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The DM's Laptop: what should be on it?
- Thread starter Buttercup
- Start date
Ah, one of my favorite topics. I wrote DM's Familiar (DMF) so I'm a little biased. I'll make general comments instead of specific. And you asked about "at the gaming table" so I won't talk about prepping for the game. Things to use at the gaming table:
Text Organizer: Something to organize your adventure, campaign info, player info, etc. etc. etc. Word being the easiest answer. MyInfo is kind of nice. DMF has a "Codex Tree" which is an outline/tree/text tool similar to MyInfo.
Reference Material: A PDF/HTML of the SRD is nice for looking up info but what about all your supplemental books? A program that you can easily get info into and out of is key. Needs an easy and quick way to look up spells, feats, rules, etc. You shouldn't have to carry any books with you to the gaming session.
Dice roller: An easy way to roll the dragon's 17d6 fireball and add it up - that's the basic. Would be nice if the program new all of your player's Listen checks and could secretly make that Listen check for you without tipping them off (DMF does).
Initiative Tracker: A handy program just to keep track of who's turn it is, when a spell duration has ended, etc.
Combat Manager: Make attack and damage rolls for you to keep the game moving quickly.
The DM Assistant programs out there do most of these things in one shape or another: DM's Familiar, DM Genie, Roleplaying Master, Campaign Suite.
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Other than DM's Familiar, I use a couple specific programs:
Tablesmith : A program for generating random results of any type. I've got a ton of tables in it for random NPC names and traits, the menu at the inn the PCs stop at, description of gems, name of a shop, etc.
Music: Some type of music player for background music and sound effects.
Text Organizer: Something to organize your adventure, campaign info, player info, etc. etc. etc. Word being the easiest answer. MyInfo is kind of nice. DMF has a "Codex Tree" which is an outline/tree/text tool similar to MyInfo.
Reference Material: A PDF/HTML of the SRD is nice for looking up info but what about all your supplemental books? A program that you can easily get info into and out of is key. Needs an easy and quick way to look up spells, feats, rules, etc. You shouldn't have to carry any books with you to the gaming session.
Dice roller: An easy way to roll the dragon's 17d6 fireball and add it up - that's the basic. Would be nice if the program new all of your player's Listen checks and could secretly make that Listen check for you without tipping them off (DMF does).
Initiative Tracker: A handy program just to keep track of who's turn it is, when a spell duration has ended, etc.
Combat Manager: Make attack and damage rolls for you to keep the game moving quickly.
The DM Assistant programs out there do most of these things in one shape or another: DM's Familiar, DM Genie, Roleplaying Master, Campaign Suite.
-----------------------------------------
Other than DM's Familiar, I use a couple specific programs:
Tablesmith : A program for generating random results of any type. I've got a ton of tables in it for random NPC names and traits, the menu at the inn the PCs stop at, description of gems, name of a shop, etc.
Music: Some type of music player for background music and sound effects.
krunchyfrogg
Explorer
Solitaire: for when the PC's get stupid.
MythosaAkira
Explorer
I use the following tools at the table:
- TableSmith: name/shop/treasure/book/town/etc. generation
- Campaign Sage: looking up monsters, spells, and charts
- DM's Familiar: looking up everything else
- ActionOutline: an outliner tool; similar to "MyInfo", which I used to use, but it burned me a couple of times so I switched to AO, which hasn't given me any problems
- WinAmp: for playing mp3 background music
- Excel: I use a big Excel file for a variety of bookkeeping tasks; I have an XP calculator in it, basic PC information, etc.
I stay away from dice rolling programs; I've never found any (save one) that I liked, and I prefer the traditional "manual" rolling of dice. And making rolls that the players don't know the reason for just increases their parano- er, I mean their fun
That said, if you're using a Palm PDA, "DicePro" is actually very nifty program (www.rivalgamelabs.com). It's the one dice-roller I've found that I've liked.
- TableSmith: name/shop/treasure/book/town/etc. generation
- Campaign Sage: looking up monsters, spells, and charts
- DM's Familiar: looking up everything else
- ActionOutline: an outliner tool; similar to "MyInfo", which I used to use, but it burned me a couple of times so I switched to AO, which hasn't given me any problems
- WinAmp: for playing mp3 background music
- Excel: I use a big Excel file for a variety of bookkeeping tasks; I have an XP calculator in it, basic PC information, etc.
I stay away from dice rolling programs; I've never found any (save one) that I liked, and I prefer the traditional "manual" rolling of dice. And making rolls that the players don't know the reason for just increases their parano- er, I mean their fun
That said, if you're using a Palm PDA, "DicePro" is actually very nifty program (www.rivalgamelabs.com). It's the one dice-roller I've found that I've liked.Here are the ones I use and consider important.
