Module prep questions from an DM new to Roll20

Hey all,

So I've recently started prepping Curse of Strahd for my players, using the CoS hardcover book (of which I've already read through).  My question is regarding the amount of prep that others have done (not just for Strahd):  My initial idea was to create DM-only handouts for each area described in the book, so that I could click and read the details right off the screen (both to players as well as the DM only content), but that has turned out to be an excessive amount of work.  For those of you that have experience prepping modules, have you done this?  Or do you use the book for reference during play?

Specifically to CoS, I'm wondering what other DMs have done in relation to battle maps.  Have you uploaded all of the maps?  Or have you used the "theater of the mind"

Thanks in advance guys.  I'm just curious as to what has worked for other DMs.  I don't want to go overboard on the prep.

Hi Azarin,

I haven't DM'd a 5e adventure, but I am currently running a group of friends through Paizo's Iron Gods AP for pathfinder.

Azarin said:
Hey all,

So I've recently started prepping Curse of Strahd for my players, using the CoS hardcover book (of which I've already read through). My question is regarding the amount of prep that others have done (not just for Strahd): My initial idea was to create DM-only handouts for each area described in the book, so that I could click and read the details right off the screen (both to players as well as the DM only content), but that has turned out to be an excessive amount of work. For those of you that have experience prepping modules, have you done this? Or do you use the book for reference during play?

I have the books/PDFs for things that inevitably crop up that I didn't prepare for, but I try to put everything in Roll20. I actually don't make handouts for all the rooms and locales though. I make a character for each location that I need notes for and then make a token action macro for various info that I need. I use handouts pretty much exclusively for rules/equipment info and information I will eventually want to make available to the players for their free perusal. I'll have a description macro that will send a description of the room to the players as well as gm whisper me hidden information (like traps, secret doors, etc). I then use a totally transparent token with an aura activated on it so that I can see it on the token layer. I can then easily click the token and output the data that I need. It's a lot of setup, but it makes play a lot smoother. I also do something similar to this for all of my monsters.

Specifically to CoS, I'm wondering what other DMs have done in relation to battle maps. Have you uploaded all of the maps? Or have you used the "theater of the mind"

Again, not for CoS, but I uploaded all the battle maps for the section of the AP that we're currently in. This part depends on the type of game you want to run though. Personally I like having battle maps as it helps me keep track of what everyone is doing.

Example of the location token with token actions as well as the output for this location (there wasn't anything hidden for this area):
The image in the description is a gif to give some action feeling to the scene that is being described. Those NPC token actions are global macros that I made to easily output the indicated info to me for any npc. All I have to do is fill out the NPC's sheet and then I can use these macros to easily access their attacks, special abilities and notes on them.

I run mostly pathfinder society scenarios
i always use a printed copy to run from

in roll20 i add
Battlemaps
location map handouts
NPC & item picture handouts
handouts for things like mission briefings, and long lists of treasure etc
pictures that assist theatre of the mind encounters
basic character sheets & macros for all combats  (copy & pasted stat block, macros for init, melee, ranges & saves)
music or sound effects to build immersion

all the rest i do as we go alaong

Mine is DIY, so its either everything or everything...
I would lean towards:
Handouts for module summaries
Tokens for room by room info
prebuilt spell drops (I.e. Fireball spell as a character so you can drop it on the map)
Likely common reference stuff for the setting/scene.