Questing GM's Game Master Tools, Aids, Apps & Hacks

It has been years since I've participated in a RPG Blog Carnival. My records show that my last entry went as far as 2010 when I actually even hosted one (gods, it feels so long ago that I had actually forgotten about it!). I remembered the times when the RPG Blog Carnival was in danger of dying out several times, but I'm glad it has now managed to find a new home among the community.

With Roleplaying Tips hosting this September's RPG Blog Carnival and the topic of the month being Game Master Tools, Aids, Apps & Hacks, I thought it was the perfect topic for me to share what I'm currently using to GM.

As much as I grew up having stacks of paper, scribbled notebooks and printed handouts during the early days of my GMing, I have always been on a quest to look for digital tools to help become more organised as a GM. Thanks to the proliferation of digital tools, web and mobile apps (some made for generic purposes, and some specifically with RPG users in mind), I think it would have been impossible to come up with a list if this was done about 6 years ago.

While I'm still on the quest to find that one perfect GMing tool/app (or has someone already done that?), my current GM digital workstation is a hodgepodge of tools and apps that I used professionally, but have found uses for GMing.

Without putting in any real investment to any of the tools when it comes to digital tools, most of the tools that I am about to present here meet the following criteria to various degrees (except for the price point, which is the first thing that will make or break the tool for me):

• Zero price point
• Comprehensive usability
• Quick response
• Structured organisation 

Pinterest

Pinterest

Although not strictly a tool that I use while GMing on the table, but every game has to start with an inspiration and this is where I find them, curate them, store them and gloss over when I'm thinking about an NPC, a character description, a location, a map or just any gaming-related material. I still find it strange that the online gaming community was not set on fire when Pinterest first came out, but it has become an invaluable resource for me when I'm looking for that image or inspiration. Not only can it be an endless supply of images if you follow the right people, but it also allows you to sort and organise those images into Boards, which you can name to fit whatever type of images you want to keep them as. So far I've collected more than 24,000 pins, and I'm more than happy to let anyone peruse my pins and follow my Boards, which you can find here.

Evernote

Evernote

Of course, the bulk of my GMing work is usually writing and I've been using Evernote for my professional writing, so it was only natural that I would want to see if I could use it for GMing. EverNote is practically designed for organised writing. With its system of Notes, Notebooks and Stacks, it does allow me to manage my random ideas, and also for something more structured such as notes for an upcoming session. The Basic (read: Free!) is more than enough for me (both professionally and GMing, but I use separate accounts for each) to have a place where I can quickly jot down a quick thought or idea store them for later, which I can easily find through the Notebooks that I kept them. 

Google Docs

Google Docs

Given the love affair that the RPG community has for all things from Google, it should be no surprise to anyone that this would be in my list. However, I would say that I have only recently started using Google Docs, and not for the writing part of it (since I already use EverNote for that), but the online spreadsheets. The main strength that Google Docs has for me is it is already kept in the cloud-storage of Google Drive, so I can practically access it from anywhere. With the sheets, I mainly use it to create tables, especially for crunchier systems like 5th Edition D&D, and can share them with anyone who has a Google account.    

TiddlyWiki

TiddlyWiki

Wikis can be a very powerful tool for GMs. I once used Obsidian Portal as a campaign wiki, but was halted by its limited features and storage space with the free version of it. I needed something that I could manage independently and discreetly without having to worry about storage space. Then I stumbled upon TiddlyWiki and my prayers have been answered. Although it took a little learning for someone as code illiterate as me, but I eventually got the hang of it and it is now one of my most powerful tools at my disposal. Not only have I exclusively used it to create a campaign wiki, I have rewritten entire rules into a wiki, with proper tags and links, so that I can easily reference them on the table, rather than having to remember where and flip through the rulebook during a session. With the right tags, it helps greatly when studying rules and find connections between them that you could otherwise miss.  

Trello

Trello

While I use Evernote as a place to put my improvised notes, they still need to be processed and put in an interface where they can actually be useful. This is where Trello comes in, and another tool that I stumbled upon from my professional writing. Although mainly devised as a project management, productivity, or to-do list app, it's incredibly versatile to do whatever you want it to do, after you have figured out how it works (and GeekDad can demonstrate how to do that for GMing). If I could run a session where there is an internet connection (which says a lot of how much I wish there was an offline app version available), I would probably use Trello as my GM screen, note-taking and information organiser all-in-one. The reason why I would use it over Evernote while on the table, is its interface of cards and lists, which gives you a wider picture that you need when running a game, rather than having to search for specific notes that you need when the situation arises. The free version has all the most basic functionalities you need (without restrictive limits), but paying for the premium version with the power-ups could increase its usefulness significantly. 

