dmtucker
Tool Gatherer
Looking for adventure ideas.
Posts: 64
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Post by dmtucker on May 10, 2014 15:36:08 GMT
I play D&D 4e, I want to know that basic miniatures to have for my games and how many of each, I have the monster manual 1 book. I want a list of commenly used minis like orcs, goblins, kobolds, dragons, etc. because I want to know what ones to buy.
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Post by bloodchoke on May 10, 2014 17:04:24 GMT
I would first suggest getting the Monster Vault, form the Essential line. I'm not a 4e hater by any means, but it was pretty broken when they first released it (the skill check DCs, for instance, were changed at least twice between DMG1 and the DM Guide). MM1 monsters will work, but the ones from the Vault are generally more balanced and often more fun. Solo creatures were especially changed, so I would recommend sticking to the Vault for those, when you can.
Anyway, if you don't have any minis, I would say start with some that can be used to represent many creatures. 5-10 medium, 3-4 large and maybe a winged creature or two. It sucks having to pretend that Bugbear is really an Ogre, but it will work until you build a better collection. Hell, even coins will work, and in some ways, plain markers may kinda be better, since players will be forced to picture the enemy in their head. You might also want to consider PC level and buy creatures that your players are likely to fight first. Goblins, kobold, orcs are an obvious start, and probably also a few human figs.
If you're comfortable painting, Bones are a great option. Legendary Encounters, D&D Minis, and Pathfinder Battles are all prepainted--some far better than others--and you can get them pretty cheap. Mageknight minis can be found on ebay pretty cheap and re purposed, as can many toys (there are two good threads about this). Also, someone posted a link to these 1/72 figures that are incredibly low priced. That could be a quick and cheap way to accumulate a lot of minis, just know that scale-wise they'll look pretty puny next to a 28mm figure.
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Post by Muze on May 10, 2014 17:58:43 GMT
I would first suggest getting the Monster Vault, form the Essential line. I'm not a 4e hater by any means, but it was pretty broken when they first released it (the skill check DCs, for instance, were changed at least twice between DMG1 and the DM Guide). MM1 monsters will work, but the ones from the Vault are generally more balanced and often more fun. Solo creatures were especially changed, so I would recommend sticking to the Vault for those, when you can. Anyway, if you don't have any minis, I would say start with some that can be used to represent many creatures. 5-10 medium, 3-4 large and maybe a winged creature or two. It sucks having to pretend that Bugbear is really an Ogre, but it will work until you build a better collection. Hell, even coins will work, and in some ways, plain markers may kinda be better, since players will be forced to picture the enemy in their head. You might also want to consider PC level and buy creatures that your players are likely to fight first. Goblins, kobold, orcs are an obvious start, and probably also a few human figs. If you're comfortable painting, Bones are a great option. Legendary Encounters, D&D Minis, and Pathfinder Battles are all prepainted--some far better than others--and you can get them pretty cheap. Mageknight minis can be found on ebay pretty cheap and re purposed, as can many toys (there are two good threads about this). Also, someone posted a link to these 1/72 figures that are incredibly low priced. That could be a quick and cheap way to accumulate a lot of minis, just know that scale-wise they'll look pretty puny next to a 28mm figure. This pretty much sums it up.
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dmtucker
Tool Gatherer
Looking for adventure ideas.
Posts: 64
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Post by dmtucker on May 10, 2014 18:23:13 GMT
I have minis I just want to know wich ones to get, what monsters do you use often? I have goblins, kobolds, orcs, 1 skeleton(need 3 more), 1 dragon(need more), a hill giant, a ferel troll, griffon, rage drake, treant, some player characters, 1 madusa, 2 grells, 3 human cultists, and more. I just want to know what ones I should get. I like traditional fantasy monsters with some exeptions. What ones do you use a lot?
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Post by DMNate on May 10, 2014 21:30:40 GMT
I think it depends on how you like to DM. Maybe start with stand-ins (coins, glass beads, etc) until you have an idea of what kind of stuff is needed.
Another option would be to go with paper minis. You can print out a huge amount of monsters at many different scales and sizes.
Personally, I like to have 10-15 minions, 5-8 mediums, 2-3 large, and 1 boss, per adventure. This changes depending on the adventure, though.
