# What do you NOT want to use tech for in you TTRPG?



## MNblockhead

In a number of areas in my life I've given up technological conveniences, either because I've found them too intrusive, because of enjoyment of older analog ways of doing things, or because I felt certain mental abilities were atrophying. For example for the most important telephone numbers I generally "dial them" rather than using speed-dial or voice shortcuts to ensure they remain committed to memory in case I lose access to my devices. I started trying to rely on my GPS a bit less when when I found I wasn't remembering directions to places I've been to multiple times. Things like that. 

Since starting a new job and then COVID, I've found myself running all my games online and it just isn't practical to lug bunch of books around, so my TTRPGs have become VTTRPGs. This has me thinking about where I think I'm using tech too much and where I would draw a line or dial things back.

1. Physical Books. I don't mind reading novels, etc. on a good e-reader. I love my Kindle Oasis. For running games, I like D&D Beyond and I've accepted PDFs. But still buy physical copies of many of the books. I enjoy browsing through physical books for inspiration or to get an overall sense of the content in a way that digital version can't capture. I also prefer looking at the artwork in print much more than on a screen. For quickly searching for something; for sorting monsters, magic items, spells, etc. digital is superior. For reading linearly, it is mostly a draw. But for browsing I much prefer physical books. I don't see myself going back to 100% analog when it comes to books, but physical books still have place in how I enjoy the hobby. 

2. Dice. This is what I miss most when running VTTs. Yeah, we could roll and call our rolls, but when playing virtually, it is nice for everyone to see the roll, and without getting complicated with web cams, rolling the VTTs is the best way to do it.  When I'm able to run games in person again, the dice will come out. The one thing, however, that I really like about playing on a VTT is that it is much easier to tract status effects and resolve area of effect damage. I could see using a VTT for in person play for larger and more complex combat. 

3. Paper character sheets. Here again, I think I prefer a mixed approach. Manage your character sheet digitally, but print it out your character sheet before each session. I feel having a digital device in front of players at the table detracts from player engagement. Tablets with notifications and alerts shut off okay but I feel that there is something distracting about using a physical device. As a GM, I feel this is a bit hypocritical as I'll generally use a laptop at the table. But as a GM I have no choice but to be constantly engaged during the game. I don't know that I would be 100% comfortable asking players to only use paper character sheets for a 5e game, but I would at least suggest it and discuss it. 

4. In person play. This is what I miss the most. Having everyone physically in the same room, sharing food, and hanging out together. Remote play is out of necessity, not preference. 

Where would I not go back?  Even for in-person play I would stay digital for:

All prep work. Writing session notes, writing adventures, planning campaigns, creating maps.
Battlemaps. I generally don't find physical tiles and battlemaps worth the hassle and expense. For in person play, I would continue using a horizontal display with digital maps. But I would use it with physical miniatures and/or tokens. 
Occasionally for complex combats with many actors. I really don't like manually rolling saves and damage for large numbers of enemies when the wizard drops a fireball on them.  Tracking all of that on paper feels like a chore.


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## Jd Smith1

And now for a differing viewpoint:

1> PDFs only. I've thrown away literally hundreds of print books from my collection. I am not buying any more dead tree books.

2> I love the fact that there's no more fudging. Everyone's rolls are out there in the open. Don't miss dice at all.

3> I love electronic sheets. It makes prep work so much simpler when I can verify party assets of skills, etc. Plus the sheets do all the math.

4 > Never going back to in person. All my stuff at my fingertips, without having to bother lugging my GMing gear to someone else's place. Infinite numbers of quality players available to replace any player losses. Not ever putting up with some marginal player simply because his or her best friend/Sig other is also in the group, and I need to make headcount.  

I used a VTT for the last decade of F2F gaming; the hassle of physical battle maps and minis is not something I miss.

The ability to effortlessly present players with props and handouts in a variety of methods without breaking the flow of gaming.

Frankly, online, computerized gaming is the best thing I have seen happen to gaming since I started in 1979. I can't imagine going back in any way or form .


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## BigJackBrass

To a degree it depends on the game: _Hero Designer_ is very useful indeed for creating characters if we're playing _Champions_, but for something like _Fudge_ a character generator is largely superfluous.

For a long time now my scattered group has been gaming via video call (Jitsi these days, since Google canned Hangouts) with great success. Everyone misses playing around the same table, but that's not a regular option for us these days. We each roll our own dice, use paper or PDF character sheets and share handouts via Dropbox or screen-sharing. Tried Roll20 and for most of us it didn't offer anything extra that we needed but did tend to slow things down.