XMind

XMind

Another indispensable tool for GMs is flowcharts. Narrative events, NPC relationship maps, timelines, these are some of the flowcharts or mind maps that can help a GM to plan and improvise better when they have the big picture in view. I will admit that I haven't really used XMind a lot, only coming to learn of it when I started DMing for 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons, but I can't complain when it's free, and has numerous templates of flowcharts that doesn't need me to draw them painfully from scratch. I'm already loving what it does on the surface, and can't wait to see if there are any more surprises underneath it.

Twine

Twine

Another tool that I once used but to never any great effect when it comes to narrative flow charts is Twine. Mainly used for writing gamebooks, you can appreciate the flowchart-like view that can be applied for GMing, but in my mind it doesn't really support the open-endedness that RPGs allow, so it is terribly not suited if you are running a more open game. Still, it wins out against XMind in some respects, because you can actually fit in an entire description into each node, and I have seen it being used by game writers to trace quests or plotlines for CRPGs.

yWriter

yWriter

You may have heard many good things about Scrivener and how it can be used for GMing. Well, yWriter is the free equivalent that I've found. Admittedly another tool that I haven't gotten the most use out of because it is probably the most connected. But I can see the potential for its novel style of organisation that differentiates between characters, locations, items, and scenes and allowing you to trace where and when they appear into 'chapters'. This one has a real potential to take over the jobs that I currently assign to EverNote and Trello, but I don't know how long would it take me to unlock its full potential. 

Well, these are currently the digital tools that I'm using as a GM, and I'm definitely looking for more. I already have my eyes on a few free charting applications for my map making needs, so I will update this post when I find any new additions.

If time permits, I may even write a follow-up post to this to share my offline tools, or my traveling GM's kit when an internet connection or a power outlet is not available. I still love my pen and paper (with a twist!)   

If you have any recommendations for tools (digital or otherwise), I would love to hear them, so sound off at the comments. 

Last Updated: 26/9/2016

Thoughts on the Character Builder Beta

With the full version of the Character Builder looming for subscribers by the end of this month, I would like to share my thoughts on the Beta version. Sorry for the late review but I wanted to play with it a little longer before coming out with a verdict.

One thing's for sure that I will say about the Character Builder is that it is fast. I whipped out my first character in almost less than five minutes. The option of using a pre-build character based on race and class or rolling a whole new character from scratch, either way is a very quick process. All you have to do is make choices, click them and you're almost done.

The comprehensiveness of the builder is also definately a plus. Although the feature was locked for the beta but being able to customize the builder to show only certain books and Dragon issues in the build options will prevent the sense of being overwhelmed by too much choices (or should I say 'power creep'). This also takes into consideration that not all DMs will allow every supplement or setting that is being released in their game.

However, even with just Adventurer's Vault, Martial Power, Player's Guide to the Forgotten Realms and a few issues of Dragon, it is still a very daunting list.

For the interface, I appreciate that they have the section which shows what powers actually do and below that is the calculation of modifiers, although I have noticed a few mistakes and bugs. However, because of the calculations being shown, I think the point of choosing powers should be after, rather than before, choosing of equipments. 4E powers are so heavily modified or dependent towards equipment that it would save a small hassle to pick the equipment before the powers without having to switch back to see how the powers and equipment complimented each other.

I think the screen which list the options for feats and equipment need to be much bigger because it can easily become a very long list and sometimes you would have to scroll a long way down to see your options. I think the same problem for powers would soon be prevalent if more core and splat books are released along the way.

My biggest love for the Builder is at the end of the process. I really love being able to fiddle around with the layout of the character sheet which from my experience can really increase the speed of combat. The printed power cards is a great bonus to that.

Overall, while in its Beta stage I will say that Wizards did exceed my expectations with a few surprises and it does show that they have put alot more thought and effort in building the Character Builder than those who expect it to be vaporware. I would say that the Character Builder is heading towards the right direction and already the potential of reducing character generation from hours to minutes is very evident.

But I also will say this upfront. When I generate a character, I don't only just build them. I plan them. When I approach the builder with that in mind, it does not fulfill all my needs but that can't be blamed. It's a character builder afterall, not a planner.

I like to weight my options and while I'm not a extreme min/maxer when I play but I do believe in creating an efficient and functional character that suits with my character concept. Also I do like to experiment with different builds, feats, power and equipment combinations. With the amount of data stored in the builder I thought it would be easier to do just that that but it turned out to be a greater hassle than advantage.

