Hey, I would love for this thread to talk about some of the tools (map makers, universe builders, campaign managers et al) that are functional on MAC computers. Most of the stuff I've come across is not (Campaign Cartographer is one example).
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Richness, in the final measure, is not weighed in gold coins, but in the number of people you have touched, the tears of those who mourn your passing, and the fond rememberances of those who continue to celebrate your life. -Drizzt Do'Urden
I've use RPGtable. It's a decent mapping app. But doesn't have a lot of things I would want. Roll20.net does a lot that I like, but I don't like that I need to be online to use it. When 3.5 was my system of choice I used a program called Crystalball, which was an amazing tool for 3.5 for monster, character, and campaign management. I still use it for the diversity of its random name generator, and for its ability to spit out multiple unique sets of stats for characters at one click.
roll20 is good if you don't mind being online to run it through your browser. It's free to use and upsell on DM kits, assets, and D&D book content. I find the interface clunky but you get used to it.
Fantasy Grounds is a full integrated app with all the D&D book content as DLC. It gets quite expensive, though.
I've heard good things about d20pro, but it doesn't have the full D&D integration the above two have.
Otherwise, go oldschool and remember that DMs have managed without these tools for decades.
roll20 is good if you don't mind being online to run it through your browser. It's free to use and upsell on DM kits, assets, and D&D book content. I find the interface clunky but you get used to it.
Fantasy Grounds is a full integrated app with all the D&D book content as DLC. It gets quite expensive, though.
I've heard good things about d20pro, but it doesn't have the full D&D integration the above two have.
Otherwise, go oldschool and remember that DMs have managed without these tools for decades.
I use Roll20 for one group but other than that I own a MAC and I still use a booklet with all my notes and printed handouts, maps, index cards with holder and NPC info written in pencil. Just like I did 35 years ago LOL! Old school always works and I don't have to figure out how to use it.
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JT "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
Yeah, I used roll20 when I was gaming long-distance with my old group, but now as I DM my new group here we just use pencil and paper, which is easy enough with the prebuilt campaign books (though I really wish the maps in the books weren't so spoiler-y so I could show them more readily).
Yeah, I used roll20 when I was gaming long-distance with my old group, but now as I DM my new group here we just use pencil and paper, which is easy enough with the prebuilt campaign books (though I really wish the maps in the books weren't so spoiler-y so I could show them more readily).
For the maps, I've traced most of the one I want to show the players. It was less painful than trying to block out items I didn't want them to see.
Good Old Pencil and Paper will win every time.
I do appreciate the Roll20 for friends that are far away. It has a purpose and suits it well.
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JT "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
I keep trying to tell myself to check out roll 20 but I just never do. I've tried a few apps and I haven't found anything that made me happy. Like wadojeff said...good old pencil and paper is still the boss. That being said I would LOVE this site to live up to my hopes.
I enjoyed Game Master 5 on the ipad but I no longer have an ipad to run it. I totally agree that my hopes for this site are VERY HIGH.
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Richness, in the final measure, is not weighed in gold coins, but in the number of people you have touched, the tears of those who mourn your passing, and the fond rememberances of those who continue to celebrate your life. -Drizzt Do'Urden
I keep trying to tell myself to check out roll 20 but I just never do. I've tried a few apps and I haven't found anything that made me happy. Like wadojeff said...good old pencil and paper is still the boss. That being said I would LOVE this site to live up to my hopes.
I've used roll20 for a while and I really dislike it, but it's the best for my needs for remote DM'ing. It has most things, but everything is just so clunky.
roll20 is good if you don't mind being online to run it through your browser. It's free to use and upsell on DM kits, assets, and D&D book content. I find the interface clunky but you get used to it.
Fantasy Grounds is a full integrated app with all the D&D book content as DLC. It gets quite expensive, though.
I've heard good things about d20pro, but it doesn't have the full D&D integration the above two have.
Otherwise, go oldschool and remember that DMs have managed without these tools for decades.
Fantasy Grounds is a headache and a half to get working on a Mac. It took me a few HOURS to finally get it working and I don't really find the program to be that great. Not really worth the hassle, anyway. I prefer Roll20. Not tried d20pro, so I can't say one way or another on that.
To the original question:
For me, I usually draw my maps on paper and then scan them or draw them in photoshop and then upload them to Roll20. I put a lot more work into my maps than I probably should, but they look nice at least. File size is always an issue in that case though.
I will probably be doing some hand drawing for my next campaign's Kingdom and Continent scale maps.
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Richness, in the final measure, is not weighed in gold coins, but in the number of people you have touched, the tears of those who mourn your passing, and the fond rememberances of those who continue to celebrate your life. -Drizzt Do'Urden
Otherwise, go oldschool and remember that DMs have managed without these tools for decades.
The human race also managed for millennia without clean water supplies, vaccinations, penicillin, Netflix... and yet I still prefer to live in a world with all those "luxuries" available to me :)
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"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
Otherwise, go oldschool and remember that DMs have managed without these tools for decades.
The human race also managed for millennia without clean water supplies, vaccinations, penicillin, Netflix... and yet I still prefer to live in a world with all those "luxuries" available to me :)
Well, if by "managed" you mean "a lot of them died"... but your point is well taken. I simply meant that these tools should in fact be seen as luxuries, and not as necessities to having a good game. And I for one still find them clunkier than PnP unless you really want to play grid-based combat but don't have the minis.
