Playing on the go is easy! Part I: player's tools Playing on the go is easy! Part I: player's tools

As you may have already heard a new edition of the Dungeons and Dragons game system has been published and made a triumph. It is really interesting to explore the worlds with these new 5 edition rules. Surely, a number of Android-based apps have been created to enrich our experience.

I believe that a couple of explanatory words is needed for those who are unaware of what this game system is.

Well, Dungeons and Dragons is a collection of rules and settings where magic things happen. In these worlds you have a chance to feel yourself like a hero on the quest of saving the universe or you can command mystic powers. You begin with making up a character. For this purpose you choose a race (human, elf, dwarf, gnome, etc.), choose a class (cleric, wizard, sorcerer, barbarian, etc.), decide upon the character's name (the most difficult part, really), background and peculiarities, and, finally, fill in the character sheet. When these preparations are done by all the participants, your Game/Dungeon Master begins the game.

Usually, the fights (a pretty common thing in the world of D&D) are visualized with the help of miniatures, in case you play at home or in any other place that has tables available. Also, they can run in minds only with no physical visualization, or with the help of a particular app, if you have a big screen Android-running device.

These games seldom end quickly, in most cases, they continue for many hours, have interesting plot, and allow all participants to test their wit and luck. But, on the go players face certain difficulties: paper character sheet is not convenient to be used, there is no possibility to roll dice, you cannot illustrate a battle with a beautiful terrain and miniatures of warriors. Here applications for smartphones come forward.

I will cover player's tools in this part. There are not many of them to be installed: it is important to have a complete rules reference, a dice roller, a character sheet tracker, a spell encyclopedia, and an animal companions list.

Complete Reference for DnD 5

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This is the fifth D&D edition rules reference application created in a form of a library. Through this reference it is possible to refresh the basic game rules, race and class peculiarities, equipment details, spells, even monster descriptions. It can provide access to more tools, namely DM tools and dice roller, but you will have to buy the full version. Yet, its free version is good enough to serve as a reference for solving doubtful situations when the players forget some rules peculiarities or can't come to a concord upon the action possibility. This 'encyclopedia' provides a pleasant bonus: if you can't find something in the app, you can always try searching the related forum (accessible from within the application) or add the missing content yourself. Thus, Complete Reference for DnD 5 is worth keeping in your app treasure chest.

Fifth Edition Character Sheet

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If you have played the previous D&D editions, you know that character sheet is something very important and drastically difficult to deal with for a newcomer. Fifth Edition Character Sheet makes the process of character creation simpler. First of all, you can choose either to fill all the fields yourself or let the application build your character automatically. You choose the desired race, subrace, class, and background, set ability scores, choose proficiencies and other important character peculiarities that the application leads you through. The very convenient moment with this application is that you have a short info about your race peculiarities at hand all the time. The only drawback is that you will have to buy the premium version when your character reaches the second level. The app allows to level up your character automatically only if you have a premium account, otherwise you have to apply the required changes manually. Nevertheless, Fifth Edition Character Sheet is a must-have for a gamer.

Companions for D&D 5e

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If you choose to play a druid, who can change forms, you will need the list of animals that are accessible to you for the shape change. Companions for D&D 5e provides you with the total list of possible animal companions for rangers, available druid wild shape forms, etc., divided into corresponding categories. Each entry has full information provided, including challenge rating, battle stats, type, size, etc. With this application you can be sure that the form you take is from the allowed list.

D&D 5 Spellbook Cards

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D&D 5 Spellbook Cards is an easy-to-use tool when you need to refresh the details about the spells your character can cast. For example, when you have forgotten what exactly the spell does. The character generator mentioned above provides you with the list of spells, but it works in the form – cast/prepared. While with Spellbook Cards you will know exactly what the spell you are going to cast does. It is one of the earliest appeared apps of this kind. D&D 5 Spellbook Cards is of great help to gamers who prefer casting classes.

Dice Roller

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Not a single game runs without dice. But when you are on the road, spending a couple of hours in a train or bus, you simply have no surface to roll real dice. Dice Roller is a nice solution to the situation. You can choose the type of dice you need, the exact number of dice. The app will automatically sum the result of the roll. With Dice Roller you do not risk loosing your favorite dice.

Having all these applications installed you will always keep your character at hand, being ready to join the game session any time in any place.

If you want to know more about roleplaying, read our article Distance doesn't matter about playing a D&D game when all players are from different towns or even countries.

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