Ease my DM'ing with digital means or change TTRPG

[Baranov]

TL;DR, is there a smartphone app/browser site that's interactable with other players and the DM as an addition to physical play? I need somewhere to store character inventory with dynamically calculated weight and maybe be able to give them items on the go. And somewhere to write and store custom items and descriptions for feats and spells?

Hello.

I'm a DM with an active group of six players. I've hosted 15 sessions of D&D 3.5 so far, where we get to play on average once a month and everyone's loving it. But now I'm starting to get exhausted from my implementation.

We are all new to the tabletop world but always knew about the franchise. I decided to commit 110% in order to form this D&D group, and it was I who decided to for us to enroll with the 3.5 version. I guess the reasoning was more or less to have an even more advanced gameplay setup in comparison to 5e. It has worked out great up until recently where I've started to reflect over the shortages of how I've handled 3.5.

My player group bears a huge contrast in experience and dedication. There's a min/max'er and there are those who don't even know their class tables or their picked feats. This, in combination with the lack of available books (physical) without scrounging through the secondary market had me create a gaming atmosphere where I have been solely responsible to make it work.

I've spoiled the party with their own binder, custom-made excel sheets for their character, inventory, skills and spell page. On top of that I've also printed out every single feat, skill-trick and spell description for every unique character's binder (4 A4 papers of spell descriptions for Rangers, for them to never even use three of those spells.) This is done so everything is guaranteed to be available when the game starts, without having to refer to internet sources. On top of that I'm also the one storing the binders for a complete correction of inventory management, XP gain etc before the next session.

This is all works I'm doing on top of what I have to do as a part of my way of running the DM show. We use a "monitor in the table" and miniatures setup where I create all the tiles. A lot of homebrew magic items are also created. I'm also running a homebrew campaign so there's even more work to be done. This is starting to get a little overwhelming and I believe there must be better ways to ease my implementation.

Can anyone recommend any digital platform that is also usable on smartphones and have some kind of interaction options between connected players and the DM? Most importantly; inventory management and spell/feat descriptions. I, the DM would want to give the items to the player inventory (if possible) and have the weight be calculated dynamically. For the spell/feat descriptions part, I don't expect there to be any interactive database for spells outside of SRD, EPsionic and a few other books, so I'd probably end up having to create custom copy-pastes. Such a platform would at least let me avoid having to print out every piece of texted detail needed for them to play their characters, while still being able to refer to their binders for total skills and character stats. But I'm also not against the idea of going completely digital for the "pen and paper" part, not the physical. But which platform is moldable but at the same time interactable between the peers?

Having this digital solution would ease the strain on my preparation quite a bit and let me focus on other things within our campaign. I'm still willing to spoil my group with my implementation of 3.5, but all this printing and tracking prods me with a touch of idiocy. The only other way I see is to not print out the necessary descriptions and refer all my attendees to visit srd.dndtools on the go. Even though one of our greatest assets, it's bulky, got broken links and just a mess to scroll through, especially on a phone. This situation has gotten me to consider changing TTRPG system for greater digital support and access to physical books. I'm waging to hop on the Pathfinder 2e ship (since WotC's debacle). Not only to hand out core rulebooks but also to streamline our experience.

I am not saying that my attendees are lazy and can't be arsed to do what's expected from the player side, but I'm always partaking during their level-up process or character creation remotely. I believe the problem lies in the lack of books to attract further interest, rather than to use google to navigate their progress and then show up once a month only to forget half their details. I am not bashing my friends for partaking in the atmosphere that I myself decided to set up in order to welcome all levels of experience, it's just becoming too much to handle.

I appreciate any feedback or ideas on how to continue our D&D 3.5 sessions lacking books and without me going crazy.

[Lilapop]

I use the Bell of Lost Souls SRD (https://www.d20srd.org/index.htm). Never had issues with broken links there.

What software are you using for the table? I think most people are running some VTT on that, which would have at least some of the functionality you are looking for. Roll20's 3.5 character sheets are a little strange sometimes, and you still need to extend the macros to support splatbook content, but at least they are macros and not explanations your beginners have to understand.

It also sounds like you should look into offloading part of that work on the players. Especially if some of them are well versed in the system. At least maintaining character sheets and such.

Edit: Oh and obviously websites are a mess to scroll on a device that is meant to make phone calls. Get some laptops involved. Most of the PDFs are reasonably well OCR'd and searchable too.

[Crake]

If I might suggest: Digitization is what got you into this mess in the first place, are you sure that MORE digitization is the answer?

Seems like part of the problem is ignorance on behalf of some of your players. Maybe printing physical character sheets, and having the players fill them out and track information on them might actually help them learn their character details, and help them remember what they actually have?

Personally, I think overdigitizing the hobby is a pretty frequent mistake people make these days, they try to have everything automated, like its a video game, and to me, if you’re gonna do that, why not actually just load up a video game and play multiplayer? Get nwn2 and create custom campaigns in there, and just embrace the full nature of digitization?

But if you’re gonna play tabletop, then play tabletop.

[Baranov]

I use the www d20srd org/index Bell of Lost Souls SRD. Never had issues with broken links there.

Yes I know that site, though we use it infrequently as a consequence of letting my players roam free among all books.


What software are you using for the table?

