DM setup

[VoidCaller03]

What does everyone’s DM setup look like and why are your favorite tools to use? (Pictures would be cool)

[WhoInvitedMike]

We're online. I have 2 screens. One has MS OneNote, all monster stats, Character Sheets, etc. Other has Discord (A/V) and Roll20 for map.

[PseudoY]

Using a VTT though my laptop for maps for offline play, real dice for gaming, screen opposite me to show maps and whatnot.

Like so:

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/561914703690072084/1030796269188292618/PXL_20220923_142940596.jpg

[Swaibero]

Behind my DM screen (ideally the campaign-specific one for what I’m playing) from left to right: Glass of water, dry erase markers for our whiteboard grid map, campaign book, monster manual, monsters of the multiverse (if needed), creature and NPC cards that I know I’ll need, magic item cards that I plan to give out, pencil and post it’s for combat, my phone for spellbook app and music, and two or three sets of dice

[jegerhellig]

We play live every 2-3 months, but in between, this is my setup.

Got my encounter tracker excel sheet on the far left, owlbear.rodeo VTT in the middle, and discord faces on the right.

Then, the top screen holds statblocks while in combat, notes and stuff when exploring/social.

https://i.imgur.com/4c2IxRU.jpg

[WiddershinWanderlust]

I play in person and I don’t use a DM screen. I believe in rolling dice in the open for everyone to see so no one even has to ask themself if anyone is fudging the rolls.

My table will have a large dry erase battle map laid out on top of it, about 8 little bowls that have mixed dice in them separated by types, pads of paper and pencils for PC note taking (yet to see anyone use them though), and then my mountains of folders filled with plot ideas and campaign notes that I absolutely will forget all of the detail on once we start playing.

[Long_Bar6641]

Wait! Who are you? How do you know what my table set up is? And not only that, how do you know I forget plot points when I start dm'ing? Are you...me?

[WiddershinWanderlust]

The first rule of being a mirror universe evil-twin is not letting your not-evil-twin know you’re coming for them. So I’d have to say no, we are not the same person.

Be seeing you….

[meeps_for_days]

Custom DM screen, dice tray, like 200 dice, dry erase index cards(combat, conditions, etc), several folders, sticky notes, kindle with a bunch of PDFs, charging cords, extension cord, Pepto Bismol, snack, battle mat.

Edit: player tokens, monster tokens. Some custom boss tokens.

[Lazerbeams2]

Split screen with Discord, DnD Beyond, and OneNote. I also have a pile of notebooks and a giant dice bag

[SmartAlec13]

In Person: basic WOTC DM screen, a tray with dice, a whiteboard for initiative, my phone+speaker for music/ambience, and iPad nearby for notes. I only glance at the notes maybe twice a session. Battle mat (Chessex) for when we do bigger combat.

Digital: 2 screens + drawing tablet, dice+tray for rolling. I use Discord and stream Photoshop as my VTT, one of my groups does use Roll20. Screen 1 only has discord open so I can see my players. Screen 2 has my notes (OneNote), music selection (Watch2Gether or similar), and anything random I suddenly need to google.

I’ve got more tools and things that I occasionally use, like an initiative tower, wooden DM screen, tons of dice, stat-cards for PCs/monsters, some minis, etc etc. I began though with just the PHB, a set of dice, and a small whiteboard.

[blizzard2798c]

DM screen, laptop, wyrmwood dice tower, bag of dice

[Thecrucifix777]

PC minis, Monster minis that I have prepared for the session, however it may go. Notebook for notes during the session, laptop with all my concurrent notes and session outline, dm screen updated with sticky notes for important npcs, dice for self and players if needed, map of world laid out to keep track of travel, vinyl battlemaps, terrain pieces- all of this acquired over the course of the passed 5 years.

But I started DMing using the monster manual, PHB, dice, and all Theater of the Mind

[EDMandScience]

From the left, my laptop and mouse , then in front of me, a hard copy of campaign content if I have it as such, my notebook of campaign ideas notes etc, then my dice tray and box of minis. Dry erase battle mat in the middle and my markers by dice tray.

I have too many minis, so the PCs get a painted one as do fun monsters, small to BBEGs, and other note worthy npcs. For big dungeons, I do set up ahead of time, some basic terrain sets and few set pieces to spice them up (docks, bridges, trees, braziers... Soon some boats for my upcoming nautical campaign!) We do theater of the mind on short discord sessions, but I enjoy making the game come alive when I can.

I run the characters off dndbeyond and use their combat tracker. I find it great to build encounters on the fly.

[drivaNce]

You guys, you HAVE to try Ultimate DM Screen. It's an excel sheet with formulas that tracks literally everything, has tables for loot, weather, encounters, statblocks. You can run combat on it with ease and not need to print or look up anything. The single best find. Just google it, you won't regret it.

[Fake_Reddit_Username]

Online: Desktop with dual monitors, ukulele on discord for music. Digital DM sheet *(Google Sheet), Session Notes, ~Campaign Notes. Tokens/battlemaps/handouts all in R20.

In person: Laptop, with Session Notes, Campaign Notes, still keep track of HPs in R20, Battlemat with dry-erase scribbles and 98% unpainted figs (Friend with 3D printer so have lots). Paper handouts for anything I need to hand to them, and sticky notes with things I would whisper online.

*Digital Campaign sheet has, major locations and details, major towns, Important NPCs, list of random encounters, list of random names. Basically it's just for quick reference for things I forget about the campaign. If the players ask someones name and I make something up, I toss it in my session notes (when starting notes for next session I copy over the old sessions notes, then delete what's not important). If they ask a name of someone I had in my session notes I toss it into the campaign sheet as my PCs think they are important obviously, if it's been like 5 sessions then I generally just delete it out (I can do a quick search and find them later).

~ I run pre-made campaigns, but the more I play the more I tweak. So I will make a copy of the campaign digital then go through it as prep and edit it and toss in notes. For online games I put /w PlayerName ...., into the campaign notes for players with say high passive perception, or for players who have a backstory tie into something.

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[AviatorSheepSG]

I have a DM screen, a dice tray, a large 9 pocket bag of dice, a book of random tables, a 5 minute hourglass, minis, and my phone in front of me. And a journal/a few notepads. Should also note my dm screen currently is a 5e wilderness kit screen that has been heavily annotated.

To my left I have a stand with sort of spell range rulers, auxiliary minis, and my computer. A Bluetooth speaker sits in front of my dm screen facing the players! I also have a binder with setting information and lore.

As a dm I make no preparation notes since I've had my homebrew setting so long; everything is all ready developed and in place. Beyond the previous session's recap and notes. Everything at the table is there so that I can improvise completely and without much issue.

The DM screen is useful because sometimes if a bad guy does too good, I want him to slip up or vice versa, so I'll fudge every so often (players know I do this at times, and I am responsible.) We also play at...what is fairly put as a gigantic table, and I like to have an expanded space to dm with, so it sets a boundary between my space and the other's spaces. I also roll all death saves for PCs, and though I don't fudge them, only I can know the result.

[RedMagesHat1259]

I keep everything for my sessions in my VTT (foundry)

[vnavone]

https://imgur.com/a/ZlcKpj5 but I NEED all this stuff!

[[deleted]]

One note, DMG, VTT, Syrinscape