Unless it's a small (and usually small format) rulebook I'd prefer to use a printed copy, with a PDF being handy for copying tables, handouts, reference sheets etc. Many of the big hardback books around these days use multi-column small type and aren't easy to read on a tablet anyway.


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## aco175

My group is strictly pen and paper when we play, with a rare looking something up on a phone.  I use my laptop to write the adventure and scan in maps, but at the table we all have paper sheets and plastic figures on dungeon tiles.  

I never tried playing online and not sure how I would like it.


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## payn

When I play in person, I go paper character sheet and dice. I typically leave it up to the GM and/or table to look stuff up on their devices if they want. I just like being able to sit back and dive into the game with just my character in my mind. Of course, I don't do any in person gaming anymore so...


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## Jd Smith1

aco175 said:


> I never tried playing online and not sure how I would like it.



I felt the same way, but I quickly came to love it. My biggest stressor as a GM was maintaining body count at the table in the face of RL complications. But since the switch, and even playing faily niche systems, I can replace a player in 24 hours or less, and my turnover is very low.

The beauty of Roll20 really helps; the players move across the maps, opening doors or windows, climbing terrain features to see better, while I am free of mundane descriptions and can focus on unseen NPC movement and key descriptions and narrative. Players can text me directly (aka old-school 'passing a note'), and I can pass out props and handouts with the click of a button. 

Drop your lantern in a fight? I click a button and the players radius of view shrinks accordingly. AOE spell or device? Drop the pog on the map, and a colored transparent shape shows its exact area. PC on overwatch? The player drops a marker on the map. The list goes on and on. 

You never realize how much time is wasted until you go to VTT. No one asking 'What does this {item} mean? How far away is Mohawk #2? Where is the door? All that information and more in in full color in front of the player. This lets everyone spend less time struggling to visualize, and more time in choosing more dynamic actions.


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## Snarf Zagyg

My answer?

I do not want to use tech for anything in my games. Nothing. Nada. Zero. 

Not because I am a luddite - far from it. Instead, I would view using tech for my games as a "Busman's Holiday," in the sense that there are occasions when I need a _break from technology. _Sitting down with friends, chatting, rolling dice, no screens- it isn't a labor, it's a respite.

I think that we often forget about the value of ritual. I don't discount the ease and convenience of technology, nor that it makes gaming better (or even "doable") for many people. But just like there are reasons to take extra time and make a nice meal for yourself, there are reasons to game with physical objects, using papers, and pencils, and books, rolling dice across a table, and looking at faces instead of phones.

I eschew technology in gaming, not because I dislike technology or think it makes things worse, but because I value this time without it and the pleasure it gives me.


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## John Dallman

If I'm playing online, I'm happy to use PDFs, online dice rollers, computerised character sheets, and all the rest. When I'm playing online, I usually have just my laptop, nothing else physically required. 

If playing in-person, everything is physical, and I don't have my laptop handy (I may have a tablet so that I can look up real-world stuff). 

Trying to mix the forms of play makes things pointlessly complicated, so I don't do it.


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## MNblockhead

Jd Smith1 said:


> I felt the same way, but I quickly came to love it. My biggest stressor as a GM was maintaining body count at the table in the face of RL complications. But since the switch, and even playing faily niche systems, I can replace a player in 24 hours or less, and my turnover is very low.
> 
> The beauty of Roll20 really helps; the players move across the maps, opening doors or windows, climbing terrain features to see better, while I am free of mundane descriptions and can focus on unseen NPC movement and key descriptions and narrative. Players can text me directly (aka old-school 'passing a note'), and I can pass out props and handouts with the click of a button.
> 
> Drop your lantern in a fight? I click a button and the players radius of view shrinks accordingly. AOE spell or device? Drop the pog on the map, and a colored transparent shape shows its exact area. PC on overwatch? The player drops a marker on the map. The list goes on and on.
> 
> You never realize how much time is wasted until you go to VTT. No one asking 'What does this {item} mean? How far away is Mohawk #2? Where is the door? All that information and more in in full color in front of the player. This lets everyone spend less time struggling to visualize, and more time in choosing more dynamic actions.



Do you ever do one shots? How do you tend to find players? Do you use Roll20s Find a Game site to post your games? Meetup? Or just word of mouth?


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## CleverNickName

I don't want to have special effects, animations, 3D models, and I dunno, ray-traced dice or whatever.  I don't need, or even _want,_ my maps to look like an MMO video game screen.

