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AD&D - Let's talk Theater of the mind
For some, theater of the mind is hard concept to grasp...
Today on the podcast, I'm talking Theater of the Mind—the old-school, no-map, pure-imagination way to run your tabletop RPGs. Some love it, some hate it, but for me? It’s one of the best ways to keep the game fast, cinematic, and immersive. I’ll break down how to run a killer game without needing a battle map, give some practical tips for describing action so your players stay engaged, and explain when it works best (and when maybe you should break out the minis). If you want your fights to feel like something out of a comic book panel rather than a grid-based chess game, this episode is for you.
Really interesting episode and a good explanation.
DM: The four goblins advance towards you, what will you do?
Player 1: I'll hurl myself towards goblin #1, leap onto his shoulders whilst breaking his neck, land behind another two, bash their heads together crushing their skulls instantly, then swing one corpse round catching the remaining goblin in the face and knocking him out.
Player 2: er ...
When using a map or similar you tend to adopt the turn sequence methodically, you move, and attack, moving requires actually doing something on the map, but this sequence can get lost with theatre of the mind play, so its important not to just ask what the players will do after describing the situation, but maintain the turn sequence so it doesn't go out of play like the above example.
P.S. I've even had similar in map play, players doing their whole turn of actions, including rolling for attacks and damage, even before anyone else has a chance to speak, so its not just map-less, just that its a lot easier to lose control.
And it def works for solo play too!