# 3G: More than Pen and Paper



## Ahnehnois

I guess I use plain battlegrids and improvised counters on rare occasions. Sometimes someone will look something up on a smartphone. And I've got reference books, character sheets, pens, and dice. But I try to avoid distractions, and I minimize my paraphernalia. The game is about the people.


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## Morrus

I'm with you on the Gammastery pad. That things gets so much use.

I still haven't found apps that uuseful. They're just not quite accessible enough on an iPad. To use the dice roller you have to close the PDF you're looking at then open he dice roller app, then close the dice roller app and re-open the PDF. And hen you need to look at another PDF, and unlike books you can't just lay out so or three open on the pages you need. You have to close each PDF and open each one separately as you need them. And so on. You'd need multiple iPads!


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## Mike Eagling

I agree about the limitations of the iPad. I've become a complete PDF convert since owning my tablet but only insofar as an initial rules read-through or for background products. I can't see myself trying to actually DM from one.


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## Radiating Gnome

Mike Eagling said:


> I agree about the limitations of the iPad. I've become a complete PDF convert since owning my tablet but only insofar as an initial rules read-through or for background products. I can't see myself trying to actually DM from one.




I have DMed from my iPad -- it was a little tricky at first, but it works out all right.  The trick is that you can't really use the iPad for more than one thing at a time -- so, if you're using it for stat blocks or encounter reference, you're going to want something else for looking up rules and powers something else to track conditions, etc.  Using the iPad is easy -- using JUST the iPad would be pretty difficult. 

Still, at the table I prefer paper --especially for that sort of stat block and encounter information.  But, then, I'm an old man, with old habits.....

-rg


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## Radiating Gnome

Morrus said:


> I'm with you on the Gammastery pad. That things gets so much use.
> 
> I still haven't found apps that uuseful. They're just not quite accessible enough on an iPad. To use the dice roller you have to close the PDF you're looking at then open he dice roller app, then close the dice roller app and re-open the PDF. And hen you need to look at another PDF, and unlike books you can't just lay out so or three open on the pages you need. You have to close each PDF and open each one separately as you need them. And so on. You'd need multiple iPads!




It's interesting that we accept that the gamemastery pad is used for one thing (which it does well for a lot of people), but when we start talking about the iPad we have an expectation that because it can do so many different things (and because it's a whole lot more expensive than the Gamemastery pad) we are disappointed because it doesn't allow us to do everything at the same time. 

A good PDF reader will have the ability to have multiple PDFs open in tabs, that might help with the PDF switching you mentioned.  And, while it's not quite as facile as just reaching over and picking up a different tool, if you get used to using the iOS multitasking commands, you may find that switching between apps is a little easier (double click the home button -- that brings up a slider menu in the bottom of the screen of the apps you've used most recently.  So switching from one app to another can be a matter of a double click and a tap (if the other app has been used recently). That can be just about as quick as reaching for a different sourcebook or tool -- but you still can be using them both at the exact same time, so it's still definitely a limiting factor.  

-rg


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## Mike Eagling

Radiating Gnome said:


> using JUST the iPad would be pretty difficult.




Yeah, it was this I was really thinking of here. I've not, yet, but can imagine having it to hand for quickly looking things up in books I don't immediately have to hand. Thanks to Dropbox and my growing collection of PDFs I can now carry an entire bookshelf around in, if not my pocket, a small bag.

When I first started playing AD&D at school I used to lug around half a dozen rules manuals and a ring binder; that was without all the schoolbooks. An iPad back then would have been a godsend!



Radiating Gnome said:


> Still, at the table I prefer paper --especially for that sort of stat block and encounter information.  But, then, I'm an old man, with old habits.....




Believe me, you're not alone!


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## CreeperJR

I built a small initiative tracker (basically a strip of wood with a slot in it). I place cards for each PC/monster in order of initiative.  I keep monster stats on the cards, so it can reduce clutter.  I don't like having a screen or other high things between me and the players or map, so it works well for me.

I had never seen the clings before.  Those would be pretty useful.


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## delericho

I spend my days working in front of a computer, so I tend to avoid adding technology to my leisure pursuits. I use a PC for preparation, but not at the table.

I have, on occasion, made use of whiteboards, a battlemat, and minis and/or tokens, but these have all gradually fallen by the wayside.

The only 'non-standard' thing that I use is a box of poker chips that we use to represent Action Points (3e style). Other than that, it's books, paper, pencils, and dice. A couple of my players use either an iPhone or iPad for SRD lookups, but that's all. And I don't use a DM's screen.


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## Gilladian

I use a battlemat and wet-erase markers. I have a batch of old legos, trees from various diorama suppliers, and bunches of plastic miniature animals. I also use polymer clay (aka super sculpey, but never sculpey III or cheap store brand because it breaks too easily) to make my own minis. I've made trees, bushes (a marbled green clay sheet formed in a circle with a 1" diameter makes a great "bush" that can hold a mini), treasure chests, tables, campfires, etc... 

I love the idea of the clings! I'd buy packs of them in a flash.

I use my ipad for things I want to look up and pass out to the PCs; portraits of npcs, or paintings of environments I've found on google images. It works better than my 2nd monitor on a swing-arm. I DM from my PC a LOT; mostly because I've been using the Dungeon-a-day dungeon for several years, and it is all online. Also my campaign is on a wiki. I do not use apps during my game, much if at all.

I have an initiative tracker; it's a strip of corkboard in a plastic holder with numbers written down the side; I give each PC and each NPC/monster group a plastic thumbtack; PCs are all white with their initial on them; monsters are solid or translucent colors with numbers on the top. It has worked for me for 20 years or so!


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## Morrus

Radiating Gnome said:


> And, while it's not quite as facile as just reaching over and picking up a different tool, if you get used to using the iOS multitasking commands, you may find that switching between apps is a little easier (double click the home button -- that brings up a slider menu in the bottom of the screen of the apps you've used most recently.  So switching from one app to another can be a matter of a double click and a tap (if the other app has been used recently).




Yeah; sorry - I wasn't trying to imply I don't know _how_ to use my iPad! Just that it's not as convenient as glancing left where that book is open.


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## Stormonu

It took me a little bit to get used to it, but I now run my games using the rulebooks and adventures on my ipad - so long as they're bookmarked.  The multiple tabs in GoodReader make it about as easy as having four or five books open in front of me.  What's really nice is the Pathfinder books, which have hyperlinks so you can immediately skip from one section to the next.

Another thing I like to pull out and use is my Dwarven Forge pieces.  Unfortunately, they've gotten too bulky to carry around, so I generally only use them for home games or for Cons where I can have the dungeon pre-built to garner interest.  Most of the other times, I use the WotC dungeon tiles.  I don't use chessex battlemats any more after having ruined about four of the suckers with either dry erase markers or leaving red wet erase marker on them after a session wrap up.


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