This is a just out of interest question. (me being new to Shadowrun) I was wondering what other people do to keep track of all their players and NPC's.

Do you all use game mats or other methods.

If you do use game mats what do you use to symbolize the players.

If miniatures where do you get your Shadowrun miniatures from.

how do you like to determine the distance between characters.

Or what other methods do you all use.

we use 1" = 1 m mats and differnt colored d6s to represent the characters and susing the 2 as the facing.

A 3' by 4' white board laid on a table, using different colored dry-erase markers. Make a scale of x"=x meters and you're good to go.

I tend to like the BattleMats™, which aren't all that shabby and use wet-erase markers. They're simply handy.

Something I wish Fanpro could do, which PEGinc does really well, is figure flats. You buy the pdf at rpgnow. com and then print them out onto cardstock. I'm not really a minitures guy, but cardstock is really good. My current game is using it to good effect (we're playing Savage Worlds with 50 Fathoms).

For determining distance, I usually say that 1" = 1 meter. If you can snag one, WizKids released these little tap measures with their starter sets of MageKnight. I find them really useful in conjunction with a battle mat. For snipers, just guesstimate it.

Don

I use the 25mm shadowrun miniatures in conjunction with the DMZ and Sprawl Maps colored maps, as well as DMG boards and dryerase markers. The scale on the maps/boards vary depending on our need, but usually 1" = 2 meters.

The miniatures I've acquired from a variety of sources: various gaming stores, stiggybaby.com, and e-bay.

And shadd4d, if you're interested in shadowrun cardstock figures some came with the SR 1st edition GM screen (along with a pretty good adventure called SilverAngel) and some came with the DMZ board game.

Yeah, but the problem is that they aren't available except if you, like you yourself, got "into the game at the early stage" and actually picked up the SR1 and DMZ.

I'd like something like that from RPGnow.com. It just seems like one of the many things Deadlands and PEGinc does right.

Don

I use the DMZ and Shadowrun lead minis on a BattleMat 1" = 1m or 1" = 2m, depending on the needs of the scale. 0 reach = must be 1m appart, 1 reach = 2m, 2 reach = 3m, etc. for melee. I also use a lot of the cutouts on the WotC webpage for generic stuff (graveyard, etc). to add a bit more 3d to it, and I've got one player who wants to start making custom cut-outs for the PCs using Photoshop. Dunno if he'll ever get around to it, but it's a cool idea I think.

The Abstruse One

Provided I had them, I would use Necromunda and Warhammer 40k minis as my preferred SR minis.

Sadly, I have neither maps nor minis. Which isn't too bad considering that all of my SR games thus far have been online.

We've used M&Ms. Has the added advantage of helping cut down on the numbers of enemy in the immediate vicinity.

I make detailed scale maps and plans using architectural software, and mark in pencils where everyone is (PC wise). I only add in NPCs as the players see/encounter them.

Sometimes I even make two sets of maps - ones the PC get via decking/contacts, and then the actual site (plans submitted to the city may not be the ones that get built )

Chief Architect (PC prog.). Create floorplans, and generate 3D views of interior/exterior from any angle, add furniture and equipment, etc.

If I can find a way to pop the finished plans over to my mac, I might post PDFs of floor plans for others to use.

Too cool.

If you do, someone else is already hosting a map site - yours would be a welcome addition.

-Siege

I use a piece of ripped out notebook paper that looks like it's been scrawled on by a demon possessed wiggle with arthritis. Then we use d6 to mark each player's location, not that it really matters, or we even really pay attention, but it's something.

I wish I had some sort of aritistic talent. Be nice if my character portraits were more than just stick figures. I can tell the difference, others, not so much.

I generally use a wet-erase gaming mat (hexes on one side, squares on the other), with the cardboard cutouts from DMZ, (or Cardboard Heroes from SJGames for other settings).

I love miniatures, but I have neither the skill nor the patience to paint them all. Besides with the cardboard cutouts, I can easily carry around over 1000 cutouts all pre-organized into individual encounter/location-based zip-lock baggies. Throw all the little baggies into a big freezer bag, and you have instant mini's for any situation for under 2 pounds, and the size of 2 good sized books.

This is one reason I like PEGinc. They do figure flats, i.e. cardstock real, real well.

Don

Way back when I worked in a grocery store, I'd save sides from big cardboard boxes. Paper towel ones worked nice. I'd draw maps on them, using different colors for walls, doors, windows, furniture, plants. Cover them with pieces of paper and uncover as discovered.

Also had the 1st edition and DMZ cardstock as well as lots of SR minis. Had the maps from DMZ and that batch FASA printed. I think there were 8 (?) maps. If I wanted an alley, I'd place a couple of the builing maps to create a corridor.

I saw some fold up buildings with a grim future theme to them somewhere, but lost the link.
I'd like to see some fold together buildings for SR. A stuffershack, McHughs and Weapons World would be nice.

Great! Already I think I can put some of this to use. Cheers Kagetenshi!

As what will soon be the Index says, most of the thanks should go to Backgammon. I may eventually put some of my own maps up, though.

~J

I have an idea. LEGO!!!!!!! By using lego men and building blocks to keep track!

Also there are loads of different buildings and vehicles you can build and use. Of course with the different themed lego there is you can use all those for different missions and you could use modeling paste to custom make figures! Not just that but because they can be put into different poses you can tell when someone is crouched or aiming and stuff!!!

I came up with the idea when I was looking into GURPS and thought it would be cool to make a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles version (the original cartoons not the new ones, and yes I am 24 years old) and was in the super market and saw Mega blocks (lego's rival) had made a TMNT themed set of blocks!

I've been thinking of Lego's myself, but (sadly) I got rid of my (very extensive) collection many years ago. Getting a whole new collection will have to wait until I procreate.

Thats the only problem with the new plastic mini's everyone is putting out these days. They're "Collectable" so you have to really wait for the after-market sales to get the ones you want without wading through everything else. And God forbid, you want one that's deemed rare.

Other than that, I think they're a great idea for the artistically or time constrained folks like myself.

We used a laminated grid and mini's for D&D, so we'll probably do the same for SR. Only problem is we don't have SR Mini's, so all of our 'Runners will be carrying swords and bows, at least on the map. We've never had a problem with looking out of place, for the last year I was using a WarHammer mini in D&D.

Maybe 40k minis or necromunda minis then? they're just so bloody expensive though!!!!!