How many other DM’s run modules etc from their PC or Laptop? Can Technology play a greater role in table RPG.


Technology

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I do. Personally I find the information far more accessible using a PDF. I generally read the scenario and make notes in a pad during the preparation stage but I will run the adventure from my laptop.

I’m surprised that since the mid 80’s when I started RPG, the way we play the game at a table, in essence, hasn’t evolved much from pencil, paper, grid maps and dice.

I wonder if technology could play a greater role.


Using Maptools and a large TV might be quite benevolent (concerning those grid maps).

But dice, those are important! You need that haptic experience!


I know I run game using my laptop. The main reason is that the PDF of the books are a lot cheaper, in not only base cost but no shipping to pay. I have the hard copy of the rule books, but I also have the PDF as well. Some things it is quicker to look of in the books if I have a good ideal of where it is. On the other hand if I do not have clue as to where a rule is I use a search in the PDF of the book to find it.

I use Excel to store modified monsters. So times I print them off, other times I run them off of the computer.

Shadow Lodge

In my group, I run PF and my friend runs oWoD Mage, we both use computers for pdf's, character sheets and such. Much easier than having to look through several books. Granted, we also love having the books to look through for planning and such.
Still use dice, maps, and mini's, but I did see somewhere on here where a guy put together a killer setup using a ceiling mounted projector for maps on the table!. I now really want a setup like that! :)


Haptic - good word. I had to look that up!

Yeah, some sort of screen or official software where terrain, PC's and creatures can be plotted, particularly for systems that have a distinct tabletop bias.


I've long been using a laptop for my games, keeping notes in a word processing program where I've already started a document keyed the same way as the module I use.

I also have each character and important NPC in a separate works document, and can ALT-TAB through to find the character I want, quickly.

If you have Python installed, you can bring up a command shell window and import the random.py package. This quickly allows you to make random selections from lists or rolling an arbitrary die type. With a little Python programming you can come up with all sorts of quick and dirty functions that can do useful things.

The one thing is that I would like to discourage players from having their laptops. I know one player who likes to have his character sheet on a laptop, but I find that too many laptops at the table gets to be distracting.


I use a combination of my laptop, a spare 17" monitor, flip-mats, minis and dice. Old-school mixed with new tech, with a good synergy.

The laptop, with internet connection, is invaluable to me. I have the AP pdf open, run combats in HeroLab, reference d20pfsrd.com etc. The extra monitor faces the players and is used to show maps, notes on NPC's, images etc. Some of my players have net-books at the table too.

Even so, I would not do without dice, mats and minis.


I find it easier on my laptop (as I spend more time on it than off) to read the PDF for APs rarther than the hard copies, but I can keep them to either hand out at a later date or sell at a later date, something like that.

Maptools makes DMing online very easy and very fun, especially when adding in vision blocking and fog of war too. In fact, better than table top in some ways as you can look at other people's skills like perception and make secret perception checks so that the players who don't spot these things, don't get suspecious against when you throw out a spoiler marked perception, same with sense motive when a NPC is obviously lying and no one makes it then as players they can't suspect this person as lying.


GM JaceDK wrote:
Old-school mixed with new tech, with a good synergy.

That's the ticket.

I wouldn't even consider running the game without the lap any more, but neither would I consider going totally electronic.

I use my laptop and another monitor, which is for the players. I look up stuff on the PRD, open PDFs, run the JinglePlayer for music and MapTool to show the maps to the players (Maptool lets you control what parts of the map are visible). I also use the office suite for all kinds of calculations.

And for our current campaign (Kingmaker), I also use a GoogleDocs spreadsheet to store all kingdom information (and calculate the relevant stuff), and the city grid is in MapTool.

But not all's computerised: I use good old dice for rolling dice, I use a CombatPad for initiative and enemy HP, we use a battlemat and miniatures for the fights, and character sheets are on paper, to be written on with pens.

The best of both worlds, so to speak.

If you do it right, the electronic toys will add to the roleplaying experience instead of taking away from it.

Lantern Lodge

Laptop along with big screen tv.

