A major timesaver would be the integration of Encounters having a link/association to the Maps, so that encounters created using the encounter builder will populate the maps with tokens and associated monsters. Additionally, the ability to have a customizable health bar above each token would be helpful for HP tracking when encounters have many enemies.
While they're at it, please put a link to a "Campaign Encounters" page from the "My Campaigns" page, so it's easier to navigate to my list of encounters for that particular campaign rather than only giving us the option to Create A New Encounter for that campaign.
Great ideas! After doing one session with both maps and encounters. It definitely feels like I need two screens to run it properly. Putting it into one would be amazing!
1. Allow user to select multiple monster tokens on the map.
2. click button to launch encounter in new browser tab with these monsters. Encounter contains:
*the party
*the monster with type
*the monster name (whatever is listed as the name on the token)
The key benefits:
*You are already putting tokens on the map, so copying it into an encounter is just free.
*If you name the tokens, you won't have any trouble understanding which is which in the combat tracker.
*By moving monster tokens from room to room during gameplay, you will effectively be updating the encounters as you go. By the time you get to that room, the correct monsters are already shown. Select them all and launch the combat tracker.
It's funny, I came here to make this exact point. I feel like it's 3 different apps - character creator, encounter builder, and maps. As a unix person there's something nice about one app per requirement. As a DM or player, this is nuts. I'm not sure how roll20 or Foundry do it since I haven't paid for an account on there, but they HAVE to be more integrated than what's going on here, right?
I have used Foundry and am currently DM for a few different groups on Roll20. Both systems are VASTLY more integrated and customizable. DnD Beyond is really missing an obvious link between the Encounter Builder and customizable tokens (names, HP, AC indicators, status effects, and all the rest). I basically use DnD Beyond for most things, but I definitely use Roll20 as the Battlemap program and the voice/video application (it works amazingly well).
I have used Foundry and am currently DM for a few different groups on Roll20. Both systems are VASTLY more integrated and customizable. DnD Beyond is really missing an obvious link between the Encounter Builder and customizable tokens (names, HP, AC indicators, status effects, and all the rest). I basically use DnD Beyond for most things, but I definitely use Roll20 as the Battlemap program and the voice/video application (it works amazingly well).
That's what I figured. I'm currently DMing Humblewood for my kids. The module is available here on DnD Beyond which is awesome because it has all the monsters, etc. But while it's nice I can rename the tokens in the map, I can't rename them in the encounter builder. It's not a HUGE cognitive load, but it IS more annoying than it has to be. I really to hope this is on the roadmap once they finish the 3D VTT (which I imagine is taking the focus of most of the devs)
Indeed, but rather than a customizable health bar above each token, I'd really like a "pop out" initiative board, which gives the Players visibility of PC's and Monsters in iniative order (a health bar or such, is nice but not as important). Much like making a token hidden, let the DM make entries on this board hidden, so you are only showing the players the rows you want them to see. This would ba a major benefit for my players and our overall speed of play - it's something I used to do manually when I played using powerpoint for my battlemap, and it's something you get from other VTT's.
Surely it's not that hard - let us link a Map to an Encounter, then a bit more code... hey presto!
It would be nice if on the map screen side tab you could have a drop down menu to select an encounter from those you've generated. Then after, another option to add all tokens.
I assume they are missing tokens is the issue.
For those that come later, Sometime around Nov. 1/2024, an update dropped to combat encounters that addressed some of the above stated issues, but not all.
I may be missing something here... this update from Nov. 2024 in my opinion does not add anything of use, besides a nice display of the initiative order for the players on the maps tool. Yes, you can add tokens to the 'encounter' but you still don't get access to their stats, you cannot modify anything in terms of their HP or other conditions, and in my case in particular the player rolling initiative on the character sheet is not doing anything to change their info on the map encounter.
So if I understand correctly, this means that if I want to run a combat I still need to use the (not map) encounter tools to create an entirely independent encounter, where the initiative and whatever else is completely decoupled from what is going on in the map. So instead of an improvement to the encounter tool that would integrate it with the map, we are getting a different (worse) version of the encounter tool that just happens to share the interface with the map.
Yea, I was excited at first with the new update. But you are correct, you still technically require the encounter tool to basically just check the stat block as well, or roll monster stats. It's odd to have left this part out as it appears quite essential.
Nonetheless, the update is still welcomed, and I'm happy for it. It just isn't as monumental as initially thought to be due to a few key missing features. Hopefully there is more to come!
