I would like to suggest a relatively simple addition to the Roll20 GM toolbar: a Shared Notes / Persistent Text Panel . The idea is very straightforward. Add a tool to the GM toolbar on the left-hand side of the VTT. Clicking it would open a resizable text box or panel that can be positioned anywhere on the tabletop. The GM could enter text into it, and that text would remain visible to all players for as long as the GM keeps the panel open. It would essentially be a persistent, on-screen reminder board for the current scene or encounter. Why would this be useful? There are plenty of situations where the GM needs to keep information visible to the players without repeatedly putting it into chat. For example: Combat status effects Bloodied Dazed until end of X's next turn Ongoing 5 damage +2 AC until... Concentrating on... Environmental effects Encounter reminders "The room is difficult terrain." "Anyone entering the zone takes 10 fire damage." "The ritual completes in 3 rounds." "The bridge collapses at the end of the round." Quest / scenario information Current objective NPC names Important clues Things the players have discovered A countdown A list of things the party needs to remember GM-created reminders "Don't forget the second phase." "Alyx has learned Fighter's Daily." "The door requires three keys." "Remember: the statue moves when nobody is looking." The important distinction is that this would not be another chat window, handout, journal entry, or character sheet. It would be information deliberately kept on the tabletop. Suggested functionality The initial version could be extremely simple: A button on the GM toolbar. Clicking it creates a text panel. The panel is resizable. The panel can be moved around the tabletop. The GM can edit the text. Players can see the text but cannot edit it. The GM can hide/show the panel. Multiple panels could potentially be created. The panel persists when changing scenes/pages, if desired, or could optionally be page-specific. A few basic formatting options would also be useful, such as bold text, bullet points, and perhaps a simple heading. Why not just use chat or handouts? Because neither is particularly well suited to persistent tabletop information . Chat is transient. Important information quickly scrolls away. Handouts require players to open another interface, and the information is no longer immediately visible while playing. A GM can certainly put text on the map itself, but that becomes part of the game board and can interfere with the actual play space. A floating panel would occupy the middle ground: Visible when needed, persistent, editable, and completely separate from the map. It would also be particularly useful for games with complicated conditions or custom mechanics. Systems such as D&D 4e can involve a large number of temporary effects that are easy for everyone to forget. It would be considerably easier to manage than relying on memory or scrolling through chat. Keep it simple I don't think this needs to become another elaborate Roll20 subsystem. In fact, its usefulness comes from its simplicity. A GM should be able to click one button, type: CURRENT ENCOUNTER The chamber is filled with poisonous smoke. End of round: everyone takes 5 poison damage. Ritual completes in 3 rounds. ...and have that information immediately appear on everyone's screen. It could even be implemented initially as nothing more than a shared, movable, resizable text box . Given how much functionality Roll20 already provides, this seems like a relatively small quality-of-life feature that could have applications across virtually every game system. I am honestly a little surprised that something like this isn't already available as a basic GM tool.
