

Should a GM plan for an end to the campaign? If yes, should the GM announce it at the beginning of the game that there would be an endpoint to reach? How is the best way to do this?

I think it depends upon the game that is being played. Dungeons and Dragons, or most fantasy systems, could go on for quite some time (as demonstrated in the articles mentioned above). But once the characters have made a certain level, perhaps it’s time to retire them. Make them NPCs that the new characters hear about, work for, use as patrons, fight against, etc. This could make the game world continue to grow and expand.

Sticking with D&D, there are some published modules that are a campaign unto itself. B# The Lost City is one that I’d love to run. Basic Fantasy released a campaign called “Morgansfort: The Western Lands Campaign”. At a past SaltCON I picked up two boxed sets by Goodman Games called “The Heroes Arise” and “Saga of the Dragon Cult” which contained several individual modules that took the characters from first level to tenth by the end of the campaign.

Another game that has a different thought process is Star Trek Adventures 2nd Edition. This is an episode simulator, not a tactical simulator like D&D. The adventure is broken down into 3-4 scenes just like an episode is. Because it is episodic, the GM could plan a season of 10+ episodes with a possible season ending story arc. Then, just like in the TV series, there could be a ‘summer break’ with some changes made to the ‘show’ when it returns for another season. I recall in one fan-made Star Trek RPG called Where No One Has Gone Before, they had a ratings system for the ‘episodes’ and if they were not high enough, there were charts with changes from the studio owners to try to boost the ratings. It looked silly, but I don’t know if I’d ever try to implement it at the table. I wonder if the ratings were low enough, then the series could be canceled? And if so, perhaps there could be a game where a letter-writing campaign by fans could bring the ‘show’ back?

Have you experienced a good or bad suspension to a campaign? Have you planned for a campaign suspension? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games, Star Trek, Video Game

RPGaDAY2025 Day 27: Tactic

Written by TardisCaptain

We have maneuvered ourselves to Day 27 of the RPGaDAY 2025 Challenge and closer to the end of the month. Today’s topic is ‘tactic’ and it’s one that connects with multiple forms of gaming.

In my blog post about the topic Recent, and in other RPG review posts as well, I talked about how my tactical mind engaged while playing. This is usually a sign for me that I’m enjoying the game. Checkers, chess, a collectable card game, other board games, the brightness of a video game and especially roleplaying systems. There’s a point in the game where my mind clicks and suddenly, I’m wondering how I’m going to use or get around the system. I also know that it must be a good system if I’m thinking about how to use/get around it while away from the game.

I recall playing the Warcraft: Orcs & Humans video game in the late 90’s. I quickly observed that the computerized opponent would quickly send available troops that were just generated to attack me. The better tactic would have been to build up the number of troops instead of sending them out one at a time. One of the units in this video game was called the Conjurer who could summon disposable troops like scorpions and water elementals that I could control. So, I’d find a choke point on the map, set a bunch of knights and archers there to kill the lone unit that was sent to attack me. Behind the knights and archers were several conjurers who would all summon the disposable units at the same time which would then be sent in a wave to scout out and attack the enemy encampment. It took a while, but the constant grind would allow me to safely keep the bulk of my troops and resources safe while the enemy was weakened to the point where they could not resist a complete all-out assault from my units.

I’ve previously blogged about a FASA Star Trek RPG session in the 90’s where the GM had painted himself into a corner (we didn’t know that at the time) and, unbeknownst to him, all of the players were calling each other on a daily basis on how we were going to get out of the dire situation. When we saw the lame way the GM ended the scenario, it wasn’t good for him. We (half-jokingly) threatened to hang him, and it was the final game with him. Which was too bad as I enjoyed the FASA Star Trek RPG.

Each game has its own system. Figuring out the system is part of the appeal to me. Sometimes I figure it out and I realize that I can enjoy it more, such as Star Trek Adventures 2nd Edition. Sometimes I realize that the system is bunk or too easily manipulated (such as the Warcraft example I posted above). While I still enjoyed the Warcraft game, I realized that the re-playability factor wasn’t there. I think this is why I’m not keen on some board games. I’m wondering how limited they might be as compared to the wide-open options of a roleplaying game.

Oh, and we also used tactics in real life. Protecting ourselves online by not clicking on strange links that were suddenly sent to us in instant messages, not posting things on social media that might announce that we are out-of-town for a while until after we’ve returned. Not leaving valuables in the car where people can see them is another example of the tactics used in OpSec (operational security).

Have you noticed patterns in different game systems that has allowed you to generate tactics? Do you use OpSec online or in real life? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Role Playing Games, Star Trek

RPGaDAY2025 Day 26: Nemesis

Written by TardisCaptain

Day 26 of the RPGaDAY 2025 Challenge and we have another repeat prompt with ‘nemesis’. This was used back in the 2021 challenge and I homebrewed a piece of equipment for Star Trek Adventures that appeared in the movie, Star Trek Nemesis.

I would have loved to come up with something again like this, unfortunately I’m getting ready for the upcoming SaltCON End-of-Summer. One game I’m running is already sold out (the game on Sunday), with the other two filling up fast.

So I remembered one of the past fan-made homebrewed supplements for the Star Trek Roleplaying Game by Decipher (aka CODA Star Trek RPG). Patrick Goodman had a very good site called Beyond the Final Frontier that collected some of the fan-made homebrews. This included some from my friend Roger Taylor. Since fans were looking for anything to fill in the gaps, they made their own. This included a supplement for the Enterprise TV series and the Insurrection and Nemesis movies.

