Seconded.
If your group plays with laptops, ipads, kindles, smartphones OP might be a great tool.
Than again, if you are equipped with al those gadgets, you might learn how to hmtl, and do the whole thing for yourself.
(just kidding)
Obsidian Portal
If your group plays with laptops, ipads, kindles, smartphones OP might be a great tool.
Than again, if you are equipped with al those gadgets, you might learn how to hmtl, and do the whole thing for yourself.
(just kidding)
Ktulu
First Post
I found Epicwords to be a bit more user-friendly, if lacking some of the customizability the Obsidian Portal offered.
It's also cheap-to-free for use, and provides a fairly ready-made, if somewhat generic, display/UI.
For an example, here's my current campaign:
Simpler Times - Epic Words
It's also cheap-to-free for use, and provides a fairly ready-made, if somewhat generic, display/UI.
For an example, here's my current campaign:
Simpler Times - Epic Words
Maidhc O Casain
Na Bith Mo Riocht Tá!
I really like OP. I play exclusively by post these days, and the players in my games are scattered from Utah to New England (one lives in Canada). I use it as an information repository for the two APs I'm running here on ENWorld, and it works great!
I put a little time into making it all pretty, but not nearly so much as others do. As one poster has already said, unless you're spending ALL your time gaming you have to find a balance between making your site look polished and professional and actually playing your game. Of course, if I were better with wiki coding it would go faster.
Paid accounts allow you to run multiple campaigns, automatically e-mail your players when you update pages, and post more pictures/maps/etc.
I put a little time into making it all pretty, but not nearly so much as others do. As one poster has already said, unless you're spending ALL your time gaming you have to find a balance between making your site look polished and professional and actually playing your game. Of course, if I were better with wiki coding it would go faster.
Paid accounts allow you to run multiple campaigns, automatically e-mail your players when you update pages, and post more pictures/maps/etc.
MicahWedemeyer
First Post
Hey all,
I run Obsidian Portal, so I won't go into how awesome I think it is. Besides, everyone else is doing a better job of selling it than I would. (Thanks for that, by the way, I'm always ecstatic to hear that people like it.)
I just wanted to address the concern that some have mentioned about spending too much time on perfecting things. I actually discussed this on The Dungeon Master Guys podcast. If you find you're having trouble budgeting your time, or you feel like your campaign wiki isn't "good enough", I would highly recommend listening to the podcast.
For those that are too busy to listen to a podcast, here's the summary: It's your campaign for you and your players. Only put in enough time to make you and your players happy. Forget about pleasing the entire Internet.
Good luck with your campaigns!
I run Obsidian Portal, so I won't go into how awesome I think it is. Besides, everyone else is doing a better job of selling it than I would. (Thanks for that, by the way, I'm always ecstatic to hear that people like it.)
I just wanted to address the concern that some have mentioned about spending too much time on perfecting things. I actually discussed this on The Dungeon Master Guys podcast. If you find you're having trouble budgeting your time, or you feel like your campaign wiki isn't "good enough", I would highly recommend listening to the podcast.
For those that are too busy to listen to a podcast, here's the summary: It's your campaign for you and your players. Only put in enough time to make you and your players happy. Forget about pleasing the entire Internet.
Good luck with your campaigns!
Obsidian Portal is an awesome tool. I haven't visited it recently so I might wish for something that is already implemented.
But I wish that instead of offering a forum and more webspace for picture to offer:
Tools to create html based monster/npc stats, implemented into the site. I have to write my own html code, or use some of those awesome online tools available (on other sites) to post my monster stat blocks.
But I wish that instead of offering a forum and more webspace for picture to offer:
Tools to create html based monster/npc stats, implemented into the site. I have to write my own html code, or use some of those awesome online tools available (on other sites) to post my monster stat blocks.
Dungeoneer
First Post
I've been messing around with Obsidian Portal for my current Dark Sun campaign. Seems as though it might be a nice way to keep track of all the various NPCs and locations.
The real question is if I can get my players to actually use it.
The real question is if I can get my players to actually use it.
Arlough
Explorer
If you want your players to use it, but don't want to be tyrannical about it, the just reward them for using it. Here are a few ways I can think of off the top of my head.
Have additional background info available in there about the story that will be of help to the party later on. For example, maybe there is a haunted dungeon that you will have them going through, and incorporeal undead fill the halls. Well, ghosts, being insubstantial and having phasing, are a real pain in the donkey. But maybe there is a hymn tied to this dungeon that can be sung to make it less painful.
For we shall not fear them (hymn)
Standard action
Close burst 5
Target: All ghosts in burst
Attack: Religion check vs. Will
Hit: Target becomes substantial and loses phasing until the end of your next turn.
Standard action
Close burst 5
Target: All ghosts in burst
Attack: Religion check vs. Will
Hit: Target becomes substantial and loses phasing until the end of your next turn.
But the only way for your players to find this info is by reading the notes in OP.
This would probably work best if you can get one player to do so as bait, and then continue to have tidbits like this that the players can find.
Another one, is to have the player's background develop there outside of the game. This will also reward you, since you will be able to integrate their background info into the campaign, should it ever be appropriate.
Just a few ideas.
I've been using OP lately, loading in all kinds of stuff i think my players will want, from language glossaries, customs, dates, colloquial expressions for different regions, etc. I only expect one of my players to use it heavily at first, but the rest of the party will probably start using it.
You will want to outline on paper what kind of stuff and how to arrange it before you go building, to prevent regretting design choices and having to discard and redo whole pages. At least if you plan on storing a bunch of info.
Since you and the players both will be accessing, try to keep the data organized in a way that makes sense to you and them.
I'm using something along these lines:
World
-continents
--nations/regions
---relevent history
---major features
---inhabitants
---language info
---city list
----inhabitants
----major features
----districts
-----major district sites
-----shops/inns/taverns
------pricing/avilability
NPCs
-stats
-light backstory
-simple motivations
-answers to questions
Monsters
-stats
-knowledge info
-ecology
Pre-made Encounters
Organizations
House Rules
You can always have stub pages with all or most of the info hidden in the DM only section, and then move it to the general section as players progress and learn things
You will want to outline on paper what kind of stuff and how to arrange it before you go building, to prevent regretting design choices and having to discard and redo whole pages. At least if you plan on storing a bunch of info.
Since you and the players both will be accessing, try to keep the data organized in a way that makes sense to you and them.
I'm using something along these lines:
World
-continents
--nations/regions
---relevent history
---major features
---inhabitants
---language info
---city list
----inhabitants
----major features
----districts
-----major district sites
-----shops/inns/taverns
------pricing/avilability
NPCs
-stats
-light backstory
-simple motivations
-answers to questions
Monsters
-stats
-knowledge info
-ecology
Pre-made Encounters
Organizations
House Rules
You can always have stub pages with all or most of the info hidden in the DM only section, and then move it to the general section as players progress and learn things
Lalato
Adventurer
I second the recommendation for Epic Words. User friendly and ready to go right out of the box. Either way you decide to go, it will probably be an improvement to scattered notes. Try both and see which one you like. Both have free account options so it's not like it'll cost you anything.
