I've experimented with a few, but generally not found anything with features that justify the time-sink of learning the new tool AND the almost inevitably headache down the line when the niche product is no longer supported and all the proprietary data is suddenly inaccessible.
This is at least partly because so much campaign-design stuff is based around prepping linear plots and... I just don't do that. The tools aren't built for node-based design, hexcrawls, etc.
Even the dungeon stuff doesn't feature easy support for stuff like adversary rosters, so I'm usually trying to figure out how to squeeze my square-shaped prep into their round-shaped software tool.
thealexandrian.net/wordpress/3854…
thealexandrian.net/wordpress/3854…
Realm Works seemed really promising. But they never delivered promised features and ended up with mandated cloud subscriptions, so that ended up being the Kickstarter I regret the most (except for those that were straight-up scams).
So I generally just use Word files and rigorous directory structures to organize the material.
For example, my ETERNAL LIES directory includes:
- Separate files labeled 1.0, 1.1., 2.0, etc. for each macro-node location. (e.g. "1.1 New York")
For example, my ETERNAL LIES directory includes:
- Separate files labeled 1.0, 1.1., 2.0, etc. for each macro-node location. (e.g. "1.1 New York")
- Matching directories that include all the props for that node.
- A "Work" file for collecting various notes and the like.
- A "Work" file for collecting various notes and the like.
DRAGON HEIST used a similar structure:
- 1.0, 4.2, 5.3, etc. files for each node.
- Directory for props. (Not as many props, so they're all in one directory.)
- Directory for characters.
- Directory for Campaign Status sheets.
- 1.0, 4.2, 5.3, etc. files for each node.
- Directory for props. (Not as many props, so they're all in one directory.)
- Directory for characters.
- Directory for Campaign Status sheets.
My PTOLUS campaign is probably the most complicated/elaborate campaign I've run to date.
For example, it has an ADVENTURES directory which has sub-directories for:
- Act I
- Act II
- Backdrops
- Interludes
- Subplots
For example, it has an ADVENTURES directory which has sub-directories for:
- Act I
- Act II
- Backdrops
- Interludes
- Subplots
The Act II directory, for example, has 50 different files, each a separate node. These are coded to BW (Banewarrens, e.g. BW01, BW02, BW03), CC (Chaos Cults), and NOD (Night of Dissolution).
It also has separate sub-directories for Images, Maps, and Work.
It also has separate sub-directories for Images, Maps, and Work.
In addition to Adventures, there are directories for:
- Campaign Journal
- Campaign Status
- Chaos Lorebooks
- Characters
- DM Reference [for the City]
- Misc [mostly old files for running it through the old ScreenMonkey virtual tabletop]
- Player Pack [background handouts]
- Campaign Journal
- Campaign Status
- Chaos Lorebooks
- Characters
- DM Reference [for the City]
- Misc [mostly old files for running it through the old ScreenMonkey virtual tabletop]
- Player Pack [background handouts]
- Ptolus Audio [session recordings]
- Side Campaign - The Church Delvers [spin-off campaign featuring a different set of players/PCs]
- Side Campaign - Thralls [another spin-off]
- Work
- Side Campaign - The Church Delvers [spin-off campaign featuring a different set of players/PCs]
- Side Campaign - Thralls [another spin-off]
- Work
These are supplemented with index files like ADVENTURE TRACK (which lists all of the various node files, shows how they're organized, and includes relevation lists for the macro-nodes).