2D static maps, please.  Preferably ones that I've drawn myself on graph paper and then scanned in.


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## MNblockhead

Snarf Zagyg said:


> Not because I am a luddite - far from it. Instead, I would view using tech for my games as a "Busman's Holiday," in the sense that there are occasions when I need a _break from technology. _Sitting down with friends, chatting, rolling dice, no screens- it isn't a labor, it's a respite.



I see where you are coming from. I don't have the option for in person games these days.  In terms of the busman's holiday issue, I have definitely reached that point in foundry where I've been simplifying things. Once I started editing macros and editing snippets of code in character sheets it started to feel like work. I've also really pared back my use of community modes because testing and troubleshooting conflicts, and having to redo the process every time their is a platform upgrade, also started to feel too much like my day job. 

Also, now that I've found a number of co-workers who are board game geeks, I've really cut dome my time seeking out one-shots and mini-campaigns to play TTRPGs as a players. I've even learned to enjoy Settlers of Catan. Booze and silly competition helps.


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## Malmuria

I use tech for as little as possible.  When playing in person, I type up my notes on one (1) a4 page and have a dm reference on one a4 page.  When playing online, however, I do sometimes use owlbear rodeo and a shared google sheets doc for character sheets.  All dice rolls (for me) are physical though.


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## Dannyalcatraz

For about the past 15 years, all of my character sheets have been in some kind of electronic text form.  Similarly, all of my campaign design notes have been as well.

I have also bookmarked a host of gaming resource websites for a variety of systems.

OTOH, all of my purchased game books are physical.  My dice are real, not virtual.  (I do have some PDFs, but they were free, not purchased, and I don’t use them.)

At the table, my use of tech is mostly limited to looking at my character sheets, but sometimes, I will look stuff up online if I don’t have immediate access to the relevant physical resource.


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## MNblockhead

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I have also bookmarked a host of gaming resource websites for a variety of systems.



I use evernote to capture any online content such as cool blog posts that I don't want to lose access to if the site goes down in the future. 

I use xBrowsersync for bookmarks and Inoreader for keeping track of new posts on sites I follow.


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## Jd Smith1

MNblockhead said:


> Do you ever do one shots? How do you tend to find players? Do you use Roll20s Find a Game site to post your games? Meetup? Or just word of mouth?



No, I run campaigns of 50-odd sessions, as a rule.

I post for players on Redditt and the Roll20 forums, and the response is amazing. Even though I have been playing first Zweihander, then Flames of FReedom, neither widespread games, I have had incredible response. The last time I had a vacancy, a player notified me of a RL issue that forced an immediate drop., I posted immediately, and had two new players by game time Tuesday. I intended to jettison one, as I like to stay at 5 players, but both turned out to be of good quality, so now I'm running 6 until RL attrits me again and I go back to 5.


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## Jd Smith1

CleverNickName said:


> I don't want to have special effects, animations, 3D models, and I dunno, ray-traced dice or whatever.  I don't need, or even _want,_ my maps to look like an MMO video game screen.



Why?


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## CleverNickName

Jd Smith1 said:


> Why?



I find them too distracting and restrictive.  They pull focus, causing the players to fixate on a flickering torch or an artist's mark on the wall and miss other clues that I'm _actually _describing.  They eat badwidth and CPU.  Etc.

Besides.  If we wanted to play an MMO, we would play ESO.


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## MNblockhead

Jd Smith1 said:


> No, I run campaigns of 50-odd sessions, as a rule.
> 
> I post for players on Redditt and the Roll20 forums, and the response is amazing. Even though I have been playing first Zweihander, then Flames of FReedom, neither widespread games, I have had incredible response. The last time I had a vacancy, a player notified me of a RL issue that forced an immediate drop., I posted immediately, and had two new players by game time Tuesday. I intended to jettison one, as I like to stay at 5 players, but both turned out to be of good quality, so now I'm running 6 until RL attrits me again and I go back to 5.



Great to hear. I read so many posters complaining about not being able to find anyone interested in playing anything but D&D. I figure they must be talking about in person play in a location without a large gamer community. I've been happily surprised as the number of on-line non-DnD games I've been able to find.


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## Jd Smith1

MNblockhead said:


> Great to hear. I read so many posters complaining about not being able to find anyone interested in playing anything but D&D. I figure they must be talking about in person play in a location without a large gamer community. I've been happily surprised as the number of on-line non-DnD games I've been able to find.