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A major timesaver would be the integration of Encounters having a link/association to the Maps, so that encounters created using the encounter builder will populate the maps with tokens and associated monsters. Additionally, the ability to have a customizable health bar above each token would be helpful for HP tracking when encounters have many enemies.
Wouldn’t it be nice!
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lets get this idea bumped up in line ;)
Please, please, please.
While they're at it, please put a link to a "Campaign Encounters" page from the "My Campaigns" page, so it's easier to navigate to my list of encounters for that particular campaign rather than only giving us the option to Create A New Encounter for that campaign.
would be nice hope they just keep moving it forward
This would be a major upgrade!
This Feature would be great!
After playing our first session with the Maps, I completely agree there needs to be a merger between the Encounter Builder and Maps.
Great ideas! After doing one session with both maps and encounters. It definitely feels like I need two screens to run it properly. Putting it into one would be amazing!
A Quick and Dirty integration IMO:
1. Allow user to select multiple monster tokens on the map.
2. click button to launch encounter in new browser tab with these monsters. Encounter contains:
*the party
*the monster with type
*the monster name (whatever is listed as the name on the token)
The key benefits:
*You are already putting tokens on the map, so copying it into an encounter is just free.
*If you name the tokens, you won't have any trouble understanding which is which in the combat tracker.
*By moving monster tokens from room to room during gameplay, you will effectively be updating the encounters as you go. By the time you get to that room, the correct monsters are already shown. Select them all and launch the combat tracker.
It's funny, I came here to make this exact point. I feel like it's 3 different apps - character creator, encounter builder, and maps. As a unix person there's something nice about one app per requirement. As a DM or player, this is nuts. I'm not sure how roll20 or Foundry do it since I haven't paid for an account on there, but they HAVE to be more integrated than what's going on here, right?
Any progress on this feature? I agree that these are not well integrated and I am curious if there has been any improvements.
I have used Foundry and am currently DM for a few different groups on Roll20. Both systems are VASTLY more integrated and customizable. DnD Beyond is really missing an obvious link between the Encounter Builder and customizable tokens (names, HP, AC indicators, status effects, and all the rest). I basically use DnD Beyond for most things, but I definitely use Roll20 as the Battlemap program and the voice/video application (it works amazingly well).
That's what I figured. I'm currently DMing Humblewood for my kids. The module is available here on DnD Beyond which is awesome because it has all the monsters, etc. But while it's nice I can rename the tokens in the map, I can't rename them in the encounter builder. It's not a HUGE cognitive load, but it IS more annoying than it has to be. I really to hope this is on the roadmap once they finish the 3D VTT (which I imagine is taking the focus of most of the devs)
Indeed, but rather than a customizable health bar above each token, I'd really like a "pop out" initiative board, which gives the Players visibility of PC's and Monsters in iniative order (a health bar or such, is nice but not as important). Much like making a token hidden, let the DM make entries on this board hidden, so you are only showing the players the rows you want them to see. This would ba a major benefit for my players and our overall speed of play - it's something I used to do manually when I played using powerpoint for my battlemap, and it's something you get from other VTT's.
Surely it's not that hard - let us link a Map to an Encounter, then a bit more code... hey presto!
Any updates Hasbro?
Any chance we're getting this sometime in the near future? :)
It would be nice if on the map screen side tab you could have a drop down menu to select an encounter from those you've generated. Then after, another option to add all tokens.
I assume they are missing tokens is the issue.
For those that come later, Sometime around Nov. 1/2024, an update dropped to combat encounters that addressed some of the above stated issues, but not all.
I may be missing something here... this update from Nov. 2024 in my opinion does not add anything of use, besides a nice display of the initiative order for the players on the maps tool. Yes, you can add tokens to the 'encounter' but you still don't get access to their stats, you cannot modify anything in terms of their HP or other conditions, and in my case in particular the player rolling initiative on the character sheet is not doing anything to change their info on the map encounter.
So if I understand correctly, this means that if I want to run a combat I still need to use the (not map) encounter tools to create an entirely independent encounter, where the initiative and whatever else is completely decoupled from what is going on in the map. So instead of an improvement to the encounter tool that would integrate it with the map, we are getting a different (worse) version of the encounter tool that just happens to share the interface with the map.
Yea, I was excited at first with the new update. But you are correct, you still technically require the encounter tool to basically just check the stat block as well, or roll monster stats. It's odd to have left this part out as it appears quite essential.
Nonetheless, the update is still welcomed, and I'm happy for it. It just isn't as monumental as initially thought to be due to a few key missing features. Hopefully there is more to come!