Laptops, phones(android) and pads
We use Combat Manager, Herolab, pdfs(search function), Paizo PRD(search function). Notes are passed via Gtalk

On the big screen, Monsters appear, large maps of the area, Smaller maps(usually slightly edited from the pdf) that also get redrawn on table mat for miniatures.
Theme music also.

Then we use email during the week for GM and players to interact for their characters personal time.

We have even had players attend game via Skype with a microphone being mounted in the middle of table along with a webcam aiming at relevant information with a laptop assigned to just letting them participate. This is because they travel for their job and it worked out well.

Dice are used unless the dice roller is put up on the big screen

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber
Ferathnu wrote:
Still use dice, maps, and mini's, but I did see somewhere on here where a guy put together a killer setup using a ceiling mounted projector for maps on the table!. I now really want a setup like that! :)

I do not know if I am that guy but I run just such a set up. I use maptools and a ceiling mounted projector and mirror that reflects the projection onto my table. I get a nice 50 inch or so projection.

It is fairly awesome to be able to use all of the maps right from the adventure paths and just project them on the table. I also use skype because although my game group is in LA my best friend is in Iowa and has been attending virtually while we run through 2nd Darkness which we are now near completing. Let me tell you, some of those maps in 2nd darkness are huge. Even with a 50-60 inch "screen" you can't fit some of those maps on a table with 1 inch squares for minis.

edit: Thank you Paizo for providing the free PDF's with all of my subscriptions.


Pyrrhic Victory wrote:
Ferathnu wrote:
Still use dice, maps, and mini's, but I did see somewhere on here where a guy put together a killer setup using a ceiling mounted projector for maps on the table!. I now really want a setup like that! :)

I do not know if I am that guy but I run just such a set up. I use maptools and a ceiling mounted projector and mirror that reflects the projection onto my table. I get a nice 50 inch or so projection.

It is fairly awesome to be able to use all of the maps right from the adventure paths and just project them on the table. I also use skype because although my game group is in LA my best friend is in Iowa and has been attending virtually while we run through 2nd Darkness which we are now near completing. Let me tell you, some of those maps in 2nd darkness are huge. Even with a 50-60 inch "screen" you can't fit some of those maps on a table with 1 inch squares for minis.

edit: Thank you Paizo for providing the free PDF's with all of my subscriptions.

Any issues or advice using skype? I'm going to have a CO-GM via Skype and would love to hear your about your experience.


It's funny. I'm an IT guy by profession and have access to lots of gizmos. I heavily rely on digital stuff during prep, but don't use them at the table. Mostly other than the ability to search for a phrase/word in a PDF I don't have any other use for electronic goodies at the table.

As a DM I can run an encounter by scribbling stuff on a bad guy's statblock printout. As a player I can run my character by scribbling stuff on his/her statblock printout. We use minis and Lego and a battlemat to handle 3D environments with props. Music tends to be just more noise at the table.

So count me as a high-tech individual who has tried and passed through the table-top gadgetry stage and has evolved more efficient paper techniques. Weird to admit.

Grand Lodge

Our housemate made the switch from his laptop to an Ipad. With the greater battery life he didn't have to deal with finding power outlets and the page display was just the right size.

Lantern Lodge

Any issues or advice using skype? I'm going to have a CO-GM via Skype and would love to hear your about your experience.

biggest issues for us is it slows down the computer using it. And it murders bandwidth.

But other than that it seemed fine. We used a usb camera so we could more easily aim it at whatever they needed to see. Other issues was the aspect of players feeling the need to "yell" speak loudly so the skype user could hear. Who constantly had to say I can hear you guys fine.

Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

I use a laptop extensively when I GM. I have a bookmark folder in Firefox that at the beginning, I "open all in tabs" so I have spells, feats, monsters, etc. each on a different tab; it makes rules lookups very fast. I'm using stat blocks I personally converted to PFRPG, so I also have the stat blocks for the encounter open in other windows. I have another bookmark folder that contains all the tabs I use for converting those stat blocks. I use the Windows calculator to add up damage (19th level game right now, so the numbers are no longer small enough to consistently, easily do mental math). I plug up to a big screen LCD TV to show the players "handout" pictures and ongoing notes.

