Now that you have the virtual table though, does that give you the option to DM online?
Also wasn't there a thread where BG people did DnD or did that just die off?
Now that you have the virtual table though, does that give you the option to DM online?
Also wasn't there a thread where BG people did DnD or did that just die off?
The BG thread died, and the virtual table is currently a closed beta; you have to be a beta member to access it, as player or DM.
I think in the future it's going to become a part of the D&D Insider subscription so it will technically be fee based. There are free tools that one can use to play online (OSU-gt, Maptool), but they take a decent amount of prep work and have a bit of a learning curve to utilize. Since this has a lot of resources preloaded it's a lot more friendly.
I really dislike both the tool you mentioned. Took days to figure them out and weeks to achieve any level of mastery worth calling "proficient".
I didn't say they were good, just that they were free.
They're not perfect by any means, I wouldn't want to run a long form campaign in either one. They work ok for some stuff though.
Do you have any other suggestions? I'm starting to get back into the idea of DnD and it just might be easier to set up if the interface was a website or something. At least in terms of mapping and setting up a plot. (I can't draw a straight line if my life depended on it even with a ruler) Not to mention it might be easier getting everyone into it if they don't have to meet physically.
Disclaimer: I haven't DM'd before and my friends and I aren't entirely "serious" but we like to play within the rules as well (while bending them occasionally because we find it more fun that way in some circumstances and the whole point of this is to be having fun right?) (Two of my friends were DMing before)
I can't really recommend any of the available free tools for first timers. They work ok for people who are already into the scene and understand the combat mechanics, spatial relationships on the battle map, and various other things that you have to 'fudge' in the tools that are available now. It's a LOT of work to set up game resources in GT or Maptool and get anything more than crayon marks out of it.
If you want something that's super easy to pick up and run with, look at the essentials products; the redbox has everything you'd need to get a game going, and the tools like the DM's Kit and Monster Vault supplement you with extra adventures and tools to keep you going without a ton of extra expense like the usual rulebook sets incur. They're a great buy, and you can probably charge your way through 5 levels in just a few months meeting once every other week for a few hours.
Realize that a big part of RPGs is the "RP" in that acronym, and often that can lose its luster if you can't get some face time with your players once in a while.
Agreed. As much as I love paper n pencil, I feel the game really suffers from not having all the digital resources available for it. None of the game stores in my area play DnD anymore and I'd really like to have a great PC app to use for playing the game online.
Talk to your local store about just running your own games, or even ask them about joining WPN and organizing the sanctioned events like Encounters. Most will at least be willing to work with you on the point of the former, and if they have a good reason why they aren't WPN members then they may be able to point you to another area store that is.
Or try the locator: http://wizards.com/dnd/Events.aspx
I didn't even know two of my stores existed before I looked there heh.
Wizards seems like they are completely idiotic on all things digital, I think that will prevent DnD from ever really blowing up again. They are only just now sending out a virtual table, when DnD tools should have been ported to PC and shit like Eyetoy/Kinect years ago.
Today's PA is poignant, heh.
We'll see how close I am to that state after January...judging two cons, two weeks apart lol.
I don't even play D&D but I saw this comic and thought it was funny. Probably funnier for D&D regulars, but actually the comic piqued my interest -- what exactly is the deck of many things?
http://art.penny-arcade.com/photos/9...81_CxKAV-L.jpg
It is basically like a deck of tarot cards with each card having a powerful effect on them. You can draw(roll a die) and become super rich or just flat out die. Or become evil. Or turn into, like, a bug. I remember one card giving the ability to reverse time by a set amount of time starting after the draw, I've used that before(after half the party died from a messy battle). Basically it does fuck up games. It is a classic so the original list is probably on wikipedia, but there have been a hundred variations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deck_of_many_things
You know I would actually play a new fable game if they included one these in it. Basically what those crappy games are made for.
EDIT: Actually read the article, it is the 3E list.
Bleh, this stupid month has been fucking crazy. Two sessions behind on updates, with a third tonight...I'll get to that this weekend and do all three at once.
In the meantime, look I made a monster.
http://i51.tinypic.com/2yug2sg.png
It's just an elite rehash of an existing one in tonight's session, but I'm rather proud of it.
wtf no more minis.
I haven't been posting the last few weeks of Encounters due to a) busy and b) the sessions being boring, lol. I will try to post info from DDXP if anything interesting comes up there, and then will be posting my sessions from chapter 5.
When does the next season begin anyway? Too lazy to look it up / hate the website layout. Going to put aside time for it.
Next season actually starts Feb 9, we're a few weeks behind the official release. I'm hoping we can get through Chapter 5 and/or the first part of the next season in double time to catch up.
Holy hell DDXP is something else. Crazy stuff but I wouldn't trade the time for anything, so damn fun. I have some pictures from a product release seminar, will try to post tomorrow.
I am way too tired to wax eloquent about the seminar, so have a photodump. I'll talk more about it tomorrow. Ask questions as you like.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5019/...b5c63f973b.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5015/...9d7a784778.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5219/...293f4cdd92.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5173/...14727aaec6.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/...969946dd5d.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5179/...d98b31c61a.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5013/...b8cba5cdba.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5256/...739a78ce1a.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5256/...7f70fa522b.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5093/...267156cc29.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5055/...74c0f8866a.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5297/...2df0f6aa55.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5017/...85978b795e.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5212/...55545bc1ee.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5020/...5894711874.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5131/...33a3ce3d22.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5055/...da03b8d751.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5260/...38a1c5cd6c.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5131/...943b9d8dc7.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/...ae89aeea87.jpghttp://farm6.static.flickr.com/5100/...46a906bba4.jpg
Oh yeah, check this shit out! Apparently I rank among the top Encounters DMs so they sent me this kit. Linking cause it's huge.
http://yfrog.com/hsfr7gj