DM Toolkit: DM's Familiar

Something else that I have been using in almost all my campaign sessions for the last four years is DM's Familiar. It's software which helps DM's manage combats, organize adventure materials, and reference rules.

The reference library is fantastic. I can almost always look up a spell, skill, feat, or rule faster than someone using a rulebook. The software comes with the 3.5 versions of the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual. There's a DM's Familiar Unofficial Fan Site on Yahoo! Groups where members have posted content from dozens of other supplements and adventures.

The combat board is also a great time saver. It can track initiative, ongoing spell effects, make attack and damage rolls for creatures, make skill rolls or saving throws, etc. I am currently having my players manage initiative and spell effects with index cards, but I use all the other functions. My players are convinced that the computer cheats.

There's a tree that allows DM's to organize adventures, grouping rooms within adventures, monsters and traps within rooms, etc. Then everything under a particular node can be moved to the combat board with a single drag and drop. This allows DM's to locate relevant materials before a session rather than during.

The main drawback of DM's Familiar is that you need a computer on hand to use it. Occasionally my laptop has been an obstacle between the players and I, but now it is sitting comfortably off to the side.

The best thing about DM's Familiar is that the evaluation copy is free, and purchasing it is only $30, about the price of a single sourcebook. As such I highly recommend this software to other DM's.

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