The cover to the fan-made Nemesis supplement

This fourteen page PDF was written by Sonny Smith (aka TheAndorian or Cypher West). It included stats for Remans, the Norexan Class Battlecruiser (the Valdor seen in the movie), the Scorpion Class Fighter, and stats for Shinzon, Commander Donatra and The Viceroy.

I thought it was a good start to a homebrewed supplement and I was hoping that it would get expanded to show the Kolarans, the Argo, the Scimitar, B-5 type Androids and more. It was one of those projects that gave me hope that I could make my own Star Trek RPG fan-made supplements. Again, feeding off of the energy of other ideas and efforts.

I will get there. I will have my own homebrewed Star Trek supplement. I will get past this nemesis of not getting things done.

Was there a fan-made RPG supplement that inspired you? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Anime, Character Creation Challenge, Role Playing Games, Star Trek

RPGaDAY2025 Day 25: Challenge

Written by TardisCaptain 1 Comment on RPGaDAY2025 Day 25: Challenge

For Day 25 of the RPGaDAY 2025 Challenge how can I not talk about the topic of ‘challenge’ to hype up the movement that I’m proud of. The Character Creation Challenge.

I’ve blogged about this before in a previous RPGaDAY post. And earlier this year I almost didn’t make it through the 31 days because of a lot of real-world issues that popped up. It almost broke me. But even in darkest times I felt the love and support from both gamers and Trekkies. The hugs that I got at SaltCON. Friends supporting me at the club meetings. Those on the message board communities that cheered me over the line. Friends that donated to the financial shortfall I suddenly found myself in. Anything that was small, still helped out in a big way.

I’m energized for the next challenge in 2026. I’ve got plans in place to make sure that it won’t be so rough next year. I’ve got new games that I’ve picked up (some have been donated by the authors). I will get though this because we will get through this. Things may suck right now, but they can’t suck forever. Cyndi Lauper at her farewell tour had everyone take out their phones and turn on the flashlights in the amphitheater. She then said, “Look around at all of the people here giving a little bit of themselves and how it has made this place brighter. This is a community of light.” Everyone of you, just shining the light that you have, have made things brighter. The comments, the feedback, the laughter around the gaming table. We can overcome any challenge, gaming or real-life.

And if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to do a partial lyric dump from a recent anime movie that I watched with my geek family.

We’re shattering the silence, we’re rising, defiant
Shouting in the quiet, “You’re not alone”
We listened to the demons, we let them get between us
But none of us are out here on our own
So we were cowards, so we were liars
So we’re not heroes, we’re still survivors
The dreamers, the fighters, no lying, I’m tired
But dive in the fire, and I’ll be right here by your side

Feedback from LexTenebris on Mastodon regarding my blog post on Recent. I think the better Western example of isekai in our literature is actually A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. The protagonist is pulled out of his life and dropped into a fantastic one. His personal knowledge makes a difference to the situation and changes the world elementally. Ultimately, he is returned to our world. John Carter of Mars is another fantastic isekai series before there was isekai. If your GM wasn’t making who you were important to who you are, they really weren’t running an isekai story. They were running a fantasy story with the trappings of the setup of an isekai story. That’s certainly valid, but it’s not nearly as interesting. If you’re looking for a very modern example of isekai in Western literature, check out Forgotten Ruin from Nick Cole. Great novel series, very pulp, much fun. (My note, I did pick up this last book on Kindle to read after reading this response)

Have you recently overcome a challenge? Have you participated in an online RPG challenge? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Dungeons and Dragons, Role Playing Games

RPGaDAY2025 Day 24: Reveal

Written by TardisCaptain

And now we uncover the Day 24 topic of the RPGaDAY 2025 Challenge which is ‘reveal’. I had to think about this one for a moment until I decided that I wanted to talk about revealing the map that the player characters are on.

Being a gamer since the early days of BECMI and AD&D 1st Edition, I have many memories of a map on the table being drawn by the Dungeon Master as our characters moved around on it. As I took on DM roles I realized how much of a challenge this can be. My favorite DM is physically unable to move around the table like he was previously to draw the map. When I was planning to run an OSR one-shot for some 5e players, the map that I had downloaded from the internet was too big (by the number of squares) on the dry-erase mat that I had purchased.

One of the nice things about going to gaming conventions like SaltCON is seeing how some GMs have handled the map situation when it comes to revealing where the characters are at. Some just have portions of the map pre-printed and they get laid down as the characters enter the area. One GM introduced me to the Dry-Erase Hexagon Game Tiles that I picked up after finding it om Amazon. Some will cover the pre-drawn map with paper and then remove it as the characters move along.

While I haven’t seen it in person, I’ve had some GMs tell me about a projector that they had set up above the gaming table that would allow them to digitally display the map on the table for the players to move their figures on. This sounds like a dream situation for me. While I love my house, I don’t have a room big enough to host a regular gaming event.

This also reminded me of why I didn’t like some virtual tabletop systems. The worse one was Fantasy Grounds where the map was so graphic heavy that even the GM with a high-powered gaming computer was experiencing massive lag and slowness.

I’m willing to try out new ideas and take suggestions. Have you had any luck with other options to reveal the playing map while around the table? Tell me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

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