My question seems basic, but I cannot find an answer. As a DM, how do you roll using the D&D Beyond interface? I have only been able to roll dice as a character. If I need to roll with real dice, that's fine, just trying to figure out what I am supposed to do. All the characters in my game can roll, and the dice show up on everyone's screen. thanks in advance
Make a character named DM and then do custom rolls "from them". That will show the party your rolls and label them accoringly.
Use Google to roll dice on your own screen. If it's not tied to a character you can just type in something like "roll 1d20" and it'll get you to the interface and you can roll to your heart's content.
Use a website like Improved Intiative and do your rolling in there. This is where 90% of my dice rolling happens. Combat Tracker - Improved Initiative
There are a lot of DMs that do not want dice rolls to show up on everyone's screen, so for now things like the Encounter Builder and Monsters, etc. will only show up in your Game Log feed, not the Campaign one. If you are using a VTT, you can send the rolls across and choose what to display. I use Roll20 for the VTT and Beyond20 as the interface between the two... so in Encounter Builder, I can click on the Monster rolling dice, and choose whether the rolls go only to the DM or whether they are visible to everyone by following the Whisper mechanic (set to Never Whisper). So... by default in DNDBeyond? No, not really yet... but using other software, you can accomplish this if it is your goal.
Thanks guys, this is exactly the answers I needed. I also use Roll20, but was looking to phase that out and only have 1 interface. I guess not yet :) I am curious about the encounter builder, I did not know I could roll dice from there. Still learning this new interface.
First you have to create your encounter in the Encounter builder. Then when you are ready to run it, you can do all your initiative there, then pull up each of the monsters or participants in the encounter and .... oh... I see what you mean... ok, so yeah, the Beyond20 extension in Chrome was allowing it to trigger my dice in DNDBeyond. Interesting...
Sorry about that... because it was rolling the dice when I was clicking on the Attack (Save, Whatever), I was thinking there was a tie in from the DNDBeyond site, not that it was triggering the reverse and allowing it to go both ways. Well... I guess you could try it out regardless of whether you are sending the data to a VTT. Or maybe soon they'll integrate all the facets of the Encounter Builder (Monster Stat Block, etc) into the dice roller.
Thanks for all the advice on this. I am new to DnDBeyond and trying to figure out the best method to run a campaign with some friends after I move to another state!
One thing I have been trying out is the AboveVTT browser extension for Chrome/Firefox. Its free (optional Patreon support) and fully integrates with DnDBeyond. This would satisfy your desire for 1 interface you mentioned in Post #4 above.
I am a long-time user of several VTT's over the last decade: a little Roll20, a fair bit of FantasyGrounds, and a lot of MapTool. Over the last several weeks I really have taken to using AboveVTT. Yeah, I do miss individual vision, and the ability to automate some aspects of gameplay (when I want to flex my macro writing Kung Fu), but the direct integration with DnDBeyond without having to once again purchase source/adventure books really has sold me on it. While AboveVTT is technically "all-in-one", including video/audio chat, that aspect of the software (video chat) is very basic, and could stand to improve. In all other aspects, AboveVTT's "all-in-one" capabilities mean that those of my PCs that are not running a reasonably powerful, multi-monitor, PC setup can just worry about interaction with a single window (no need to ALT-TAB between multiple windows or rely on a monitor and phone).
Regarding dice rolling, in AboveVTT, whenever you as a DM (in the DM interface) roll - be it a custom roll, or directly from a monster or PC's stat block - you will be prompted to "send to Players?". If I want to send the roll to the PCs, then I do. If I did not want to send it - maybe its hidden, or maybe I am fishing for a different result - then I don't. Nice and easy.
Something I have done and your PC power will dictate how well it works. I have another window open, with a character I created. There's my dice rolls and stuff and the group doesn't see them. To me, it's important they don't see all the attack rolls, in case I messed up on setting the encounter and they are getting stomped unjustly. (Had to fudge some rolls when the dice gods threw a fit and top party attack roll was a 12 over 2 rounds!)
I use the Encounter Builder and rolls there sometimes as well, but I usually try to ensure the players can't see the foe's attack rolls. It's got to be pretty extreme for me to cheat to save the party, but if the roll drops in front of them and they know it lands and does at least 3 points, the 2hp Fighter is about to hit the dirt and I may not want that to happen in this situation.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Talk to your Players.Talk to your DM. If more people used this advice, there would be 24.74% fewer threads on Tactics, Rules and DM discussions.
I use physical dice for my DM rolls, I don’t fudge dice but I have a jar full of dice and I want to use them :). I also find it just flows much quicker, as it is I have 8 browser windows open over 4 monitors plus discord so having to find the right screen to roll dice that can’t be seen, especially for perception rolls, or trap/environment damage etc it is so much easier to simply roll dice quickly.
High time we had the ability to straight custom roll, like Roll20 does, and chose to show players or not, as DM's. It can't be that hard to add this feature to campaigns.
Yeah, I agree, and here we are a year later still without it. . .At the minimum the dice roller that's on the bottom left corner of some screens should be available on all screens. I'd like to see click to roll for all monster abilities though, as well as DM tables. (Loot, random encounters, etc)
Greetings fellow adventurers.
