DMs have a lot of difficult decisions to make when starting a new campaign.
Whether it’s the number of players to have at the table, how often to play, or what kind of setting the campaign will take place in, there’s a lot to think about.
But one of the most important decisions they’ll need to make right off the jump is whether or not they’ll be playing a Theater of the Mind campaign.
- See also:
For those unaware, Theater of the Mind refers to the style of D&D that takes place entirely in the collective imaginations of those involved. There are no maps, there are no reference photos, there are no tokens; there’s just what the DM (and to a lesser extent, the players) describe out loud for the table to then picture for themselves.
With the global pandemic causing most D&D campaigns to go online, Theater of the Mind has become a more viable option for parties who may not be able to meet in person, nor have the technical know-how to transition to virtual tabletops.
Here are a few of the pros and cons to weigh when deciding if a Theater of the Mind campaign might work for your own party.
Pros
It can make things faster/simpler
Especially for the DM’s prep time. With no physical (or virtual) combat maps to set up, the DM can instead focus preparation efforts on story, enemies, and emotional beats.
Theater of the Mind also allows for more intricate and complicated situations, as multi-leveled houses and strangely shaped areas won’t need to be depicted irl.
It keeps players engaged
One of the biggest pet peeves of DMs is when players stop paying attention during combat whenever it isn’t their turn to go. It’s easy to go on your phone and then pop back into the map when you’re up to get an idea of who you can hit and where you are in relation to everyone else. With Theater of the Mind, players and DMs alike need to pay constant attention to know where all the allies and enemies are, who’s still up, and what threats have been neutralized.
It’s cheaper
Minis, battlemaps, and terrain structures can add up to a small fortune, especially when it’s just the DM that’s footing the cost. Yes, it looks dope as hell to see a fully constructed castle on the kitchen table, but for those who may not have the deepest pockets, Theater of the Mind offers a reasonable out when it comes to those expenses.
It’s more accessible
Some players may not have the means of loading up Astral, or even the tech for a video call. Theater of the Mind campaigns allow for even those with just the ability to make a phone call partake in the fun. Not to mention that it’s easier for players who are visually impaired.
It is proven to work
Any and all D&D actual play podcasts are, by definition, Theater of the Mind campaigns. Sure, the creators may use maps and minis to have a better understanding of where everyone is, but they still need to explain what they’re doing in a way for people listening in to understand. And really, it’s not all that hard to picture how combat (and anything else, for that matter) plays out on D&D podcasts, so why should it be so hard at your own game?
Cons
It can get confusing
Remember that unengaged player we were talking about earlier? Well, if they continue to distract themselves in a TotM combat session, they’ll be starting their turn not knowing where the hell anything is. The same goes for people who take a bathroom break. Explaining the layout of the map multiple times throughout a combat can and will slow things down considerably.
It requires trust between players and DMs
Ideally this isn’t a problem at your table, but there are a lot of D&D players out there who have a nasty habit of arguing with their DMs. There has to be a certain amount of trust between players and DMs for the former to accept the latter’s rulings when it comes to distances, cover, AoE spells, and more when all that can’t be visibly seen. If you’ve got a player who argues over the nitty gritty (or a DM who makes unfair rulings), then TotM may spell disaster.
It removes the fun of minis and maps
As much as we put the cost savings of doing away with minis and maps and all that in the pros column, it is quite fun to see a fully set up battlemap to dive into.
It can be more difficult for some classes than others
While fighters and barbarians generally will run up to an enemy and, you know, hit them, spell casters and archers rely a little more on having a view of the battlefield as a whole. It’s hard to find cover if you can’t actually see it, and it’s even harder to catch the DM flatfooted with four minions piled together (a perfect target for a Fireball) if they haven’t described where everyone is for a few rounds.
In conclusion
As with all things D&D (and real life, for that matter), don’t let some anonymous poser on the internet tell you what to do. Whether or not you decide to run a Theater of the Mind game is entirely up to you… or your DM.
Well, it’s probably up to your DM, if we’re being honest here.
- See also:
