I thought I'd write a bit to mention some features for campaign management which I'd like to see, since I know DDB's development has been responsive to user requests and feedback. (No expectations; but I've seen some "we haven't heard much request for that..." so I figure I should make myself heard.) Also, I'd love to hear what other users really want to see upcoming for campaign management. Also, I know the D&D Toolbox exists, and I very much appreciate the work done on that.
Encounter Builder -- from what I've heard, development on this is full-steam ahead. Can't wait! This will be a massive boost in functionality for the site.
Encounter/Initiative Tracking -- maybe this will come along with the encounter builder? I don't know, but it'd be really nice to have built right into the site.
NPC management -- quick-building NPCs, tools to organize, keep track, and take notes on them.
Handout management -- uploading and sharing handout files (for example images of NPCs, or as roll20 allows, 1-page PDFs) with players, or a built-in handout object that can be made available to a player.
Item management -- create an instance of an item and give it to a player.
Experience tracking -- ways to give experience directly to all players or individual players.
Much more detailed/extensive notes area for private DM notes about the campaign, so that I can keep track of what my PCs are up to and what's going on in the world.
Taking notes in purchased adventures. This was requested in a Reddit AMA, and Adam mentioned that he likes it and it's on the list but not near the top -- so hopefully if others find it attractive and say so, it can get moved up. For me this would a massive value-added quality-of-life improvement that seems relatively small for DDB to implement. We play with purchased campaigns fairly often, but so far, despite getting the rule books and master subscription, I haven't pulled the trigger on the digital adventures yet (and so this has kept me from considering the Legendary tier, as the rulebooks are just too small a portion of all the books). I already own the paper books and buy them all anyway, and it seems the DDB Campaign books are for the most part digital reproductions of the paper books, with minimal (no?) additional value-added aside from web links. DDB would do itself a great favor by giving me more reasons to purchase the digital version in addition. Taking notes within them would be a great boon. I'm about to run Princes of the Apocalypse again, and I'm considering buying the DDB version... but I just don't see much benefit if I already have the paper copy. (If anyone wants to sell me on it; aside from having the items and monsters digitally, I'd be happy to hear.)
Working with D&D Artists to make player-focused versions of maps that come with adventures available through DDB (and then being able to make them visible to players). For example, Mike Schley sells nice versions of his maps through zenfolio.
On that note, partnering with DM's Guild to allow their content creators to make DDB versions of their adventures and rulebooks, and having them purchasable through DDB.
Alright I guess I've gone on long enough. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts about what they'd like to see for campaign management.
Here is another response from the AMA which addresses some of these things. Can't wait to see all this come to fruition!
Question: You've been asked several times about virtual tabletops, but I'd like to know about your thoughts on virtual improvements for regular tabletop play:
Sharing images such as maps
Initiative/HP tracker with linked monster profiles (I think you've been talking about this)
Party messaging/forums for communication between sessions (or for passing secret notes)
Customizable, organizable info boxes for notes/lore beyond just "public" and "private" notes boxes
Build-your-own tables for things like random encounters
A nicely formatted online dungeon maker (key-maker if not map-maker) would be nice :)
I find myself using D&D Beyond pretty regularly for looking up monsters and spells and rules and things, but then I also find I'm having to flip to other documents online and in notebooks, print things, and use two notepads. Being able to, say, create a dungeon with encounters pre-built into rooms and then click that encounter to open up the initiative tracker with the PCs and monsters already dropped in and draggable (or even an auto-roll option for the monsters!), with mouse-over monster profiles and individual HP dials for them would be without hyperbole the greatest thing anyone had ever built in human history.
Response:
I'll take each point in succession:
Planned
Definitely planned and yes, I've talked about it elsewhere.
Planned (further down the list)
I like it, and improvements are planned for sure.
Planned
Something we've got on the radar
I believe you'll be pleased with the long-term direction if you're excited about your last comments there.
I'd like to see a Dungeon Master's Screen that's a set of customisable quick tabs on one screen.
Campaign Tab - lists PC summaries, campaign notes, communal gold and campaign settings
Encounter Viewer - loads (but doesn't edit) pre made encounters from the encounter builder. Maybe also includes quick monster look up and perhaps a quick encounter generator
Rules Tab - a customisable selection of rule snippets that can be shown, hidden and moved around from a settings menu. Maybe there could be multiple tabs that you can name; Combat Rules would list, well, just that. Social Rules could be where you keep all the costs and NPC rules you always forget.
I really hope that the encounter viewer/encounter system ends up having radio buttons or check boxes for legendary actions, recharge actions, and spells for monsters!
I really hope that the encounter viewer/encounter system ends up having radio buttons or check boxes for legendary actions, recharge actions, and spells for monsters!
I expect that it will be more comprehensive than that! :)
I really hope that the encounter viewer/encounter system ends up having radio buttons or check boxes for legendary actions, recharge actions, and spells for monsters!
I expect that it will be more comprehensive than that! :)
Oh this again... Stormknight, you always know how to get us excited about new features. :)
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I thought I'd write a bit to mention some features for campaign management which I'd like to see, since I know DDB's development has been responsive to user requests and feedback. (No expectations; but I've seen some "we haven't heard much request for that..." so I figure I should make myself heard.) Also, I'd love to hear what other users really want to see upcoming for campaign management. Also, I know the D&D Toolbox exists, and I very much appreciate the work done on that.
Alright I guess I've gone on long enough. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts about what they'd like to see for campaign management.
Here is another response from the AMA which addresses some of these things. Can't wait to see all this come to fruition!
I'd like to see a Dungeon Master's Screen that's a set of customisable quick tabs on one screen.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
I really hope that the encounter viewer/encounter system ends up having radio buttons or check boxes for legendary actions, recharge actions, and spells for monsters!
I expect that it will be more comprehensive than that! :)
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Oh this again... Stormknight, you always know how to get us excited about new features. :)