Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 TheBigBZ Oct 04, 2014 13:12:06	Hi guys,    I'm back to DMing after 20 years and my group and I are really loving 5e!  We're two episodes into HotDQ and I'm looking for ways to improve my DMing if I can.  I'm just wondering how other DMs keep track of combat and if anybody have any tips?  I'm just using ad hoc pencil and paper and while it works fine I'm sure there's better ways out there...   Cheers!
#2 iserith Oct 04, 2014 13:14:24	I run all my games, even in-person ones, through Roll20.net. Hit points, initiative, dice macros, handouts, maps, the works. In the "Stuff I've Created" links in my signature, you can see some screenshots of what it looks like. It's free and is browser-based (google it up).
#3 miles2912 Oct 04, 2014 14:41:54	Pencil and paper.  Quick and easy.  The less tech in my games the better.
#4 Ansbach Oct 05, 2014 10:40:46	For face-to-face games, I like index cards stacked in initiative order with their AC, hit points and other basic stats listed on their card.
#5 Moirdryd2 Oct 04, 2014 17:51:01	Likewise pencil and paper. List in order of initiative.
#6 Kentus Oct 04, 2014 17:59:16	List of initative handed out to a player and another one takes care of designating effects on the miniatures we're using, so I don't need to care about it anymore.   Players handles their own effects/buffs/etc. themselves. Even the ones they designated to their foes, if they're on turn basis.   So that leave me with tracking mainly hit points and effects unknown to the players.   I personally realized that designing more tasks to the players let them stay more focused and it really eases combats on the DM-side, so they run quicker and smoothier.
#7 DM_HEEGZ Oct 04, 2014 19:19:31	I have three of the pathfinder flip mat grids. I have two for use in the middle of the table for players, and the third I keep open behind my DM screen. i keep all of my dice, pens, minis etc behind the screen and on the mat. I use dry erase markers to track initiative and creature HP. sometimes i also jot down the stealth rolls and any changes to AC, conditions etc. when  a new combat comes up, i just wipe it clean and rewrite. by the way, i also roll HP for monsters, and this is a very fast way to track it all. If there are six kobolds, on my mat i write down:   "K1 - 9 HP K2 - 4 HP K3 - 6 HP stealth 17 K4 - 9 HP K5 - 2 HP no shield K6 - 7 HP"   And so on. it makes things very fast to use one mat for players and the other for me as DM. being able to write notes on the playing surface is just super handy. you could also have your players track their PC's hp on the edge of their mat region, and then transfer the final value to their character sheet to save on erasing. Same with conditions. i haven't started using folded index cards for initiative tracking yet, but i plan to do so soon. also, if you dont have a spare gaming mat, you can pick up a small dry erase board at walmart or someplace similar. good luck!
#8 Nevvur Oct 04, 2014 21:48:12	TheBigBZ wrote:
#9 paulstrait Oct 04, 2014 22:16:24	I run my games (whether remote or in person) in Maptool, a free open-source virtual tabletop.  It tracks everything you could possibly need, to the point that my players do not need character sheets except for as a reference in between sessions.
#10 AaronOfBarbaria Oct 05, 2014 3:51:43	I use the older version of this wonderful product, and some wet erase pens.   The new one I link there has all the same parts, but it seems like it includes a bit more style and better use of space, plus more magnets for PCs and stuff, I think mine only came with 8 blue, 8 black, and 4 green.
#11 Angry_Steak Oct 05, 2014 6:04:50	I use a cheap white board I picked up from Office max with dry erase markers. Similar to a previous person, I use K1-6 and other notes/grouping to keep everything organized.
#12 Bremner Oct 05, 2014 8:59:14	I have llaminated a A5 sheet of paper to make notes on.
(Reply to #12) TheBigBZ	Hi guys,   Thanks for all the replies!  Those are all good ideas - I'm not that techie so I'm more looking for a organised Pen and Paper method rather than me just scrawling Hit points everywhere...   I've done a bit of googling and have found loads of 4e pre made sheets but none for 5e.  I suppose I could make one up myself....
#14 intently Oct 07, 2014 9:35:27	TheBigBZ wrote:
#15 Keen_Man Oct 07, 2014 11:17:52	step one take a bunch of index cards and cut them exactly in half. this makes them fit perfectly in card protector sleaves   Step two have each player write thir name, Character name and dex score on the cards in pen.   Step three do the same for 8 or so "monster cards" that are just numbered 1 - 8    step four sleave the cards and hand them out whenever initiative is needed. after they all pencil their current initiative on the cards and hand them back you just organise the cards in order of initiative. As each player and creatures turns end their card slips to the bottom of the stack.   Card tricks   if a player is delaying or leaving initiative turn their card sideways.   if a player is down and dying turn his card upside down.    if a player provides a character photo I toss it in photoshop and bang out a slip card for them to have in their initiative sleve     with this system you can also say things like "The door slams open and.. " then toss their initiative cards out on the table
#16 Theros Oct 07, 2014 11:05:54	I get my players to write out the initiative and buff spells. It gives them something to do while I place my mini’s and draw out the battlefield on a large sheet of grid paper I picked up at Staples. Having the players write down the order and spells also tends to speed things up a little since it gives them a visible reference. I also allow them to draw damage dealt and suspected AC of the enemy’s on the battle paper. It keeps everyone focused and helps their party tacticals. For enemy HP I use pen and paper behind my DM screen in my own short hand. I throw any random treasure they collect there as well because sometimes I’ll forget where that “blue potion that tastes likes pennies” I made up on the fly came from and will need to go back and reference it.
#17 abs1nth Oct 18, 2014 14:07:55	As I once again have a laptop available for DMing I decided to use an OpenOffice Calc document (MS Office Excel should work just as well) for iniative and HP tracking.   It has a colum for name, iniative, health points and status effects. After I have written down everything I sort in descending order for iniative and voilà! Now all you need to do is update the HP or write down relevant status effects. If the monster hits 0 delete the row. I might add a column for AC as well. Should work beautifully. I considered Roll20 but decided against it as I saw myself getting too occupied with looking at my screen and fiddling with stuff which I don't want. Roll20 seems overkill to me for running a local game.   I looked for a program but couldn't find one that really only did those two things: HP and iniative.
#18 sleypy Oct 18, 2014 15:12:31	I have a sheet of plexiglass that I lay over my maps. I right the initiative order on the glass and use tally marks at the end of each turn.