That was why I left F2F gaming. Our area has a small gaming pool, and keeping a table full had become a tremendous hassle over the last decade. There appears to be a shortage of dependable GMs online; most of my players had no knowledge of Zwei or FoF, but were looking for a steady weekly game.


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## Jd Smith1

CleverNickName said:


> I find them too distracting and restrictive.  They pull focus, causing the players to fixate on a flickering torch or an artist's mark on the wall and miss other clues that I'm _actually _describing.  They eat badwidth and CPU.  Etc.



Ah, the curse of a GM who loves the sound of his own voice.   

Me, I enjoy the relief from mundane details, allowing me to make far better use of my time at the table. 

But Bandwidth is not an issue: I use both Discord and Roll20, hosting six players, and a 4.5 hour sessions consumes about 200 MB. Although we do not use video feed.


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## aramis erak

MNblockhead said:


> In a number of areas in my life I've given up technological conveniences, either because I've found them too intrusive, because of enjoyment of older analog ways of doing things, or because I felt certain mental abilities were atrophying. For example for the most important telephone numbers I generally "dial them" rather than using speed-dial or voice shortcuts to ensure they remain committed to memory in case I lose access to my devices. I started trying to rely on my GPS a bit less when when I found I wasn't remembering directions to places I've been to multiple times. Things like that.



For me, I don't like using die-rollers at FTF games.
I'm not averse to e-readers at the table for rulebooks. I've got a 10.5" e-ink reader. Over 3500 pdfs on it, but about 1/3 are my notes and adventures. I wish it were color e-ink, but it's grayscale. I wish it were faster, but it was pretty fast for eInk at the time I got it.

I don't like use of vtt's at table. 

I really don't like people tuning out when it's not their turn. Especially when it's into videos.


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## Dannyalcatraz

aramis erak said:


> I really don't like people tuning out when it's not their turn. Especially when it's into videos.



As mentioned, I use my tablet and/or phone at the table all the time- obviously, since my PCs are on them.  Sometimes, I’ll text the GM with a secret comm, but that’s rare.  Still, if the GM keeps his devices handy at the table, it’s better than passing notes, IMHO.  

(It’s also handy as a GM if you’re running a game with a Doppelganger or other kind of mole in the party.)

But if I’m searching for something online during a game, it’s NOT videos.  It’s going to be something like a rule or the text of a feat/spell/power/device, etc.  IOW, I’m trying to be prepared for my next action.  Or I’m trying to help out another player.

That annoyed a couple of GMs at first, until they realized I wasn’t tuning them out.


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## Jd Smith1

aramis erak said:


> For me, I don't like using die-rollers at FTF games.
> I'm not averse to e-readers at the table for rulebooks. I've got a 10.5" e-ink reader. Over 3500 pdfs on it, but about 1/3 are my notes and adventures. I wish it were color e-ink, but it's grayscale. I wish it were faster, but it was pretty fast for eInk at the time I got it.
> 
> I don't like use of vtt's at table.
> 
> I really don't like people tuning out when it's not their turn. Especially when it's into videos.



Results vary, but I used a VTT for more than a decade F2F (before shifting to the infinitely superior online experience).

I found that players are less likely to tune out on a VTT because they can watch the fight happen in front of them in living color, measure distances, examine areas exposed by moving light sources, instead of listening to the GM and Player #3 figuring out of the d6 representing Orc #3 is 24' or 30' from the click-base superhero figure that represents a Dwarf Fighter.


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## delericho

In theory I would rather be tech-free while playing (for everyone at the table). In practice, I'm not going to even try to enforce that on my players, and anyway I've found electronic documents just far too useful recently.

For prep, I'll use any tool going.


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## payn

aramis erak said:


> For me, I don't like using die-rollers at FTF games.
> I'm not averse to e-readers at the table for rulebooks. I've got a 10.5" e-ink reader. Over 3500 pdfs on it, but about 1/3 are my notes and adventures. I wish it were color e-ink, but it's grayscale. I wish it were faster, but it was pretty fast for eInk at the time I got it.
> 
> I don't like use of vtt's at table.
> 
> I really don't like people tuning out when it's not their turn. Especially when it's into videos.



I agree with you for at the table. Though, as a GM I use a laptop for my PDFs, notes, and rolling. Its just easier to run a game, especially when you have 5-10 enemies to track in a combat. The players have one character and maybe a pet or summon so its easy to roll dice and track that.


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## Reynard

I have a player that uses voice changing software for our VTT/Discord games, and I absolutely HATE it.


