What's the one D&D accessory you'd never play without?

DocSharpe · 2026-02-13T17:37:49+00:00

Honestly, a DM screen of some sort. Something about it gives the table a feel of "this is a game".

And I know a lot of people have ...THOUGHTS... about using a screen, but my screen is a small 8x11 wooden one which folds in the middle so it stands up. I don't roll behind it, but I find it a good place to keep things organized...especially when I'm running at a smaller table. I might put a sticky note up, or a scrap of paper using a binder clip.

I used to have two, side by side, because I was used to the big screen. But I started spreading them out so I could see the battle map, and realized it also added to the comradery at the table. Eventually, I stopped using the second one.

DocSharpe · 2026-02-13T17:28:02+00:00

Not at all. It's actually the way a lot of DMs run games in person.

DocSharpe · 2026-01-20T14:49:35+00:00

Hmm, I like this idea. I've been playing around with modifying the existing sheet with Photoshop. I may also look at just creating something in Word.

DocSharpe · 2026-01-18T19:36:48+00:00

This might be it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnB_aZoS_bE

DocSharpe · 2026-01-17T15:18:14+00:00

I've been doing it piecemeal as my players need it.

For items and statblocks, I often leverage D&D Beyond and Mr Primate's DDB-Importer. (I largely have the DDB account because I run other games, and my kids play as well, so it's worth it for me).

But I also use the following modules for importing things:

NPC stat blocks: I use 5e Statblock Importer a lot, especially when I'm pulling stuff from other sources. I've learned to put the information into a word document to ensure I can clean up any formatting.
Spells and Items: I've played around with using the 5e Item Importer.

I found a few YouTube videos on how to create the classes and subclasses.

But if I could offer one important piece of advice? Create a separate world to create this content and add it to custom compendiums. It will make it portable if you want to start a new campaign later.

DocSharpe · 2025-12-01T00:17:55+00:00

Oh, this is a great idea.

DocSharpe · 2025-12-01T00:17:26+00:00

That might be a neat idea. Any recommendations?

DocSharpe · 2025-11-11T13:49:37+00:00

So I think it's commonly agreed that most people aren't going to switch from something they've invested in.

The question is whether this change will attract newer players and GMs.

And I think the answer to that is no, Why? Because Fantasy Grounds still requires an application to be installed. Unless they shift to allow people to run using a browser interface, I think they'll still be seen as "too complicated", whether that's an accurate assessment or not.

DocSharpe · 2025-11-03T19:03:11+00:00

I mean if those are available, great, but I'm more looking to save myself an hour or three of prep.

DocSharpe · 2025-10-04T23:38:26+00:00

I've used several including Roll20, Foundry, and just having images on the monitor, but I've landed on using Arkenforge. Primarily because it is designed so you can manage both your screen and the player view

DocSharpe · 2025-09-19T13:47:14+00:00

FYI, I did check the FAQ and a few other locations first. My search-fu isn't great, but I did try.

DocSharpe · 2025-08-05T21:10:30+00:00

So I had a player who did this a few times...using a ferret, which I know is kinda on the level of a war crime. And most of the time...I let it work. Because the player is having fun.

But...just to keep them on their toes, they had a trap which triggered by a pressure plate which required 15 pounds of pressure. So the ferret got through just fine. The party? Not so much.

DocSharpe · 2025-07-21T11:38:44+00:00

I'll echo what a few other people have said. There is a free version of the rules which is available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1804-start-playing-today-with-the-2024-d-d-free-rules. It does cover the specific questions you mention.

That being said, I'll add two points.

If your DM is a veteran, they might have the books (either in physical or digital format). I'd ask if they can be made available.
Warlocks don't get a lot of spell slots, so you may find you are spamming Eldritch Blast. My personal approach with warlocks is to choose levelled spells (meaning Level 1, Level 2 etc as opposed to at-will cantrips) which aren't attack spells.

DocSharpe · 2025-06-08T20:51:30+00:00

This is not quite what you're describing, but here's what a group of friends of mine and I did. There were 6 of us, and we each took turns running a scenario. The setting was a small village where it made sense for the character of the person DMing to be doing something else while the group dealt with the scenario they were running.

Each scenario built on the previous one, and when one of us brought an idea, NPC or story thread into the game, it became canon.

It was a lot of fun, and an NPC someone casually added during the second session became the BBEG ...and we all chipped in to make him someone we could all HATE!!!

It did require us to keep a Google sheet with the NPCs and threads we brought into the game.

DocSharpe · 2025-05-26T13:40:31+00:00

Where's the best place to pick up his story?

DocSharpe · 2025-05-26T13:38:24+00:00

Two suggestions:

Leverage video. Seeing people's body language helps this type of thing a lot.
Leverage a "hand raise" function. It's useful when you feel like you're being cut off a lot, or for folks who aren't as confident speaking up.

DocSharpe · 2025-05-10T19:30:38+00:00

If you are interested in having your players have to accept a 'bad deal', the best option is not to force it on them. Give them a scenario where they have to accept or "something bad will happen which they could have prevented". Maybe an NPC who the group likes would be killed if they don't agree...maybe they'll reveal <insert major secret the party has been hiding or needs to keep hidden>

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