I come from the old days of pencil and graph paper..... but I have recently reconnected with a few friends through Roll20.
Having found a love for this new tech I looked up custom tables and projectors and visualized the numerous ways to integrate all the tech out there, but remember it's a game of imagination and storytelling. A good DM can set the mood with a good tale and description including all the senses. Imagine in your head that rogue trying to pick the lock on a door. What does the door and lock look like, does it smell of old damp oak, is it cold to the touch, can you hear the picks working the rusted tumblers, is there biter tasty of ancient dust? Personally I would say Yes to the use of technology but please don't forget the feeling of telling a story.
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JT "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
I started DM'ing my first D&D game in 1989. Digital tools reduce the amount of effort I need to exert in order to prepare and run a game which means I can concentrate on more important things, like the narrative.
Old school, schmold school. Bring on the "revolution", I say.
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"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
My crew loves minis and is switching to playing on a grid with them. As a new DM though I learned found the game master 5 app made running everything SO MUCH EASIER; the NPC's spells were right there and accessible (no flipping through the PHB) and all the related attacks and abilities were there so I didn't need to look things up over and over.
I'm just wondering if there is something like that for use on the MAC because the iPad I was using is not available to use anymore.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Richness, in the final measure, is not weighed in gold coins, but in the number of people you have touched, the tears of those who mourn your passing, and the fond rememberances of those who continue to celebrate your life. -Drizzt Do'Urden
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Hey, I would love for this thread to talk about some of the tools (map makers, universe builders, campaign managers et al) that are functional on MAC computers. Most of the stuff I've come across is not (Campaign Cartographer is one example).
Richness, in the final measure, is not weighed in gold coins, but in the number of people you have touched, the tears of those who mourn your passing, and the fond rememberances of those who continue to celebrate your life.
-Drizzt Do'Urden
I've use RPGtable. It's a decent mapping app. But doesn't have a lot of things I would want. Roll20.net does a lot that I like, but I don't like that I need to be online to use it. When 3.5 was my system of choice I used a program called Crystalball, which was an amazing tool for 3.5 for monster, character, and campaign management. I still use it for the diversity of its random name generator, and for its ability to spit out multiple unique sets of stats for characters at one click.
it could be worse, you could be on fire.
I would be very interested to know this too.
MM
roll20 is good if you don't mind being online to run it through your browser. It's free to use and upsell on DM kits, assets, and D&D book content. I find the interface clunky but you get used to it.
Fantasy Grounds is a full integrated app with all the D&D book content as DLC. It gets quite expensive, though.
I've heard good things about d20pro, but it doesn't have the full D&D integration the above two have.
Otherwise, go oldschool and remember that DMs have managed without these tools for decades.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
JT " You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
Yeah, I used roll20 when I was gaming long-distance with my old group, but now as I DM my new group here we just use pencil and paper, which is easy enough with the prebuilt campaign books (though I really wish the maps in the books weren't so spoiler-y so I could show them more readily).
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
JT " You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
I keep trying to tell myself to check out roll 20 but I just never do. I've tried a few apps and I haven't found anything that made me happy. Like wadojeff said...good old pencil and paper is still the boss. That being said I would LOVE this site to live up to my hopes.
I enjoyed Game Master 5 on the ipad but I no longer have an ipad to run it. I totally agree that my hopes for this site are VERY HIGH.
Richness, in the final measure, is not weighed in gold coins, but in the number of people you have touched, the tears of those who mourn your passing, and the fond rememberances of those who continue to celebrate your life.
-Drizzt Do'Urden
I will probably be doing some hand drawing for my next campaign's Kingdom and Continent scale maps.
Richness, in the final measure, is not weighed in gold coins, but in the number of people you have touched, the tears of those who mourn your passing, and the fond rememberances of those who continue to celebrate your life.
-Drizzt Do'Urden
The human race also managed for millennia without clean water supplies, vaccinations, penicillin, Netflix... and yet I still prefer to live in a world with all those "luxuries" available to me :)
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
― Oscar Wilde.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
I come from the old days of pencil and graph paper..... but I have recently reconnected with a few friends through Roll20.
Having found a love for this new tech I looked up custom tables and projectors and visualized the numerous ways to integrate all the tech out there, but remember it's a game of imagination and storytelling. A good DM can set the mood with a good tale and description including all the senses. Imagine in your head that rogue trying to pick the lock on a door. What does the door and lock look like, does it smell of old damp oak, is it cold to the touch, can you hear the picks working the rusted tumblers, is there biter tasty of ancient dust? Personally I would say Yes to the use of technology but please don't forget the feeling of telling a story.
JT " You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
I started DM'ing my first D&D game in 1989. Digital tools reduce the amount of effort I need to exert in order to prepare and run a game which means I can concentrate on more important things, like the narrative.
Old school, schmold school. Bring on the "revolution", I say.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
― Oscar Wilde.
My crew loves minis and is switching to playing on a grid with them. As a new DM though I learned found the game master 5 app made running everything SO MUCH EASIER; the NPC's spells were right there and accessible (no flipping through the PHB) and all the related attacks and abilities were there so I didn't need to look things up over and over.
I'm just wondering if there is something like that for use on the MAC because the iPad I was using is not available to use anymore.
Richness, in the final measure, is not weighed in gold coins, but in the number of people you have touched, the tears of those who mourn your passing, and the fond rememberances of those who continue to celebrate your life.
-Drizzt Do'Urden