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Afetbinttuzani
Senior Scribe
Canada
434 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Jul 2008 : 21:16:45
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Well met, all
I came across this while looking for 4E playtests. Apparently a number of people are using colored poker chips to keep track of targeted, continuous effects, healing surges, bloodied status and action points. I haven't tried it yet (in fact, I'll be playing 4E for the first time this weekend), but it sounds like a great way of helping the DM keep track of these things, while it ads an easy 3D reference for players, who appear to rely on one another more in 4E than in previous editions. Here's one person's take on using poker chips:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/blog.php?b=5
Has anyone tried this or something similar?
Afet
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Afet bint Tuzaní
"As the good Archmage often admonishes me, I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself."
- Danilo Thann in Elfsong by Elaine Cunningham |
Edited by - Afetbinttuzani on 09 Jul 2008 21:26:42
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2008 : 01:40:28
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| I saw another article that illustrated pins placed in the top of the miniatures, and small beads used to simulate similar effects. I have not tried them yet though. |
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Sanishiver
Senior Scribe
USA
476 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2008 : 02:03:58
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We haven't got past 1st level yet. So far I've been able to keep track of things like which monster is marked and so on with the same piece of paper that I use to track initiative order and monster/NPC hit points.
Thank you for posting the link though. As the players go up in level I'm sure we're going to have to implement a solution for tracking this stuff. |
09/20/2008: Tiger Army at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz. You wouldn’t believe how many females rode it out in the pit. Santa Cruz women are all of them beautiful. Now I know to add tough to that description.
6/27/2008: WALL-E is about the best damn movie Pixar has ever made. It had my heart racing and had me rooting for the good guy.
9/9/2006: Dave Mathews Band was off the hook at the Shoreline Amphitheater.
Never, ever read the game books too literally, or make such assumptions that what is omitted cannot be. Bad DM form, that.
And no matter how compelling a picture string theory paints, if it does not accurately describe our universe, it will be no more relevant than an elaborate game of Dungeons and Dragons. --paragraph 1, chapter 9, The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene |
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Alisttair
Great Reader
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2008 : 11:40:37
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| I've played at 1st level and we found there was A LOT of players and creatures being marked or cursed (thus requiring markings OFTEN) |
Karsite Arcanar (Most Holy Servant of Karsus)
Anauria - Survivor State of Netheril as penned by me:
http://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/172023 |
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Afetbinttuzani
Senior Scribe
Canada
434 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2008 : 15:51:08
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All of this suggests that an enterprising marketer should develop a tracking system for marking, cursing, etc. in 4E.
On possibility is to develop a set of miniatures, or better yet a pedestal system for miniatures. A Hero Clicks type system might work, or a lower tech system of stacked colored bases that clip lightly together; this last one being little more than a refined version of the poker chips.
Another possibility could be to develop an abacus-like system with multi-colored beads. The miniatures would be referenced using pairs of color coded disks, one placed under the miniature and the other placed in a slot at the head of a row on the abacus.
The pins in the top system would work for the plastic miniatures, but not for the metal ones.
Just some ideas. Others? |
Afet bint Tuzaní
"As the good Archmage often admonishes me, I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself."
- Danilo Thann in Elfsong by Elaine Cunningham |
Edited by - Afetbinttuzani on 10 Jul 2008 15:53:27 |
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Afetbinttuzani
Senior Scribe
Canada
434 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2008 : 17:27:55
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As it happens someone has already produced a 1" pedestal type marker system. These are pricier than poker chips, but come in many colors and are magnetic, so they stick together. Also, there self adhesive magnetic disks to attach to the bottom of lead and plastic minis. That way the miniature and disks can be moved around to board as a unit. Check it out: http://aleatools.com/
Afet |
Afet bint Tuzaní
"As the good Archmage often admonishes me, I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself."
- Danilo Thann in Elfsong by Elaine Cunningham |
Edited by - Afetbinttuzani on 10 Jul 2008 18:51:10 |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2008 : 18:29:29
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I haven't tried 4E, but in the 3E tabletop game I'm playing in, I cast Mirror Image during the last session, and the DM put down a dice with the number of images I had on top.  That's something similar. I'm a visual person, so I think markers like that are a great idea. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2008 : 20:38:28
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On my miniatures forum (What? You guys didn't think I just talked about the D&D/FR part of the hobby?  ), awhile back someone came across a company that sold colored magnets that could use with your minis.
The premise was that you would add a magnetic Base to the mini (also provided by the company) and you would then add differnt color rings - about the size of an American Penny - to the bottom to denote various effects and level of woundedness.
I've seen colored washers used in Warhammer games, just by hanging them on the unit's weapon, but thats kinda ugly (though it does work well). This idea dates back to SPI/Avalon Hill counter-games, where one side of the cardboard counter denoted a healthy unit, and the other a wounded one.
I wish I could provide a link for those manets: Maybe I'll ask back at that other forum (Coolminiornot). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 10 Jul 2008 20:39:05 |
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Markers to facilitate 4E play