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## payn

Reynard said:


> I have a player that uses voice changing software for our VTT/Discord games, and I absolutely HATE it.



Yeap, I had one of those guys too. Told him to knock it the f off.


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## Umbran

MNblockhead said:


> This has me thinking about where I think I'm using tech too much and where I would draw a line or dial things back.




I want to address this just a bit.  Any statement of the form, "this is too much," is incomplete.  There is an implicit, "for X purpose or goal" at the end.  Sometimes "implicit" means "unstated so that we don't really know what it is.

So, we can ask, what result in gaming might your tech use be too much for?




MNblockhead said:


> 1. Physical Books.




I tend to prep in a bit of a mixed-mode.  For prep PDFs are slightly more awkward - if I am writing my prep by hand, then I'm swtching back and forth from my computer to paper, and if I am doing my prep electronically, I have screen real-estate limitations.  

In play, if we are using paper sheets, physical books are superior.  Online play, pdf and online sources are superior.



MNblockhead said:


> 2. Dice.




I will use online dice rollers if playing online, and that's what the GM wants.  
I've been playing online with some folks that are not great at memorizing rules, and the rules-automation in Roll20 is a boon for them, so I get the appeal.
But, honestly, I prefer the physicality of rolling dice, and will do that when I can.



MNblockhead said:


> 3. Paper character sheets.




D&D Beyond has awesome online sheets.  I was resistant to trying them initially, but now I'm good with them for any D&D game.  Roll20 sheets are acceptable, but not as great.
Electronic access to rules when using electronic sheets is also awesome - clicking on a thing to know the text of a feat or spell is far superior to opening a book.

So, for D&D, I am more than happy to use D&D Beyond.  

Historically, at least half of my gaming has been non-D&D, though, so paper sheets are fine.




MNblockhead said:


> 4. In person play.




I definitely prefer in-person play.  For a couple in my regular group, online play doesn't serve well - being on camera or only audio doesn't work for everyone.

I have a couple of online games that are with folks I know and like, but live far away.  Gaming online with them is better than not gaming with them, so online it is.


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## Malmuria

I think whatever technology I use or don't use I tend to be pretty minimalist in my prep and presentation.  Not necessarily in terms of thinking about the game, but in terms of how I play.  The thing I want to focus on is the interaction with other people rather than a screen or even a set of notes at the table.  I'd prefer to do dungeon exploration as all theater of the mind, but a simple vtt (owlbear rodeo) when playing online makes spatial orientation a bit easier.  But this is true when prepping in analog forms--I'm not the kind of to have a huge 3 ring binder with tons of worldbuilding notes.  Probably my best sessions have been run off a few index cards and a dyson logos map.


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## Jd Smith1

Reynard said:


> I have a player that uses voice changing software for our VTT/Discord games, and I absolutely HATE it.



So don't let him use it.


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## aramis erak

payn said:


> I agree with you for at the table. Though, as a GM I use a laptop for my PDFs, notes, and rolling. Its just easier to run a game, especially when you have 5-10 enemies to track in a combat. The players have one character and maybe a pet or summon so its easy to roll dice and track that.



I find it so much easier to keep track of stats on paper than on the computer that I do so even when using a VTT...


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## payn

aramis erak said:


> I find it so much easier to keep track of stats on paper than on the computer that I do so even when using a VTT...



You must have one hell of a mathematical mind. The GMs I know who insist sticking to paper I can run circles around with digital means. Add coded automation in VTT and forget about it. Hats off.


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## Reynard

Jd Smith1 said:


> So don't let him use it.



Last session on of the other players asked him to turn it off and he did. but I don't consider it my place to tell the players how to play their characters. I wouldn't tell a player to stop using a terrible Cockney accent for their halfling bard, or whatever.


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## aramis erak

payn said:


> You must have one hell of a mathematical mind.



Not particularly, but writing is part of how I remember things past a couple minutes. I could write on the eInk tablet, but... that's effectively just using it as paper.
Also, I write with less pain than i type, and almost the same speed.


payn said:


> The GMs I know who insist sticking to paper I can run circles around with digital means. Add coded automation in VTT and forget about it. Hats off.



The VTTs I've been using, I find the automation gets in the way more than helps, since I'm prone to use of optional rules. Most especially alternate attribute assignments for specific rolls.
I often spontaneously add NPCs or alter them on the fly; in many of the games I run, NPCs are template based (D&D 5E, L5R 5E, Pendragon 4e, FFG/Edge Star Wars, Talisman Adventures), and I keep a file that I update with new expansions consolidating them; I print it out, keep it handy at game. Toss a paperclip on the page I need... use an index card for expendables/cumulatives (HP, etc)


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## Jd Smith1

aramis erak said:


> I find it so much easier to keep track of stats on paper than on the computer that I do so even when using a VTT...



