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Combat is usually a given in any D&D session. Many times, it’s the primary focus. And it’s common that DMs use verbal description to illustrate details in battle, such as positioning, hits, spells being cast, etc. However, depending on your skill level, relying on just verbal description of a battle scene can become overwhelming. And the larger your group is, the greater sense of overwhelm you’ll experience.

So instead of relying on just verbal descriptions of the battle scene, try implementing some sort of visual method as well. Here are some examples of what you can do, and some tips to implement them.

Tokens
The simple token may very well be a great leap in being able to accurately describe combat details. You can use whatever you want for tokens, such as pennies, checkers, and even candy (which my girlfriend has does when she DMs). You can place the tokens around the table to approximate the positions of each player. There’s no need to be absolutely precise, if you don’t want to be. However, if you do want more precision, I’ll get into it below.

Also, you may want to try using different tokens to represent different groups. Such as pennies for your PCs and candy for hostile NPCs (regardless of whether they’re monsters or just hostile humanoids). One bonus to using candy (or other kinds of munchies) for NPCs is that once they’re dead, you can have the player who landed the killing blow eat them.

Miniatures
However, perhaps your players would like to have a touch of uniqueness to how their PCs are represented. The D&D Miniatures that Wizards of the Coast manufacture are perfect for this. Feel free to use miniatures from other sources as well. You and your players are only limited to your imagination, so use what you’d like. However, one cool thing about the D&D miniatures box sets is the inclusion of various monster races. These can definitely spice up the battle, as then you have the exact representation of the monsters your PCs are encountering.

I do recommend trying to get miniatures that stay in the same scale. Yes, I did mention that you’re only limited by your imagination, but keeping scale in mind can help with visualization. Besides, it would seem rather ridiculous to have a little miniature the size of your pinky nail fighting alongside a G.I. Joe figurine, and they both represent creatures of medium size (aside from the fact that a G.I. Joe figurine would be totally out of place to begin with, unless you’re doing a more modern themed adventure or campaign).

Now that we have PC and NPC representation discussed, let’s move on to precise positioning of those pieces.

The Simple Grid
If you have the DMG, then I’m sure you’ve noticed the two-sided grid pull-out. Each square being one square inch, it’s perfect to use with D&D Miniatures, as well as other miniatures (such as those found in Warhammer) and tokens. Since movement in D&D is most often referred to 5-foot squares, that simple grid in the back of your DMG is great for more precisely detailing positioning in a battle.

One thing you can do with the grid, aside from using miniatures and/or tokens, is to use other objects to represent obstacles. Perhaps you can use a small stick or match to represent a wall or barricade. You can cut out a piece of paper and place it on the grid to represent a pond or lake, a pit, or a raging bonfire. Use your imagination to get more fun out of that plain grid, and at the same time better provide your players with a visual representation of the action.

The Decorated Grid
I’ve seen Wizards of the Coast publish some decorated grids, which I think come with the D&D miniatures series of products. Taking a quick look through Amazon, I guess what I have seen in the past has been the feature tiles. I haven’t had much of a chance to delve into the Miniatures series of products, but I do plan to some day. Nonetheless, you can use the feature tiles to help better visualize battle scenes.

Also, you can try designing and printing out your own grid layouts as well. You can do this by hand on some pre-created 1-inch grid paper, or you can use an image editing program (such as Photoshop or GIMP) to create an image and add the grid squares to it. Again, you’re only limited by your own imagination.

Going Even Further - Terrain and Structures
Now, if you’re much like I am, you may have gazed and drooled over the setups that Games Workshop has in their mall stores. They are indeed quite impressive. And, as a bonus, they use very much the same system that D&D has been using since the introduction of 3.0 - 1-inch = 5 feet. So why not use some of Games Workshop’s products with your D&D campaign?

Also, Wizards of the Coast has published the Mapfolio 3D, which contains colored artwork and instructions to create actual structures and terrain to use with your adventures and campaigns. You can even find many of the same structures featured in the product on their official D&D website, and for free! In fact, the fold-up structures were first offered on their website before Mapfolio 3D was published.

Also, going back to Games Workshop’s products, take advantage of their miniatures as well! If you’re the kind who likes to put your players through large combat situations, as I am prone to do (you can ask my players too, as they’ve been surrounded by the Emerald Claw early on), these would be a great help in quickly getting lots of pieces on the table. Also, the pieces usually come in groups, so that you have a whole unit for an army, rather than just a single soldier.

Since D&D is typically a fantasy game, you’ll probably be more interested in using miniatures from the Warhammer series of products. However, if you have a campaign with a different settings, definitely look into the other product lines that Games Workshop offers. For example, you can try using the sci-if counterpart, Warhammer 40,000.

Of course, you don’t have to spend a boatload of cash on either Games Workshop or Wizards of the Coast products. You can easily create your own stuff. You can even get structure and terrain items from your local hobby shop. In particular, the stuff they sell for those train sets comes to mind.

So there you have it. Tokens, miniatures, and grids. And if you want to completely overhaul your D&D sessions, terrain and structures as well. Also, you don’t have to keep this to just describing combat encounters. You can use these things throughout your adventure and/or campaign. As I’ve said a couple times earlier in this article, you’re only limited by your imagination. So go wild, build something cool and memorable for yourself and your players. And most of all, have fun!