Is D&D a Tactical Combat Miniatures Game
Oct 14, 2022 23:22:17 GMT -5
Old Timer, hengest, and 2 more like this
Post by Yaleric on Oct 14, 2022 23:22:17 GMT -5
Back in 2008 and even now in some corners and in some youtube videos, the idea is pushed that OD&D bitd; stressed tactical combat and use of miniatures. While some people did indeed do that, many others did not. While Miniature Figures do appear on the cover of the 3 LBBs in the sub-title, they are not, repeat NOT, listed in Vol 1, Men & Magic in the list of recommended equipment on page 5 of the rules. Just before that at the top of the page in Scope, it says that miniatures may be used, if available and if desired.
So the question is, how many of you used miniatures? How many of you did any degree of tactical combat using miniatures? If you had miniatures, did you use them, when did you use them and to what extent did you use them?
From a column by Gary Gygax in The Dragon #15 (June 1978):
For about two years D&D was played without benefit of any visual aids by the majority of enthusiasts. They held literally that it was a paper and pencil game, and if some particular situation arose which demanded more than verbalization, they would draw or place dice as tokens in order to picture the conditions. In 1976 a movement began among D&Ders to portray characters with actual miniature figurines.
For about two years D&D was played without benefit of any visual aids by the majority of enthusiasts. They held literally that it was a paper and pencil game, and if some particular situation arose which demanded more than verbalization, they would draw or place dice as tokens in order to picture the conditions. In 1976 a movement began among D&Ders to portray characters with actual miniature figurines.
From the Holmes Basic Set’s description of the game:
The Dungeon Master designs the dungeons and makes careful maps on graph paper. The players do not know where anything is located in the dungeons until the game begins and they enter the first passage or room. They create their own map as they explore. While only paper and pencil need be used, it is possible for the characters of each player to be represented by miniature lead figures which can be purchased inexpensively from hobby stores or directly from TSR Hobbies. The results of combat, magic spells, monster attacks, etc., are resolved by rolling special polyhedral 20-sided dice which come with this game.
The Dungeon Master designs the dungeons and makes careful maps on graph paper. The players do not know where anything is located in the dungeons until the game begins and they enter the first passage or room. They create their own map as they explore. While only paper and pencil need be used, it is possible for the characters of each player to be represented by miniature lead figures which can be purchased inexpensively from hobby stores or directly from TSR Hobbies. The results of combat, magic spells, monster attacks, etc., are resolved by rolling special polyhedral 20-sided dice which come with this game.