GameMastery Spell Templates: Miniatures Skirmish Package

I've used the Miniatures Skirmish Package for a few years now. It's essentially a plastic folder containing five things:

1. A 10' radius area of effect template;

2. A 20' radius area of effect template;

3. A 30' straight cone area of effect template;

4. A 30' diagonal cone area of effect template;

5. A line of sight indicator.

The area of effect templates are thick steel wire and perfect for the job--they won't bend or break, they accurately represent Pathfinder's way of doing area of effects, and you can set them right on a flip-mat without having to remove any miniatures. I've used the 20' radius one several times (mainly for the classic fireball) because I can never remember how to do it.

The line of sight indicator is one of those retractable string things that some people use for their keys. It's kind of a goofy idea, but it does actually work well (I find it most useful for trying to figure out distance when doing three-dimensional aerial or underwater combat.

From one perspective, these are essentially amateur products and $ 30 is a lot of money for the set. On the other hand, these are solutions to common gaming problems and certainly better than I can do on my own. So I think of them as worth the investment.

The spell templates are cool and extremely handy moreso than any other template i've used. The 4 templates included are certainly the most frequently used during my gaming sessions. However I must say the 25 dollar price tag for what is really just a bent wire coathanger is far to high. This would be a 5 star item at half the price. I would recommend this item for its usefullness at the table but gamers on a budget beware.

I've found these spell templates are very useful for my games and there's a good variety in the templates so that you can extrapolate if the radius / length is longer. It's close to being a must-have GM tool and they're highly recommended.

The Skirmish templates are one of my group's most-used gaming accessories (and trust me, we've tried a lot). They're very heavy duty and difficult to bend easily, they transport well, and they do exactly what they're advertised to do. The "Line of Sight Indicator" is a bit cheesy as it's simply a retractable badge holder, but the idea was sound and the addition was welcome in the package.

The biggest deterrent to the product was the price, but at $30, I honestly believe this is the most cost-effective of the Spell Templates with some of the most commonly used spell areas in the game (and those it doesn't have are simply large and unwieldy or small and easy to mark out. A very solid gaming accessory I personally suggest buying if you can get past the price.