Our most sophisticated tool when I first began playing D&D in 1987 was a photocopier. Character sheets, graph paper maps, and smudged pencil notes that barely made it through spilled soda and oily snacks were all in the binders we carried. Index cards were used to track initiative. A typewriter was used to type the handouts. Asking someone who wasn't drinking that night what went wrong was your best bet if you missed a session.
The situation has evolved. However, not in the manner that people think.
I haven't made the transition to fully virtual tabletop systems. Even if I run my Greyhawk campaign on Roll20, some still use actual dice to roll. We still play in person, or as close as possible, and many of our maps are created by hand.
However, technology has subtly crept into our sessions in ways that are hard to overlook. And truthfully? It has improved the game.
Memory, Meet Machine: Recording and Summarizing Sessions with Fathom
Fathom.video, a platform that was initially created for business meetings but is now used to record and summarize our online D&D sessions, is one of the most helpful tools we've recently embraced.
It produces precise, searchable summaries of all events. A player only needs to go over the highlights if they miss a session; they don't require a half-hour recap. What happens if someone forgets a name, the reason behind an NPC, or the actual meaning of that mysterious note? The summary contains all of it.
Memory is no longer our only option. We have an objective record of the game thanks to it. That's crucial in a campaign that lasts a long time. The telling of the story is being preserved, not replaced.
Shared documents and cloud notes
The days of searching for the "one notebook" that contained the timeline or party inventory are long gone. We now keep track of campaign history, session notes, and character backgrounds using shared Google Docs. A living journal is kept by one player. A spellbook file is kept up to date by another. My direct message notes are organized into folders and connected to tabs for towns, NPCs, rumors, and previous occurrences.
Players remain involved in between sessions because of the accessibility. When the session concludes, the campaign need not end.
How Memes, Messaging, and Chat Turned Into Game Tools
We communicate in a Telegram group chat. Initially used as a scheduling tool, it soon became a feature of the game. In-character meme sharing, strategy discussions, and even in-world arguments are all done by players.
That area developed into a sort of channel for "downtime roleplay". Occasionally, in between sessions, on the spur of the moment, without dice, the best lines and character development occur.
Technology Enhances Imagination, Not Replaces It
What I love is that these tools don't take over the game. They are in favor of it.
If given the time I continue to hand-draw my dungeon maps. I don't make use of animated tokens or dynamic lighting anymore. However, I would be happy to have a digital archive of the players' wild theories or a searchable transcript of that intense interrogation scene.
Making D&D into a video game is not the goal. Because they won't have to waste mental energy recalling what happened three weeks ago, players will be able to immerse themselves more fully in the world. They are aware of what took place. It is recorded. They can now play.
Looking Ahead
I'm curious about what will happen next as the game keeps changing, but I'm also cautious. Our sessions have already become more focused and accessible thanks to these tools, and I can already see the allure of additional technology encroaching on the edges.
It's OK to use AI to create NPC portraits that instantly correspond with given descriptions. Or, to cut down on preparation time, write a few impromptu treasure hoards, town gossip, or tavern menus. Or, turn a description into an image for those who have trouble imagining them.
The problem is that none of that takes the place of what really counts.
At the table, or virtual table, between people, the true magic takes place. When a player befriends the villain or destroys the town you spent hours creating, there are unexpected turns that no algorithm can foresee. The intensity of a tense silence before a dice roll cannot be captured in a transcript.
I will therefore continue to experiment. When technology can assist, I'll let it. However, the essence of the game remains secure as long as the story is shared and the laughter is genuine.
Tell me in the comments what technological aids you use in your games.