I do still go low-tech with some things. I track hp by hand on scrap paper. I use name tags across the top of the GM screen for initiative tracking (picked that trick up at Paizocon; it helps everybody see who's next). I much prefer to have hardcopy of the module or scenario. I use maps I either hand-draw on 1" butcherblock graph paper (if they're complex and pretty) or draw on the spot on Longtooth Studios' Battlegraph Dry Erase Boards (if they're simple enough to draw quickly, or not interesting enough to do the full hand-drawn map). I still pass around hardcopy handouts, as well.

I've thought about trying to set up a projector to project the map down onto the playing surface, but I haven't got around to working out the details of it yet. I've seen it done before, and it looks great, but there are some slight engineering problems in making it work right (scaling, finding a mount that aims downward, etc.).

My wife uses her netbook at the table. I made an Excel spreadsheet just to help her keep track of all her combat modifiers and attack routines (dual-wielding mobile fighter 16/rogue 3, gets 5-9 attacks, bane weapons, haste, sneak attacks, Outflank, rapid attacks, Power Attack, heroes feast, inspire courage, etc.).

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

I use a laptop. It's taken some getting used to, but ultimately I find it's helpful.

The good:
1. Using programs like Kyle Olson's Combat Manager and PC Gen. The former, which I only recently discovered, is an especially awesome digital bestiary, initiative and condition tracker, and quick rules reference. PC Gen is a free character generator which has been extremely useful (although its own combat management function doesn't work well for its Pathfinder toolset. In fact the last time I tried to use it I'm pretty sure it slowed things down).

2. Easy access to notes written in word, as well as maps I've made in Campaign Cartographer, etc.

3. If you have Internet access, you can access the online PRD here which is the easiest and most efficient way to reference the core rules (only problem is the official one at Paizo doesn't have Bestiary II info). (My problem with this is that at two out of the three houses we play at, my players don't know their wireless keys to get me onto the Internet :( ).

4. Easy ambience--I play custom soundtrack playlists from the laptop while we play.

The meh:
1. I really find the .pdfs are not as great for me as they should seem to be... you click on a link to go somewhere, but there's no quick way to go back to where you clicked to begin with. They have come in handy sometimes and I am glad I have them, but for quick reference they're not ideal in my personal experience. The fact that they're sized to look lovely printed out and not on a screen doesn't help either--lots of zooming in and out to navigate. Half the time if all I have are the .pdfs to look up a rule, a player can find it faster with his hard copy book.

2. Really, really make sure you are comfortable with whatever software you use, and make sure the software is trustworthy. In searching around for stuff I like, I've ended up trying to use stuff that crashes or is too slow and it ends up slowing down the game rather than helping. If you're sitting there futzing with your computer trying to get something to work, that's valuable game time being wasted.

3. It takes up more space. This is probably particularly my issue but I find myself sitting with the laptop on one side (and I'm restricted on where I can sit so I can be near an outlet since sessions last longer than my battery), dice and GM screen in the middle (GM Screen is still useful for certain rules references), and my stack o' maps, map cards, any printed notes (getting away from using those but have them for now), and miniatures. All the players have their own stack of books and stuff and with the battle grid on the table everything gets cramped. This is probably more indicative that we need better gaming space (and I need a house with a dedicated gaming basement...) and need to use what we have better... my real problem is I like too many on-the-table gamey stuff like battlegrids and minis.

Contributor

Moved to Technology forum.


LazarX wrote:
Our housemate made the switch from his laptop to an Ipad. With the greater battery life he didn't have to deal with finding power outlets and the page display was just the right size.

Sounds OK for players, but not for the GM.


DeathQuaker wrote:


The meh:
1. I really find the .pdfs are not as great for me as they should seem to be... you click on a link to go somewhere, but there's no quick way to go back to where you clicked to begin with.

On Acrobat, there is a "back" (and "forward") function. You have to customise your toolbar to get the buttons, but it does exactly what you want: Go back to the last view, so you can return to where you clicked the link.

DeathQuaker wrote:


Half the time if all I have are the .pdfs to look up a rule, a player can find it faster with his hard copy book.

That's what the search feature is for. Acrobat's advanced search lets you look through all PDFs in a specified location.

And if you have at least some knowledge of where you'll find that stuff, the bookmarks are a quick way to navigate.

