D&D 4E Pen and Paper 4e

[TheDave81]

Hi! I've been reading these forums for quite a while but have never posted anything before, but I have enjoyed the various discussions going on. Anyway, I was wondering if any of you play 4e with minimal electronic devices or programs (computers at the table, DM software, player software, etc.), and truly keep it to as near as "pen and paper" as possible, and what tools/tricks do you use?

More specifically, how has your experience been creating and leveling-up characters without the character builder, and keeping track of things such as magical items, monsters, encounters, etc.?

I am fairly new to D&D (played a 2nd Edition starter set once way back), so I may be off, but it seems to me that 4th Edition relies more on the need for computer aids to manage characters, powers, monsters, items, and encounters than in previous versions. A single power has lots to keep track of (attack, damage, effects, effects on misses, etc. - just look at that sorcerer bolt that keeps skipping to the next target) so it lends itself to the power card approach.

I basically DM for some family players, and I have a played in another game DM'd by my friend. I would like to limit my reliance on the DDI tools, and also encourage the players to flip through the books and re-skin the powers for their class (not the mechanics, but to re-image the power for their character) and the character builder does not really lend itself to that. Also, I find my players feel overwhelmed at the options supplied in the character builder, whereas flipping through the Player's Guide and something like Divine Power might be less overwhelming.

So please share your experiences of playing with minimal electronic intervention, and I look forward to reading any suggestions you may have!

 

[fba827]

in my current group, we play 4e and there are 2 of us that do not use character builder or any other electronic tools. And as it happens, both of those 2 players are also part-time DMs for the group.
Everyone else in the group uses character builder and other electronic tools.
The 2 pen-paper players are not limited in any way.

The only time it has ever been an issue is when one of the pen-paper DMs wants to reskin/reflavor/customize a special magic item, or homebrew race, and the character builder players aren't sure how to note in one their PC sheet since the electronic tools can't handle that sort of customization. (and if they note it by hand on their sheet, they forget to transfer it to their next sheet after the next time they reprint for a level up or something).

bottom line: i don't find any sort of reliance on electronic tools

that's been my experience anyway.

 

[Jools]

I mostly play with the tools, they are very helpful, but they are in no way compulsory. The digital tools are a lot like upgrading to a bigger television. Far from necessary but once you've got them it can be hard to go back.

 

[Quickleaf]

I mostly play with the tools, they are very helpful, but they are in no way compulsory. The digital tools are a lot like upgrading to a bigger television. Far from necessary but once you've got them it can be hard to go back.

Totally. And IME once players know these fancy tools are out there, it's hard to get them to go back.

As a DM though it's much easier. Just download my DM cheat sheet over here: http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4th-edition-discussion/307923-d-d-4th-edition-dm-cheat-sheet.html. If you don't mind improvising most of your monster/traps/skill challenges (all the fiddly bits), then that's really all you *need*

I the only things I'd really miss are the old Monster Builder for the ease of making monster an exporting into RTF. I'm electronics lite at the table, but most of my prep is on computer.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Personally, I've been writing my campaigns & putting my PCs in the "notes" apps for my PDA, iPod Touch, and now iPad2 for years now...but that's as computerized as I get.

I don't access anything online unless someone asks me to.

Right now, 2 guys use computers to access their 4Ed PCs, but again, everything else is done with the books.

 

[D'karr]

So please share your experiences of playing with minimal electronic intervention, and I look forward to reading any suggestions you may have!

I normally don't use the electronics at the table, though they are very helpful and convenient. If I make a character and don't have the convenience of the character builder, I build it as a monster.

Group powers by their action types (standard, move, minor, triggered) and note attack and damage. This is a very simple way of doing the presentation for at the table use.

 

[Viking Bastard]

I usually have a laptop handy, for looking up things and such, but I don't find myself using it much once we're into the game. I can't afford DDI and I think I'm the only one who would actually be willing to pay for that.

We manage fine.

I do make 99% of all my preparations on the computer, though.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I don't use such tools as a DM. I can make an NPC in very short time using a Sly Flourish "cheat sheet" and a 4 x 6 inch index card. Same with PCs, even in complicated systems like Pathfinder (a druid, using an APG variant, an an animal companion).

IME, they're flawed. My experience with a Shadowrun character generator was negative, I saw a DM completely screw up a D&D encounter using a DMing tool (he accidentally took off the NPCs' armor, then gave them bonuses to make up for that, then re-equipped the armor, and it took an hour-long encounter for him to notice that we couldn't hit anything), and I don't like the 4e offline one either; it makes it too hard to keep extra books out of the campaign, and gives three attack bonuses per power, confusing the players.

 

[Randomthoughts]

I'm electronics lite at the table, but most of my prep is on computer.

This describes me pretty well too.

At the table, I have my adventure printed out, players bring their character sheets and we use Rules Compendium for reference (but only occasionally). Monster stats are printed and HPs are tracked on paper. I've used pipe cleaners made into circles (lol, yeah it's true) to track conditions. Initiative is tracked by pieces of paper hanging from my GM screen.

Prep is a little different. I do subscribe to DDI but for a couple of months I did it the ol' fashioned way.

As a GM, I use the classic Monster Builder extensively (online MB rarely), since I customize a lot of monsters and import them into an excel document. I look stuff up in the Compendium, but I also use the books - depends on my mood. I write the adventure up in word; mainly, I have to type out skill challenges, role playing scenes and plot.

I can (and have) prep'd as a GM just using books. I would probably do a lot less customization though, and prep would just take longer. Well, in fact, GM prep would probably shift to 40% monster, 60% story prep versus the 10% monster, 90% story prep I do now with DDI.

As a player, I use the CB. It works really well if you like tinkering with your builds and checking out options. I started off using the books, so I can see it as a viable approach - just takes longer than electronic.

Practically speaking, I'd limit the sources for chargen to published materials - namely, the core books (whether original 4e or essentials or both). I would allow the splatbooks like Martial Power, Arcane Power, etc only if you could handle the increased complexity.

Your call.

 

[TheDave81]

It seems to me that I made some assumptions about how difficult it is to play without the online tools (DDI and others) without actually trying it out at the table. Thank you everyone for your replies - I am actually even more looking forward to trying out a game without electronics at the table.

The DM Cheat Sheet posted by Quickleaf looks like it would be a perfect reference, so thanks for those!