New-ish DM here. Planning on running a small campaign for some family and friends online. This will be my first time using the D&D Beyond VTT (maps). The campaign I'm running is Dragon of Icespire.
My question is the setup. I understand most of the mechanics, but do I add the monster tokens prior to starting the campaign, or am I supposed to add them as they reach the encounter? Seems like adding them at that point would disrupt the flow while I try to set it up for them. I have them added now, and I am guessing that once the campaign starts, I can simply just add the player tokens?
I've searched around, but am having trouble finding a thorough tutorial for Maps. If there is one that I could be pointed to, that would be great. Any help is appreciated!
As part of my prepwork I add the monster tokens to the maps beforehand. I also add the player tokens to the entrance or whereever they are starting. I still use miniatures on my games and use the maps function as an additional tool my players use to visualize the area. Big boss battles are fought with minis, while larger multi token fights against weak opponents are fought virtually. If the players have a map of the area I hide the tokens until they are aware of the monsters location. If they don't have a map I use the fog of war feature instead and reveal the map as we go. I hope this helps. Have fun!
New-ish DM here. Planning on running a small campaign for some family and friends online. This will be my first time using the D&D Beyond VTT (maps). The campaign I'm running is Dragon of Icespire.
My question is the setup. I understand most of the mechanics, but do I add the monster tokens prior to starting the campaign, or am I supposed to add them as they reach the encounter? Seems like adding them at that point would disrupt the flow while I try to set it up for them. I have them added now, and I am guessing that once the campaign starts, I can simply just add the player tokens?
I've searched around, but am having trouble finding a thorough tutorial for Maps. If there is one that I could be pointed to, that would be great. Any help is appreciated!
As part of my prepwork I add the monster tokens to the maps beforehand. I also add the player tokens to the entrance or whereever they are starting. I still use miniatures on my games and use the maps function as an additional tool my players use to visualize the area. Big boss battles are fought with minis, while larger multi token fights against weak opponents are fought virtually. If the players have a map of the area I hide the tokens until they are aware of the monsters location. If they don't have a map I use the fog of war feature instead and reveal the map as we go. I hope this helps. Have fun!
Abishai Stromborn: Human Bard: The Hunt for the Balowang!
DM for Tyranny of Dragons and Phandelver and Below, two in-person campaigns that meet weekly on Friday and Saturday nights.