This is a signature. It's my signature, to be exact.
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Post by Muze on May 10, 2014 21:39:53 GMT
I think that is a question of personal preference. I have always collected more pc and npc minis as in my games I don't tend to throw hordes of monsters at one time. The pc and npc minis give more individuality to the encounters. However I do love orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, half-orcs and all forms of demons. For some reason I also have an affinity for aspects and god minis.
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Post by ReliantLion on May 11, 2014 1:34:24 GMT
I haven't been playing terribly long, but I'd suggest getting Pathfinder Pawns. Maybe just the first box at first. Is it for another system? Yes. Is it going to have everything you want? No. Is it very cheap and easy? Yes.
With the pawns, when you put it into the stand, the name of the monster is covered up, so you can say it is whatever you want. The first Bestiary Box has many of the common enemies you will have your players face. Don't avoid putting a monster on the table because you don't have the proper representation of it. Remember, you can show them a picture. You can either print out pictures ahead of time, or show them on your laptop/tablet/whatever. One thing I think would be neat to use in D&D is Chromecast to deliver tabs to your TV...
Anyways, what kind of budget are you working with? Are you playing at YOUR house, a friend's house, or a store? (Mainly because of transportation)
Something to consider if you're playing at a store, I personally would not use coins on the table at all. It's illegal to have gambling at certain types of establishments, and the store managers might have a problem with you having money on the table. Unlikely, but something to consider.
When I win the lottery, I am going to buy a set of every mini ever, and it won't be an issue ever. Wish me luck!
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Post by adamantinedragon on May 11, 2014 3:10:27 GMT
Before you begin the never-ending and bank account exhausting pursuit of the perfect set of miniatures, it would help to know some things about your gaming situation.
Are you designing your own campaign? Or are you running a module or set of modules? Even if you are running your own campaign, is it set in a standard PF or WotC game world like "Forgotten Realms"? What minis you need will depend on what the setting is and what sorts of creatures your PC group is likely to encounter.
Having said that, here are a couple things to think about. 1. I have well over 1,000 miniatures Heck, by now I could be approaching 2,000. They range from expensive D&D minis to minis I made myself from oven bake clay or epoxy putty. I have entire plastic bins filled with undead, goblins, orcs, elves, dwarves, etc. And I still find myself not having the minis I need for specific encounters.
2. Monsters are actually the easy part of mini collecting. That's just a matter of time and money. What is harder to find are the right NPC miniatuers, things like farmers, merchants, storekeepers, barroom roughs, barmaids, etc. When I started making my own minis, after making a slew of goblins, orcs and kobolds, I decided that I could find most monsters cheaply online if I looked, but I never have enough high society matrons, viziers to the king, court jesters etc. So other than custom monsters of my own design, I mostly sculpt NPCs these days.
3. This is a game of the imagination. Before I went on my mini collecting binge a few years ago, I played more than 30 years with less than 100 total minis, and did most of my encounters with simple markers and game pieces.
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Post by kokigami on May 11, 2014 5:53:23 GMT
yeah, I think I would advise staying abstract for a few years. Because the kind of minis you are likely to need depends completely on your setting. I need Aztecs and Egyptians, and Ahoggya, and Shen. But I don't play in a typical euro centric campaign.
If you are the DM, and you really want 3d minis.. (I can understand that) then, plan your campaign around the minis you have, or that you acquire. Or, acquire on a as needed bases. Lets say your using a campaign. Look through the encounters a few encounters ahead. If you don't have a good mini for it, or at least a fair proxy, then it is time to get it, so you can get it painted, assuming you paint em. I spent years with a few dozen bare figures, and terrain was just books or pop cans set up for hills or trees. I didn't go on a minis binge until I met Chirine, who owns some 4000+ figures he has been collecting since he gamed with Arneson and Barker back "in the day". And he is still expanding his collection. (mind you, this is for the same, non euro world that I am playing in.. So, in his collection he has a few dragon like critters, and no orcs, goblins, trolls or what have you..
But, if you are dead set on the path, tell us about your campaign.... it is the only way to know what you are likely to need. (
I would seriously urge you to consider paper flats. Quality can be good, transportation and storage is easy, and you can get a huge variety of figs for cheap. This will save you from investing in stuff you won't use.
