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GMs looking to explore the world of Strixhaven online can use the tools provided on Roll20 to successfully run a campaign. While managing an online campaign that could span from one to ten levels of progression can seem daunting to new GMs, using online tools can make GMing very accessible. Setting up and running a Strixhaven campaign online using Roll20, can be a quick process. Roll20 is one example of an online virtual tabletop platform used for Dungeons & Dragons.
6 Create A New Game On Roll20
GMs using Roll20 to manage their Strixhaven campaigns will start by creating a new game. Once they navigate to the Create New Game section, or select the Strixhaven module in their marketplace items, and select create a new game.
They will be taken to a new page where they can name their campaign anything they want. Using the Strixhaven module will automatically select the D&D 5E character optional character sheet to use for players. While Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos comes with four add-ons, it is highly recommended that GMs only drag in one at a time, as information may be overwritten.
5 Advanced Set-Up
Creating a new campaign is a quick process, however, GMs will also want to take a look at the game settings options before bringing in their players. This section has additional options such as allowing players to import their own characters and the game settings.
A useful options GMs will want to enable is sharing their compendium with the players. This allows players to manually add new feats and spells introduced in the module to their character sheet in real-time.
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This also helps alleviate some of the work the GM would usually have to do so that they can continue to run the campaign and reward players uninterrupted. This also allows players who may not have purchased the module and compendium, to share with the GM (up to five players).
GMs can also choose to incorporate other compendiums beyond the SRD Players Handbook options, such as Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything and The Wild Beyond The Witchlight.
4 Learning The Material
Like most Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, there is a lot of prep work when running a module. The most important of which is taking time before jumping behind the screen and learning the core mechanics.
GMs running online campaigns can browse through all of the Strixhaven material inside the game once they set it up. They can also browse through the compendium separately, however, this will not show everything available in the add ons.
Important information for running the campaign can be found in the journal section. Strixhaven operates using a milestone system for advancement, which means defeating monsters will not be the only thing that will allow players to gain experience.
Relationships also play a key point in progressing throughout the game, especially in the later parts of the module. The online version of the game provides a tracking sheet that GMs can give to their players, allowing them to track their relationship standings with different NPCs. The tracking sheet also includes spaces for each year’s report cards, jobs, and extracurricular activities.
3 Running The Campus Kerfuffle Add-on
Since Strixhaven is designed to be treated as a level one through ten campaign, GMs will want to begin by becoming familiar with the first add-on to the module. The Campus Kerfuffle adventure spans over the entire first in-game year (levels 1 through 4). However, GMs can use this adventure as a standalone adventure as well.
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Choosing a college between Lorehold, Prismari, Quandrix, Silverquill, and Witherbloom is an important aspect of Strixhaven. Players will not choose a college until they complete this section. However, GMs will still have everything they need to craft an exciting campus life.
2 Using Maps
Maps are an important part of any Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Maps help GMs and players relay information and strategize during combat encounters. In Strixhaven there are plenty of large buildings to explore, which means there are plenty of maps to use.
Running an in-person campaign would require GMs to print out and maintain a copy of all maps used in the module. Roll20 allows GMs to copy and paste any map provided in the module onto their and the players’ screens.
Players are also given agency to move their character tokens around on their own, without worrying about knocking other players’ and NPCs’ tokens over. In addition, several built-in tools allow both the players and GM to check distances without moving their tokens, as well as manage hit points.
1 Assembling The Party
While setting up a module online may be easy, often one of the most difficult aspects of running any campaign is gathering players. Scheduling conflicts are the most common ways campaigns get abandoned.
Managing players’ schedules and multiple sessions full of NPCs and various encounters is a lot for new and veteran GMs to handle. Running a campaign online using various tools can help alleviate some of that burden.
GMs who decide to run their campaign using Roll20 can choose to invite players they know through emails. If GMs want to run a campaign but are not able to convince people they immediately know, they can also create a listing for their campaign using the “looking for players” options.
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