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Imagine initiative for TTRPGs being effortless. It just takes seconds to get everything ready. Everyone knows the initiative order at all times, so there's no confusion, and no mistakes. Sound too good to be true? Well it isn't!
With my print at home creations, running initiative at a table is easy! Matching cards, GM screen hangers, tents or pyramid towers, minis, and even bookmarks cut the hassle out of handling encounters.
Best of all, you can get access to free files to print colored versions at home by subscribing to the DanDMadeEasy newsletter. Custom versions, which let you upload any image and customize it with adornments, are being developed as part of the TTRPG Cards Made Easy Kickstarter project.
How does it work?
I'm glad you asked! Here's how I run initiative.
I use cards to draw or set initiative. It literally takes seconds, you just need a card for every actor group ready - shuffle, and draw! Drawing initiative with cards is totally random, but you can promote or demote players with very high or low initiative values.
Colored initiative cards and matching paper minis
For games using a GM screen, using GM screen hangers lets everyone can see the initiative at all times. Hangers are double-sided, so both GM and players can see the order. I'd set the order up right-to-left from the GM's perspective, so it's left-to-right from the players' perspective. When each actor has finished their turn, move their hanger to the side to show that they have.
For games that don't use a GM screen, you can track initiative easily using tents or pyramid towers. Again, they should be set in front of the GM in initiative order.
Bonus Hint: You can also use towers and tents to identify characters or players around the table, pronouns, or anything else.
If you use battle maps in your games, you can print paper minis for your table.
And bookmarks make it easy to quickly find the monster or spell you need.
Best of all, everything comes in matching colors, so it's easy to follow everything at all times!
And if you have some nice art for your characters or monsters, you can even make custom cards, hangers, towers, tents, minis, and bookmarks to match!
What I use or recommend to make creations at home
You'll need a few things to make these creations at home, and some optional things can help, too.
You have lots of choices for making cards, and you can make them look really professional. For more information on making cards, check out this blog. In this blog, we'll cover everything else.
I've used almost everything on the list below myself, or it's a direct equivalent to something I do use. If I don't use it myself, I let you know why I recommend it.
Printer - Canon Maxify GX6050 (US - similar model) - ink tank printers like my Prisma have great print quality and are really economical - I've printed hundreds upon hundreds of full color pages, and only had to buy a single additional bottle of black ink for about £20! After about 18 months using Prisma as my main printer rather than my old HP Deskjet 2542, I think I'm close to paying off the upfront cost of the new printer in lower ink costs!
Paper/Card
Make sure you get the right paper size, and make sure you check your printer's specifications for max thickness!
I use 250 gsm paper. This weight gives a great card feel, especially after laminating cards. I'm in the UK, so I buy A4 paper in bulk from House of Card & Paper - I'm sure better quality options are out there, but I print a lot!
Cutting
My trusty old pair of scissors never fails - I'm sure you have a pair lying around!
Paper trimmer - Amazon Basics 3 in 1 laminator (sadly, only an A4 version is available). I use paper trimmers to save time, but I often use scissors for more precision with smaller items like cards, paper minis and bookmarks. If you want to primarily use a trimmer, I recommend getting one with a very clear guide marker that shows where the cut will take place. I've tried a few and they've never quite hit the mark for me, so I mostly rely on my scissors for the final cuts.
Modeling knife for GM screen hangers, card minis, pyramid towers and tents - I got my knife ages ago from I don't know where. Here's one that looks very much like mine.
Laminating (bookmarks only)
Make sure you get tools for the right paper size!
Laminator - I use the Amazon Basics 3 in 1 laminator, which is full of functionality - as well as being a laminator, it includes a paper trimmer, hole punch and corner cutter! Sadly, a Letter version isn't available, but an Amazon Basics Letter Laminator is available.
Matte laminating pouches - for a real professional quality, much better for photos and videos, and so much better for cards and bookmarks than glossy pouches! You can even add text in pencil over matte laminate!
A4: I use Deskit A4 Matt Laminating Pouches. I was originally using Fellowes Matt Finish pouches, which may be slightly better quality and are cheaper per pack, but they're far more expensive per pouch, and I laminate a lot!
