Battle Mat [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Battle Mat [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Aeromus
05-10-05, 11:18 AM Yes, I just purchased a 58" x 108" battle Mat...

Now, that I have laid it out onto my make-shift table area to play... I find myself unable to over come the feeling of awe whilest gazing at it, to actually draw anything on it.

Anyone else have this problem?
Telperion
05-10-05, 11:22 AM No.
Draco Strang
05-10-05, 11:27 AM The one we use isn't that big....where'd you get it/how much did it cost?

And yea, awe is a silly feeling. Just bring some clean rags and cleaning solution, you should be ok.
Kialindo
05-10-05, 11:34 AM nope .... didn't have that problem ... I unwrapped it rolled it out and immediately drew my first room of the dungeon on it ..

Make sure you have several things:
1) WET erase markers
2) Paper towels
3) Spray bottle filled with water

As long as you clean up after each game you should be fine ... adding a SMALL amount of windex to the mix helps a little bit in cleaning up the persistant marks
snowlynx
05-10-05, 11:54 AM Rather then staring in awe, write your name on it and erase it; that should break it in :D

I did this with my battlemat in a small corner to make sure the marker marks would actually go away after drawing.
Aeromus
05-10-05, 10:19 PM I got it at "The Rusty Scabard" in Lexington KY.

It was 99 bones US.

And, the awe is not from "OMG I can't draw on it.." But, from.. "OMFG it's HUGEMORNGUS!!!!"
femmehack
05-11-05, 01:31 AM Be sure you wash it right after play! If you leave it too long, sometimes the markers don't come off. (A friend of mine ruined a $50 battlemat that way!)
olshanski_home
05-11-05, 03:38 AM Be very very very careful.

DO NOT USE DRY-ERASE.

I ruined a battlemat that way.

You must use "OVERHEAD PROJECTOR PENS". They are hard to find and fairly expensive... you should also wipe them up after each session.
Telperion
05-11-05, 06:40 AM You must use "OVERHEAD PROJECTOR PENS". They are hard to find and fairly expensive...

Strange...around here you can visit any given bookstore, not to mention various office supply stores, and get those "overhead projector pens" quite easily. And they are cheap too when compared with common pencils.

EDIT: I did, however, buy like four of them, before I found the size I liked. "S" is just too fine for making any kind of drawing or symbol on a battle mat, but "M" and "L" are quite fine. Get a couple of different colours while you are at it, and you'll be all set :).
olshanski_home
05-11-05, 10:22 AM By "hard to find" I mean that I've had to go to either office supply stores or to teacher's supplies stores to find the pens. They are around, but they are not nearly as common as dry-erase pens.
Draco Strang
05-11-05, 10:25 AM Now that I think about it, Battle Mats dont really inspire awe within me.

Then again, Battle Steves and Battle Mortimers have been known to leave me agog every now and again.
arrianna
05-11-05, 10:44 AM Strange...around here you can visit any given bookstore, not to mention various office supply stores, and get those "overhead projector pens" quite easily. And they are cheap too when compared with common pencils.

EDIT: I did, however, buy like four of them, before I found the size I liked. "S" is just too fine for making any kind of drawing or symbol on a battle mat, but "M" and "L" are quite fine. Get a couple of different colours while you are at it, and you'll be all set :).

Where are you shopping? Cause even with a school employees discount (60%) and ordering from our corporate catalog mine are $11 for 5 markers.

BTW the brand name that is easiest to find is vis a vis.

Make sure you read "WET ERASE" or they will ruin your mat.

On the mat issue: I bought a filp chart that was a graph paper flip chart from my office store and then took it to kinkos and had it laminated. It's about 2'x3'. We've used it for 5 years with no problem at all. Total cost: $13
clarkvalentine
05-11-05, 10:48 AM Make sure you read "WET ERASE" or they will ruin your mat.

And don't store them in the same drawer as your Sharpies. (I know this from personal screwup experience. There will forever be the top deck of a pirate ship drawn on a very good friend's battle mat. *hangs head in shame*)
Lxarth
05-11-05, 11:26 AM You should be able to find pens at an art store too...perhaps even a craft store.
PaladinKD
05-11-05, 11:43 AM Another tip: You know those inexpensive framed posters with the plexiglass covers? Get one of those, take the plastic edging from the sides and slip out the poster. Now print out your favorite maps at whatever scale you like, tape them together and slip them under the plexiglass. Viola! You can also just slip a blank grid under there.

I have a "scroll collection" going of my favorite maps. If I need a cavern or tavern I just unroll the map and slide it in the frame.

I found an old poster frame that was being thrown out at work and have been using that for quite some time. Works as good as my expensive battlemat.
arrianna
05-11-05, 11:48 AM [QUOTE=Aeromus]Yes, I just purchased a 58" x 108" battle Mat...

