Your set up for combat and encounters

[OGvarus]

So I have been using FG (I am the GM for the group) for ~5-6 months now and becoming more comfortably running my games (5E). I find myself trying to improve session to session with ways to be more efficient during combat/encounters. This would include trying to determine what information I have currently displayed. I have bounced between way too much info on screen causing clutter, to simply not enough. As I refine my "setup" on screen through trial and error and personal preference I thought I would reach out to the community to gather further ideas. I think seeing how others (both GMs and Players) "setup" their screens could be a beneficial topic.

Items I am wondering about: what to you have visible in combat tracker? Do you have have NPC sheets fully up and visible, or just click them when you need them? How much real-estate do you have the map take up on your screen? what options, items, rolls, tables, etc do you have loaded on your quickbar? Overall what does your screen look like when running combat/encounters? What have you found to work well and what have you found to be more of a hindrance?

Also: what have you found to help speed up combat? I am trying to encourage my players to have their targets selected prior to their turn as an example. What do your players/or you as a player have up on screen during combat? do you put all combat rolls in the quickbar or click off your character sheet?

[Granamere]

I have a Omen X 2S laptop with a 43 inch 4K monitor attached. Small 1080 screen is running Discord. Main laptop screen is running Web browser for any google lookups needed and syrinscape. 43 inch is running FG. Left side is combat text. Right side standard ribbon bar. Next to it Combat tracker. Center is maps, share pictures, etc. When running combat I keep Whatever launched the encounter in the bottom right under the combat tracker. Center below map is stat text for the monsters/NPCs.

I have heard of several DMS say they stretch their desktop across 2 monitors.

You might want to take a DM101 and/or DM102 course at fantasygroundscollege.net and talk to them how they have their setup.

[TeddyQ]

I have referred to these for myself and my players:

Rob Twohy - DM ->https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdytShWd0wM&t=35s
- PC -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_BuYiLaNEI
Digital DM - DM -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1Pr2v0f1d4
- DM (Previous version) -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0ne9bDmhSM&t=2s
Stoehovve - PC -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkBTqNYtDuc

Definitely recommend Fantasygroundscollege.net to sign up for classes or the discord channel -> https://discordapp.com/invite/Ew6nYyw It's a great community, very helpful.

[Booker Grimm]

I have the combat tracker open and the map. Most of the shortcuts can be copied to the hotbars.

A great way to speed up combat with multiple NPC enemies is to use the TARGET ALL feature. NPC Init should be set to GROUP. In the OPTIONS make sure TARGET: remove on miss, is set to OFF.

Then say you have 20 goblins, rather than having to roll 20 times to attack the PCs, all you have to do is on your first goblin's turn, click TARGET ENEMY UNITS, then roll the attack and damage and FG will automatically hit/miss and take the damage from those hit. If you have 5 PCs, then use Target All again and repeat 3 more times and that's all 20 attacks and damage done.

With a lot of NPCs you have to move them into position at the start of each initiative, but with practice it gets surprisingly easy and quick to do.
Here's a video explaining what I mean in more detail.



https://www.facebook.com/dan.m.griffiths/videos/10220638183961780/

[Fear Grounds]

Here's a view of my screen while running combat. 37867

Second screen will be running Discord/Zoom/Internet searches.

Players can see effects and health of themselves and their party members in the combat tracker, but not of NPC's. The timer at the bottom of the combat tracker keeps everyone moving pretty fast on their turn, along with reminders for players to think about what they would be doing in the given situation.

Character sheets are all located in the same place, with NPC sheets beneath them. All images open to the same location, with story entries stacked beneath them. I keep the Party sheet and Combat tracker stacked on each other for easy access.

I try to run combat strictly from the combat tracker, but always keep the NPC sheets handy, just in case.

[GavinRuneblade]

My solution might not be as useful because I do 90% of my game ad-lib. So I have the NPC list open and searchable to pull up critters and quickly modify encounters (reinforcements, summoned enemies, etc even after the encounter starts). I usually have several bits of story available so I can have NPCs refer to each other in the dialog during the fight. And I keep some form of note available for tracking what's happening.

I often have one or two PCs open because they always forget how their powers work and it is fastest for both of us to look at once. Also there's inevitably a need to tweak the mechanics on a spell or attack or some one decides to do something insane and I need to create a new ability on the fly right into their character sheet.

I run all combat out of the Combat Tracker. NPCs that I build as NPCs have all their abilities on their card and I open it only when needed. Those NPCs that join the party for extended time, I make as pseudo PCs and have open in a second instance that I Alt-Tab over to. I also make some NPCs as pesudo PCs in that instance so I can add dialog to the chat and have it appear with their face/portrait instead of the GM portrait. It also lets me draw on the battle map using more than one color (having different colors assigned to each pseudo PC).
The downside is their portraits appear up top left where the party portraits are, but that's not the end of the world.

Like Fear Grounds, I have a second monitor with searches running, plus any PDFs I'm using.

[damned]

I use one screen. I have CT and Map open all the time.
I only open NPCs to see tactics and any special info - I definitely dont run the NPC from their sheet - its all from the CT.
Definitely encourage players to target in advance.
If 2 players are set to act one after the other I will often tell them both they can act - this saves time too.

[Mytherus]

I use a 35" monitor for fg next to it is a vertical 27" which discord is on and thats my "anything not in fg" monitor...google searches finding a file on my system etc.

For fg combat tracker is always up on the left side above my chat window . Map is in the middle and always up. Thats also the area i use to bring up art i wish to share with players.

Right is my story window which i keep long and thin as possible to maximize real estate for the map.

Besides that i use hotbars extensively. Session prep entry...any random tables i use (i love my tables btw...a dms godsend) etc. The point here i always put the same type of stuff in the same hot bar. Prep notes always the far right hot bar slot for instance. This all makes me feel efficient.

Hope it helps. Oh yeah and i only open items as i need them like npcs...when im done i close them.

[Bonkon]

Good Day all :)
One thing I use, if I have to bounce back and forth between a couple windows for some reason, right click and minimize. Sets the window to a small token size and stick it across the top of the screen. Basically the same as pulling down to the hot keys, just works better for me for some reason. :)