Ok, so I'm going to start up an Eberron (3.5 rules) campaign with my gaming group, at their request. (To this point the only gaming we've done is card games... M:tG, Munchkin, and Apples to Apples. They've tried to get me into Warhammer 40k, but I shake my head every time and say I spend too much on gaming as it is.) This is going to be a bit of a new way of playing for them, in that I'm using a campaign setting book and giving the game actual plot, and they have only done random dungeon crawls in the past.

It's also going to be a bit of a new experience for ME, because I will be using actual grids/maps for locations, especially in combat situations, and also during a stealth mission that I'm planning for the first step in the story where they have to go into a Viscount's manor without being detected, steal a book from the library, and then try to leave with it.

So what I need is recommendations on where to get, at a decent price, a dry-erase mat with a grid on it and a set of dry erase markers and eraser. My budget for this is around $40, and I'll need it by a week from Sunday. A link to the free paper minis (because I can't find it right now) would be awesome too.

Also, I could use any easy to read layout/floor plan (with measurements) of a large-ish two story house with a cellar. Like, the size of an old southern U.S. plantation house. The details aren't important as I'll adapt it to my purposes, I just want it to give me the right sense of scale for this "dungeon" I'm creating.

As for the battle-mat, my friend marked up a piece of A2 paper and then took it to the Newsagent, who laminated it for him. He said it only cost him about AU$20.00.

Be sure to use fine-liner.

Just a super-quick check on Amazon gave me the following:

Battle Mat for $17.99

and

Markers for $7.99

And again, I didn't bother hunting around the internet at all - I just entered the search term "Battle mat" and gave you the first two things I saw. These are both Chessex products, so you can check out their website, too.

My words of wisdom regarding Battlemats--

Chessex is excellent, but it is NOT Dry Erase, you can find Wet Erase markers at Staples and the like, and I highly recommend that be what you use for your vinyl chessex battlemat. Also, be sure that the Battlemat has 1" squares and not larger. I recommend http://chessex.com/mats/Battlemats_Mega ... rsible.htm

The Double Sided Megamat is what you want...don't waste your time with the "battlemat" there is not enough room on the "megamat" as is, and it covers pretty much an entire table. I own both a megamat and a battlemat...the battlemat stays in my gaming closet and only comes out about once/year.

As an alternative, look into http://gamingpaper.com/ you get 30 sq. feet of gaming surface for $4...that's hard to beat. And if you want to 'save up' for the megamat, this may be right up your alley...you can even use permanent marker for this...the downside, is if you make a mistake on it...

a google search for Free paper minis shows this: http://tartex.blogspot.com/2009/04/free ... gures.html

for your mansion, a google search for "dungeons and dragons mansion" showed this http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mw/20040603a

Have fun!

Another vote for Gaming Paper. Great product and the dudes that make and sell it are super cool, FWIW. They actually have a new product now (well, it was new to me) which is regular 8.5x11 sheets to go in your printer that have a grid preprinted (hex sheets available as well) so you can download maps or pictures, scale them, and print them out yourself (poster style).

Here's a great article on adding height to your map-based games: http://critical-hits.com/2011/07/13/the ... me-height/

The Chessex mats are great, too, but definitely be sure you're buying wet erase markers. Keep one damp cloth on hand to erase the mat and a dry one to dry it back off.

Tons of ready-made free counters: http://dndcounters.tripod.com/

Make your own counters: http://newbiedm.com/2008/11/22/newbiedm ... s-or-pogs/

(Get Tokentool, it's free and has virtually no learning curve.)

Another great source for paper minis and terrain and stuff: http://onemonk.com/

And another great list of places to get minis: http://www.zanysite.com/tabletoprpgfun/ ... -and-maps/

edit: another: http://tartex.blogspot.com/2009/04/free ... gures.html

It keeps going! Paper minis in font form: http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/sparks.htm

Thanks so much. I'll order the Chessex mat after my paycheck, and hunt down some wet erase markers for it.

Also some googling found basic floor plans for the kind of house I was looking for, minus the cellar but I can add that in.

Best dry-erase mat I've ever used is the flip-mat made by Paizo. They have blank ones and ones with printed scenes. They run just under $15 each. My Chessex mat cost me significantly more, could only do wet-erase and is stained all to shit despite following the directions on it very religiously. That being said the vinyl of the chessex mat is more durable than the cardstock flip mat.

Loot has a good deal right now.

Check it out.

Be sure to recycle.

And third vote for Gamer Paper. Picked some up at Gen Con for the first time and I don't think I'm ever going back. It's great stuff, and super cheap. As far as paper mini's go for free stuff I suggest "The Fantasy Trip" found here: http://www.thefantasytrip.org/pieces.php

I'm a huge fan of my Chessex battle mats. The Crystal Caste ones suck assballs. There's a weird finish to them that is shiny and gets all messed up after using it a few times. The Chessex are more of a matte finish and wipe off just fine.