With that stuff (plus the PRD), the players aren't faster than me when I look stuff up - and that is when the book is there in physical form.


I like the laptop as a DM to replace books, but I refuse to use a dice roller. When I play I also use pencil and paper.


I use (or plan to use for some of these):

  • Hero Lab (on laptop) for character/monster management and tactical console
  • My Excel-based character sheet for printed character records (I'd love to get Hero Lab output into a more usable character sheet...)
  • Spells for Android (on Adam tablet) with markers set for specific spells, feats, monsters, and combat maneuvers likely to come up in the game
  • Module (on laptop and print)
  • Module maps (on Adam tablet for me, printed to scale for players)
  • NPC/Monster/Other Pics (on Adam tablet) to show players
  • Real dice
  • Printed reference sheets for players (info similar to GM screen)
  • Real minis
  • Spell area templates (I've made version in multiple shapes and sizes)

Half or more of my players use their laptops for character management at any given game.

I don't use a GM screen properly, as I don't like having that barrier between me and the players, but I do prop it up behind me as yet another reference source for common information.


I use DM's Familiar at the game table, but I wrote it so that's probably not a surprise.

DMF's combat board rolls init and hit points for the monsters, makes it easy to quickly roll the Reflex save for the 20 orcs that just got fireballed, makes secret perception rolls for the whole party, and I use it to do all of the attack/damage rolls for the monsters - giving up the dice was painful but it's just too fast and easy.

It's easy to enter Monsters, Spells, Skills, Feats and other rules into the system and makes looking them up quick and easy.

I also make use of the Tablesmith program (which can be an add-in with DMF or on it's own). It does all kinds of random tables or you can enter your own. I have random tables to give me a full NPC description with one click (personality, clothes, physical appearance, name, etc.), random gem table, random magic item description table, random ship name, random inn name, random dwarf name, random you get the idea.

Frequently, we play with a Virtual Tabletop. Maptools is my current choice for that, with DMF for rules lookup, and Skype for chat. Works great.

Grand Lodge

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber
Haunter of the Dark wrote:
I wonder if technology could play a greater role.

I used laptops for gaming for years. in the past year or so, I've decided laptops at the table are more of a hindrance than a help. The only technology I use now is my iPad to view PDFs (so I don't have to carry a bunch of books). Also, for players that bring laptops, I've asked them to disable the wireless internet.

-Skeld


I ran pretty much my entire last session using my iPad2.
I'm NEVER going back to lugging around a bunch of books again.
I was gettting by for a while by using Pathfinder reference Document app on my Iphone.

Between GoodReader (PDF viewer/reader), the Pathfinder Reference Document for the iPad and Pages I had almost everything I needed to run my session.

The only physical elements I used were my actual dice my Pathfinder Screen, my Combat Pad and some post it notes. Oh and Miniatures and a battle mat.

Lone Wolf Development

erian_7 wrote:
  • Hero Lab (on laptop) for character/monster management and tactical console
  • My Excel-based character sheet for printed character records (I'd love to get Hero Lab output into a more usable character sheet...)

FYI, we're pushing hard to get Hero Lab V3.7 released by the end of next month. If not May, then it will definitely be out in June. When V3.7 releases, fully customized output will be possible via XSL.

We're handling custom output such that user-created XSL solutions can be fully integrated into Hero Lab and readily shared with other users. This way, if someone creates a cool character sheet, they can package it up into a single file using tools included within Hero Lab, post it somewhere (like here on the Pathfinder forums), and then other users can import the package automatically with a couple mouse clicks. After that, the new character sheet will be accessible directly from within Hero Lab. No special technical knowledge will be needed by users to leverage custom output formats created by others, so it will be possible for a few enterprising users to create awesome stuff and easily share it with everyone else.


I very generally run all my games what ever they are from my lap top.

Right now that's king maker.

Module is in pdf.

Excel is used to track monster hp, init, and xp gained over fights as I give that out at the end of the evening. So I don't have anyone trying to level up during the night.

Still role dice, use a battle mat for maps, excess die are used in place of minis.

All kingdom stats and city grid and claimed territory is done on paper.

A projector set up is something that I am really interested in, but since I don't run at my house, I would basically end up paying for equipment for someone else to use 6 days out of the week so holding off for now.