TableSmith - This one should be on EVERY DM's list
E-Tools - Getting better all the time. Thanks CMP
Fractal Mapper 6 - great program for maps/ world/ dungeon/ outdoor/ cavern etc. scripting feature can realy make fast work of building an area or whole world. Bonus right now is buy the present release and get the new FM7 when its released soon free. Just saw the update info on the web site.
JH Namegen gold - good program. Customizable, worth the mention.
This is all more in the way of DM prep rather than live campaign running. Although you can get some fast on the spot stuff made if you find your game went in a direction you didnt anticipate. For campaign running the ones mentioned above all have merit.
TableSmith - This one should be on EVERY DM's list
E-Tools - Getting better all the time. Thanks CMP
Fractal Mapper 6 - great program for maps/ world/ dungeon/ outdoor/ cavern etc. scripting feature can realy make fast work of building an area or whole world. Bonus right now is buy the present release and get the new FM7 when its released soon free. Just saw the update info on the web site.
JH Namegen gold - good program. Customizable, worth the mention.
This is all more in the way of DM prep rather than live campaign running. Although you can get some fast on the spot stuff made if you find your game went in a direction you didnt anticipate. For campaign running the ones mentioned above all have merit.
9lives
Explorer
For looking up rules I like this online reference document. This web site is organized very well and everything is hyperlinked so that if a rule references another rule you can click on it to go directly to the referenced rule. You can user your browsers "find" function to find rules in the page quickly. It has all the 3.5E stuff including everything in the PHB, MM, DMG, Planar Handbook, Psionics Handbook and includes pictures for classes and monsters. It is updated regularly with more additions. Very cool.
I also uses winhttrack to download the site to my laptops hard drive so I can use it offline.
www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/home.html
I also uses winhttrack to download the site to my laptops hard drive so I can use it offline.
www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/home.html
ElvishBard
First Post
Wow, I used to think my laptop had alot on it till I saw what everyone else has on theirs lol.
Anyways, what I use is the SRD, Interactive Dungeon, my custom made combat sheet on Excel that also keeps track of PC's, and DM Screen from http://www.geocities.com/wydraz/
I don't know how how to put the sheet onto this otherwise I would.
Anyways, what I use is the SRD, Interactive Dungeon, my custom made combat sheet on Excel that also keeps track of PC's, and DM Screen from http://www.geocities.com/wydraz/
I don't know how how to put the sheet onto this otherwise I would.
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dpmcalister
Explorer
SRD (although I use the offline version)
Campaign Sage 2.0
Campaign Calendar
Infinite Monkey's Magnificent Dice Roller (I downloaded it from here, but can't find the link anymore
)
Campaign Sage 2.0
Campaign Calendar
Infinite Monkey's Magnificent Dice Roller (I downloaded it from here, but can't find the link anymore
)
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I see a lot of nods to DM's Familiar, and with good reason; it's an excellent program. It would definately be worth the cash to pick it up. I've been thinking about doing so myself. (I've used the evaluation copy to get a feel for it.)
The only other program that, in my opinion, compares to DM's Familiar is DM Genie. (I've played with the evaluation copy of it too.) Some would put PCGen up there too, but for some reason I couldn't find my rythm with that software.
DM Genie does a lot of what DM's Familiar does. It has (if memory serves) added functionality for the generation of characters and advancing them in level. That, in a nutshell, is what sold me on DM Genie. It feels a little more cluttered than DM's Familiar, but it offers an 'all-inclusive' game package.
I have plans to pick DM Genie up just as soon as I find an affordable laptop with decent specs. I'll also keep a (heavily bookmarked) PDF of the SRD on hand... and anything else I might think of that DM Genie doesn't cover as it comes up.
The only other program that, in my opinion, compares to DM's Familiar is DM Genie. (I've played with the evaluation copy of it too.) Some would put PCGen up there too, but for some reason I couldn't find my rythm with that software.
DM Genie does a lot of what DM's Familiar does. It has (if memory serves) added functionality for the generation of characters and advancing them in level. That, in a nutshell, is what sold me on DM Genie. It feels a little more cluttered than DM's Familiar, but it offers an 'all-inclusive' game package.
I have plans to pick DM Genie up just as soon as I find an affordable laptop with decent specs. I'll also keep a (heavily bookmarked) PDF of the SRD on hand... and anything else I might think of that DM Genie doesn't cover as it comes up.
Mystery Man
First Post
I use a tablet pc...
I'm on the 60 day trial of Texnotes Pro version 4.0. So far, I like!
I'm on the 60 day trial of Texnotes Pro version 4.0. So far, I like!
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