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Writer's pictureJan Roose

Big Winter 2022 Release: Battle Grid, 20 Levels, Improved Mechanics, and More! 🎁



Hi there! 👋 Jan here, excited to share the Big Winter 2022 Release for Dungeon Realms. There are many new features to explore. Here’s a quick rundown of what I’ll be talking about:

  • Game Masters can now place creatures from the Shelf onto a Battle Grid, making it easier for the whole party to understand positions during combat.

  • Players and NPCs can now level up to LVL 20; most classes have one subclass available. Plus, we’ve added all the spells!

  • We’ve also improved mechanics, making features like Unarmored Defense, Finesse Weapons, and Unarmored Movement work.

  • Both Game Masters and Players can create custom rolls with modifiers, giving you more flexibility and options in gameplay.

  • And last but not least, we’ve added a Typing Indicator to see when someone in your campaign is writing a new message.




But that’s not all! We’re already working on an update that will bring even more features, including an Advanced Map Builder, Roll Calculation Details, an Initiative Tracker pinned to the top of the map, and a complete rule set available in the app.


Introducing the Battle Grid




The Battle Grid feature will make combat positions easier to track.


You’ll find a new map tab next to the campaign chat, where Game Masters can drag creatures from the Shelf and place them onto the grid. This works for Player Characters, Monsters, and NPCs. The GM can set up everyone’s positions and save all changes to be visible to players. They can also move any creature anywhere on the grid or return them to the Shelf.


We’ve also taken creature size into account:

  • Tiny, Small, and Medium creatures take up one tile

  • Large creatures take up 2x2 tiles

  • Huge creatures take up 3x3 tiles

  • Gargantuan creatures take up 4x4 tiles


The grid is set at 5 feet per tile, which will be the most helpful sizing for most players. You can also zoom in and out on the map and move it around as needed.


Currently, only the GM can move creatures on the map. In the future, we plan to allow players to do this as well. We wanted to release this feature as soon as possible, and it would take some time to develop real-time syncing between multiple users.


We’re already working on some exciting updates for maps, including a Map Builder that will allow you to paint terrains and objects and an initiative and turn tracker.


20 Levels & All Spells





We’re excited to announce that we’ve removed the Level 3 cap and are allowing all players’ characters and NPCs to progress up to Level 20! As you level up, we’ll make sure to save the correct class features and spells onto your character sheet, and we also include all subclasses from the 5E System Reference document:

  • Barbarian - Path of Berserker

  • Bard - College of Lore

  • Cleric - Life Domain

  • Druid - Circle of Land

  • Fighter - Champion

  • Monk - Way of the Open Hand

  • Paladin - Oath of Devotion

  • Ranger - Hunter

  • Rogue - Thief

  • Sorcerer - Draconic Bloodline

  • Warlock - The Fiend

  • Wizard - School of Evocation


Additionally, we’ve included all spells up to Level 9, ensuring that your character learns the correct spells as they level up and prepares the proper spells after a long rest. While most class features are purely informational, we’ve ensured that certain features, like Ability Score Improvements, are functional.



Mechanics Improvements


We’ve made some improvements to the mechanics of the game to make things a little easier for you.


From now on, when you use a finesse weapon, it will automatically use your Dexterity modifier for the attack roll if your DEX is higher than your STR.


We’ve also made sure that you’re getting the correct bonuses from the following:

  • Monk’s Unarmored Defense and Unarmored Movement

  • Barbarian’s Unarmored Defense

  • Sorcerer’s Draconic Resilience


You’ll also receive the correct proficiency bonuses and new hit points when you level up to 20.


Custom Rolls for Game Masters




The new update allows Game Masters to set up custom rolls more flexibly.


In addition to adding dice (D2, D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20, and D100), you can now add up to two modifiers to a roll.


This will enable you to create any type of roll you need, using options such as the STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, and CHA ability modifiers, the Melee Attack Bonus, Range Attack Bonus, Spell Attack Bonus, Proficiency Bonus, or a static number between -5 and +5.


You can set up a custom roll for any creature on your shelf, and all bonuses will be added automatically.


When a roll is made, other players in the campaign won’t be able to see the details of what went into it, but we’re already working on a feature called Roll Calculations that will give a transparent look at any roll made during your adventure.


Player Rolls!



We’ve added the ability for players to make custom rolls too. To use this feature, simply tap the “dice button” next to the “What will you do?” and create a custom roll. You can choose any dice and add any modifier or a static number to your roll, making it easy to cast spells or use features. It’s helpful to have a good understanding of the 5E rules for this, and we’ll be making them easily accessible within the app soon. We hope this new feature will make things more convenient and enjoyable for you as a player.


Typing Indicator



We’ve added a new feature called the Typing Indicator to make communicating with others in your campaign easier. When you see the three-dot animation of someone typing, you’ll know that they’re in the process of creating a new message. This works in all three chat options: the Campaign Chat, the Out of Character Chat, and Direct Messages. We hope this feature will help make communication more efficient and convenient.


We’re thrilled to bring you this new release, which we believe will significantly enhance your experience and make your campaigns even more exciting! With the addition of the Battle Grid, the ability to level up to 20, the option to make any roll you want as both a GM and a player, and the Typing Indicator, we hope you’ll find these updates truly valuable.


Your support means the world to us, and we’re always working tirelessly to make this app the absolute best mobile role-playing experience. We’ve got even more improvements in the works, and we can’t wait to share them with you.


Thank you for being a part of our journey and helping us make this app the best it can be.


Best,

Jan and the Dungeon Realms team



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