The Character Builder is just a bit too linear in the process for me. Although you may argue that the builder actually allows you to skip the steps but it doesn't allow you to start character generation without first picking a race and a class first. I could sometimes base a character concept on a certain feat and power combination and go backwards from there which is made all the more frustrating by the small screen to view all your choices. I find myself actually having to open my books just to work with the builder more effectively which is ironic if you think about it.

I also prefer to do the math by hand. Not only is the beta calculations not 100% reliable yet but I do want to know what factors are taken into account. Still the character builder is useful for double checking your math in that respect.

In the end, I'm just an old-fashioned kind of guy. When you are writing your numbers and class features on your character sheet with a pen or pencil, you really feel that your character is coming alive. With the builder, the painstaking process that we still enjoy is over almost effortlessly. It's convenient but the builder does kill the charm of creating YOUR very own character that you created by hand.

Character Builder Beta Video Preview

If you're a non-subscriber and haven't been able to test out the builder yet but have read all those reviews recently, why not can watch it in action for youself?

WeeBeegamers.com posted a video demonstration of how the builder works and some of its features.

Watch the video here or at the WeeBeegamers website so check it out.

I really like the character sheet customization features, it has the potential to make combat so much faster.

Word of Wizards - Digital Insider #15: Builder Beta

Digital Insider #15: Builder Beta

As subscribers will know that the character builder beta was launched on monday so this week's Digital Insider is just a compilation of good things that what testers had to say about the product.

I was quite surprised to see that Randy Buehler had even quoted what bloggers had to say. Critical Hits and RPGcentric had a few nice things to say about the builder but I guess they also missed a couple of other not-so favorable reviews about the beta builder from Livingdice and Lords of Tyr

Me? I'll just be using something that's free; tinwatchman D&D 4E Starting Character Generator.

Stepping into the Obsidian Portal and Stepping Out

September ends and so as the blog carnival which I have dedicated the entire month's worth of blog post for. 5 posts is a bit too little than I had expected but writing each and every one of them really took alot more effort than I thought I needed.

Oh well,

So after watching World Building with Obsidian Portal at DungeonMastering, I gave myself a chance to take a whirl with the future of the web; wikis.

I was quite impressed with what I saw in the video as it really made me consider checking out the website and see how it could be a real boon in campaign management. To say the least, the simplicity of the wiki is really on the friendly side, which is a good thing as I'm still finding directions to wade through Web 2.0.

I like it very much as an organizational tool and I'm really regretting that I wouldn't be able to post most of my old stuff there before they got stolen last year.

But before I considered making this the site of choice for its endless potential in saving me endless pages of notes and designs, I was dissapointed to realise its limitations as well.

The features for the free account are too restricted; only allowing one map to be uploaded for one campaign and only allowing one account to maintain 2 campaigns at any given time.

It must be really expensive to maintain such a site and an ever increasing database, so I really don't blame them for giving unlimited campaign slots to members who pay for it but the map feature is still most utterly lacking even for paid members. We could certainly use more spaces for more maps.

While I was really excited to learn about this great tool and would have loved to use it for it's ease of use, I don't think I would be able to get the best out of it with the limited functions that I'm allowed to use.

But Obsidian Portal has made me looking forward to using wikis as a great means of organizing all the fluff for campaign use and I'll definately be on the lookout for other personal wiki sites.

Make Some Noise for your Game

I'm a great proponent of using music in my games and have been collecting all sorts of tracks from PC/Console games, movie soundtracks and sound effects for several years. It's nice to have music and sound effects in your game because it becomes an added 'voice' in describing where the players are or what are they doing.

However it becomes quite a hassle to try to organise and play all the sound effects and music together without it sounding too repetetive. Sound effects files tend to be short and when played on the loop sounds monotonous and boring. It gets even harder trying to mix it with music because all you hear by then is the sound effect turning into a beat for the music.

Then came along Syrinscape, a cool tool that I found over at ENWorld.

It is a simple sound effect and music mixer/player where you can organise the timing and volume of the sound effects that you want. It's free to download (but requires a free account) and allows a certain degree of customability to add in your own music and effects as well.

This is very impressive as a DM/GM's tool because once you've arranged the timing of sound effects to how it should be played with the music, you could just leave it on its own as it loops (which you can also decide to turn off). Stopping the music and effects is also just a click of a button away instead of having to close all the players playing each track simultaneously.

Here's a short video of how it works and you could see how easy and useful it is!



(taken from the Syrinscape website)

Speaking of sound effects. The Gnome Stew is organizing their first contest where the prize is 5 studio-quality sound effects of your choice! You should really check it out here!

As for music, Stargazer's World has just gave a plug to a German group that compose tracks for roleplaying; Erdenstern. You can download some of their free tracks at their website. Don't worry, they don't sound like Rammstein.