Movement: Why This Change

Movement: We will not be fighting on a square grid and counting 5ft steps. Instead we’ll be using a spotlight terrain system to convey a general idea of what is happening, possibly with additional indicators for large distances. Melee combatant’s mini will be set next to the enemies they are in direct combat with. Characters outside melee still within range are placed on the outer ring and can target anyone on the terrain. Multiple pieces of terrain may be used for more complex battlefields. Characters enemies unable to participate in combat but are nearby may be placed outside the terrain.

Why This Change: The mini placement and terrain is there to give players an idea of the action happening. One of the biggest problems for designing encounters is the scale of the battlefield. A short bow has an effective range of 80ft and a maximum range of 320ft. The Fireball spell has a range of 150ft. What if the battlefield is huge! Like a desert or ocean battle. How does a dungeon master convey this much scale for the players without taking over the entire kitchen table? Using this system, the large empty space of a battlefield is reduced and we can keep the focus on areas of significance.

DM Note: This system is also helpful for reducing prep time for both in person an online. I don't need to make 10 little tables and 40 chair minis for a fight in a tavern, just 1 table and a few chairs to convey the scene. If we're playing online, I won't need to spend hours building fine tuned maps.