Favorite D&D GM tools
Favorite D&D GM tools
Hello everyone,
I’m curious what people use to keep themselves organized when running a D&D (or similar) campaign.
I’m running my first one-shot this summer and have been exploring the world in which I will set it for a while now. I'm hopeful it'll turn into an opportunity to expand into a campaign.
So what tools do you use to build your world, campaign, or otherwise facilitate games?
Here's what I've been working with:
content
I have a self-hosted DokuWiki running. I’m using this to organize my campaign notes. I can write about politics, settings, events (past, present, future), NPCs, factions and more. The ability to cross-link everything allows me to draft encounters and other events and quickly reference the people and places. I can also export chunks like a book (pdf) to build subsets of content to share with players or to have for quick reference in person.
I have made some world maps using Wonderdraft and it's helped me visualize relationships between places. I started with hand drawing the maps, but it felt like it took too much time to make something I'd be willing to show someone as I'm not very comfortable with drawing in general.
encounters
I’m currently using Dungeondraft to create location maps. They are designed in a way to be usable with the various VTT tools although I plan to play the game in person. The maps still help me understand the space.
For in person game I’ll use a variety of 3D printed terrain options to build an interactive experience. I know it's not needed but I already have the printer and have made a bunch of terrain and miniatures because it's fun. I personally like the True Tiles model as it doesn't take as long to print, paint, and doesn't obstruct the view too much. I imagine I'll also probably use some Dungeon Sticks as well.
For minis, I really like Yasashii’s designs. I do have a mix of other ones, including one of the Reaper Minis Kickstarters. I do like Titancraft as an alternative to heroforge. It's pricing model supports making different poses and even a variety of NPC models to print.
I'm between campaigns right now, but during my last one I kept all my worldbuilding notes in Foundry VTT journals. For my next campaign I'm thinking I'll try using Notion for that.
I could imagine Notion working. It’s not a tool I use myself, but I think it would help a lot. I dove into the private/selfhosted world a few years ago so have some open source tools running on a Synology and tend to prefer that approach where I can.
I'm lucky that I mostly play in person (although infrequently). My organisation system tends to be a physical notebooks, Google keep and an ever growing assortment of pdfs and official sourcebooks, it's not a good system but my players aren't too demanding.
When we do have to play online I use Roll20, one of my players bought a licence for FoundryVTT but the effort of learning a new VTT on top of the usual prep means I haven't switched over to it.
I like openlock for terrain and just a rollable battlemat that you can use whiteboard markers on. Not really done much in the way of paid files for minis except for heroforge. MZ4250 is an angel for STLs of monsters!
I’m a huge fan of pen and paper. I don’t have a great system for building in the cross referencing. Maybe not vital. I imagine in-session I would record with pen and paper and use computer to reference information.
I don’t have a rollable battlemat yet, but have never GMed a game either, so not a vital purchase yet. I totally get it though. My GM used a pad of that large 1” squared graph paper for a flip chart. It didn’t look like critical role or some other fancy experience but it didn’t take away any of the fun for me from playing.
MZ4250 Has created a massive catalogue, no doubt. Yasashii does have a bunch of his models on thingiverse and some other places.