How do you use D&D Insider?

[BradfordFerguson]

Today I'm finding D&DI very helpful for encounter building and I'm not even using their "encounter builder" tool...!

So I'm trying to build some encounters or encounter groups around dragons and their elements, but I don't know what all resists various monsters have.

So I search the Rules Compendium for: resist cold

While some of the monsters have a resist (other) and a power cold, it is still very handy in narrowing down a list VERY quickly. That is very cool, and also a good deal of the responses are from stuff like official adventures, the forgotten realms books, dragon mag, and dungeon mag, all pulled together in the search and I can print out their stat block for usage in my game tonight. Awesome.

What are some (non-snarky, please) uses you are finding for the D&DI?

 

[Scribble]

What are some (non-snarky, please) uses you are finding for the D&DI?

I use the encounter builder constantly! It's not a nessesity, but it's like doing math with a calculator... Easier.

I cut/paste stats all the time for encounters, and tend to put together "treasure" sheets as well. I've used the monster builder a few times.

I also print the magazine articles to read on the train to/from work.

 

[BradfordFerguson]

Oh yeah, printing up monster statblocks is great so I don't have to flip between Monster Manual pages during the actual game.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Massively use the statblocks

 

[Agamon]

Yup, the encounter builder and all the stat blocks WotC's produced so far with keyword search is awesome. Dragon and Dungeon are great, too.

 

[Ktulu]

I use the compendium to find the monsters/items/powers I want to use, then copy/paste into word (strip formatting). I can then edit the creature as I see fit. Succubus is now a Yuan-Ti Snake charmer of level 4 (changed resistances, flight to climb, added some poison damage, etc.. voila!)

Then place Xp & terrain information in the header of the encounter
Treasure & magic items in the footer.

Using word, I can color code differing effects (auras, ongoing damage, special conditions, immediate actions) to make it very easy to track each monster.

I've never had such successfully run encounters before the compendium existed. (nor have I been able to stat out a monster with such speed and efficiency.

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

I'm not currently actively running a 4E campaign, but I am doing a bit of world building so D&DI is mainly a reference for me. I download the magazine compilations at the end of every month, but don't use the tools or the Rules Compendium all that much. I'm sure that will change once I start DMing 4E on a more regular basis.

 

[Scribble]

I use the compendium to find the monsters/items/powers I want to use, then copy/paste into word (strip formatting)...

Using word, I can color code differing effects (auras, ongoing damage, special conditions, immediate actions) to make it very easy to track each monster.

Just out of curiousity is there a reason you strip the formatting? Or is it just because you do your own formatting?

 

[Ktulu]

Just out of curiousity is there a reason you strip the formatting? Or is it just because you do your own formatting?

If you strip the formatting (for office 2k7) you won't get all the colored backgrounds from the compendium.

Also, I format my page with two columns, to fit all the monsters in a four square-like layout.

 

[timbannock]

I use the compendium to find the monsters/items/powers I want to use, then copy/paste into word (strip formatting). I can then edit the creature as I see fit. Succubus is now a Yuan-Ti Snake charmer of level 4 (changed resistances, flight to climb, added some poison damage, etc.. voila!)

Then place Xp & terrain information in the header of the encounter
Treasure & magic items in the footer.

Using word, I can color code differing effects (auras, ongoing damage, special conditions, immediate actions) to make it very easy to track each monster.

I've never had such successfully run encounters before the compendium existed. (nor have I been able to stat out a monster with such speed and efficiency.

I can't say anything you haven't already. That's exactly what I do...except it sounds like you're even more organized and color-coded than me! Consider those ideas yoinked!

The Compendium is the single most useful thing ever, so much so that I'm afraid WOTC will realize I'm not buying their books anymore, and just using the Compendium for monsters, treasures, and powers. They're still getting money out of me...just not nearly as much