Wondering how important computers are to D&D [rant]
- Thread starter johnsemlak
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Murrdox
First Post
ALL of my prep-work is by hand.
You can see me sitting in my chair, with a pad of graph paper, the PHB, the DMG, the MM, the Forgotten Realms Guide, and perhaps a couple others all open to various points, and me flipping back and forth constantly. My maps are scribbled out, and nicely detailed, with lots of wacky notes all over the place.
I am considering trying out E-Tools though, and I've recently been thinking of using a PC for a random encounter table, and for Magic item and treasure calculation.
My main problem is that for monsters I now have 3 books to work out of (MM, MM2, Monsters of Faerun) and MANY books of magic items and such (DMG, Forgotten Realms CS, Magic of Faerun, etc...) and I'd kinda like all this information in one place. Anyone know of a good program that does all that, let me know!!!
I'm thinking of trying out the E-Tools character generator because my recent campaign calls for a bunch of multi-class higher level NPC's... and that's just too much of a pain in the ass to have that many character sheets to keep track of, let alone generate by hand.
You can see me sitting in my chair, with a pad of graph paper, the PHB, the DMG, the MM, the Forgotten Realms Guide, and perhaps a couple others all open to various points, and me flipping back and forth constantly. My maps are scribbled out, and nicely detailed, with lots of wacky notes all over the place.
I am considering trying out E-Tools though, and I've recently been thinking of using a PC for a random encounter table, and for Magic item and treasure calculation.
My main problem is that for monsters I now have 3 books to work out of (MM, MM2, Monsters of Faerun) and MANY books of magic items and such (DMG, Forgotten Realms CS, Magic of Faerun, etc...) and I'd kinda like all this information in one place. Anyone know of a good program that does all that, let me know!!!
I'm thinking of trying out the E-Tools character generator because my recent campaign calls for a bunch of multi-class higher level NPC's... and that's just too much of a pain in the ass to have that many character sheets to keep track of, let alone generate by hand.
Well, as a GM who's preparing pregens for a con game, I've had to put character sheets on a spreadsheet book. Between 2e and 3e, quite a bit has changed in character generation. Quite a few numbers "trickle" throughout the character generation process and spreadsheets make it easier to tweak characters. For example, if you find yourself with more Int mod'ed Skills than you though you'd have, you'd want to redistribute your character points for higher Int. On a paper character sheet, that's some inconvenient erasing, but multiply it by several pregens, and I'd rather use a spreadsheet.
But aside from using a computer to **prepare** for a game, I don't otherwise use it.
Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^
But aside from using a computer to **prepare** for a game, I don't otherwise use it.
Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^
jdavis
First Post
I find myself more and more reliant on the computer everyday, I didn't even have one or know anything about them till 6 years ago now I build my own and use them for absolutly everything. Right now I use my computer for every part of adventure creation, it actually helps me be more creative as I can cut and paste things into word instead of having to write everything down by hand, I can't even imagine having to go back to doing maps by hand, I used to slave for days to get even a simple map done, now I can shoot one out in minutes. We have yet to get to the point where we have computers around during the game, but all prep work is done on a computer. It literally saves me days in creating a adventure. I can generate random NPC's with the click of a button, cut/paste them into the adventure and get back to fleshing it out. I can have huge intricate maps done instead of scribblings on a piece of graph paper and I can read stuff printed out I have a hard time reading things I wrote out by hand (my handwriting is horrible). It's not that I couldn't do it all by hand it's just that it's so much easier this way. In the future I only forsee things getting more computer intensive, heck in everything not just D&D, I prefer e-mail to the telephone. I doubt it will ever go backwards, nobody would go back to the horse and buggy now, every year computers get more important. It doesn't matter that there were no personal computers when I started playing, they are a tool to make it easier, I rather get out a calculator instead of a slide rule any day. Progress isn't always pretty but it seldom goes backwards. There will be a day where you wouldn't even thing of gaming with out a laptop, it's probably a ways off but yes the pencil and paper is on it's way out for gaming, heck it's already a thing of the past in most offices.
I use my computer but only for two things. I type up my encounters after hand writing them since I scribble a lot. The main reason is I have a short form that is my standard so I can find info and my hand writting is terrible. Even I have trouble reading it so a typed copy for my game is essential.
Second My players tend to get a lot of hand outs in the form of letters and book passages in my current game so I use the computer to do interesting fonts that reflect the style of writing and who is writing it. partly for the reason above as well. My references in letters are obscure enough without needing to be illegiable as well.
later
Second My players tend to get a lot of hand outs in the form of letters and book passages in my current game so I use the computer to do interesting fonts that reflect the style of writing and who is writing it. partly for the reason above as well. My references in letters are obscure enough without needing to be illegiable as well.
later
blackshirt5
First Post
I use the computer to store custom classes, monsters, and other such stuff, plus to surf on ENWorld and occasionally the Wizards boards.
other than that, all my D&D stuff is by hand. I prefer to do my work sitting on my bed(usually in the middle of the night, because I sleep during the day), rolling dice across a spare hardcover book(usually Necropolis or one of my calculus books) to gen my NPCs and my monsters. When I draw a map, I draw it by hand(if I ever get around to making a world map, I might do it on a computer, just because I suck at making world maps).
Quite frankly, I don't have enough room near my computer to be able to use it for all my genning needs. The only thing a computer gets used for during game is for music(rhapsody, Manowar, and Jangli Jaggas are personal faves).
I've found that I'm the opposite of Jdavis. I'm less creative when I'm at a computer. I'm much more creative in the middle of the night, sitting up and just writing in a notebook.
other than that, all my D&D stuff is by hand. I prefer to do my work sitting on my bed(usually in the middle of the night, because I sleep during the day), rolling dice across a spare hardcover book(usually Necropolis or one of my calculus books) to gen my NPCs and my monsters. When I draw a map, I draw it by hand(if I ever get around to making a world map, I might do it on a computer, just because I suck at making world maps).
Quite frankly, I don't have enough room near my computer to be able to use it for all my genning needs. The only thing a computer gets used for during game is for music(rhapsody, Manowar, and Jangli Jaggas are personal faves).
I've found that I'm the opposite of Jdavis. I'm less creative when I'm at a computer. I'm much more creative in the middle of the night, sitting up and just writing in a notebook.
Last edited:
Wormwood
Adventurer
Text Editor: Campaign notes/outline adventure (fits nicely in corner of screen so I don't get fired)
MSWord: Write out the adventure, print copy for game.
Mulhern's Excel Sheet: Manage Party character sheets
SRD: Cut/Paste info, reference
ETools: *Basic* NPC's/Monsters
EBoN: Quick names
Various 3rd party Generators: Quick NPC & Monster stats, Treasures, etc.
Books: Reference, important info scanned for personal use (and never shared---so don't ask)
Pen/Paper: No use whatsoever until game night, then useful for marking off Hit Points, Spell Durations, etc.
Could I plan my game longhand? Sure, but it would take me ten times as long and not be nearly as efficient and organized.
MSWord: Write out the adventure, print copy for game.
Mulhern's Excel Sheet: Manage Party character sheets
SRD: Cut/Paste info, reference
ETools: *Basic* NPC's/Monsters
EBoN: Quick names
Various 3rd party Generators: Quick NPC & Monster stats, Treasures, etc.
Books: Reference, important info scanned for personal use (and never shared---so don't ask)
Pen/Paper: No use whatsoever until game night, then useful for marking off Hit Points, Spell Durations, etc.
Could I plan my game longhand? Sure, but it would take me ten times as long and not be nearly as efficient and organized.
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