If you have ever made an adventure for a roleplaying game, much less a campaign, then you know how much time and energy goes into building one. Here are some tools for roleplaying that we have used over the years for both online roleplaying and in-person roleplaying.
Tools for creating a tabletop RPG campaign
- Map-making software
Maps are great for getting a visual idea of what the area and world look like. It helps create a much more immersive feeling for all involved. There are many options to go with so I have listed a paid option if you want a much more in-depth option and a free option. Here are two map-making tools for roleplaying.
I find Inkarnate to be a great option as it’s free to use and it’s simple. It is incredibly easy to use, though it does require an internet connection and is browser-based. The complexity is less than dedicated software, yet for me and my group, it produces more than sufficiently detailed maps.
Profantasy– campaign cartographer software
I own this software and I’ll say it is incredibly amazing at just how much detail and complexity you can get from it. The add-ons available are amazing, though the price after the first 3 or so makes it more than most people will ever need. If you are someone that loves making maps then I suggest this over any other option.
- Virtual tabletop-Roll20
If you are having a hard time finding a group locally then I think you’ll really like using roll20. It has a virtual tabletop that you can use to place “miniatures”, called tokens, place traps, spells effects, etc.
The native token count for Roll20 is sufficient enough to be able to play most games, especially fantasy-based games, as DnD 5e is by far their most popular game. Finding a group on the platform is incredibly easy, as is creating your own game and seeking other players.
There are other options you can use that are similar to Roll20 but many of them are pay-to-use and I haven’t seen any that are worth a payment (especially after having a lot of games and content on Roll20 after 8 years of gaming).
Something to note though is that I find online gaming to be a bit of a different game style. In general, it seems to be a little bit slower-paced. There is also a large number of people that have no loyalty to their group meaning that some players will act out in ways they never would in person. When it’s as easy as logging in and out of voice chat you will find some people can be really childish.
So don’t beat yourself up if someone drops from your game mid-session, in fact, thank them for showing their true character. The players that do show up and keep playing are to be cherished and can really lead to some good conversations and possibly friendships.
Note these specific tools for roleplaying(virtual tabletops) are becoming even more popular. Look for other options if it doesn’t suit your group or game.
- Roll tables
Many RPGs have roll tables throughout them that allow you to determine things via a random roll. Making your own up can be a great time saver for things like creating a story, what kind of NPCs are in a town, whos out in the wilderness, etc. Virtual tabletops often have the ability to turn those paper roll tables into a one or two-click macro.
For example with Roll20, I have about two dozen macros (a macro is just a button that pulls from multiple tables) that help me with a number of different situations. Most of my macros I use for planning adventures, and depending on what kind of campaign I am working on will determine which macros I use.
If you don’t have a virtual tabletop then no big deal. You can use a spreadsheet or notepad to make up your own. Some roll tables me and our group have made are dimension builder, planet roller, precious metal tables, and artificial intelligence research table, just to name some.
- Generators
You can find so many generators online that fill a similar role as the roll tables but are not as personalized. That being said if you are playing pathfinder or DnD 5e then you’ll get more targeted use as many are designed with those games in mind. These tools for roleplaying I use most when building a new game.
This and donjon are by far my favorite sites to use. This one, in particular, has an incredible number of generators for all kinds of things. I use it mostly for name generators of all kinds (race names, business names, demons, etc)
This site has an extremely simple map generator but depending on the game you are playing that may be more than sufficient. I used it in a game where I just needed a randomly created city and then I just added a bunch of little squares and rectangles to indicate the make-up of a large shanty town on one of the lower depths of Phase World’s Center city.
This is much the same as the others though it has a really interesting user interface. Reminds me of using the software.
plot-generator.org.uk
This generator is more tailored to writing stories though if you are struggling to come up with a campaign idea this can help spark an idea, or be used directly. You could also use this tool for roleplaying in the character creation process for backstory.
- Artwork
When you are playing online one of the coolest things to do is use artwork to express your character and their gear. The following tools for roleplaying are a great place to start for images.
You can get a ton of images from here for free. This site and pexels are used more for business-building purposes like social media channels, youtube, etc. I listed them simply because there are so many images to choose from you may find what you want.
When looking for fantasy-based images to use this is my go-to #1 source. There are so many awesome artists that post here it’s insane almost.
As stated with pixabay, lots of free videos, use as you want.
Extra in-person tools for roleplaying
If you’ve ever been a GM then you’ve experienced a player forgetting their books, dice, or pencils. In addition, there’s always the case where a new player shows up and doesn’t have anything. Having extra sets of the following can be really handy for other players or the GM in general.
- Dice
It’s pretty hard to play an RPG without dice. Some GMs may allow you to use virtual dice in a phone app but I much prefer physical dice. That being said when you are buying dice know that the cheapest dice are those with rounded corners. If you get high-quality dice, they will have very sharp corners and usually cost considerably more than other dice. I have a set and I notice the difference in their roles a lot.
For one high-quality dice do not take forever to stop rolling. When I drop one of mine it rolls over a handful of times at most, whereas those dice you buy in bulk with rounded edges seem to roll on and on. Get yourself some really cool laser-etched dice, you’ll love them.
- Dice surface tools for roleplaying
Dice mat
It’s nice to have a dedicated area to roll dice. Often times I see myself trying to roll dice on top of a book and this doesn’t work very well. If the GM can’t see it, or it rolls onto the floor this can be a hassle.
Dice mats can be handy to place somewhere on your table easily accessible for as many players as possible to roll on.
