Ipads and gaming

[invokethehojo]

So I just got an iPad, and while I can see the potential for it to totally change my experience at the game table, I'm not the most net savvy dude. I really got it just because it seems like such a natural way to surf the web (and give my carpal tunnel a break). I've never played an rpg online through a virtual table, I don't use Facebook, and I generally don't like tech in my pen and paper games... Yet this device seems like it might help my experience rather than distract me from it (which is what laptops do IMO). But how I wonder?

Ideas?
Is there an app for that?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I don't have an iPad, but I do have it's little cousin, the iTouch. So far, I use my Notes app for a plain & simple character sheet.

 

[Ryltar]

Dungeon Mapp Free for iPad on the iTunes App Store

Tabletop Initiative Tracker for iPad on the iTunes App Store

GMToolKit - RPG Helper for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store

App Shopper: ElvenSpeak - A guide to J.R.R.Tolkien's Elven Language Quenya and Culture (Lifestyle)

These are free; IIRC there are some more, but for some of them, you would have to spend money. Depending on your game system, just browse the Apple store - I know for a fact that there are Apps that provide spellbooks, dice rolling or even the whole SRD for most "D&D editions" (3.5, 4e, Pathfinder).

Also, an obvious use for a DM: Show pictures of NPCs, environs, monsters, whatever. I usually raid Paizo's, Wizards' and the conceptart.org galleries for this purpose, but printing out every single picture I want to show is just a killer (both with regard to printing costs and the environment). A portable, full-color screen with lots of hard disk space and high resolution? Yes, please, I'll use that.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Thanks for the links!

 

[invokethehojo]

Yes, very nice. I here there are apps to let you use PDF's, I wonder if I could use a fillable PDF character sheet

 

[Stormonu]

I've had my iPad just under a month, with an eye towards using it at my game table. So far , the apps that have been useful to me are:

dicenomicon (absolutely worth the cost)
PDF reader (iBooks allows you to import PDFs, but sometimes they don't come up correctly, haven't had a problem wit PDF reader).

dungeon mapp (you can draw as you go, and set plastic minis on your iPad, if you wish - though I wouldn't advise metal minis)

inotes - A spruced up version of the basic notebook app that comes with the iPad. Notable as you can highlight text, draw/insert pictures and keep separate notebooks for different campaigns, adventures or whatnot.

numbers is an app you can purchase that does spreadsheets, useful for building monsters, character sheets or any other data tracking you may need to do.

of course, the built-in iTunes will allow you to play background music or other sounds for your game. If radio rivendell has an app (or something like Pandora radio), you don't even have to download music to you iPad.


Some of the apps I tried, but didn't like:

DM Toolkit - cumbersome, unintuitive and unless you play 4e, you have to hand-enter all info. You could do better with the built-in notebook app

Cartographer - you can make some great looking maps and it has "mini" images you can drag around for PCs and monsters, but it would be very difficult to replicate a published adventure map with the templates it comes with, and there is no free version.

 

[DaveMage]

I'm holding out for iPad 2, but I also have faith that Paizo folks (who are known to be apple proponents) are going to blow us away with an app any day now....

Right?

Hello?????

C'mon, guys!

You know you want to!

 

[Aus_Snow]

I'm holding out for iPad 2

You too, huh?

Retina Display would be nice...

 

[invokethehojo]

I've had my iPad just under a month, with an eye towards using it at my game table. So far , the apps that have been useful to me are:

dicenomicon (absolutely worth the cost)

PDF reader (iBooks allows you to import PDFs, but sometimes they don't come up correctly, haven't had a problem wit PDF reader).

dungeon mapp (you can draw as you go, and set plastic minis on your iPad, if you wish - though I wouldn't advise metal minis)

inotes - A spruced up version of the basic notebook app that comes with the iPad. Notable as you can highlight text, draw/insert pictures and keep separate notebooks for different campaigns, adventures or whatnot.

numbers is an app you can purchase that does spreadsheets, useful for building monsters, character sheets or any other data tracking you may need to do.

of course, the built-in iTunes will allow you to play background music or other sounds for your game. If radio rivendell has an app (or something like Pandora radio), you don't even have to download music to you iPad.


Some of the apps I tried, but didn't like:

DM Toolkit - cumbersome, unintuitive and unless you play 4e, you have to hand-enter all info. You could do better with the built-in notebook app

Cartographer - you can make some great looking maps and it has "mini" images you can drag around for PCs and monsters, but it would be very difficult to replicate a published adventure map with the templates it comes with, and there is no free version.

dungeon mapp looks good, but wow it's pricey... whoops, I was thinking of battlemapp, and cartographer looks more useful, just from what I've read. I'm surprised to hear you say that about DM toolkit, which looked great. I'll start with pdf reader

 

[DaveMage]

You too, huh?

Retina Display would be nice...

Yeah.

It's funny - when iPad first was announced, I wasn't sure I'd ever be interested in one.

However, seeing my collegues and friends use it, and considering the rumored features that are expected to be a part of the iPad 2, I'm sold.

(We also recently subscribed to Netflix, and after a relative showed us how gorgeous the streaming video was on the iPad, that sealed the deal.)

Plus, the thought of being able to bring my entire Pathfinder pdf library with me when I go play D&D - well, the iPad just keeps getting better.