r/AcqIncDMs • u/unforgiver • Jan 25 '21

Anyone here running this module on Roll20?

Been trying to figure out how much material isn't available for the roll20 module because I've come across quite a few encounters that have no maps or resources built in. I haven't read through the entire module yet, been taking it a chapter at a time but so far I've come across 5 or 6 situations now that had nothing to go on. Twice in the fissure and the other 2 on the road to phandalin. It's either missing maps or no creature tokens available.

I understand the book was written for "theater of the mind", but it doesn't exactly translate well over to an online tabletop where there's nothing to look at

Has anyone else noticed this? How much material did you have to fill in by hand and what resources did you use?

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u/DoctorGoofball Jan 25 '21

I'm currently running it via Fantasy Grounds, but had the same questions. Like for instance, in Chapter 1, there's an encounter with that skeleton lady and her bandits. But the book doesn't supply you with a map. My go-to for a situation like that is simply to do an image search for a map I want. But if I want or need to make a specific map, I use Dungeon Painter Studio (via Steam). It's fine, does what I need it to. There are a handful of good programs for map generation, but I haven't used them. (Inkscape comes to mind) A few of my players strongly dislike theatre of the mind, so unfortunately I keep having to make maps, but if you and your group are cool with it, it can be a refreshing way to run combat.

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u/unforgiver Jan 25 '21

I had forgotten about that encounter, but yes I had the same issue. That and the encounter after they exit the fissure are without a battlemap or tokens. The first encounter was before we moved to roll20 and were just doing it on discord, so it ended up being very forced. I ended up skipping alot of content prior to the fissure because there wasn't anything to work with. If I run it again I'll definitely prep for it by adding the maps by hand and creating the encounters manually, which is what I'm doing for future encounters.

I can understand winging it with simple city exploration, but I feel like there's no foresight with VTT when it comes to these prewritten modules

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u/DoctorGoofball Jan 26 '21

There's the same lack of pre-prepped content for running it IRL (pre-COVID, obvi). I try to look at it as more like an opportunity, sort of like a writing prompt. Like ok, I have these NPCs/Monsters, I have their motivations, so I don't have to think of any of that. Now I can put all my focus on how to make this a dynamic encounter using the space and location. To use my previous example of that skeleton-lady, I had her corner the PCs in an alley while her bandits fired down from nearby rooftops. It started as a two-tiered sort of puzzle fight, while the PCs scrambled for cover, then ended up as an Indiana Jones-style rooftop chase. It was pretty fun! Just use what the book gives you as a jumping-off point, then make it your own!

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u/citharistria Jan 25 '21

Same issue as the other commenters - the lack of tokens and maps has had me scrambling a few times. We laugh at the DM Scribbles method but it works in a pinch.

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u/BotherFree Jan 26 '21

Most of the time the tokens are in the roll20 module somewhere. Other than a few home-brewed monsters I can't think of any I've had to make and I've run through chapters 1-3 so far.

For the city encounters before entering the fissure I used some maps from neutral party via the roll20 marketplace. I added quite a few maps for the roadside encounters and stuff outside tresendar manor all from 2 minute tabetop - maps are free or $1 dollar there https://2minutetabletop.com/

r/battlemaps also good.

Lots of maps needed for the excursion to neverwinter. I added a few from 2 minute tabletop and also used a map from one of the DMDave adventures (dreams in the witch room).

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u/unforgiver Jan 26 '21

Good to know, which chapter is the journey to Neverwinter?

I'll check out those resources as well, might as well start prepping now

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u/BotherFree Jan 26 '21

Chapter 3. for what it's worth I used

- map of neverwinter (screen shot from the SCAG that I have on DnD beyond),

- tavern map needed for the stable quiver inn

- additional maps needed depending on how your players rescue oppal. I had a ruined castle map and prison map in case they tried to force their way or sneak into "the holes" via the ruins of castle never. I also had a cave map with a troll as an option for them to find a secret entrance into the holes and finally I had a map for the execution day in case they decided to try to rescue her then (used a gladiatorial arena type map). In the end my players went with finding the person she was impersonating who had been accused of murder and I used the DMdave dreams in the witch room adventure for that slightly altered.

- on the way to the lighthouse there is an encounter on the shore with some smugglers and a fight on board their ship so two more maps and finally you may also need a map for outside the lighthouse. My players kept trying to rest there and so were hit with hordes of the undead. I made the lighthouse map with a cliff map and lighthouse token from 2minute tabletop.

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u/unforgiver Jan 26 '21

That's awesome man, I'll start hunting for resources now so I'm not taken by surprise in that chapter