Combat Options - The Pros and Cons

D&D 5e has really two ways to go about dealing with combat: on a tactical grid map with miniatures, or "theater of the mind." There are other options now thanks to the age of the internet, but I want the focus of my blog to remain on groups who can meet up in person. Both really have their pros and cons, and in today's post I'm going to be briefly going over them and what both of them have to offer a DM. 

Map n' Minis

This is the way you probably imagine when you think of a stereotypical D&D setup. The DM sets up a paper grid on the table, with the scene either drawn or printed on. Each square on the grid represents five feet of movement which correspond to a character's movement speed, and the group uses miniatures or some form of representation for each character in the area. The DM moves the NPCs on their turns, and the players move their characters on their turns. 

The advantage of this format is that everyone in the group sees exactly the same setting, meaning it is much easier to coordinate strategies and leads to less arguments between player and DM, should their visions of the scene differ. 

The problem with this format is that it can be very pricey. A decent game mat would run you around twenty dollars, plus the whiteboard markers which would be another ten. If you wanted to buy pre-illustrated game mats like Pathfinder Flip-Mats, each one is priced at about fifteen to thirty dollars each. On top of the game board, the miniatures are very, very pricey if you want a decent sized collection, as I talked about in my The Case for Cardboard post.

Theater of the Mind

Theater of the Mind takes D&D's theme of imagination to the next level. There is no map, no miniatures. Just the DM's description of the setting and enemies and the words of the players. There are obvious pros and cons to this, however. It is easy to imagine why this option might appeal to a DM with financial difficulties, as it requires zero extra spending after the rulebooks. It also lessens the prep time of the DM, as they don't have to draw out a map on their grid and they don't need to organize which minis to have prepared.

The obvious con to this format, though, is that players and the DM can all have different ideas of what the area looks like. Imagination is infinite, and even the most thorough description will not look the same in two people's heads. As such, it can often lead to confusion and even arguments between people at the table, as they will always believe what they're imagining is right.

When it comes to which format is right for your table, think about what you would enjoy, what you're capable of financially, and most importantly, seek the opinions of your players. If they all want theater of the mind, but you're into maps and minis, you may have to make a small sacrifice so that they can have more fun.