Again to the Theater
The core argument in favor of Theater of the Thoughts (TotM) facilities on emphasizing the large image over minute-to-minute positioning. The thought being that the success of a celebration relies upon much less on the precise squares a personality occupies and extra on the group’s cohesion, the standard of their general technique, and their willingness to collect intelligence. Briefly, TotM play approaches fight by focusing much less on tactical positioning and extra on how the general problem is met.
Pace, Immersion, and Consideration
One of many biggest advantages of TotM is the velocity it provides to gameplay. When a system focuses on narrative movement, time is not spent meticulously positioning figures or measuring actual distances for each motion. As an alternative, gamers can describe their character’s meant actions earlier than initiative is rolled, and the motion proceeds rapidly. This permits the sport to take care of momentum with out being ceaselessly interrupted by tactical changes, notably motion on a board or battle map.
TotM depends closely on the members’ potential to visualise the scene, encouraging gamers to make use of their imaginative expertise. As a few of our previous discussions on recreation design have explored (see The Chain of Creativeness and The Misplaced Artwork of Making Issues Up), the observe of visualizing narrative particulars by oral-only descriptions requires focus. With miniatures, your character’s positioning exists whether or not you describe it or not, however in ToTM your PC is simply as current in an imagined area as you and your DM describe it.
Relying solely on oral descriptions additionally means gamers have an opportunity to have interaction their imaginations totally. By demanding better deal with the spoken phrase, TotM prioritizes qualitative fight—stuff that stirs feelings and feels chaotic, jumbled, and terrifying—over purely quantitative fight with measured distances.
Order vs. Chaos?
Whereas TotM excels at prioritizing narrative movement, it naturally comes with a trade-off in tactical precision. Eradicating geospatial relationships and maneuver from fight can deemphasize the significance of tangible positioning, typically a vital think about fight techniques that contain flanking, stealth, and shock. The dearth of a grid makes adjudicating spells involving ranged or area-of-effect assaults way more summary and might result in disputes over line of fireside. When these sorts of conditions crop up, the adjudication depends on the Recreation Grasp’s imaginative and prescient (who presumably has the perfect perspective of the place monsters and PCs are located), and this will depart gamers unsure concerning the dangers their characters are taking.
TotM, like grid-style play, shouldn’t be an absolute both. For sensible causes, video games will typically shift from one model to a different. It is one factor to slog your means by a dungeon, checking for pit traps alongside the best way with each tentative step, and one other to free-fall off an airship whereas participating aerial combatants. One lends itself to a grid, the opposite requires three-dimensional play in a means that’s not simple to copy with out figuring out the “Z” axis in peak on a tabletop. ToTM may work simply wonderful for many teams in these sorts of complicated fight conditions, who then shift again to miniature play when toes are firmly planted on the bottom.
TotM will also be key in protecting gamers and their characters at midnight. When it is vital to shock PCs with “fog of struggle” model mechanics, it may be difficult to maintain visible info from spoiling an ambush or a entice with out protecting or hiding the map. Shifting gears to TotM communicates that the sport shifts in tone, which works properly for horror-themed situations.
Completely different Strokes for Completely different People
Finally, the selection between these two types comes right down to group choice. If the first purpose is to inform a narrative to your gamers, TotM will help inform it extra rapidly and extra merely. Conversely, in case your group prioritizes exact, tactical fight the place each five-foot step issues, the grid is important. The secret is discovering the strategy that finest serves your recreation’s wants and ensuring everybody is aware of what model the desk can be utilizing earlier than you begin.
Your Flip: Which kind of encounters do you all the time resolve utilizing ToTM and why?