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2014 8:19:16 GMT
For townsfolk and simple background NPC characters, I use the paper standees from Paizo, for Pathfinder.. townsfolk, donkeys, livestock, that sort of thing. For basic adventurer miniatures, either the players can take care of buying their own character miniatures, or just use some stock sets and hope for the best, I don't bother with many human adventurer types, because my players rarely play humans. I got cheap sets of zombies and have loads of undead, lots of monsters, way more dragons than I probably need, less demons and devils than I would prefer.
And never underestimate the power and utility of a ball of modelling plasticine clay.
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Post by sgtslag on May 13, 2014 16:44:18 GMT
Well, if you want Giant figures, I would suggest my blog page on the topic, with painted examples (links to sources for the figures are also posted on the blog page). Depending on how big you want your Goblins, Orcs, Dwarves, and Elves to be, I would suggest you consider Caesar's fantasy figures: around $12 + S/H (off of e-Bay), for a box of 36 figures, in 1/72 scale. This may make them too short for your needs, however. Another source of figures for your games, is Mage Knight pre-paints. You will want to research their OOP lines for appropriate figures, but many of their old, OOP lines, are perfect for use with D&D games. Prices vary, considerably, as well as many not being available anymore, but they may be worth the effort to locate. Cheers!
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Post by rane on May 14, 2014 4:45:44 GMT
I bought a bunch of D&D miniatures to proxy for my Descent Second Edition conversion kit - I got most from auggies, cool stuff, and miniature market. You can find a lot of unpainted ones for as low as 99 cents. They sell most of the Reaper Bones collection for super low prices as well (not a perfect match but you can use your imagination!)
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dmtucker
Tool Gatherer
Looking for adventure ideas.
Posts: 64
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Post by dmtucker on May 14, 2014 13:17:03 GMT
No I want to know what miniatures to buy, I'm going to get more this weekend and want to know what minis to buy like for example: 3 orcs, 4 goblins, etc.(I have thos minis).
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Post by uselesssage on May 14, 2014 15:31:38 GMT
That's just it, though. The minis you want are totally contingent on the needs of your game. Orcs, goblins, bugbears and skeletons are great if you plan on running low-level games against those classic races. If that's your plan, I'd say have 6-8 goblins, orcs, skeletons and kobolds on hand, a smattering of slightly tougher creatures like bugbears and such, and some common "monster" monsters like the rust monster or dire wolves. Don't grab any big creatures unless you know you want to run them. Having said that, your game is YOUR game. If you don't know what minis you need, then either plan your game around what you have and can get, or plan to wing it. Nobody can tell you what you need but you, and maybe your players if they know what they want to fight. But it won't do you any good to go buying two Chokers and a Beholder because WE said that you'd need them.
Personally, I say buy cheap board game pawns for your monsters, sharpie a number on them, and then keep track that way. Maybe have a picture of the monster you're using on your smart phone so you can show it to your players. And as for players, sometimes giving them a mini that looks exactly like their character isn't a good call because they can't keep track of it - or you can't. Likewise, letting them just pick a mini that looks cool but doesn't match the description of their character (using, oh, say, Han Solo as a stand in for your cleric) might lead to a disconnect. Better to just cut out a square of index card, write the name of the player or character on it, mount it on a square of cardboard or foamboard or cereal box or just leave it as is and use that.
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Post by onethatwas on May 15, 2014 4:18:33 GMT
If you truly want a definative list, then what you'll be getting is what others find useful, which may not suit your list. HOWEVER, If its what you want...
I go for mobs for generalised reasons...creatures that can stand in for other creatures, that you can toss on the table en masse.
I'd go for 4 to 6 Orcs (really good monster that scales up in levels well), 6 to 12 Goblins (of varied models) because they're small, an ogre/troll creature, a dragon type monster, 1 to 2 demons (to preference), 3 wizards (1 female, 1 Necromancer looking one, and 1 that just looks epic), 3 Warriors (same split as the wizard), a male and female rogue, and a horde of undead (lots and lots and lots). Doesn't matter what type.
I also like to have odd ball creatures. It never hurts to have a good beholder (but modeling your own isn't that hard), and I'm fond of giants. I also have a gaggle of dryads from Games Workshop that fit in with some self crafted horror trees. Neato.
