Handouts are cumbersome.

I've seen many closed threads on this topic. All say it is working as intended and I understand that. I was wondering if there could be a button added to "show to all players right now" That way you don't have to add to a journal, then show to players. Also, how do other DMs use this function as is? Because I don't want to give permissions for players to look at all these things before hand, and I don't want to spend time in the middle of a game giving permissions to each handout. Is there something else that can be done?

There is a button on the top right side of the handouts that says "Show to players". It is next to the edit button. When that is clicked, everyone there sees that handout.

Adam H. said: I've seen many closed threads on this topic. All say it is working as intended and I understand that. I was wondering if there could be a button added to "show to all players right now" That way you don't have to add to a journal, then show to players. Also, how do other DMs use this function as is? Because I don't want to give permissions for players to look at all these things before hand, and I don't want to spend time in the middle of a game giving permissions to each handout. Is there something else that can be done? I feel your pain. My process is thus: Make handout, private only to GM. When I want to show it, 1) open Handout 2) click Edit 3) click select All Players from the In Player's Journals drop drop down field 4) Save changes 5) Finally click Show To Players Yes, cumbersome, but I've gotten reasonably fast about it. And yes, a Show All Now button that both pops up the handout and makes it available to all players would be welcome.

Pat S. - The problem is you have to have it enabled for all players in their journals first. Which means they can see it at anytime during a game. So the "Show to players" doesn't show to players unless other steps are taken first.

I've had the same issue: The GM can still click "Show To Players" and then you ask the players, "Hey you see that Handout I just popped up right?" And they're all, "No. What handout?" Show To Players button is available, even when the Handout doesn't have Permissions set for any Players to see it, and if GM clicks Show To Players at this time: It doesn't show it to Players after all. Nothing automatically tells the GM that it's failing to show. The Show button should probably be grey'd out when Permissions aren't set... if not Adam's suggestion of changing the button to "Give All Players Permission To See & Show To Players", AKA "Show NOW" (possibly accompanied by the opposite GM ability: "Close handout and remove All Player permission setting").

Oh, I like the close & remove idea.

How about this for a work around. Have the handout available to all players in the journal, but have it archived. Have it linked to by a GM only journal, so you can access it to show to players without their being able to see it before it is shown to them.

Perhaps this would find a better home in "Suggestions & Ideas " where your suggestions and ideas for how to improve can run and play with the other suggestions?

A number of my handouts are only accessible by certain players, thieves, elves, gnomes, etc. Spells are generally archived and the player who owns it has a link in their spellbook.

Like others have said - archive it! I make the Handout ahead of time, assign it to all players, archive it and make a link with the [insert name of journal Handout here] function. I put that link into one journal Handout that I use for the session (with all other links I think I need). That way I can just hit the link and show it to players and it is right there and it isn't in the journals for them to "peek" at. Also it keeps my journal organized and less cluttered. My players also love to see the pictures of the bad guys - I used to make a link like I mentioned above, but now my players s know they can just hit 'z' to zoom in on the token pictures. I can't remember if they need to have permission for that town to do so.

Great tip blackcloud - however i have ran across one problem with it. I am an organizational freak so I like to arrange my entries in order in which i think the characters will require them. Like this: Why can't i link anything if it has multiple spaces in the handout name. for example i can link [1D. Sanctuary] but i cant link [1D. The Sanctuary]. Is this intended you think? I mean for future reference i will make single word handouts as an easy fix.

Blackcloud said: but now my players s know they can just hit 'z' to zoom in on the token pictures. I can't remember if they need to have permission for that town to do so. Unless something has changed recently a player can only zoom a token he has permissions for. Great workaround otherwise though!

make a link with the [insert name of journal Handout here] function What does this mean? Can I get a step by step?

Make a handout named Handout 1 You can link to that handout from any journal or handout by using [Handout 1] in the text of a bio, gmnotes, etc.