Condition Markers

[kirksmithicus]

Before I forget for the umpteenth time again.

The inside of a coke lid is exactly 1 inch in diameter. So if you cut the sides of the lid down to size with a box knife then remove the soft plastic insert they make excellent condition markers. The D&D miniatures snap right in and stay on. Just make sure to be careful when cutting, I don't want to be responsible for anyone going to the emergency room. They come in a variety of colors and the regular red coke lids are great. If nothing else, pick up a six pack of coke for bloodied markers.

Some other bits of advice, use the lids from 20 oz. (or smaller) bottles as the sides of the lids are thinner than the plastic lids on a 2 liters. The 2 liter lids can be extremely hard to cut and so you are more prone to cutting yourself. If you find yourself forcing the knife, stop! because you are about to hurt yourself. To get the soft inserts out, make a cut near the edge of it and pick at it with the tip of your knife until you can grab it with a pair of needle nose pliers, then you can usually pull it out pretty easy by that point.

[wizarddog]

I use Backgammon pieces. Red ones for bloodied, white for any conditions (usually to just remind that they have a condition). Marks are usually handled by small plastic crystal thing'ies (Not mine, so don't know the name.)

[LadyPhoenix]

Sometimes I use coloured paperclips. Bend them to shape and they'll hang off any mini. Super easy to remove.

[Malruhn]

I have used both under-mini markers and over-mini markers to good effect.

If it's a boost - it goes under the mini (the 20-oz caps work well!), and if it's a negative affect (slow/poison/whatever), it hangs over the mini and looks like it "gets in the way"... like a negative affect would.

But - that's just me.

Besides - 20-oz caps are all over gaming group tables, so they are readily available, and a box of 100+ plastic-covered paper clips only costs a couple of bucks - so this is a very cheap method of showing conditions.

One of the last sessions I ran had a player that planned out his next-round actions and went to launch into moving his mini when his turn rolled around again - and when he grabbed the mini, the paper-clip jiggled... and he remembered that he was slowed. It worked well!

[Obah Bason]

These are expensive, but I want them anyway...

http://www.aleatools.com/

[Aramil Swingblade]

this one party i was with used the colored sticky note tabs that you would use to mark places in a book or on a piece of paper, each player got a color to represent thier respective marks and red was for bloodied. they work out great :)

[Daenon]

Getting either the little tiny rubber bands they use for braces, or the little rubber bands for hair styling.... those work amazingly well. In addition, you can get a bajillion of them in many, many different colors for extremely cheap.

My $0.02 for what it's worth. Thanks for posting this thread to get ideas and different approaches out there for us!

[Malruhn]

Dude! That is a STUPID cheap idea - and I see that it could work REALLY well. Gamers are notoriously short of fundage - especially since the books are so danged expensive.

Thank you for the GREAT idea!! This is especially easy for me, as I have THREE daughters (LOTS of hair ties) and two of the three have had braces and we still have bajillions of the rubber bands sitting around in drawers!

[Daenon]

Glad I could be of help! I'm wondering about any other ideas or thoughts as well. Combinations of markers for different things is always helpful since there are sooo many effects.

[Otakar]

Yea, these are really good ideas. I was using pieces for colored construction paper. I think I'll go with the paper clips.