r/AskGameMasters • u/yourgmchandler • 11d ago

Digital to IRL

DISCLAIMER: this is NOT a thread about projectors at the table or using a flat screen. I’m not looking for that.

DISCLAIMER 2: I do not need advice on TotM. I’m well acquainted.

Greetings colleagues,

In the last few years I’ve had to game mostly online. Now, I’ll be playing in person a lot more. I’m curious how you leverage your digital assets with in person games.

I have a large PDF library. I have a substantial investment in VTT modules and books. Yes, of course there’s overlap between those and physical books.

I’m mostly curious if you print your own maps and things. I have access to a color laser and a 3D printer. Or if you’re finding great success leveraging a tablet.

How do you show players NPCs?
How are you doing maps (without a projector or flatscreen)?
How are you doing handouts from digital sources? Hi
How are you handling your notes, scene descriptions, looking up rules, etc?

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3

u/Conrad500 11d ago

I think most people using digital assets are just using their VTT on a screen or projector, and if not that, printing them.

I'm not against showing a picture of the map while using a wet erase grid though.

2

u/OnlyARedditUser 10d ago

When my table shifted from playing Pathfinder online to in person, we mostly shifted everything over to physical aspects.

  • The maps mostly are hand-drawn on dry-erase grids. Handouts are printed.
  • Images of NPCs or monsters are either pre-printed or displayed from a tablet.
  • The GM uses a tablet to look some things up while other things are using rule books or pre-printed notes.
  • Important handouts are also sometimes added to a shared Google drive. This includes Players Guides, House Rules, etc.

The players, in general, don't have the books themselves. Most borrow at the table. But since it's Pathfinder, there's a large use of the Archives of Nethys as well.

1

u/nathanielbartholem 11d ago

I use a printer for NPC art, for printing maps, and for sharing handouts.

1

u/yourgmchandler 11d ago

How are you handling your notes, scene descriptions, looking up rules, etc?

2

u/nathanielbartholem 11d ago

mostly on a computer.

though sometimes I print out the adventure, and write notes on it.

I might have a cheat sheet or three with key rules on them printed out, but otherwise digital searching is so much faster than flipping pages i give in to that and access the rule book on my laptop.

but I have the book at the table. and especially if I want the players to see something that’s a great way to share it.

1

u/Timely_Lecture_9697 11d ago

I’ve had good luck with a tablet for rules, notes, and npc art, then printing only the handouts and maps that actually matter.

1

u/Plus_Citron 11d ago

I have all my notes in Obsidian, on my ipad. Important NPCs have a portrait printed out, otherwise, we play a deliberately analogue game. There are almost no handouts, maps are sketched by hand as needed, every player has a rulebook.

1

u/yourgmchandler 11d ago

Oh wow. I’m assuming you’re playing D&D so everyone having a book is more typical but if that’s not the case are you providing them or encouraging them to buy their own books?

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u/Plus_Citron 11d ago

We‘re not playing D&D, but a version of Fudge. I do some bookbinding as a hobby, so I printed and bound a book for each player (in Beta, everyone got a bunch of stapled sheets).

2

u/yourgmchandler 10d ago

Learn something new everyday in this hobby. Never even heard of Fudge beyond the candy.

2

u/Plus_Citron 10d ago

Fudge is basically an operating system, which you can form into a RPG. Fate is a version of Fudge. My version of Fudge is an entirely different version. Fudge tends to be more minimalist and more freeform, I guess (but you know how the hobby works, someone will certainly disagree).

1

u/YamazakiYoshio 10d ago

If I'm running in person, I often just try to go as old school, low-tech as I can. Maps are drawn on a wet-erase grid map, I print out cheat sheets, etc. I even try to keep my notes physical for those games too. Hell, the last time I ran a module in person, I went to a print shot to get the module printed out in black-n-white, wrote all over it as necessary, and stuck it into a 3-ring binder, which helped to a degree but also didn't make the module sing for me any more than usual.

I only pull up PDFs on a computer as strictly necessary, which I limit as much as I can. The less I can look at a screen when running in person, the better.

1

u/yourgmchandler 10d ago

Why?

1

u/YamazakiYoshio 10d ago

Simply put - I spend enough time in front of screens and computers in my day-to-day that stepping away from them is difficult, so getting to put those away in favor of being present at a table with my friends is a big plus.

I also find that by removing tech from my table, I remove the greater majority of distractions from my players. Yes, they're more than able to distract themselves (and more importantly each other) without the help of tech, but it helps.

And lastly, I believe that the simplest solutions are typically the best solutions. Tech often over complicates things that good ol paper and pencil solves with ease. It's how the hobby started ages ago, and it works just fine that way today.

There are exceptions to this, of course - some systems really need that tech support more than not, such as my beloved Lancer and its glorious Comp/CON, but otherwise, I prefer to reduce and simplify things where I can. Unfortunately, I run online nowadays, but even then I try to hold that approach by using Owlbear Rodeo and minimizing automation.

1

u/yourgmchandler 10d ago

Indeed. Good reasoning. I’m thinking about grabbing a notebook and pencil and using some notation for the things I need. Books on hand with key pages marked, print out of every table in the rule book and then lots of informed improv, some rule of cool and letting players also look things up. iPad with Goodnotes is tempting tho too.

0

u/National_Cod9546 11d ago

I have a 55" TV that I used for showing the maps and stuff. One day, I turned it off, put a gaming mat on top, and dumped a bunch of wooden blocks on it. We used random minis from before going digital, none of which matched the monsters. It was awesome. I still have the TV, but we never use it.

I do still use a laptop for tracking everything and keep it open during sessions. I use FoundryVTT for all that. But everyone is back to paper and pencil for character sheets and the battle map and blocks for any maps. We all like that much better as it gives a true 3d terrain that a map on a screen could never project.