[QUOTE]

I just realized this... good God, that's bigger than my table cloths.
Aeromus
05-11-05, 12:04 PM It's nearly 5 feet by 9 feet, bigger then most Vans/Trucks.

That's why I stare in awe.
arrianna
05-11-05, 01:48 PM [QUOTE=Aeromus]Yes, I just purchased a 58" x 108" battle Mat...

[QUOTE]

I just realized this... good God, that's bigger than my table cloths.
dasneakygit
05-11-05, 03:04 PM I have one too for my gaming room, one corner was smuched in the tube so I got 20 bucks off :)

My players freaked when they saw it. I like it cause sometimes I can draw a big section of dungeon then tape down scrap paper to it to slowly expose it to the players.

Have you had much luck keeping it from getting creases? seems no matter how tight i roll it, it seems to begin taking on an oval shape and eventually creases. I have taken to leaving it out to prevent this.
PurdueDave
05-11-05, 04:17 PM You should be able to find pens at an art store too...perhaps even a craft store.
I've had no problems using the children's wet erase markers (like Crayola) you can find at someplace like Wal-Mart. They're quite inexpensive. You can find them in the stationary department or, with less effort, in the toy department.
Kevtar
05-11-05, 04:28 PM I made an Obermap (had to use "O" since I don't have a "U" with the two 'dots' above it...) using two of the paper mats from the minis starter pack.

I took them to a bookstore and laminated them. Then I taped them together using clear packing tape. They erase perfectly with "vis-a-vis" (the wet erase markers) or Expo "dry-erase" markers.

And it's BIG. Mua ha ha ha ha ha.......
PearlJamaholic
05-11-05, 04:43 PM I've had no problems using the children's wet erase markers (like Crayola) you can find at someplace like Wal-Mart. They're quite inexpensive. You can find them in the stationary department or, with less effort, in the toy department.

exactly what i was gonna say. well not exactly but i was gonna mention the wash-able markers.
chrobry
05-12-05, 02:32 PM Yes, I just purchased a 58" x 108" battle Mat...

Now, that I have laid it out onto my make-shift table area to play... I find myself unable to over come the feeling of awe whilest gazing at it, to actually draw anything on it.

Anyone else have this problem?

That is a nice one!!!

Personally I use a 21" monitor behind me that I display all my maps and such. I am dreaming of a projector that I could mount atop of a table and display everything directly on a table ::; drools :::

