How do you handle sourcebooks, adventures and modules?

[Diezel]

Hi all,

I've been DM'ing in FGU for a few years now and love parts of the software as it makes my life easier and at the same time there are things that I dislike.
I came from Roll20 so I have a Monsters manual and a Players Handbook there, I also have them and the DM guide in hardcopies at home. In FGU I have them all and I have few other modules and adventures, but I really really hate reading anything of FGU, it's even easier to log into R20 just to check rules or things in PHB than using FGU.
The fonts, themes are just not done for any type of long time reading, at least in my case, and it's a hassle to stay at the computer to read as well instead of laptop, tablet etc.

So the question is, how do other DM's do it? Do you really read ex. Rime of the Frostmaiden from FGU or do you double or even triple buy everything? My homebrew campaigns on the otherhand work better with FGU as they are built up elsewhere but I still need to have FGU running to get into Mordenkainens, Volo's and so on.

Tips, tricks and ways you make FGU work for you are very welcome

[Griogre]

The last few years I have only bought reference books and manuals for Fantasy Grounds since I don't really run any face to face games any more. That loosely corresponds with me using the reference manuals more. I do think the reference manuals of books and adventures in FG have improved quite a bit, however that does mean you have to be in front of a computer screen to read the material.

For large 3rd party adventures, I do often get a PDF of the adventure that I can put on my Kindle just to read and don't get a physical copy at all.

[Diezel]

I don't run any face to face anymore either, to be fair I got back into DnD when covid hit. Started playing with my kids and then put together a group of friends I play with. I haven't found any of the WOTC material in any store as PDF, if I could find that I would rather have them in PDF than hardcopies.
I get the using as reference but I really enjoy reading a campaign or larger module before I start using it. Some of the books just have amazing artwork as well that can be used as inspiration.

[LordEntrails]

I read things via FG. I use /scaleui typically around 175. Sometimes I will load a font/theme extension to make reading easier, but not usually. When Ref manual pages are available, those are preferred for reading over stories. Never really had trouble searching Ref Manuals to find things. I guess it's generally because I know what keywords to use. Sometimes I will make a story to take notes or to make links, but more often just to note which page I left off reading at.

[Zacchaeus]

Yep. I read it all in FGU as well for the same reasons as above. Apart from the Core books I haven't bought any of the hardbacks for anything. If I'm reading through an adventure modules it's because I'm going to be running it and so FGU is the best place to read it since I can immediately edit anything right there. Having said all that I've never read a reference or an adventure from cover to cover in the same way as I would a novel for example; even in paper form.

[Diezel]

Thanks for all the replies folks.
I usually read cover to cover at least once just to understand the whole campaign with all its quirks before I start running it. I guess the control-freak in me needs to understand the whole thing with motivations etc before I feel like I can properly run the adventure in a way where the story, even if I need to improvise, feels fluent and connected. I have the same issue when I do trainings and presentations.

[Mytherus]

I try not to read ANYTHING that’s massively time consuming or long to do so that’s online— that’s not exclusive to FGU either. I got disease in both eyes that makes it hard to focus sometimes even though I wear hard contacts which help.

So I buy the modules and the hard copies. It’s expensive I guess but I don’t really blow money on much “excess stuff” ( that means I’m normally cheap with most things) . I read from the hard copy books for learning story/ lore.

I will do short term “refresher” reading from FGU though.

This is how I’ve done things for years and it works for me.

[anstett]

I try to have everything in FG to make it accessible for everyone to have access to when they need it. I leave my FG up 24/7 for players to log in and check, for me to read up on something etc.

I do have an extensive collection in PDF also for both 2nd Edition and Traveller so that I can read on the Kindle when not near the computer screen.

One extra thing I use is Copernic (desktop search). It can parse down into any text, image, etc. including the FG file structure so I can do a quick search to know which modules/pdfs/etc to bring up when I am researching something.