Oddly enough when I do run my own games I generally come up with maps on graph paper and transfer to battle mat, haven't gotten around to learning mapmaker yet.


Yeah my EEEPC stays on the table all the time, whether as a player or as a GM.

During the session I dont then need to refer to the books.


Skeld wrote:
Also, for players that bring laptops, I've asked them to disable the wireless internet.

Hmm but what about them accessing the PFSRD?

I'd be lost without it!

Grand Lodge

I use my iPad extensively when I DM for initiative tracking, stat blocks, DM notes, and handouts. I use my iPhone to record the entire game session for logging and reviewing what I did wrong in managing the session. It's great to be able to hear all the good jokes again too!


I have tried for a good while to learn this... but no real epiphanies so far. There is One Major Advantage: Not having to carry all the books to the session. Seriously, just the current AP module, core rulebook, bestiary and APG are heavy enough to give me a bruised shoulder from the shoulder strap of the bag. Another good thing is that you can use ambient music easily. As for the dice, I will likely die before resorting to cheap iphone apps. Now, the really problematic area: pdfs. Yes, it's useful when you know you're going to need quick reference of a particular monster or the like. It is NOT very useful, despite search functions, when you're flipping back and forth in the module. Running an adventure just from the pdf feels very clumsy and slow, at least to me. I have been thinking about replacing minis and battlemats, but that's no fun. =(


lonewolf-rob wrote:
erian_7 wrote:
  • Hero Lab (on laptop) for character/monster management and tactical console
  • My Excel-based character sheet for printed character records (I'd love to get Hero Lab output into a more usable character sheet...)

FYI, we're pushing hard to get Hero Lab V3.7 released by the end of next month. If not May, then it will definitely be out in June. When V3.7 releases, fully customized output will be possible via XSL.

We're handling custom output such that user-created XSL solutions can be fully integrated into Hero Lab and readily shared with other users. This way, if someone creates a cool character sheet, they can package it up into a single file using tools included within Hero Lab, post it somewhere (like here on the Pathfinder forums), and then other users can import the package automatically with a couple mouse clicks. After that, the new character sheet will be accessible directly from within Hero Lab. No special technical knowledge will be needed by users to leverage custom output formats created by others, so it will be possible for a few enterprising users to create awesome stuff and easily share it with everyone else.

Oh, that is excellent! I love pretty much everything about Hero Lab except the stock character sheet! I'm hoping it will support landscape sheets, in addition to portrait?

Grand Lodge

KaeYoss wrote:
LazarX wrote:
Our housemate made the switch from his laptop to an Ipad. With the greater battery life he didn't have to deal with finding power outlets and the page display was just the right size.
Sounds OK for players, but not for the GM.

Our housmate is a PFS Judge. That's his main use for the device.

Grand Lodge

Shifty wrote:
Skeld wrote:
Also, for players that bring laptops, I've asked them to disable the wireless internet.

Hmm but what about them accessing the PFSRD?

I'd be lost without it!

Download the standalone zip files and reconstruct them locally and then just access the main page with your browser.

Scarab Sages

I game with a laptop, both as a player and GM, and it helps immensely. I would actually seriously consider walking out of any game where the GM asked me not to use it at all (though I understand if the GM wants me off the internet during the game). My group tends to use a LOT of splatbooks, and that means constant passing of books around the table or waiting for player X to finish with the one group copy of a book so it can be used by player Y. Laptops at the table means I can constantly keep 5+ books open at a time without taking up physical table space and without having to carry fifty pounds of books to the table.

In addition, note taking is easier - I type faster than I write, so both as a GM and as a player, my recall of game events that happened 13 sessions ago is a lot better now that I can keep the entire sequence of events in a file on my laptop.

Finally, the ability to create custom itunes playlists whenever I need background music for game is priceless.

I *have* had issues with players goofing off on the 'net when I'm GMing. IMO that's not an issue with computers, that's an issue with players - some other players are completely attentive even if their laptop is open. If a player is being inattentive, I tell them to play or mess around on the 'net. I certainly didn't start GMing to take care of children (that's why I'm not a parent or teacher!) and I'm not about to treat my players like children, nor do I have the patience to endure players that act like children.

