Realmworks on two screens. Player Mode on one and DM mode on the other.

[MNBlockHead]

With Over 24 hours of using RW at the table under my belt now, I feel it is most valuable at the table to:

(1) Act as a digital adventure module. I've now replaced all printed adventure-module material at the table except for a few player handouts, where having a paper document actually adds to the game.

(2) Revealing maps. Basically, instead of having the players have to try an graph out dungeons, etc., I reveal them on the screen as they go through them.

(3) Looking up certain mechanics. I'm playing DnD 5th, and I haven't tried to put the entire core rules set into RW. Instead, I have my DM screen with quick references, the rule books for more obscure situations or to settle an rules dispute, and RW for things that too much text to want as part of my DM screen, but which I use enough that I don't want to have to go to the rule book (e.g. chase rules, encounter and treasure tables, price lists, etc.) I also put all house rules, including rules taken from ENWORLD'S EN5IDER articles or WoTC's Unearthed Arcana articles into RW.

Things I tried to use RW for but didn't work out as well as I would have hoped.

(1) Battlemap. I knew when I bought RW that it was not a VTT and I never intended to use it as one, but when I read about some of the cools setups others have shared, I briefly flirted with the idea. But I never tried it at the table. For me, it is injecting too much tech into the game. I didn't seem like it would save me too much time, as I would still have to acquire or make and prepare battlemaps. Since RW wasn't made to do this, you have to use some kludges to get it to work, whereas software specifically designed to be digital battlemaps do a much better job—but that more software to deal with at the table.

Instead, I reveal the map on a plasma screen as the players explore an area. For battles, I try to mix it up. Sometimes I just use a wet-erase vinyl battlemap. Other times I use "2d" gridless, modular dungeon tiles using DM Scotty's method (search YouTube) which I can use to approximate an area where a battle takes place on the map. Occasionally, I'll print out a battlemap or create a 3D paper model.

(2) Sharing NPC or monster images, I did this a few times, but feel that it detracts from the game. Even if you have everything loaded up, it still takes a few seconds of clicking to reveal the image. I think it detracts from the DM's and player's imagination. The only time that sharing images on a screen using RW adds to the game, in my opinion, is when you are showing an important symbol, clue, or puzzle.