Really? Roll20's self-calculating PC/NPC sheet are extremely useful in my games. I just click on a button, and the page does all the math.


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## Jd Smith1

Reynard said:


> Last session on of the other players asked him to turn it off and he did. but I don't consider it my place to tell the players how to play their characters. I wouldn't tell a player to stop using a terrible Cockney accent for their halfling bard, or whatever.



If a player is doing something that diminishes my enjoyment of the game, he ceases, or leaves. Put in as diplomatic a fashion as possible, but that's non-negotiable. Be it eating with an open mike, or using stupid accents.

But to each their own.


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## aramis erak

Jd Smith1 said:


> Really? Roll20's self-calculating PC/NPC sheet are extremely useful in my games. I just click on a button, and the page does all the math.



I've not used Roll20 - I've used Maptools, Foundry, and gTove. 
Maptools and Foundry both don't make it easy to switch att link on the fly. GTove doesn't have any character automation - it's purely maps, tokens, and dice, plus the ability to add some trackables, but no automation.


The MapTools and Foundary hard link - click the skill, and it rolls the standard stat+skill combo by standard linkage only, gets in the way. It's _exactly the most f'ing annoying part for me, the dealbreaker_, especially since my favored games all have options for "any att with any skill"... despite having defaults. About 1 in 20 rolls in Alien, I was using something other than standard attribute, this was a hassle running it under Foundary using the official module.

Games I've run recently FTF include 

FFG Star Wars - hard links, explicit permission  to ignore them. Also, no grid-/area-based movement, 
L5R 5e - no links, except for a very few specific types of rolls (healing/recovery.)
Transformers - no attribute effect on rolls
Twilight 2000 4E- hard linked, but permission to switch explicit in rules. Almost all rolls require modifications to dice sizes.
Talisman Adventures - most skills list 2 or 3 traits which can be used for various situations, and explicitly allows calls for others when appropriate.
Classic Traveller - no consistent rolling mechanic, let alone hard links, except in combat. And then, the mods are many.
2d20 system - dice not linked to abilities, but TN on dice is. # of Dice linked to expendable spends
Star Trek Adventures - no hard links - 72 possible permutations of att and skill and whether specialty applies
Dune: 50 permutations of drive, skill, and if in specialty

In general, I found running Alien under Foundry frustratingly constrained in terms of mechanics. Using a non-standard attribute, even when it makes sense, is a major slowdown; takes longer than using physical dice.


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## Jd Smith1

aramis erak said:


> I've not used Roll20 - I've used Maptools, Foundry, and gTove.
> Maptools and Foundry both don't make it easy to switch att link on the fly. GTove doesn't have any character automation - it's purely maps, tokens, and dice, plus the ability to add some trackables, but no automation.
> 
> 
> The MapTools and Foundary hard link - click the skill, and it rolls the standard stat+skill combo by standard linkage only, gets in the way. It's _exactly the most f'ing annoying part for me, the dealbreaker_, especially since my favored games all have options for "any att with any skill"... despite having defaults. About 1 in 20 rolls in Alien, I was using something other than standard attribute, this was a hassle running it under Foundary using the official module.
> 
> Games I've run recently FTF include
> 
> FFG Star Wars - hard links, explicit permission  to ignore them. Also, no grid-/area-based movement,
> L5R 5e - no links, except for a very few specific types of rolls (healing/recovery.)
> Transformers - no attribute effect on rolls
> Twilight 2000 4E- hard linked, but permission to switch explicit in rules. Almost all rolls require modifications to dice sizes.
> Talisman Adventures - most skills list 2 or 3 traits which can be used for various situations, and explicitly allows calls for others when appropriate.
> Classic Traveller - no consistent rolling mechanic, let alone hard links, except in combat. And then, the mods are many.
> 2d20 system - dice not linked to abilities, but TN on dice is. # of Dice linked to expendable spends
> Star Trek Adventures - no hard links - 72 possible permutations of att and skill and whether specialty applies
> Dune: 50 permutations of drive, skill, and if in specialty
> 
> In general, I found running Alien under Foundry frustratingly constrained in terms of mechanics. Using a non-standard attribute, even when it makes sense, is a major slowdown; takes longer than using physical dice.



