What is the best (most effecient) way to use a laptop while DMing

[Kid Charlemagne]

I use the Sovelier-Sage SRD, and I keep windows open with alphabetized, hyperlinked lists of feats, skills, spells, and monsters at all times. That way I just scroll to "goblin" for example, and click. Works very nicely. I also have a very simple Excel spreadsheet to track initiative. I still track hit points, spell usage, etc on paper. I have a folder with my entire campaign folder in it so I can find old information if I need to, along with some pictures that might be helpful to show players.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

You use your comp to roll dice for you? Forgive me for saying so but I think thats really messed up.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

See, I don't need the XP calculator - I do that between sessions. Or the dice roller - I can't give up my dice. So it's for reference only, really.

 

[Tharian]

The main way that our DM uses the laptop is to cue up music that she had already put together as ways to emphasize a particular mood, like when she plays intense music for combat or more ethereal for the creepy feel she tries to reinforce for a Ravenloft campaign.

 

[DMFTodd]

The thread is titled "what is the best (most efficient) way to use a laptop". Whether you like the idea of the laptop rolling dice for you doesn't matter. There's little arguing that that is the most efficient - the greatest speed up of play - that the laptop can provide.

 

[IronWolf]

The thread is titled "what is the best (most efficient) way to use a laptop". Whether you like the idea of the laptop rolling dice for you doesn't matter. There's little arguing that that is the most efficient - the greatest speed up of play - that the laptop can provide.

Quite true... I like to roll the dice (and do), but the auto-rollers in the combat trackers can really speed things up. I only let the combat tracker roll the initiative for my critters, that alone speeds things up enough to warrant letting the computer handle it.

 

[Agamon]

I sometimes roll, sometimes let DMF do the rolling, depends on the situation. Yeah, the laptop can do a roll more efficiently, but grabbing 10d6 and snickering at the player as you shake the handful of dice is far more enjoyable.

That said, DMF is much more efficient than anything else I've ever used to track initiative or handle combat-related durations. I'm also the first one to find a rule when searched for, about 90% of the time. And clicking the mouse once or twice to generate an NPC's attacks, getting the AC hit and damage for each instantly, as well as a reminder on special abilities that may pertanent? I refuse to DM without the laptop anymore, I'm spoiled. The only drawback is the increased setup time, which isn't too bad unless you have leveled, advanced or non-SRD foes (but then you usually need to do the work to create them, anyway).

 

[schporto]

I wrote my own little pocketpc proram to keep track of initiative, ac, and hp. I even managed to convince the players to let it roll init. Considering there's 7 players gathering initiative was probably the biggest single bog down. Probably taking ~2-5 minutes to get that ready. Now it takes a few seconds. And there's less feeling of detatchment I think. That space between "Combat Begins!" and "I Attack!" is much smaller. And really 90% of the time I care about AC and HP, so those appear on the screen too.
-cpd

 

[GlassJaw]

I don't use any of the packaged DM software out there. I've looked at a few and they are just so cluttered I can't find anything fast anyway.

The two main things I use are Excel, Word, and the CMG SRD.

I can't stress enough how ridiculously amazing the CMG SRD is. I consistently find things faster with that than the players looking stuff up in the books.

I use Excel for tracking stuff in combat: init, hp's, stat mods, etc. Nothing fancy really. I just need something to keep things organized.

I use Word for general notes and statblocks.

What's really nice for me is that I have a widescreen laptop (15.4" screen). I can have two programs opened side-by-side which is really convenient during combat.

 

[reveal]

You use your comp to roll dice for you? Forgive me for saying so but I think thats really messed up.

Why? I use it to roll dice. Who cares how it's rolled as long as you get the results? It's especially useful with more dice. And it's also useful for players who are bad at math. I have a player who is a wizard. When he rolls a fireball or cone of cold, he asks me to do it on the laptop because it takes him forever to count up the result.

I think it's silly to say it's "messed up." It's just a different method of getting the same results.