TOPIC: Weapon Token "Toppers"

I had a question for combat DMs, and players:

I'm considering trying to make some magnetic weapon token "toppers" that would stick to the top of the token when it is being slid in the puck to help remind the combat DM of relevant temporary statuses (e.g. bonuses not on the party card), for example:

• If the Wizard has cast Bull's Strength on the Ranger, the Ranger would put a "+2/+2" topper on their weapons.


• If a Barbarian has applied Oil of The Wil 'O Wisp to their weapon, they would put a "+4 shock dmg" topper on their weapons.

My questions are:

• As a combat DM, would this be helpful, or irritating?


• As a combat DM, would you tolerate a player putting something maybe the size of three dimes stacked on top of one another on their tokens while in the puck?


• As a player, would you be interested in such a device?


• If you would be interested, would you prefer a system where there is a dry-erase compatible surface that you can just write your bonuses in with a dry-erase marker, or a system where you'd have a selection of different toppers with pre-written things on them?

If there's interest I may try to set up a Kickstarter for this for delivery by GenCon basically at cost to prove it out, and then carry them in my store after that if they are a hit.

As a DM I'd "tolerate" it, I suppose, but if it gets in the way of the numbers or special text, it would just be annoying. We jot notes on the large dry erase board all the time, so I think most would be used to it.

As a player, I'd never use them. Too much stuff, mainly tokens, to fiddle around with already.

I doubt any nightmare or hardcore players would be interested either. Too fiddly. You heard it a thousand times: the greatest enemy in the dungeon is...?

Unless you can find a broader market than just TD players, I'd just do it on the forums. Kickstarter takes 10% on top of the PayPal fee, and I guess they're worth it for the exposure, but not if they won't get you people beyond the ones already reading this post.

Sorry to be Debbie Downer, but others may disagree.

I agree with Brad. In theory, it is a good idea but in practice it is one more thing that eats time. It could get bumped from the slider as well. I would be more inclined to ask that Jeff provide a box or boxes on the board for DMs to record bonuses, but even this may slow things down. In the past, if my token stays on the board as a hit, I pipe in with any bonuses I have.

That's a really cool new idea

I think the whiteboard area might be too small and prone to rub-off. Plus the DM will need to orient it to read, and try to read someone's hand writing in the dungeon.

It might be better to simplify, and just make the most common bonuses and color code them. Then hopefully after some exposure some DM's will know at a glance what the bonus is.

I agree that through the forum might be better than a KS. If you go the KS route, I would pre-campaign the KS at GenCon (if possible) to get as much exposure to the non forumites, before you launch.

Depending on the toppers weight:
(Ignore these if you are thinking fridge-magnets)

• This might change the weight profile of how the slider slides. "Ok guys it's a slick table, everyone use your toppers to slow the pucks down"
• These might add extra top weight increasing the chance of the token popping out during a puck collision.

A different approach might be to have cards like MTG Token cards, that have common bonuses on them. Maybe a spot to write the character class on them. Then players can hand the bonus card to the DM, to flip through when doing his calculations. Maybe Vistaprint them onto business card stock.

Actually, weight could be an issue.
Monks got permission to add a random token to their "empty" open hand sliders, because the weight makes a difference. Not knowing exactly what you're thinking these toppers would be, but I think Jeff is more likely to agree if he was sure they were light enough they wouldn't affect the slide, and an off-center topper wouldn't curve the trajectory.

Also, unless these toppers are officially sanctioned as the only approved ones, please don't rely on training DMs what the color codes mean. Someone else's version may use a different code, and DMs have enough to remember. And, some of us have some degree of colorblindness.

I don't see Jeff granting you a monopoly on these things, assuming he approves their use at all. Either way, you'll probably want to talk to him before going too far.

What might be more useful is a white board marked with rows of characters, plus Bard Song, and columns of "to hit," "damage," and "notes" for things like poison, webbed, or petrification. If laid out like the party card, cross-referencing would be simplified. But even that probably takes too much time.

So, topper or note board, I still don't think the game is worth the candle. The problem you're trying to solve just doesn't seem to be that big. But that's just me. Other DMs may see it differently.

As a Combat DM I'd find it would just eat up valuable Room time. When I start combat the Players tell me their bonuses if I don't ask first and I jot them down on the combat board. It's so much easier and quicker and no chance of something getting lost or forgotten when the Players go to the next room.

It's a great idea, but as a Combat DM I wouldn't even look at them since I'll have the info already on the table. And, as a Player, I would never use them for fear of losing them.

I see a lot of people having great ideas lately. Just remember the biggest enemies in the Dungeon are time and complexity.