Ah, yeah. I used MapTool for years, playing F2F.

Roll20 has self-filling PC sheets for PCs and NPCs. You plug in the attributes, and the sheet calculates them into secondary attributes, etc. In combat, you tap a button next to a weapon entry, and it rolls to hit, notes criticals, fumbles, exploding dies, or what have you, and usually damage as well, all displayed in chat. Same thing for attributes and skills. Tap a button, and a description of a spell, talent, special ability, Trait, Flaw, or whatever your PC has pops up in chat, making it easy to conform what is going on.

So much of the drudgery of combat is done by the system, that everyone can focus on what is actually happening in a fight.


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## MNblockhead

aramis erak said:


> For me, I don't like using die-rollers at FTF games.
> I'm not averse to e-readers at the table for rulebooks. I've got a 10.5" e-ink reader. Over 3500 pdfs on it, but about 1/3 are my notes and adventures. I wish it were color e-ink, but it's grayscale. I wish it were faster, but it was pretty fast for eInk at the time I got it.



I love my Kindle Oasis, but a game tool it is not. Great for reading a novel, but way to slow and clunky to be alternating among several books, searching, and jumping around a book. 

While I hate reading for a long time from a PDF, a well bookmarked PDF is easy to navigate and search and I can have multiple open and toggle among them quickly on a laptop / tablet. 

Every VTT I've used makes for a poor interface to reference rules except for one killer feature. The ability to pull up a rule, spell, or item clicking on the PC/NPC character sheet it really convenient. 

In terms of adventure content, for a dungeon crawl or other map-focused adventure, having all the flavor text in the VTT can be convenient, but for the most part I prefer to have the PDF or print copy of the adventure and run from that. Just easier to get the big picture and to read ahead. I'll use map notes/journal enteries for certain traps or effects pinned on the map, but for the most part the VTT is just for the map and tokens, and character sheets.


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## MNblockhead

Reynard said:


> I have a player that uses voice changing software for our VTT/Discord games, and I absolutely HATE it.



I thought of playing with that as a DM. But, like Syrinscape, and other music and sound apps, it's just more stuff I have to manage as a DM. I like using tech to help me run my games, but I don't want my laptop screen to look like an airplane cockpit.


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## aramis erak

MNblockhead said:


> I love my Kindle Oasis, but a game tool it is not. Great for reading a novel, but way to slow and clunky to be alternating among several books, searching, and jumping around a book.



Lenovo has a fairly powerful eink tablet coming out soon - it's being shown at CES.
Likewise, their Twist laptop (WIn 11) has both an eInk and an OLED screen - rotate the screen to pick which is in use, or set tablet mode and use the screen facing out of the closed laptop. It seems that it may be a kaleido3 eInk screen, at that... color! 
They also have the ThinkBook Plus - IPS display in laptop mode, eInk when closed for use in tablet mode. Also a windows laptop.


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## Lanefan

MNblockhead said:


> In a number of areas in my life I've given up technological conveniences, either because I've found them too intrusive, because of enjoyment of older analog ways of doing things, or because I felt certain mental abilities were atrophying. For example for the most important telephone numbers I generally "dial them" rather than using speed-dial or voice shortcuts to ensure they remain committed to memory in case I lose access to my devices. I started trying to rely on my GPS a bit less when when I found I wasn't remembering directions to places I've been to multiple times. Things like that.
> 
> Since starting a new job and then COVID, I've found myself running all my games online and it just isn't practical to lug bunch of books around, so my TTRPGs have become VTTRPGs. This has me thinking about where I think I'm using tech too much and where I would draw a line or dial things back.
> 
> 1. Physical Books. I don't mind reading novels, etc. on a good e-reader. I love my Kindle Oasis. For running games, I like D&D Beyond and I've accepted PDFs. But still buy physical copies of many of the books. I enjoy browsing through physical books for inspiration or to get an overall sense of the content in a way that digital version can't capture. I also prefer looking at the artwork in print much more than on a screen. For quickly searching for something; for sorting monsters, magic items, spells, etc. digital is superior. For reading linearly, it is mostly a draw. But for browsing I much prefer physical books. I don't see myself going back to 100% analog when it comes to books, but physical books still have place in how I enjoy the hobby.
> 
> 2. Dice. This is what I miss most when running VTTs. Yeah, we could roll and call our rolls, but when playing virtually, it is nice for everyone to see the roll, and without getting complicated with web cams, rolling the VTTs is the best way to do it.  When I'm able to run games in person again, the dice will come out. The one thing, however, that I really like about playing on a VTT is that it is much easier to tract status effects and resolve area of effect damage. I could see using a VTT for in person play for larger and more complex combat.
> 
> 3. Paper character sheets. Here again, I think I prefer a mixed approach. Manage your character sheet digitally, but print it out your character sheet before each session. I feel having a digital device in front of players at the table detracts from player engagement. Tablets with notifications and alerts shut off okay but I feel that there is something distracting about using a physical device. As a GM, I feel this is a bit hypocritical as I'll generally use a laptop at the table. But as a GM I have no choice but to be constantly engaged during the game. I don't know that I would be 100% comfortable asking players to only use paper character sheets for a 5e game, but I would at least suggest it and discuss it.
> 
> 4. In person play. This is what I miss the most. Having everyone physically in the same room, sharing food, and hanging out together. Remote play is out of necessity, not preference.