My question seems basic, but I cannot find an answer. As a DM, how do you roll using the D&D Beyond interface? I have only been able to roll dice as a character. If I need to roll with real dice, that's fine, just trying to figure out what I am supposed to do. All the characters in my game can roll, and the dice show up on everyone's screen. thanks in advance
Options:
Make a character named DM and then do custom rolls "from them". That will show the party your rolls and label them accoringly.
Use Google to roll dice on your own screen. If it's not tied to a character you can just type in something like "roll 1d20" and it'll get you to the interface and you can roll to your heart's content.
Use a website like Improved Intiative and do your rolling in there. This is where 90% of my dice rolling happens. Combat Tracker - Improved Initiative
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There are a lot of DMs that do not want dice rolls to show up on everyone's screen, so for now things like the Encounter Builder and Monsters, etc. will only show up in your Game Log feed, not the Campaign one. If you are using a VTT, you can send the rolls across and choose what to display. I use Roll20 for the VTT and Beyond20 as the interface between the two... so in Encounter Builder, I can click on the Monster rolling dice, and choose whether the rolls go only to the DM or whether they are visible to everyone by following the Whisper mechanic (set to Never Whisper). So... by default in DNDBeyond? No, not really yet... but using other software, you can accomplish this if it is your goal.
Thanks guys, this is exactly the answers I needed. I also use Roll20, but was looking to phase that out and only have 1 interface. I guess not yet :) I am curious about the encounter builder, I did not know I could roll dice from there. Still learning this new interface.
OK, I guess I don't see it, but how do you roll from the encounter builder? I am guessing your using the encounter builder in Roll20?
I send a PM to myself and use the forum dice roller there.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
First you have to create your encounter in the Encounter builder. Then when you are ready to run it, you can do all your initiative there, then pull up each of the monsters or participants in the encounter and .... oh... I see what you mean... ok, so yeah, the Beyond20 extension in Chrome was allowing it to trigger my dice in DNDBeyond. Interesting...
Sorry about that... because it was rolling the dice when I was clicking on the Attack (Save, Whatever), I was thinking there was a tie in from the DNDBeyond site, not that it was triggering the reverse and allowing it to go both ways. Well... I guess you could try it out regardless of whether you are sending the data to a VTT. Or maybe soon they'll integrate all the facets of the Encounter Builder (Monster Stat Block, etc) into the dice roller.
Thanks for all the advice on this. I am new to DnDBeyond and trying to figure out the best method to run a campaign with some friends after I move to another state!
One thing I have been trying out is the AboveVTT browser extension for Chrome/Firefox. Its free (optional Patreon support) and fully integrates with DnDBeyond. This would satisfy your desire for 1 interface you mentioned in Post #4 above.
I am a long-time user of several VTT's over the last decade: a little Roll20, a fair bit of FantasyGrounds, and a lot of MapTool. Over the last several weeks I really have taken to using AboveVTT. Yeah, I do miss individual vision, and the ability to automate some aspects of gameplay (when I want to flex my macro writing Kung Fu), but the direct integration with DnDBeyond without having to once again purchase source/adventure books really has sold me on it. While AboveVTT is technically "all-in-one", including video/audio chat, that aspect of the software (video chat) is very basic, and could stand to improve. In all other aspects, AboveVTT's "all-in-one" capabilities mean that those of my PCs that are not running a reasonably powerful, multi-monitor, PC setup can just worry about interaction with a single window (no need to ALT-TAB between multiple windows or rely on a monitor and phone).
Regarding dice rolling, in AboveVTT, whenever you as a DM (in the DM interface) roll - be it a custom roll, or directly from a monster or PC's stat block - you will be prompted to "send to Players?". If I want to send the roll to the PCs, then I do. If I did not want to send it - maybe its hidden, or maybe I am fishing for a different result - then I don't. Nice and easy.
Something I have done and your PC power will dictate how well it works. I have another window open, with a character I created. There's my dice rolls and stuff and the group doesn't see them. To me, it's important they don't see all the attack rolls, in case I messed up on setting the encounter and they are getting stomped unjustly. (Had to fudge some rolls when the dice gods threw a fit and top party attack roll was a 12 over 2 rounds!)
I use the Encounter Builder and rolls there sometimes as well, but I usually try to ensure the players can't see the foe's attack rolls. It's got to be pretty extreme for me to cheat to save the party, but if the roll drops in front of them and they know it lands and does at least 3 points, the 2hp Fighter is about to hit the dirt and I may not want that to happen in this situation.
Talk to your Players. Talk to your DM. If more people used this advice, there would be 24.74% fewer threads on Tactics, Rules and DM discussions.
I use physical dice for my DM rolls, I don’t fudge dice but I have a jar full of dice and I want to use them :). I also find it just flows much quicker, as it is I have 8 browser windows open over 4 monitors plus discord so having to find the right screen to roll dice that can’t be seen, especially for perception rolls, or trap/environment damage etc it is so much easier to simply roll dice quickly.
High time we had the ability to straight custom roll, like Roll20 does, and chose to show players or not, as DM's. It can't be that hard to add this feature to campaigns.
Yeah, I agree, and here we are a year later still without it. . .At the minimum the dice roller that's on the bottom left corner of some screens should be available on all screens. I'd like to see click to roll for all monster abilities though, as well as DM tables. (Loot, random encounters, etc)
Use roll20