I am running a self-made tabletop application made through Scirra's Construct 3 engine. It's used to beam pre-made tilesets (maps) based on the inch grid. Some rooms have scripted events (e.g. layout changes, sound effects, sprites etc) made for specific sessions. I'm not using any VTT supportive solution that's handled through another monitor.


It also sounds like you should look into offloading part of that work on the players. Especially if some of them are well versed in the system. At least maintaining character sheets and such.

Edit: Oh and obviously websites are a mess to scroll on a device that is meant to make phone calls. Get some laptops involved. Most of the PDFs are reasonably well OCR'd and searchable too.

Perhaps hopping between different PDF's on a phone is more usual than I want to imagine for players to remind themselves of individual level gains. That laptop idea in the hands of players wasn't a bad idea, perhaps it could have an optimized environment where one player could be responsible to navigate and look up player details for any party member in need. Thanks!


If I might suggest: Digitization is what got you into this mess in the first place, are you sure that MORE digitization is the answer?

I can't agree with your initial statement regarding digitization. At the moment we're running as physical as you can get without having access to books. That is, if we put aside the monitor in a table concept. I track all aspects of the game on laminated papers and have creatures/templates printed out as oversized cards to quickly look up important stats in combat. They have all essential character papers and literally all text relevant to their characters's gains within their binders.


Seems like part of the problem is ignorance on behalf of some of your players. Maybe printing physical character sheets, and having the players fill them out and track information on them might actually help them learn their character details, and help them remember what they actually have?

Yes, perhaps it's just for me to make it a requirement for them to start levelling up on their own (of course I'm still assisting their knowledge of the game) by bringing their binders home and take their time between sessions.


Personally, I think overdigitizing the hobby is a pretty frequent mistake people make these days, they try to have everything automated, like its a video game, and to me, if you’re gonna do that, why not actually just load up a video game and play multiplayer? Get nwn2 and create custom campaigns in there, and just embrace the full nature of digitization?

But if you’re gonna play tabletop, then play tabletop.

You're right, and some of my attendees have voiced their interest to keep the physical aspect which I completely support. Where the question of increased digitization takes form in my implementation is to ease my workload of printing everything necessary in paper form and hand it to the players. I'm starting to think if I'm having my players to do their binders more or less on their own, then perhaps they could also write down all form of tracking of their level gains (spell descriptions, feat descriptions, skill tricks, etc) also on their own in any way they want that is accessible during an active session. I'm still waging this idea versus a digital platform where they could store this information. I just don't know the good options out there. Because we don't play digital. We play with miniatures and dice.

[Saintheart]

TL;DR, is there a smartphone app/browser site that's interactable with other players and the DM as an addition to physical play? I need somewhere to store character inventory with dynamically calculated weight and maybe be able to give them items on the go. And somewhere to write and store custom items and descriptions for feats and spells?

You might be stuck with a hodgepodge of solutions unfortunately. That said, for my $0.02 adjusted for ruinous inflation, on the CS front, have you considered building CSes on myth-weavers.com? Their macros are simple, but they dynamically calculate weight at least and calculate light/medium/heavy loads from the ability scores. And I think the links to the sheet can be shared, i.e allow you to make changes ... if I remember right. If they can't be shared, maybe you just make duplicates of the sheets and then tell them "here's your current sheet as calculated by me, any disputes, show me your workings." ...

On tabletops, if it helps, for a free web-based tabletop sharer (works on mobile apps too) Owlbear Rodeo looks good.

As for writing and storing custom items/descriptions/feats/spells - have you considered a boring old Wiki page somewhere?

[Crake]

You're right, and some of my attendees have voiced their interest to keep the physical aspect which I completely support. Where the question of increased digitization takes form in my implementation is to ease my workload of printing everything necessary in paper form and hand it to the players. I'm starting to think if I'm having my players to do their binders more or less on their own, then perhaps they could also write down all form of tracking of their level gains (spell descriptions, feat descriptions, skill tricks, etc) also on their own in any way they want that is accessible during an active session. I'm still waging this idea versus a digital platform where they could store this information. I just don't know the good options out there. Because we don't play digital. We play with miniatures and dice.

Yeah, honestly, I would suggest having the players work on their own characters. It might even be a bit of a negative feedback loop, by working so hard to make their characters for them, they end up just taking it for granted, and don't really understand their character, which just makes you have to work harder, and them to understand their character less, etc.

Managing all the players' characters ONTOP of all your other responsibilities as DM is just utter madness, you have enough on your plate as is, just pass the reins over to them for their characters at the very least.

[Baranov]

You might be stuck with a hodgepodge of solutions unfortunately. That said, for my $0.02 adjusted for ruinous inflation, on the CS front, have you considered building CSes on myth-weavers.com? Their macros are simple, but they dynamically calculate weight at least and calculate light/medium/heavy loads from the ability scores. And I think the links to the sheet can be shared, i.e allow you to make changes ... if I remember right. If they can't be shared, maybe you just make duplicates of the sheets and then tell them "here's your current sheet as calculated by me, any disputes, show me your workings." ...

On tabletops, if it helps, for a free web-based tabletop sharer (works on mobile apps too) Owlbear Rodeo looks good.

As for writing and storing custom items/descriptions/feats/spells - have you considered a boring old Wiki page somewhere?

I shall definantely check out those suggestions. Thanks!