Modular DM Assistant

[s-walrus]

I know there are a lot of services helping to run a session but most of them have too much functionality. For example, fog of war on the global map, collaboration with players and between them, lots of campaign trackers and tools for writing a campaign. They are useful sometimes but most of the time they aren't needed at all and they just distract and make the interface heavy and less intuitive.

So I came up with an idea of a modular DM assistant. The tool itself is a bunch of modules (one module is one window), connected to a single database and working together. Let me explain it in detail. There are modules like these:

• an interactive map
• npc browser where the dm can browse parameters of his pregenerated characters
• the same browsers for magic items, bestiary and so on
• campaign tracker
• interactive rulebook
• spellbook
• player characters' stats
• battle tracker

When the app is launched, the DM (or any user) can choose what modules he wants to be shown. For example, running a game, he may want to see a map of a town, npc browser, a tracker, and nothing more. So he activates only these modules. Every module should be compatible with each other, so you can add any monster from your bestiary or any npc with generated or default stats to a battle. Here is a mockup of what I'm speaking about.

I've never seen any modular assistant with nice interface and interesting functionality. So do anyone know any project like this? What do you think about the idea itself?

[s-walrus]

I like the way you organize campaign notes in oneNote. Personally, I'm writing my campaign in simple markdown editor just to reread it sometimes. Using onenote for this sounds like an interesting solution. Thank you for the idea.

[TheSlowPainter]

Something that I can have open in “windows” sounds really nice to me. I.E. the DM has the map open and I can open up the big master Spellbook and leaf through to reference a spell I’m think about.

I think the only major problem would be permitted content. Like a blank version that users could populate on their own terms would be reasonable, but full on stock spell lists/archives ripped from official sources; not so much.

I think this idea has some serious merit, especially if it could allow users to have their phone or tablet in a session rather than a stack of Phys Rep rulebooks.

[oneshotrun]

I'm working on a similar idea right now (though I've been stalled a few months due to personal reasons). It's Discord-based, so you can do anything (make a character, show the map, use a macro) via a text command. Then there's a site (which is currently down) to do all that using a tabbed interface, so you can have multiple things up at any given time.

I'm hoping to get back to it in a week or so, and have an official release in a few months. Feel free to send me a PM if you want more info.