What is best for Roll20, pdf, Handouts or both?

Hey there. I intend to publish my first campaign based on my own TTRPG on Roll20, and almost everything is done, except for one thing. I am used to have my scenarios in Google docs, that I can easily turn into sellable pdfs, and not with having it cut into dozens of Handouts*. After I found out about the Drivethru+Roll20 cross-listing, since I ignore what customers prefer on Roll20, I am left wondering : Should I convert my whole scenario into Handouts? Should I publish a bundle of my pdf and Roll20 campaign without Handouts on Drivethru ? (least effort option) Should I publish on Drivethru with both pdf and Roll20 campaign full of Handouts? (greatest effort option) I just don't see the point of having both the scenario in a pdf and in Handouts. Converting it would take time, so I prefer to ask first :) * I do have Handouts for gm and players aids, don't worry. I know how to do them, doing links to docs, etc.

Speaking from the point of view of someone who does a lot of contract conversion work for Roll20, handouts are far more useful within the VTT, since they are faster, more readable and linkable. PDF implementation is pretty bare-bones in the VTT.

What Keith said, and bear in mind a handout can be very, very long. So you could always paste the main module itself in as one massive handout, or a few large handouts, rather than having one handout for every encounter or anything like that. Good luck with your campaign!

Hey and thanks for the responses ! In the meantime, I have realized that we can actually upload pdfs on Roll20, ahd the software has a whole interface dedicated to them, atlough it's a bit garbage like half of the UI they have done so far unfortunately. Having a long document without the ability to quickly navigate through it, unlike in Google doc for example, make the feature useless to me. So I am going for Handouts. At least I feel great satisfaction when all links, pictures and all work :D

I agree with all of the above, However, a Module creator can ALSO provide a PDF to the purchasers (in addition to Handouts or PDF installed inside the VTT) If you have a fancy PDF format, that doesn't necessarily function great in the VTT's PDF viewer, you can still provide the PDF as a Download that comes along with the Roll20 Marketplace module purchase.  There comes a little button on the Marketplace page that says "Download PDF" So you really can offer both.  The advantage of this (for some DM's), the DM might want to sit down and read the PDF on their own PDF viewer app, or maybe on their phone on the side. Meanwhile you also have the benefits of the Handouts integrated into the VTT. Sometimes reading a long module for the 1st time is easier this way, so you don't have to consecutively open/close/open/close dozens of Handouts. And you get the benefits of reading PDF layout (such as sidebars, more graphics, more fonts, and page layouts). 

As someone who runs many adventures here, my personal preference is to have all maps and tokens placed appropriately, markers for locations of all events and traps, and I run with the PDF open on a second screen. The option to pop out the handout would suffice, but I prefer the PDF where I can increase the text size approximately for my bad eyesight. PDF and Handouts is ideal, but I would personally only need the PDF, in addition to the maps and tokens. For me, this was a big drawback to a kickstarter I backed and added on the roll 20 stuff, they literally just did the minimum and included art packs. I won't back Legendary again because of it. Also, the PDF is borderline unusable.

I did not know about the option to set PDFs as downloads. Clearly Roll20 support is not aware of this feature ^^'  And yeah reading PDFs anywhere can be of great convenience, especially if the scenario is long. Reading pages and pages of Handouts in Roll20 can be exhausting I'm pretty sure, given the UTTER GARBAGE UI. But well well, i crunched for 3 days to turn my scenario into Handouts, in both french and english. That was tough, next time I'll sail for english only ! -> Since I already have clean g docs, I can just arrange a few details and make them PDFs so I'll have both, but it would still be extra work :x This is never ending.

I researched and found a great example of the PDF Download that can be included, Since this is a FREE product in the Roll20 Marketplace, you will already have "ownership" of this product, so you should be able to see the DOWNLOAD PDF button, and actually go ahead and click that, so you can see the PDF that is offered from that particular publisher/company: <a href="https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/module/43/make-your-own-luck" rel="nofollow">https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/module/43/make-your-own-luck</a> It's a useful example so you see where &amp; how a PDF download is able to be included in a Roll20 Marketplace product.&nbsp; Just look for the button on that link that says "Download PDF" and the fact it's outside the VTT so you can use any PDF reader of your choice, including the web browser itself.&nbsp; Good luck &amp; best wishes on your publication project&nbsp;

Ty for the example :) It's awesome that the feature exists. The fun part is that there is a message from Roll20 saying that the content cannot be used outside of Roll20, just below the "Download PDF" x'D The more I work &nbsp;overwork myself on roll20, the more garbage I feel like this platform is, at least on the developper side. Now it's there and it works so I am still grateful at the end of the day. Anyhow, thank you people :)