Also, a few townsfolk type minis for scene fillers or non-combat NPC's. I like slaves and unarmed minis that can serve as prisoners personally.
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Post by Sleepy Hollow Mike on May 15, 2014 13:51:34 GMT
I went thru this same issue when after having left the hobby for 25 years and reentering it. I of course had nothing to start with. I started with the party. I picked up the appropriate minis and just collected or crafted what I needed from there. I also had my moments of "I gotta have that!". I will not be using my beholder mini for the foreseable future but...I paint so that one filled a dual role. Just go through your adventure plan and pick out the main minis that you will need and proxy the rest by using the previously mentioned Sm-Med-Lg. assortment theory!
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dmtucker
Tool Gatherer
Looking for adventure ideas.
Posts: 64
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Post by dmtucker on May 16, 2014 23:34:53 GMT
I'm going shopping and want to know which minis to buy(from reaper, Wizards, or Pathfinder). What monsters do you use a lot/what would you suggest for monsters in a normal dungeon adventure.
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Post by adamantinedragon on May 17, 2014 3:37:10 GMT
I'm going shopping and want to know which minis to buy(from reaper, Wizards, or Pathfinder). What monsters do you use a lot/what would you suggest for monsters in a normal dungeon adventure. You could always just focus on the classics and look for some of the following: Orcs, goblins and kobolds for low level campaigns Undead, focusing on skeletons, burning skeletons, zombies, ghouls, wights, all the way up to vampires and ghosts if your campaign is tilted that way It never hurts to pick up some animals if you happen to be near a toy store or a dollar store where you can sometimes find a good mix of jungle or forest creatures And you can never go wrong with a dozen or so elves, dwarves and human in various garb. Toss in a couple halflings and/or gnomes for good measure. Of course you need bosses. They didn't call it "Dungeons and DRAGONS" for nothing you know. Dragons are always great. I've got about a hundred or so dragon miniatures myself, ranging from medium to colossal/gargantuan size. I've got a bone dragon that is roughly the size of a DC3 in game terms. Other classic bosses are giants (which can be created quite cheaply from toys made to a larger scale than the 28mm) or ogres. I tend to like unique bosses, but you can get some nice use from a succubus or two, or a winged demon. I sort of like golems too, and you can find lots of robot minis that work great as metal golems. It never hurts to have a set of tavern denizens too, from barmaids to local scoundrels that you can use as information providers and hooks to campaign plot twists.
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Post by kokigami on May 17, 2014 6:53:46 GMT
and, honestly, the most dangerous foes you can put your player up against can often be humans. No predicting how they will act. Sneaky devils.
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dmtucker
Tool Gatherer
Looking for adventure ideas.
Posts: 64
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Post by dmtucker on May 17, 2014 13:56:51 GMT
I'm going shopping and want to know which minis to buy(from reaper, Wizards, or Pathfinder). What monsters do you use a lot/what would you suggest for monsters in a normal dungeon adventure. You could always just focus on the classics and look for some of the following: Orcs, goblins and kobolds for low level campaigns Undead, focusing on skeletons, burning skeletons, zombies, ghouls, wights, all the way up to vampires and ghosts if your campaign is tilted that way It never hurts to pick up some animals if you happen to be near a toy store or a dollar store where you can sometimes find a good mix of jungle or forest creatures And you can never go wrong with a dozen or so elves, dwarves and human in various garb. Toss in a couple halflings and/or gnomes for good measure. Of course you need bosses. They didn't call it "Dungeons and DRAGONS" for nothing you know. Dragons are always great. I've got about a hundred or so dragon miniatures myself, ranging from medium to colossal/gargantuan size. I've got a bone dragon that is roughly the size of a DC3 in game terms. Other classic bosses are giants (which can be created quite cheaply from toys made to a larger scale than the 28mm) or ogres. I tend to like unique bosses, but you can get some nice use from a succubus or two, or a winged demon. I sort of like golems too, and you can find lots of robot minis that work great as metal golems. It never hurts to have a set of tavern denizens too, from barmaids to local scoundrels that you can use as information providers and hooks to campaign plot twists. Thank you so much that was what I was looking for, thanks!
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