To me, technology offers too much convenience to pass up.

Grand Lodge

Skeld wrote:

Also, for players that bring laptops, I've asked them to disable the wireless internet.

-Skeld

You don't have your WIFI password protected?


LazarX wrote:
Skeld wrote:

Also, for players that bring laptops, I've asked them to disable the wireless internet.

-Skeld

You don't have your WIFI password protected?

If you connect over a WiFi connection that isn't password protected then everything and anything that goes over the shared connection can be viewed by someone else (unless they are using SSL or some kind of tunneling technology like a VPN).

If you don't believe me Google "Firesheep"...

Lone Wolf Development

erian_7 wrote:
Oh, that is excellent! I love pretty much everything about Hero Lab except the stock character sheet! I'm hoping it will support landscape sheets, in addition to portrait?

Absolutely.

Dark Archive

Re: "Can Technology play a greater role in table RPG." I'd like some sorta device to either mute all cellphones at the table or make texting impossible. Maybe the players will FINALLY pay attention to the game! ^_^


LazarX wrote:
Download the standalone zip files and reconstruct them locally and then just access the main page with your browser.

Yeah I gave that a crack, I somehow just didn't manage to get it right. I need to really look at a step-by-step as that would be ideal for times when there WASNT Wifi.

Grand Lodge

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber
LazarX wrote:
Skeld wrote:

Also, for players that bring laptops, I've asked them to disable the wireless internet.

-Skeld

You don't have your WIFI password protected?

I think you misunderstood me. If a player is using a laptop, I ask them to turn off their laptop's wifi card. All of our My group is composed of 85.7143% engineers, so we certainly have our personal wifi spots passwrod protected.

;)

-Skeld


Several years ago I used a laptop to GM, but found it just didn't work out well for me, so switched to just GMing with paper and pencil.

Tablets have changed that again for me. I find using the PDFs much easier on the iPad which helps a lot. I've only been using the iPad for the past three sessions. The first was pretty minimal, a few rule lookups, occasional use of an init tracker.

This week I prepped a little more with using the iPad in mind. So I bookmarked critters at the PFSRD site that I would need. I added custom bookmarks to my PDF so I could get to a couple of the places I needed correctly (i.e. those sections where it says, refer to creature stats on pp.xx). I used the init tracker more and I used a note taking app with stylus to do my normal handwritten notes during combat. I rolled actual dice and tended to keep the paper AP open to the map instead of flipping back and forth. I would say I used the iPad for about 80% of the things I normally do in a game.


Download HTTTRACK

I have a copy of the complete PRD on my laptop, just in case...

We play at my house, and my wifi is *very* protected, to include, no one gets the password. One of the guys very occasionally has to logon to work while on call, so he brings a cable and I connect him to the router so he can do his thing.

I run my games from my laptop, because I can't read my own handwriting so note taking by hand is completely out. Also I have all the PDFs for the APs and use them directly. The one thing I don't do is roll dice, even thought I have something to do that. I still like the feeling of dice in my hand.

-- david
Papa.DRB

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Shifty wrote:
LazarX wrote:
Download the standalone zip files and reconstruct them locally and then just access the main page with your browser.
Yeah I gave that a crack, I somehow just didn't manage to get it right. I need to really look at a step-by-step as that would be ideal for times when there WASNT Wifi.

Grand Lodge

Skeld wrote:
LazarX wrote:
Skeld wrote:

Also, for players that bring laptops, I've asked them to disable the wireless internet.

-Skeld

You don't have your WIFI password protected?

I think you misunderstood me. If a player is using a laptop, I ask them to turn off their laptop's wifi card. All of our My group is composed of 85.7143% engineers, so we certainly have our personal wifi spots passwrod protected.

;)

-Skeld

I understand that, I just don't understand why you have them turn it off, unless it's a bandwidth usage issue. I generally allow my guests to use our WIFI and give them the passcode to our router. They generally use it to access the PSRD site. and a few online utilties. There is a sad note though. On one occasion, I showed one of them a few clips from the Tick and he wound up humming the theme to the Tick show all the way home down the NJ Turnpike.... running smack into a deer in the process. He got out okay, but the car was a total loss.


