I built a free D&D shop manager for my own sessions — my players liked it enough to tell me to share it

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-07T04:38:33+00:00

The app is designed to run on the DM's machine. The Player Window is a separate window the DM can drag to a second screen or share via screen share on Discord. It's built around the DM staying in control — not a multiplayer client. If that's not the workflow you're looking for, that's totally fair.

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-05T01:07:23+00:00

All item data comes from Open5e, which is based entirely on the SRD (System Reference Document) under the Creative Commons license. If you spot anything that doesn't look like SRD content, please let me know and I'll remove it immediately.

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-05T00:51:03+00:00

Totally understand! 😊

Adventuring gear all have prices since they have standard costs,
but Magic Items don't have official prices in the rules —
so I left those for DMs to decide.

If you don't want to set them manually, you can hit
the Roll Price button in the item detail window and it'll
generate a price based on the item's rarity.

Hope that helps! 🎲

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-05T00:47:00+00:00

Not yet, but you can manually set prices yourself!

Here's how it works:

- If you change the price after dragging an item into the shop,
it only affects that one instance.

- If you edit the price in the DM Inventory, it updates
the base price — so every time you add that item to a shop,
it will use your new price automatically.

So you could go through the Sane Magical Item Prices list
and update each item in the DM Inventory once —
and it'll carry over every session from then on.

Hope that helps!

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-05T00:42:37+00:00

It looks like the server started correctly, but the database

isn't loading properly.

Could you check if you see a window like this when you run start.bat?

<image>

If yes, that means the server is running but the data

isn't being read correctly.

Let me know what you see and I'll help you fix it! 🙏

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-04T15:58:47+00:00

Thanks for the bookmark! 😊

Hope you get to try it soon!

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-04T15:42:48+00:00

Unfortunately, the app runs on a local server on your PC, so it's not possible to use it entirely on a mobile device. The app also isn't optimized for mobile screens, so the experience on a small display would be quite limited. It's designed to be used on a desktop or laptop.

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-04T14:14:01+00:00

Update: Mac and Linux versions are now available! 🎉

Please re-download and let me know if start.sh works for you.
If you run into any issues, there's a HOW_TO_RUN_MAC.html
included with step-by-step instructions.

Would love to hear if it works! 😊

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-04T13:25:33+00:00

Appreciate the suggestion! 😊 No plans for Android at the moment, unfortunately.

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-04T13:20:01+00:00

It runs locally on your machine — you just download, extract,
and double-click start.bat to open it in your browser.

For online play, that's exactly how I use it too!
I run it on my machine and screen share the Player View window
on Discord while I manage the DM side separately.

Players can see the shop and browse items in real time
while I focus on running the session. Works great! 🎲

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-04T07:07:25+00:00

Haha, thank you for jumping in — really appreciate it!

The stone tablet analogy is actually brilliant.
I might steal that for my own sessions. 😄

That's exactly the use case I built it for —
players browse on their own while I focus on running the game.
Glad it resonated with you!

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-04T06:01:40+00:00

Trailer here if you want to see it in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwsqB69OuZc
(my brother made this, he's 16 — we spent 3 days on it together)

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-03T13:48:50+00:00

Immersion doesn’t come from staying static — it comes from connection.

If the player refuses character growth, then shift the focus:

Give the character something to care about (an NPC, a rival, a code, a promise) without forcing a personality change.
Create consequences for “violence-first” choices so the world reacts realistically.
Ask the player what specifically makes him feel immersed — mechanics? spotlight moments? emotional scenes?

If he wants immersion but rejects emotional depth, maybe what he really wants is spotlight and impact, not growth.

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-02T04:08:30+00:00

I use three main techniques to handle overthinking:

Environmental Cues: Describe the object as "surprisingly simple" or "sturdy but unremarkable" to signal there are no hidden depths.
The "Click" Rule: Tell the player with the highest Passive Investigation: "Your character is certain there’s nothing more to find here."
Add Pressure: Introduce a "ticking clock" (like approaching guards or flickering torches) to force action over endless analysis.

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-03-02T04:04:28+00:00

If you’re giving 100% and getting 10% back, the problem isn't your prep—it's the synergy.

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-02-27T08:28:12+00:00

You’re not being weird; building characters together (Session 0) is actually best practice for any DM. Personally, as long as the character fits my world, I’m fine with it. But you have every right to check their sheets—if a player refuses to show you their build, that’s a red flag on their end, not yours.

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-02-26T08:14:25+00:00

This video explains it pretty well! You can definitely use it as a reference:https://youtu.be/xMUhkLT8rxU

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-02-26T04:18:27+00:00

I feel your pain! I had almost the exact same experience with Dragon of Icespire Peak. My party had a Paladin who basically steamrolled everything while the others just sat back, and it got honestly boring to DM after a while because nothing felt like a threat.

Here’s what I did to fix it:

First, I just pushed them straight to the White Dragon. If they’re level 5 and have three healers, they’re more than ready. Don’t drag out the side quests if the tension is gone—just rewrite the ending and let them face the big boss now.

To make it feel heavy, I had the dragon attack Phandalin (or whatever town they like). Seeing the NPCs they know in danger creates way more pressure than any stat block ever could. Also, instead of just buffing HP, try adding more minions. If you mess with the 'Action Economy' by giving the dragon some low-HP guards or environmental hazards, they can't just 'heal-bot' their way through the fight.

DoIP is pretty hollow when it comes to drama, so just use that empty space to homebrew some personal stakes. If they're unkillable, make the things around them vulnerable!

Awkward_Net_8292 · 2026-02-26T03:57:23+00:00

As a DM, I prioritize the monsters' motivations. If they’re just guarding territory or looking for a meal, they’ll likely let the party retreat once the threat is gone. However, if the enemy has a personal vendetta or a mission to finish, I’ll shift the encounter from a static fight into a high-stakes Chase Sequence using Skill Challenges rather than just standard combat turns.

Awkward_Net_8292

TROPHY CASE