D&D 5E Anyone using software combat tracking with 5e?

[Jeff Albertson]

I dont think 5e is complex enough to need a tracker at all.

Yeah, seems more trouble (fiddly) than it's worth with this edition; I got on fine without one in 3rd Ed, so I am sure I will be fine.

4th Ed, on the other hand, can get hectic, with all the condition tracking.

 

[Blueace]

Hi,

I developed that for D&D 5 : http://www.aidedd.org/dnd_tracker/index.php?l=1

It's 100% online, nothing to install, so you're sure to use the last version!

We have more functionalities ideas we will develop in the following days, like import/export for DM who want to prepare the encounters.

But I'm interested about you're feedback, as I don't really know if many people do play with an electronic assistant (like PC, tablet, smartphone) or not.

 

[JonasBaleine]

I took a look at your application Blueace. I must say it is pretty good. I very much like the creature stat blocks.
If I may make a few suggestions though that would make its use easier:

1-Sorting the characters and creatures by initiative order is easier to use.
2-Also, the possibility to "go back in time", initiative wise, to rewind the initiative.
3-The possibility to look for creatures by CR or XP.
4-Automatically remove conditions when they are done (the description of the conditions show another condition in french).
5-Somewhere to enter damage/healing rather to enter final HP.
6-Show the creature's AC like the character's, next to their name.
7-Automatically show the creature stat block when it is its turn.

Those are simply suggestions, things I like or would like to have when I play. Do not feel in any way obligated.
Thanks for sharing it, I really appreciate it.

 

[Mercule]

I use DM Minion. It syncs with Dropbox and has an iPad and Android version. The tablet versions are for pay, but the desktop is free. Although I did buy the iOS version, I generally just run the desktop version from my Surface. If nothing else, setting up the encounters ahead of time helps me review the module and prep.

There are a couple things that could be improved (reinforcements added to a combat after it starts don't roll hit points, so they have 0 and need to be padded with temp hp; there's no easy way to sort the encounters by name), but it's pretty good. Some of that can be worked around because the records are in XML -- I just wrote a little C# app to sort the encounter nodes, for example.

 

[fixitgeek]

I use this tool myself to keep track, does everything I need it to do and lets me make my own database of creatures for pulling up agian and again as needed.

http://www.goatheadsoftware.com

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Curious if anyone is using software tools to manage combat in 5e. It looks like the 4e turn tracker would be pretty usable, but haven't tried it personally. Looking for a recommendation since Morningstar isn't available yet. DM Minion also has a 5e tool in beta, but I don't know much about it.
Thanks!

I wrote my own for Theatre of the Mind combat, although I use it more for prep and encounter-testing than during an actual game session, because at the table I don't like pulling out my computer.

It would be kind of nice to have a product that randomly generates and manages gridded terrain (monster placement, furniture, obscurement, LOS, etc.) over large areas (as opposed to tiny 10 x 10 maps). I don't know of any good ones though and I haven't written one yet.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I have used all those on different platforms. So far to date without a doubt is Combat Manager as it works on all platforms. It is by far the easiest to use too and customizable. The Minion 5E program has a horrible user interface and requires too much clicking everywhere which slows down combat flow AND you have to create an "Adventure" profile and put encounters in it, etc. Combat Manager gives you that option but you're not forced into anything like that. Using CM with 5E I am simply deleting the +REF/FORT etc stat block or just leaving them as they're not needed and simply put in the max HP, AC, and Dex (Initiative) mods so I can track initiative. I don't modify all the detailed damage and power stats, for that I just look my PDF file or my Monster Manual. I have no hope for the official D&D program to come out anytime soon nor the 5e Minion, but the official product from WOTC at least looks interesting.

This. This is exactly why I recommend writing your own tools. It is the only way to get a user interface which perfectly matches your DMing style. Every time I look into a tool by someone else (e.g. Fantasy Grounds) I realize that it requires five times as much clicking as I want to do, and I just want to go back to pen-and-paper where I jot down HP totals and deduct from them as combat proceeds, and scratch marks for various conditions like Prone or Hypnotized. If you write your own tool it will always ask you for exactly as much detail as you care about, and it will do so in exactly the easiest way. For you.

 

[designbot]

Game Master 5th Edition

There are little things I would change if I could, but it's the most polished app I've seen by far.



You can enter everything manually, but rumor has it that there are community-maintained "DnDAppFiles" out there somewhere that let you import all of the official spells, classes, monsters, and magic items.

 

[SN0WRAVEN]

Game Master 5th Edition

There are little things I would change if I could, but it's the most polished app I've seen by far.

View attachment 71711

You can enter everything manually, but rumor has it that there are community-maintained "DnDAppFiles" out there somewhere that let you import all of the official spells, classes, monsters, and magic items.

It's hands down the best DM app out there for running 5th Ed. I use it as my story bible, combat, reference, and well...everything. Having the monster stats just pop up when you cycle through the turns is a dream for running combat smoothly. I've used it since it came out, and every other tool I've seen and tried is inferior.


Sent from my iPhone using EN World mobile app

 

[designbot]

There is a new iOS app called Encounter+ specifically for combat management. It's not quite as full-featured as Game Master, but it can use the same "DnDAppFiles," and it has some unique features (like random encounter generation and per-round initiative rolling).

The developer is responding to feedback here on EN World.