For monster stat blocks, storyline, rules, etc. it is easier to track on a laptop, versus going through mulitple pages of printouts, or even referencing a book. For initiative, tracking hit points, conditions, or related combat statistics I use more conventional tools (dry erase material) since most of the computer related tools include too much information or not enough; and they are usually tailored for a specific version of D&D.

But overall, the important thing is to implement methods that are re-usable and don't require a ton of paper printouts.

For battle mats I just use the standard gamemastery foldout carboard mats, since you can use permanent marker (dry erase is not friendly when transporting them). I place a plexiglass sheet over the pre-drawn gamemastery maps, or just have graph paper underneath for ad hoc events.

edit: The down side for laptops, etc., is the footprint of the devices being used, and people respecting that they are only tools, and should not become an obsession, when checking for recent twitters, e-mails, browsing, etc.

Grand Lodge

joela wrote:
Re: "Can Technology play a greater role in table RPG." I'd like some sorta device to either mute all cellphones at the table or make texting impossible. Maybe the players will FINALLY pay attention to the game! ^_^

There are things that do that ... I don't think they are legal in the US though.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber
Pstar wrote:

Any issues or advice using skype? I'm going to have a CO-GM via Skype and would love to hear your about your experience.

Skype has worked out very well for us. We usually use video skype. The projection is big enough that we can have map tools and the skype window running at the same time. It is like he is right there on the table.

I am not a very technical person (despite my set up)but I figured out skype quickly. It is free and easy to use.


I am currently running a Pathfinder game every other week with one player playing via skype. He had to move out of state a few years ago and thanks to skype, he can join back in on games.


Sissyl wrote:
Now, the really problematic area: pdfs. Yes, it's useful when you know you're going to need quick reference of a particular monster or the like. It is NOT very useful, despite search functions, when you're flipping back and forth in the module. Running an adventure just from the pdf feels very clumsy and slow, at least to me. I have been thinking about replacing minis and battlemats, but that's no fun. =(

I'm running Kingmaker now in a face-to-face game, and I'm using MapTools (one copy on my laptop, and a client copy on the PC hooked to the flatscreen), and I have all of the encounter maps set up, as well as a number of generic maps. The entire Stolen Lands are set up on a map with a hex grid, with all of the encounter sites marked by hidden tokens, and the map itself covered by translucent hex-shaped tokens that I delete as the players explore.

I generally don't open up the PDF during the game, as I've got an excel spreadsheet with 1 tab for each encounter area containing the important text/rolls/reminders for that area, as well as statblocks, plus various tabs for the (pre-rolled) random encounters, an XP/Treasure Log Tab, and a Calendar/Event Tab. With a couple of flicks, I can quickly get what I need immediately available (I still go through the path beforehand and make sure I am familiar with it, so I am comfortable with what is happening, can decide what to change, and decide how to integrate items into the ongoing arc).

The only thing I'd really like to do more of is utilize more combat management into Maptools itself. I don't use the massive campaign macro structures, but am starting to build minor macros onto the creature tokens so that I can roll attacks/saves right from maptools (my players are still using dice, and I expect that to continue, and I still intend to use dice outside of combat situations...) My goal is to make combat as smooth as possible without having to crack a book or PDF if possible.

I'm also beginning to play around with Maptools vision tools, so that players views are more realistically limited by sightlines and what they've explored.


The responses on this thread have been very interesting.

I've looked at Hero Lab, d20Pro and some of the others mentioned and whilst they are good ideas, I don't think that they adequately perform well enough for what they are intended.

I'm all for rolling dice and working out effects etc, I don't wish to move away from that, but what I'd like from Paizo and other table-top based RPG's is a piece of OFFICIAL software where maps can be viewed on a PC/Mac/iPad for use on linked applications such as a projector, 2nd monitior, online if required without the need for physical flip-maps and minatures. It's a bind having to draw the maps out in advance and cover over areas that the characters have yet to see/explore. Plus my drawings are a bit naff and the minatures never resemble what they ought to!

It's time we moved on a bit from the 70's & 80's I think. Paizo, Chaosium, FFG, Wizards of the Coast etc need to produce something for their respective games and take this whole thing forward in my opinion.

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