Letter: Scotch pouches have generally great reviews (untested - I don't have a Letter size laminator or card)
Storing your creations (optional) - I use a Vault X 4 Pocket Zip Binder to store all of my creations in one place (I designed everything to fit in a standard card binder). I used to use a version with a strap, which is cheaper, but I don't want my creations to get wet, so I've paid for the added protection.
Colored initiative cards in my 4 pocket binder
How to make creations at home
The process for making GM screen hangers, pyramid towers, tents, paper minis and bookmarks is roughly similar. I'll tag which steps are relevant to which creations in the rough instructions below.
The process for making each creation is described in detail in the files that come with it. You can get access to files to make colored creations at home for free by subscribing to the DanDMadeEasy newsletter.
Choose and prepare your creations (bookmarks, minis all custom creations)
I love choice, and I love giving you choice in making your creations. Some colored creations have different versions, or you can customize them slightly, for example by adding title text to your creations digitally.
Where you get some choice for colored creations, custom creations are packed with choice. You can add any of thousands of adornments to custom hangers, towers and tents to make them perfect for your games.
When you print, make sure to configure your printer's settings appropriately, using the following or equivalent:
Paper Type: Card Stock
Print Quality: High
Paper Source: Rear Tray
Size: Actual Size
I always recommend printing using your printer's rear tray. Cards, which aren't covered here, and bookmarks, are double-sided. For double-sided creations, flip your printed page on its long edge and reinsert the page into your printer. Cards and custom bookmarks include an extra stage to determine your printing alignment before you print, so you can get a perfect double-sided print.
Printed colored GM screen hangers
LAMINATE (bookmarks and cards only)
After printing bookmarks (or cards), laminate them using matte laminating pouches without cutting them first.
Laminating tips:
I like to prop up my laminating pouches on both input and output ends of the laminator so the paper doesn't bend.
Make sure there's no debris in your laminating pouch before you laminate your creations.
Wait until the ready light on you laminator is lit before you laminate your creations.
Pass your creations through your laminator two or three times to make sure the laminate fuses well with them (make sure the ready light is lit each time).
Creations made with matte laminate feel great, which is why we use it rather than glossy laminate!
CUT
Cut your creations out. For bookmarks (and cards), make sure the front is facing you. With these creations, back images are slightly larger than front images, so this will save you some time. I tend to just use scissors to cut my creations, but if you're confident using a paper trimmer, you can use one.
Cutting colored pyramid towers
ASSEMBLE (hangers, towers, tents and minis)
For GM screen hangers, pyramid towers, tents and minis, the next step is to score lines between each face of the creations and between faces and tabs. You can put some of the creations together either temporarily or permanently (e.g. using glue). I generally prefer putting them together temporarily so I can store them flat in my card binder.
Scoring sides on a colored GM screen hanger
For pyramid towers, tents and minis, you'll also need to cut all the way through the creation to make a hole to push the tabs through.
Then, fold the creations backwards on the lines you scored. For pyramid towers, tents and minis, assemble the creations by pushing the tabs through.
STORE your creations
The first creations I made were custom cards. I got a card binder to store them, and I found it really helpful having everything in one place. So when I designed the other creations, I made sure they all fit inside my card binder.
I store colored GM screen hangers, and other creations in my card binder
I use colored creations as part of the toolkit I take to every game, whether I'm a GM or a player. I designed each colored creation (other than minis) to have 8 colors, so everything fits on a single spread of a 4 pocket binder. When I start a game (even as a player), I ask the (other) players to choose a color and give them creations that fit the table setting in that color. Of course I come to games with custom creations I've designed and made for my characters!
If you loved these creations, make sure to check out the TTRPG Cards Made Easy Kickstarter for custom versions of everything you've seen here, and if you're looking for more print at home creations to enhance your games, you're in luck! As a reward for reaching the end of this post, you can get 10% off digital products in the DanDMadeEasy store with code BLOG10.
So what do you think? Let me know in the comments!
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