Dice tower
Another option that is even more fun is a 3d printed dice tower. It looks like an old castle tower with a gate-enclosed area where the dice come out and can be read. Get a white color plastic and you can then paint it whatever you want.
- Notepad
Having a writing pad is a really good way to track how your game is going and be able to get back on track fast next session. I find that if I don’t at least make a summary of a game I forget a lot of what’s happening. Using Roll20 I often just make a game session summary on the bio page(in fact I use the bio page for everything now on Roll20 rather than scattering stuff in the character sheet).
- Mechanical pencils and erasers
Having a dedicated eraser with your mechanical pencils is so helpful when roleplaying! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to erase stuff only to need to find another pencil because the eraser was gone.
Speaking of pencils, get a lot.. like a pack of them in your backpack or roleplaying folder because someone else will forget theirs at some point. Don’t use a pen, the number of times you need to rewrite, erase, checkmark this or that, then redo or start over makes pens terrible.
- Miniatures
When you are playing in person there is nothing more fun than having a tabletop set up to show where the players are and what’s going on. This can be a great way to bring players more into the game. The downside is that it is time-consuming to create and costly initially. The amount you put into miniatures is up to you, 3 types of miniatures exist metal, plastic, and paper.
Metal
Metal miniatures are extremely rare to use in a game. I have only seen them a handful of times, usually, they were special prints for some event or limited time. They are really cool and probably the most detailed types of miniatures you can get. They are definitely the most expensive, but the heft of them makes them feel really cool to move around on a board.
Plastic
These are really standard and have come a long way. Initially, most people had to buy wizards of the coast mystery packs and hope they got what they wanted or trade them (much like people do with magic the gathering). Other companies came out with their own lines of plastic miniatures.
I myself was really excited when Reaper miniatures came out and got one of their initial Bones packages, complete with a Draco lich (huge size, takes up an entire dinner plate). They came without any paint on them so it took some time to make mine look good. Though you can now get them pre-painted for a reasonable price as well.
Paper
I’ve just recently found out about this option but there seem to be some good-looking miniatures if you have a printer and ink. You can go to Printableheroes to get a look at a bunch of options. They are really just as simple as cut, glue, and go.
- Notecards
Every game I’ve ever played has required some amount of note-taking. Many times there have been times when the GM would want to send me a message or vice versa. Having notecards for these situations is super nice. You can erase them easily, have a dedicated card sitting there for the GM to write on if needed, or just use it to take notes for the game session.
- Initiative cards
I’ve never used these though I can see how they would be useful on occasion. In some games, there are players that tend to get distracted and lose track of what’s going on that these would be great for. Also if you are in an extended combat situation then it would be nice to know where you left off in case of a break or session end.
GM tools for roleplaying
- GM screen
Some game masters swear by these but I personally have never used one, I’ve never seen the need to. Some DM’s use it to keep all their rolls secret, which may help, depending on your group.
Learn more about whats difficult about game mastering here
- NPC list
If you are running a game it’s a good idea to have a list of the most commonly encountered NPC types your characters will run into, like guards, animals, monsters, etc.
In addition having a list of random civilians like bartenders, bums, and other random individuals can be very helpful. Characters inevitably turn random events into long-drawn-out witch hunts so to speak. They turn the smallest action, statement, or clue into the next big bad guy (if they have a habit of this, let them follow that rabbit and on occasion make the mundane bar wench into an imposing succubus death bringer).
Lastly, having your major players or big NPCs written out with their affiliated major henchmen can help you tremendously. It may help simply in knowing who answers to who, but also gives you their personality and dispositions(how they are most likely to respond) in the event they are needed. Plus having a character sheet for them gives you a place to write notes down on things they do, what their henchmen have done, or what players did unknowingly to them.
- Adventure list
Similar to having a list of NPCs it is helpful to put together a list of possible adventures the characters can get into at any given time. These are not random ones but specific to the direction your game is supposed to go. Sometimes players do things that are unexpected and just them way farther into the plot. I think this is great for the characters as it’s a way for them to perhaps get ahead of the bad guys.
- Random encounter list and reactions
Random encounters and random adventures are also nice to have on hand when characters happen to randomly talk to an NPC or go off on a tangent. Random encounters I find best to use as a complication to the characters moving forward with the main plot line It can be a great way to totally throw players off the scent when you introduce some random tidbit here and there.
- Music
Using music appropriately can really add a great feel to a game. I find music to be very distracting when I’m doing something else though so I don’t personally use it very often. Most of the time I just use sound effects rather than full-blown music. Rain and thunder in the background make for a much different trudge through the wilderness than just saying it’s raining, particularly if you have a good sound system and turn it up really loud to give an idea of how hard it is to hear anything.
Every group has its own unique gaming style so the tools for roleplaying you use may not require music. In fact, many groups I’ve played with didn’t use it. It seems more popular for videos than most regular folk.
- Books
Ah books, without them we wouldn’t be roleplaying. These are indisputably the most important aspect of roleplaying for DMs and players alike. The more you have access to the more options you have, the more of the setting story you can play with, and the more fun you can have. You may consider these a requirement more than tools for roleplaying but that’s fine.
There are two books that are required to play: the player’s handbook, and the dungeon master’s guide. Some RPGs only have a main or core rulebook and not both though like Rifts, Earthdawn, Magitech, and many other less known games.
Conclusion
There are a lot of things you can use when roleplaying. Any tabletop RPG requires at a minimum books, dice, and something to write on. The time required to make a campaign is rather intense and the above tools help players and DMs alike. Whether you want to build a single adventure or many, having some of the above options will improve your game sessions.
Further, improve your game session by checking our philosophy here and using it to remove problems from your games.