The Case for Cardboard

Miniatures can really make a game stand out in the eyes of the players, but amassing a collection big enough to be able to use them in every situation is daunting for any DM. A set of three official D&D miniatures is around $20, and they are a random selection in each box, meaning you may need to buy multiple before you get the mini you want. Individuals can resell their own minis, but they're always exorbitantly priced unless you find an extremely kind seller somewhere.

However, I believe I have finally found the light at the end of the tunnel. The perfect solution for me as a poor college student with next to no storage space. And that solution is: Pathfinder Pawns.

Pathfinder Pawns are box sets of hundreds of cardboard miniatures and plastic bases made by Paizo Publishing, creators of rival TTRP Pathfinder. Each box set is themed around one of their many monster manuals, with examples including Bestiary, which contains animal and feral monsters, Monster Codex, giving you access to hordes of sapient monsters like orcs and goblins, and NPC Codex, which gives you a city's worth of civilized folk to work with. Each box, containing hundreds of miniature pawns, only costs around $60 each.

Each pawn is a relatively flat piece of cardboard with an image printed onto it that can slide into one of the plastic bases to keep it upright. The simple assembly and disassembly, combined with the easy transporting and storage, makes them the perfect miniatures for the college DM.

While not as visually exciting as a fully sculpted three-dimensional plastic miniature, buying a box set or two gives you all the miniatures you will ever need.