Tabletop Simulator

Tabletop Simulator

439 ratings
D&D Setup [Up to 9 Players]
By Bow Tie Cat
A setup guide with lots of pictures
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TABLE
CUSTOM TOKENS
If you want 3D models, here are some good ones
https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2036797646

If you want custom tokens, here's how to do that

You go to the Objects menu


Click on the Components button

Go to Custom

Go to Figurine

Once it's created, right click on it and select Custom

Paste a link to an image there
MAPS
You can just draw on top of the table if you want. It works pretty well. But if you want to use the grid I use or you want to create your own maps I recommend you do the following
  • Let me first say that this part is kind of a pain. With that out of the way, let's get started

  • The way I like to get maps imported into TTS is to upload them to Discord then copy the link. Any way you can get a link to the image location should work, however

  • I use these maps[drive.google.com] for the table I use. They have been specifically made to account for the size of the table. If you'd like to make your own maps using them, create a new .png file based of either the BaseGrid file or the BaseGridDark file. Put in whatever you'd like underneath the grid, then export it as a .png file. You should not resize the grid or have the image be bigger than the grid because that will throw the sizing off

  • One you have the file you want to bring into TTS in a link format, do the following:

Click on Customize Board button on the table. After you do it will change to Lock Board

Right click on the map on the table itself and select Custom

Select Diffuse/Image, and paste in the link to the image you want to put there. Then click Import








SNAP TO GRID
This is made to work with the grid system and table I set up previously. It likely won't work with other grid systems or tables because it's quite finely adjusted

Go to Options

Go to Grid

Copy the values shown
SAVE YOUR WORK





















You should make folders and stuff as well in order to stay organised. And name stuff well so you know what you need to load when you run the game
YOUR NOTES
  • You'll likely be taking a lot of notes as a DM. I like to use OneNote[www.microsoft.com] because it syncs between all my devices and it's feature rich. Use whatever helps you stay organized though

  • I highly recommend Improved Initiative[www.improved-initiative.com] for running combat because it lets you track monsters, players, automatically roll initiative, and roll for attacks with a single click. It also comes with a bunch of monsters already set up. Improved Initiative deserves a guide of its own:












  • If you want highly detailed NPCs, this is a great generator[www.npcgenerator.com]

  • I also made a quick NPC, Inn, and Town generator[docs.google.com]
HOSTING THE GAME
Very very basic overview











THEORY AND ADVICE
It's hard to run games for large groups of players
When there are large groups, I like to give reasons for them to split up so they form smaller groups which are more manageable. This requires a lot of planning and note taking on your part, as well as requiring more scheduling or fewer games per player. The advantage is smaller group sizes and more flexibility with what adventures your players can go on

Also, I like both Matthew Colville and The Angry GM[theangrygm.com]
Q&A
Q
How do you use a custom image as a map?

A
If you're looking to use a custom image as a map (like a battlemap image you found online, for example), you can follow the same process as you would in the "MAPS" section of the guide, but instead use an image you choose. The table doesn't account for the size of the image, however, so you'll likely end up with a janky looking map if you don't account for the size of the image

To help in that regard, I recommend performing the following steps to create a custom map:

1) Download BaseGrid.png from: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BUmEHEmDMay-1CIEq0twdSzjWjY2enFc

2) Open up BaseGrid.png in the photo editing software of your choice. Photoshop, GIMP, etc

3) Choose an image you want to be the new custom map, and add it underneath the BaseGrid layer in the photo editing program

4) Resize the map, not the grid, so that it matches about how you want it to look in TTS. Don't be afraid to repeat this step and make multiple copies if you don't like the results

5) Save the resulting image as a png

6) Upload the newly created png somewhere you can get the link. Discord is a good way to do so, just send the image, then click on it and select "go to original", which will take you to the file, at which point you can copy the link

7) Now follow the directions in the "MAPS" part of the guide to upload your new map to the table!


If you haven't worked with a photo editing program before, I'd recommend looking up tutorials for using GIMP, as it is free
CONCLUSION
I hope this helped. If you have further questions, you can ask them in the chat below. Just know I don't check my Steam chat too often, so it might take me a while to get back to you
11 Comments
torikusuta 17 May, 2023 @ 6:42am 
This will help a bunch as this is my first time trying to DM online, thanks man!
Kitjune 19 Mar, 2023 @ 7:14am 
Well we already have another vtt, so not going back to TTS for DnD, but thanks for the generators, always good to find generators I didn't know
Agony of Agonies 14 Mar, 2023 @ 12:28pm 
Wish the community was less toxic and ghosty so games could last.
db_voyager 22 Sep, 2022 @ 8:34pm 
Bow Tie Cat  [author] 26 Nov, 2021 @ 7:56pm 
@jacobf329 I put together a quick section on how to use a custom image as a map, which is how I understood your question. It can be found in the new "Q&A" section near the end of this guide

I hope that helps!
jacobf329 26 Nov, 2021 @ 6:34pm 
This is fantastic!
Is there any way to get preloaded dungeons and maps made by other creators?
Dr. von Boogie 11 Nov, 2021 @ 9:28am 
Oh, right on. Thanks!
Bow Tie Cat  [author] 10 Nov, 2021 @ 8:51pm 
@Dank Hill Thanks for the heads-up. It appears to be a known problem with the mod (based on some of the mod's comments). Unfortunately I'm not the owner of the mod, so my recommendation would be to delete the broken parts of the mod and work from there
Dr. von Boogie 9 Nov, 2021 @ 7:25pm 
Nice work, sir. A lot of the image links are broken for me in the mod though.
KieranIsMe 1 Jul, 2021 @ 12:59pm 
Nice job man:murica: