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Old 12-24-2019, 10:42 PM   #1
FireHorse
 
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Default Layers of Elevation on a Tabletop

For anyone: Has it ever come up in your game that there are figures at two different elevations? And more specifically, any situation in which there is a layer directly on top of another?

And if so, how did you model that on the table?
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Old 12-25-2019, 07:22 AM   #2
JimmyPlenty
 
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Default Re: Layers of Elevation on a Tabletop

The rules of written have it At a simple plus two for the higher elevation and -2 to attack for the lower elevation.

There are rules online for some elevation rules when it comes to engagement and disengagement.They seem like they would work, can I wonder if the simple approach is better.


http://www.meleewizards.com/3d_TFT_hires.pdf
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Old 12-25-2019, 10:16 AM   #3
FireHorse
 
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Default Re: Layers of Elevation on a Tabletop

Sorry, I should have clarified — I'm talking about how to physically put those layers on the table.

I've designed a TFT hex map of a sailing vessel, and obviously it has more than one deck. Even if the action doesn't move into the lower cargo decks, the upper part has a main deck and a raised deck at each end of the ship. So it's possible for figures to be at the same XY location, but at different Z, and (depending on the exact location) for both of them to attack the same target.

And if anybody takes the fight down into those cargo holds, it's gonna get even more complicated…
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Old 12-25-2019, 11:35 AM   #4
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Layers of Elevation on a Tabletop

I put a hexmap for each level on the table (assuming the PCs can see all the levels) usually side by side.

Or if I want people not to know what's going on where their PC is not present at the moment, I only let the players who are there see the map where their PCs are, e.g. with a screen, multiple tables, or only showing one place at a time.

With suitably mature players, they can also just know they're supposed to roleplay their PC only seeing/knowing what their PC has seen.

It can get complex but it can also be quite fun and interesting. It helps if the architecture is understandable and/or familiar rather than unusual or quirky. That is, a ship with fore and aft buildings, or a building with balconies, is usually pretty easy for all the players to understand, but a natural cave with weird elevations can be harder to follow - trying to make it clearly marked on the hex maps helps.

As for rules, I think it's good to have the terrain matter, so I like more grain that TFT suggests. As SJG has noted in its current convention set pieces, their staircases end up usually having zero effect because not enough elevation changes at one hex distance, which I find disappointing, so I'd apply a -1 DX / +1 DX for half the elevation difference, so things like stairs can matter and be used tactically.

By the way, I've seen players get really excited by things like multi-level ship maps, and spend a whole session roleplaying moving around it doing different antics (mostly non-combat) in different places, teasing other characters into going places to investigate things that were actually tricks by other players, etc. And forcing retreat (or rolls not to fall in when falling down or falling into HTH) off a bannister or into the ocean (especially against someone in armor that means they can't swim) was greatly enjoyed...

Last edited by Skarg; 12-25-2019 at 11:39 AM.
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Old 12-25-2019, 12:39 PM   #5
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Default Re: Layers of Elevation on a Tabletop

Placing the different layers side by side is probably the only practical solution. The whole ship is 33" long (three sheets of US letter), but only 8.5" wide — so I suppose if the table is long enough for the larger dimension, there ought to be plenty of room for a few extra layers.

I can imagine it taking a lot of space though, if all the decks get used. Or if some lunatic player decides to have a duel up on the yard arms. Or rain missiles down from the crow's nest.

Not to mention the attacking ship…
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Old 12-26-2019, 05:29 PM   #6
ParadoxGames
 
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Default Re: Layers of Elevation on a Tabletop

The solution is to get HeroScape tiles.
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