How-To DM: Game Extras
Electronic Campaign Tracking and Character Sheets
There are lots of options for this. One of my favorites is, as many of you know, D&D Beyond.
It’s free to use for basic users, meaning you don’t have to buy anything to get access to up to 6 character sheet slots, as well as the Basic Rules. Of course, if you want more options, you can buy things like the Player’s Handbook and other sources to get access to other character options, as well as purchase an annual subscription to get other benefits, like more character sheet slots or even content sharing. Personally, I absolutely love this resource, and have purchased all of my resources on this platform, as well as the Master Tier subscription. I haven’t regretted it. Head on over to dndbeyond.com and check it out!
Roll20
For those who just cannot get enough games, there is another way to find players, and that is virtually. A wonderful Virtual Table Top option, Roll20.net has a lot to offer, like dynamic lighting (allowing players to see only what their character would be able to see) among other things.
They also have an integrated text and video chat, as well as character sheets. That said, their in-house character sheets and video/voice chat leave much to be desired, and oftentimes, Discord is used, as well as the browser extension Beyond20, allowing integration with Roll20 and D&D Beyond. It works very well and have had zero complaints.
Miniatures and Battlemats
As most of you should know by now, I am really big into miniatures and the painting thereof. Therefore, how could I talk about things like tabletop gaming without talking about miniatures?!
I love this aspect of gaming, mostly because I enjoy the hobby of painting minis, it being a calm and relaxing activity for me.
That said, minis come in all shapes and sizes. In addition to plastic/metal/resin miniatures, there are also paper 2 dimensional miniatures, as well as plastic ones.
There are also pre-painted miniature lines, usually lined up with whatever the current adventure module is out that you can buy, thereby not even having to paint the miniatures (but where’s the fun in that?!).
In Conclusion
There are lots of things you can add to your game to make your gaming experience all the better. Be it minis and a battle mat, using laptops and using electronic character sheets, or a virtual tabletop, there are lots of options to enhance your game. And there are even more that we haven’t even discussed, like adding ambient music, visual aids, terrain, and more! So get creative and explore anything that makes your game better!
Until next time, Dear Readers…
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