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Aeromus 05-10-05, 11:18 AM	Yes, I just purchased a 58" x 108" battle Mat... Now, that I have laid it out onto my make-shift table area to play... I find myself unable to over come the feeling of awe whilest gazing at it, to actually draw anything on it. Anyone else have this problem?
Telperion 05-10-05, 11:22 AM	No.
Draco Strang 05-10-05, 11:27 AM	The one we use isn't that big....where'd you get it/how much did it cost? And yea, awe is a silly feeling. Just bring some clean rags and cleaning solution, you should be ok.
Kialindo 05-10-05, 11:34 AM	nope .... didn't have that problem ... I unwrapped it rolled it out and immediately drew my first room of the dungeon on it .. Make sure you have several things: 1) WET erase markers 2) Paper towels 3) Spray bottle filled with water As long as you clean up after each game you should be fine ... adding a SMALL amount of windex to the mix helps a little bit in cleaning up the persistant marks
snowlynx 05-10-05, 11:54 AM	Rather then staring in awe, write your name on it and erase it; that should break it in :D I did this with my battlemat in a small corner to make sure the marker marks would actually go away after drawing.
Aeromus 05-10-05, 10:19 PM	I got it at "The Rusty Scabard" in Lexington KY. It was 99 bones US. And, the awe is not from "OMG I can't draw on it.." But, from.. "OMFG it's HUGEMORNGUS!!!!"
femmehack 05-11-05, 01:31 AM	Be sure you wash it right after play! If you leave it too long, sometimes the markers don't come off. (A friend of mine ruined a $50 battlemat that way!)
olshanski_home 05-11-05, 03:38 AM	Be very very very careful. DO NOT USE DRY-ERASE. I ruined a battlemat that way. You must use "OVERHEAD PROJECTOR PENS". They are hard to find and fairly expensive... you should also wipe them up after each session.
Telperion 05-11-05, 06:40 AM	You must use "OVERHEAD PROJECTOR PENS". They are hard to find and fairly expensive... Strange...around here you can visit any given bookstore, not to mention various office supply stores, and get those "overhead projector pens" quite easily. And they are cheap too when compared with common pencils. EDIT: I did, however, buy like four of them, before I found the size I liked. "S" is just too fine for making any kind of drawing or symbol on a battle mat, but "M" and "L" are quite fine. Get a couple of different colours while you are at it, and you'll be all set :).
olshanski_home 05-11-05, 10:22 AM	By "hard to find" I mean that I've had to go to either office supply stores or to teacher's supplies stores to find the pens. They are around, but they are not nearly as common as dry-erase pens.
Draco Strang 05-11-05, 10:25 AM	Now that I think about it, Battle Mats dont really inspire awe within me. Then again, Battle Steves and Battle Mortimers have been known to leave me agog every now and again.
arrianna 05-11-05, 10:44 AM	Strange...around here you can visit any given bookstore, not to mention various office supply stores, and get those "overhead projector pens" quite easily. And they are cheap too when compared with common pencils. EDIT: I did, however, buy like four of them, before I found the size I liked. "S" is just too fine for making any kind of drawing or symbol on a battle mat, but "M" and "L" are quite fine. Get a couple of different colours while you are at it, and you'll be all set :). Where are you shopping? Cause even with a school employees discount (60%) and ordering from our corporate catalog mine are $11 for 5 markers. BTW the brand name that is easiest to find is vis a vis. Make sure you read "WET ERASE" or they will ruin your mat. On the mat issue: I bought a filp chart that was a graph paper flip chart from my office store and then took it to kinkos and had it laminated. It's about 2'x3'. We've used it for 5 years with no problem at all. Total cost: $13
clarkvalentine 05-11-05, 10:48 AM	Make sure you read "WET ERASE" or they will ruin your mat. And don't store them in the same drawer as your Sharpies. (I know this from personal screwup experience. There will forever be the top deck of a pirate ship drawn on a very good friend's battle mat. hangs head in shame)
Lxarth 05-11-05, 11:26 AM	You should be able to find pens at an art store too...perhaps even a craft store.
PaladinKD 05-11-05, 11:43 AM	Another tip: You know those inexpensive framed posters with the plexiglass covers? Get one of those, take the plastic edging from the sides and slip out the poster. Now print out your favorite maps at whatever scale you like, tape them together and slip them under the plexiglass. Viola! You can also just slip a blank grid under there. I have a "scroll collection" going of my favorite maps. If I need a cavern or tavern I just unroll the map and slide it in the frame. I found an old poster frame that was being thrown out at work and have been using that for quite some time. Works as good as my expensive battlemat.
arrianna 05-11-05, 11:48 AM	[QUOTE=Aeromus]Yes, I just purchased a 58" x 108" battle Mat... [QUOTE] I just realized this... good God, that's bigger than my table cloths.
Aeromus 05-11-05, 12:04 PM	It's nearly 5 feet by 9 feet, bigger then most Vans/Trucks. That's why I stare in awe.
arrianna 05-11-05, 01:48 PM	[QUOTE=Aeromus]Yes, I just purchased a 58" x 108" battle Mat... [QUOTE] I just realized this... good God, that's bigger than my table cloths.
dasneakygit 05-11-05, 03:04 PM	I have one too for my gaming room, one corner was smuched in the tube so I got 20 bucks off :) My players freaked when they saw it. I like it cause sometimes I can draw a big section of dungeon then tape down scrap paper to it to slowly expose it to the players. Have you had much luck keeping it from getting creases? seems no matter how tight i roll it, it seems to begin taking on an oval shape and eventually creases. I have taken to leaving it out to prevent this.
PurdueDave 05-11-05, 04:17 PM	You should be able to find pens at an art store too...perhaps even a craft store. I've had no problems using the children's wet erase markers (like Crayola) you can find at someplace like Wal-Mart. They're quite inexpensive. You can find them in the stationary department or, with less effort, in the toy department.
Kevtar 05-11-05, 04:28 PM	I made an Obermap (had to use "O" since I don't have a "U" with the two 'dots' above it...) using two of the paper mats from the minis starter pack. I took them to a bookstore and laminated them. Then I taped them together using clear packing tape. They erase perfectly with "vis-a-vis" (the wet erase markers) or Expo "dry-erase" markers. And it's BIG. Mua ha ha ha ha ha.......
PearlJamaholic 05-11-05, 04:43 PM	I've had no problems using the children's wet erase markers (like Crayola) you can find at someplace like Wal-Mart. They're quite inexpensive. You can find them in the stationary department or, with less effort, in the toy department. exactly what i was gonna say. well not exactly but i was gonna mention the wash-able markers.
chrobry 05-12-05, 02:32 PM	Yes, I just purchased a 58" x 108" battle Mat... Now, that I have laid it out onto my make-shift table area to play... I find myself unable to over come the feeling of awe whilest gazing at it, to actually draw anything on it. Anyone else have this problem? That is a nice one!!! Personally I use a 21" monitor behind me that I display all my maps and such. I am dreaming of a projector that I could mount atop of a table and display everything directly on a table ::; drools :::