Hear hear!  Preach it, brother! 


MNblockhead said:


> Where would I not go back?  Even for in-person play I would stay digital for:
> 
> All prep work. Writing session notes, writing adventures, planning campaigns, creating maps.
> Battlemaps. I generally don't find physical tiles and battlemaps worth the hassle and expense. For in person play, I would continue using a horizontal display with digital maps. But I would use it with physical miniatures and/or tokens.
> Occasionally for complex combats with many actors. I really don't like manually rolling saves and damage for large numbers of enemies when the wizard drops a fireball on them.  Tracking all of that on paper feels like a chore.



For me, what I'd continue to use tech for would be:
--- online game logs that everyone can access from home
--- online rules, spell lists, pantheons, etc. that everyone can access at one during the games without having to pass books around
--- art and images
--- adventure writing in cases where I want to get it to a more vaguely-publishable form rather than just scratch-notes runnable.

For "battlemaps" I'd use what I've always used: a physical chalkboard and minis.


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## Ben from Periapt Games

There's something nice about the tactile nature of paper that makes me never want to give up printed media, but the flipside is that as a disorganised person I really need to focus on keeping things stapled, bound, bookmarked, alphabetised, and otherwise arranged in a way that I can actually find them when I need them at the table!


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## Ralif Redhammer

I still use physical books most of the time. When I have multiple monsters in play, I will open up DNDBeyond to reduce the page-flipping I have to do.



MNblockhead said:


> 1. Physical Books. I don't mind reading novels, etc. on a good e-reader. I love my Kindle Oasis. For running games, I like D&D Beyond and I've accepted PDFs. But still buy physical copies of many of the books. I enjoy browsing through physical books for inspiration or to get an overall sense of the content in a way that digital version can't capture. I also prefer looking at the artwork in print much more than on a screen. For quickly searching for something; for sorting monsters, magic items, spells, etc. digital is superior. For reading linearly, it is mostly a draw. But for browsing I much prefer physical books. I don't see myself going back to 100% analog when it comes to books, but physical books still have place in how I enjoy the hobby.




I miss the klickety klack of rolling dice, but when I have a lot of dice to roll, well, it's hard to argue with the ease of typing a few numbers and having at it. 


MNblockhead said:


> 2. Dice. This is what I miss most when running VTTs. Yeah, we could roll and call our rolls, but when playing virtually, it is nice for everyone to see the roll, and without getting complicated with web cams, rolling the VTTs is the best way to do it.  When I'm able to run games in person again, the dice will come out. The one thing, however, that I really like about playing on a VTT is that it is much easier to tract status effects and resolve area of effect damage. I could see using a VTT for in person play for larger and more complex combat.




I will never go away from printed, hand-tracked character sheets. I love being able to go back and look at old character sheets and be reminded of all those adventures from long ago.



MNblockhead said:


> 3. Paper character sheets. Here again, I think I prefer a mixed approach. Manage your character sheet digitally, but print it out your character sheet before each session. I feel having a digital device in front of players at the table detracts from player engagement. Tablets with notifications and alerts shut off okay but I feel that there is something distracting about using a physical device. As a GM, I feel this is a bit hypocritical as I'll generally use a laptop at the table. But as a GM I have no choice but to be constantly engaged during the game. I don't know that I would be 100% comfortable asking players to only use paper character sheets for a 5e game, but I would at least suggest it and discuss it.




No disagreement here. I miss seeing people in person. 


MNblockhead said:


> 4. In person play. This is what I miss the most. Having everyone physically in the same room, sharing food, and hanging out together. Remote play is out of necessity, not preference.


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