As a gift this past year I received a couple set of Terra clips by Wyrd Miniatures. For those unaware this is modular 3d terrain that has a subtle grid printed on it. So, I finally got around to assembling them with the help of some of my group members (damn things are petty much a 3d puzzle with no guide to go by) and used them for the first time in my last game session.
And I have to say, it was alot of fun. I know sometimes the board can get in the way of description and roleplaying in combat scenarios. But there was something that brought out childlike delight and imagination in my group when presented with beautiful 3d terrain for our game. We used the streets of malifaux and the buildings of malifaux to create a city environment in which we were defending against a kobold assault.
The terrain inspired more dynamic encounters (use of elevations, and terrain) and far more imaginative movement from the players. There was alot more jumping and climbing in this session then usual (including some spectacular leaps by the monk and some spectacular falls by the fighter) and the dm took pains to make the buildings part of the encounters as opposed to just obstacles or platforms.
That is not to say that this couldnt have been done with just white board, or even without a board entierly, it just really helped my group get into the situation and think in 3 dimensions instead of just 2.
Does anyone else have experience using 3d terrain in a game? If so please share your experience as well.
I use 3D terrain every game session now. My players cringe when they see me break out the dry erase markers and battle mats. My drawings are an eye sore and half the time I'm trying to make them visualize whats on the mat.
I currently use Fat Dragon Games and WorldWorks Games papercraft models. I agree that first starting out the assembling process can be rather frustrating BUT it doesn't take long to get the hang of it and in no time you're creating Keeps, Towers, a Cemetery, Traps, Siege Engines, etc...
I also just purchased the Wyrd Terra clips Malifaux sets and the Dungeon Rise sets. The lack of instructions put me off at first, but heck we're RPGer's, use that imagination. LOL Only drawback I did not like about these sets is the clips themselves. In some of the 3D buildings, you can't skimp on using clips for durability but the minis have a difficult time balancing on them.
Other 3D items that I use are Dwarven Forge dungeons, Itar's Workshop, and Dungeonstone products. Though pricey at times, you can find good deals on Ebay and Kickstarter.
All in all my players are having a great time with the 3D layouts, it lessens the confusion on where players/things are at, line of sight, etc...