OldSchoolDM comments on Innovation in RPG Delivery

@sean – Referring only to the D&D Beyond application was a bit unfair. The app is clearly underpowered (and, by your exclusion of the Website version, you clearly know this.)

The reason it’s unfair, is that the Web Site is available on your mobile devices (assuming you have internet access wherever your device is.)

For example, the website has MOUSE OVER monster statblocks in room descriptions – you don’t even have to CLICK! And the search function is to die for – when compared to searching PDFs – it searches ALL my resources.

There are many styles of prep and play, and some tools are better for this or that. Perhaps a useful outcome of the podcast would be a features-wish-list?

Speaking of wish-lists, I was hoping that you’d speculate about something other than the “low hanging fruit” like “what clicking does”. Instead thinking more about how the entire experience changes with new technologies.

For a brainstorming example – how can we leverage the fact that everyone the the “table” (together or remote) has a smart device? Could we do initiative management with that (warning that your turn is coming up, and to be prepared with your action – maybe even choosing it in advance?) What about sound effects for my Character managed by ME, the player. Etc.?

If we’re going to talk about Innovation, LETS INNOVATE! Let’s move beyond making bookmark following easier for the DM.

Ahzad aka Terry comments on Innovations in RPG Delivery

The Fantasy Grounds modules do indeed cover some of the ground you were talking about. Each of the maps DM or player maps. The DM maps are labeled the player maps are not. Anyway each of those maps have little push pins on them that if you click on the pin it pulls up the room description and encounter info. You can read the boxed text or click on the word balloon to have it auto generated in the chat window. You can click on the Encounter pin in that room description to pull up the encounter information in a separate window, and in that window you can click on a down arrow to auto generate the npcs into the combat tracker. I’ll toss up some examples for you from the Lost Mine of Phandelver.

Idahogamer aka Mike weighed in a bit on creativity mentioned in Innovation of RPG’s

For @sean and @Fafhrd I liked this episode because you brought up a lot of my questions. I really like the comments on creativity. I once read a book called “Creativity Inc.” By Ed Catmull he is the Co-founder of Pixar animation studios. He goes into a lot of how being creative can help your business and solve problems. Don’t quote me on this but I think he speaks about having a D&D night for some of the employees and found this to help them open up with the creative thinking process. Enough of my ramblings great episode like always, keep up the good work I have to go wash my hands now because the CDC says I need too.

Mike

Sean’s Mask Game by Eric Salzwedel

Sean – I think I can empathize with your players as I recently experienced what I think they are going through during a Monster of The Week Game. First off – I am not one for investigative / puzzle games. I don’t mind a mystery here and there but if it takes more than three steps to solve I get impatient and want to move on. I’ll try to keep the back story short; during our Monster of The Week game we encountered a ghost that needed busting. We determined it was weak to light (really bright light) and the catch was it only came out at night. So we came up with a plan and rigged up a bunch of flood lights to our Van (ruh-oh) and when she appeared we blasted her with the lights. Hooray! We wo….oh wait she snapped her fingers and boom…no more electronics…no more lights. The hedge wizard helping us was then killed and we got our butts kicked. At this point I got frustrated because I thought well damn that was our plan and it didn’t work. I didn’t think we had any alternatives and was ready to pack up the van and let this little Midwest village deal with their ghost on their own. It was pointed out we could use a magical light source by one of the other players. In my head this wasn’t an option as none of us were magic types. I tossed a mild temper tantrum about the fact we don’t have access to such a thing! The GM kindly pointed out that my character, The Fixer, would know who such a device could be purchased from. In my head this was not an option as I didn’t think my character knew those types of people. I was more locked onto your basic criminal underworld and it wasn’t until the GM gave me perspective on the world and what my options were that I a path to a potential solution.

So what am I trying to say – maybe your character just need a nudge. If they are stuck maybe they don’t understand all the resources they have available to them, what options there are, or maybe they forgot a key clue. I think we are often hard on players (me included when I GM) that they don’t see the OBVIOUS signs.

FYI we busted the ghost the next session.

Eric Salzwedel