This article is reprinted from the summer 1996 issue of Enclave magazine and is © Enclave magazine. You're granted permission to copy and distribute this article, as long as you don't modify the article and you keep this copyright notice with the article when you distribute it.

by Todd Furler

Last issue, I told you how to make stand-up posterboard miniatures to represent the characters in your roleplaying games. Now I'm going to talk about the different kinds of playing surfaces that you can put those miniatures on. The following is a list of several of the options that are available to you, from least expensive (in terms of either time or money) to most expensive, and the advantages and disadvantages of using each.

In future issues, we'll be describing how to make terrain features like hills for use with these playing features.

Incidentally, everything that's described here can be used for any type of miniature-based game, such as Warhammer™ or BattleTech™ as well as for roleplaying games.

Packaging Paper: These are rolls of paper that are used primarily for wrapping packages for shipment. They come in both white and kraft (brown) paper. If you get it at an office supply store, a typical roll is 2-1/2 feet by 52 feet and costs about $3. The same stuff is available in many craft supply stores for a similar price, but the roll is frequently much smaller (2-1/2 feet by 15 feet). So where you shop determines not the cost, but how much you get. Conceivably, this material will be even cheaper (or the roll will be bigger?) if you get it from a paper distributor.

Advantages: Can be cut into sheets of any size that's required. Great for unusually long rooms or terrain features. Sections of floor plans or terrain can be drawn ahead of time and presented to the players as required. Once a sheet is prepared, it can be easily stored for reuse at any point in the future.

Disadvantages: The paper isn't ruled, so drawing floor plans on it requires some care. This material is consumed by use, so you'll eventually have to get more. The roll can be awkward to work with. Make sure you have something available during play to keep the paper from rolling up.

Easel Pads: These are tablets of very large sheets of paper (nominally 27" by 34", but in reality they're slightly smaller). The sheets can be either blank or ruled in one-inch squares. The sheets are perforated for easy removal from the pad. You can get a 50-sheet easel pad from an office supply store for about $15.

Advantages: Ruled sheets make it easier to draw floor plans and to determine scale during play. Sections of floor plans or terrain can be drawn ahead of time and presented to the players as required. Once a sheet is prepared, it can be easily stored for reuse at any point in the future.

Disadvantages: This material is consumed by use, so you'll eventually have to get more. If you draw on the sheets with permanent marker, you'll only be able to use one side because it'll bleed through.

Homemade Gaming Boards: These are sheets of posterboard that are covered with acetate sheeting (available from art supply stores) or clear contact paper (available in many department stores). The board may be ruled, depending upon the industriousness of its creator. The GM draws each floor plan or terrain with either dry-erase markers or overhead projector markers. (Both can be found in office supply stores.) As the party moves along, the GM erases the scene and draws the next one.

(As an aside, you could make a gaming mat -- see the next entry -- even more easily than a gaming board. Most fabric stores carry vinyl-like material for making tablecloths for as little as $5 a yard. (A yard of fabric is 54" wide.) Party supply stores also carry rolls of plastic for use as disposable tablecloths. These run about $12 for an 80' length. In either case, you just have to draw the grid with a permanent marker.)

Advantages: Relatively easy and inexpensive to make. Reusable. Drawings on it are easy to modify.

Disadvantages: Making one with a grid, although easy, can be tedious. Only one setting can be drawn ahead of time. Under certain circumstances, markings may come off the board during play; this can alter the drawing, as well as stain clothing, character sheets, etc. Only the most recent setting can be stored for reuse, and doing so may permanently stain the board.

Dry-Erase Boards: These items are actually intended to be mounted on a wall, where messages would be drawn on them with dry-erase markers. But if you buy one and lay it flat on a gaming table, you can use it to depict scenery. Dry-erase boards are sold in office supply stores (but they're rather expensive there) and some variety stores (where they're a bit cheaper). Building supply stores like Home Depot should also carry large sheets (4 feet by 8 feet) of this same material for use as wall coverings in bathrooms. It's called "white tileboard," and it sells for about $12 per sheet. (Obviously, you'll need to cut it down a bit for it to be useful.)

Advantages: Reusable. Drawings on it are easy to modify.

Disadvantages: Same as those for a homemade gaming board. Also, they can be expensive, depending on the size you want and where you buy them.

Commercially Available Gaming Mats: These are vinyl mats that are ruled with either squares or hexagons. The largest one that I've seen, by Chessex, measures 34-1/2" by 48" and has a street price of about $25. Smaller mats are available for less cost. The GM draws on them with overhead projector markers.

Disadvantages: Same as those for a homemade gaming board, except you don't have to go through the tedium of making it.

Wooden Table-top Boards: The following tips were written by Mark Matyas, an Outrider for Games Workshop, who was kind enough to share with Enclave the methods for making a highly detailed table-top playing surface:

A very basic way of creating a suitable gaming surface is by purchasing a sheet of chipboard (also called particle board) and painting it. Generally, chipboard sheets are available in various sizes and thicknesses. A sheet roughly 4' x 8' and 1/2" or 3/4" thick is a standard size and is available from any home supply store and costs no more than 12 tol5 dollars. The 4' x 8' sheet can be used as is, space permitting, but should probably be cut down to a more manageable size, roughly 4' x 6'. 1 find 4' x 6' to be a comfortable size for a group of up to six players and should easily provide adequate room for miniatures and other materials.

The method of decorating and finishing your board depends mainly on personal taste, as well as the amount of time, money and effort you are willing to put forth. Painting your board with a water-based latex paint is quick and inexpensive and can create a pleasing overall effect. In addition, painting has the added advantage of utilizing both sides of your table top, each side representing different terrain. Generally, a solid color is sufficient to convey the idea of the type of terrain you wish to represent. For example, a medium green works well to represent most any outdoor environment, as does a light brown or a combination of these two colors. Other colors that can be used are blues for water, grays for dungeons and white for snow. Of course, any of these colors can be applied in different combinations to create varied environments. Further, an interesting effect can be created using textured paint on your board surface. Textured paint can be purchased at any paint shop or made at home using latex paint and a store bought texturing additive or fine sand. Simply pour your textured paint into a paint roller tray and with a standard roller apply the paint to your board.

Another method of decorating your board is to glue model railroad flock to the surface. Flocking an entire 4' x 6' board is an extremely time-consuming and messy affair, but the results can be a very realistic-looking board. The color of the flock will determine the overall appearance of your terrain. For instance, light brown to yellow flocking can be used to create a desert landscape, while dark greens and browns create a more lush effect. Many details can be added to further enhance the board, like model railroad ballast to represent boulders, lichen for undergrowth and model railroad trees for forests.

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