What do I need to play 5e?

[LordEntrails]

Thanks all of you, you've been useful.

Edit: I didn't find in the initial post an insight about modules composed by a Players module and by another module (usually a DM module).

For example: Volo's Guide to Monsters is divided into a DM only module and a Player's module (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store...p?id=WOTC5EVGM)
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide likewise is divided into a Campaign Guide module and a Player's Guide module.

As DM, what is suggested to load? Both or just the DM module? What is the purpose of such two modules? If I load both, I will find duplicates in items, npc, etc? (I find annoying the duplicates in the FG list)

As the DM, just load the DM/full/complete module 99% of the time. It will already (99%*) have everything the player module has and so you don't need it. It is there so that you can share it with your players so they can have access to things like races and classes for character creation.

*The only module that has a players module and DM module that does not contain all the player content is the Unearthed Arcana module.

[Galdor]

As the DM, just load the DM/full/complete module 99% of the time. It will already (99%*) have everything the player module has and so you don't need it. It is there so that you can share it with your players so they can have access to things like races and classes for character creation.

*The only module that has a players module and DM module that does not contain all the player content is the Unearthed Arcana module.

If I understood correctly, the DM module contains everything the player module has and therefore as DM:
- I don't need to load the player module
- I may share with the players what they eventually need from DM module

So I renew my previous question: what is the purpose of the Player module?! It looks useless (for a DM, at least)..

[LordEntrails]

Player modules are for players. They are not designed to be used or needed by GMs.

By having a player module, it allows all the content a player would need to be shared with players in one action. Otherwise the DM would have to share each class, race, and feature of those races and classes individually.

[Galdor]

Everything is more clear now, thank you!

Is there a way to highlight all such information, which I guess are very useful for newbies?

[LordEntrails]

Everything is more clear now, thank you!

Is there a way to highlight all such information, which I guess are very useful for newbies?

Glad you got what you needed for now.

It's tough to say what new people need. We get a lot of different types of questions from different people. There is the User Manual which is a good basis, but after that it really seems different people need different info. SmiteWorks has tried putting the help links from the website menu and that has lots of info too.

I use the Site Search tool from the menu a lot. But if you can't find what you need, just ask. Also think about taking a class at FG College. All free and very friendly folks.

[TeddyQ]

My understanding of the DM vs Player version of a module is to allow you to easily access or share only the relevant portion to the module needed. So you could allow your players access to the Player relevant portion of a module without giving them access to the entire module's information. For instance giving them access to additional backgrounds while preventing them from seeing stats for monsters.

[Bartivardi]

Hi! I suspect I know the answer, but just want to confirm: Is there a reason to by a physical copy of a module if I already have it in FG? Specifically, I'm wondering whether it makes sense to purchase Curse of Strahd if I have it in FG.

What I'm really wondering is if the analog version has more information/backstory/whatever than is present in the FG version, or if the content is effectively identical.

[Zacchaeus]

Hi! I suspect I know the answer, but just want to confirm: Is there a reason to by a physical copy of a module if I already have it in FG? Specifically, I'm wondering whether it makes sense to purchase Curse of Strahd if I have it in FG.

What I'm really wondering is if the analog version has more information/backstory/whatever than is present in the FG version, or if the content is effectively identical.

Hi Bartivardi, welcome to FG.

The Fantasy Grounds modules are replica's of what is in the physical books. So every word and image, that is in the physical book is in the FG module. I addition of course the FG module contains all the monsters, tokens, artwork for monsters, magic items, artwork for magic items, rollable tables, maps all ready to play with pins for story entries, pre-placed encounters and a good deal more. SO, in short unless you need to the book to play in a face to face game the FG module is more than sufficient.

[Bartivardi]

That's what I thought. Thanks!

[damned]

I still (re)buy some books in dead tree format but mostly these days just to support my local games store.
There isnt enough room on my book shelves for many more game books and the reality is - I play online waaaaaaaaaaaay more than I do in person.