Check out Aizendore's Vault of Tragic Treasure on Kickstarter! bit.ly/TragicTreasure Worldbuilder's Notebook in PDF: bit.ly/WorldbuilderPDF Worldbuilder's Notebook in Print: bit.ly/WorldbuilderPrint Field Notes GM Journal: bit.ly/FieldNotesGM
Great reviews - here are my notes. Field Notes The problem with the hex maps is that the grid is points up and not flats up. This is what happens when non-gamers get into product areas without decent research. All of the forms in these books make too many assumptions about what info you want to record and where in the book and on the page it should be recorded. I agree this may be a great option for an inexperienced DM. The binding is cheap and will suffer the sorts of things all staple bound books suffer from - rusty staples, torn pages etc. The 62 page count is inadequate and could have used a section of bulk blank pages for 16 bucks. Wordbuilder's Notebook Loved the contents pages and the page edge indexing option. They got the hex maps right! I like the dot grids, but even though there were some isometric line grids, I agree that some isometric dot grids are required. However, Love that the majoprity of pages *are* dot grids which can be used for impromptu mapping and writing. Very flexible usage! The reference material included in the back was nice, but I would have preferred more blank pages or more isometric pages. In a typical game session I use between 2 and 4 pages in a notebook. The Worldbuilder's Notebook has 192 pages, the same count as the regular lined pages only notebooks I use with a lay-flat binding, but the 20 dollar price tag is twice what I pay. Definitely needs a lay flat binding and this was the no-go feature for me. I wouldn't use either of these options.
What I'd love to have is a sort of document that just outlines the sorts of things that would be useful to have in a DM notebook, that I could then put in a cheap book myself. Acting as a sort of guide for new DMs, who wouldn't necessarily think to include this or that. Maybe formatted as a pdf, so if I wanted to, I could also print copies of specific pages and collect them in a folder or three-ring binder instead.
This. I bought a moleskine 3 years ago to use for d&d notes and ideas and stuff. There's not a single line in it, I use cheap school notebooks because I feel pressured to not mess up when writing on something expensive.
Yeah. The world builder books are cool, but I much prefer something that will lay flat... I got one to see what it is like, but I don't end up using it. Also A4 maps are so much easier...
It's not so much my style or workflow, but I think the Worldbuilder's is supposed to be something you carry around wherever you go so that you can brainstorm or sketch any time the mood strikes. Not so much about strictly planning a campaign but journaling one.
I really hate that most of these things are designed with 5e in mind. Its probably one of the reasons why I have never bought any of them. The world builder's book looks helpful though.
Thanks for the shout out, Questing Beast. The Penny Dragon Games Kickstarter is flying. We really appreciate the help. Also, great notebook review, been looking out for a new DM book recently :)
I’m personally a binder guy. I like being able to remove map if needed. Can also add whatever type of paper need for a specific page(ie dot grid, iso grid, hex).
Honestly they both look usefull in ways that compliment each other very much and I would choose to use both. One is better for planning and one is better on the go
Hey Questing Beast! For your next interview episode you should try get Sandy Peterson on! He's here on RU-vid and I reckon he'd be delighted to come on as he doesnt have a very large following on his channel. And I'm sure you would be interested in talking to the creator of Call of Cthulhu, also he has been playing D&D since it came out and is massively knowledgeable about RPGs
The Worldbuilders Notebook is lush...i was just about to treat myself but stopped the payment as shipping a hard copy to the UK adds up to $48! Anyway I can buy the PDF to get printed here in sunny Wales?
I think I like the world builders book best. But they both have thier uses. I seriously like the concentration of the world builders on map making As opposed to the people playing and npc you encounter. Coming up with npcs is less of a problem than getting the maps and ecology right when I create a campaign world. Thank you for the review.
You draw in black ink, so that they’re differentiated. Then you can just select the cyan color range in Photoshop and erase them with a click once you scanned it.
Cool man, thanks for all you do! I'm going to get the Field Notes version, Lord knows I need a little direction in my life. I also like that it lays flatter.
Thanks for the review! I've been looking at books like this and I've always been curious about their contents :) - very useful video with some great insights and comparisons!
When something reaches the point of being to trendy, As a DM I am not going spend even more on over priced notebook's. Side note I do have higher end stationery supplies it's how I already know the price, it's also how I know there are better deals on notebook's.
Super timely review! I was just shopping and considering each of these. I think I'm going to go with the PDF of the World Builder's option to personalize the amount/type of pages I use and then staple binding method to make it easier to use at the table.
I always love the look of these DM notebooks when I see them but I scribble so many notes that I know I'd blow through them too quickly and blow all my money on stacks of them haha. That Kickstarter looks cool, I backed it yesterday!
