(Part 2) Top products from r/DMAcademy

Yep, you're making all the classic mistakes new GMs make lol.

1. " but I really want to make taverns the heart and soul of my games. " - You don't get to decide this. Your job is to facilitate the player's actions. They might just hate taverns, or walk out the door immediately. Then you'll do what all new GMs do, railroad them into talking to NPCs. The players will lose interest 10 minutes into the game when that happens and they realize your game has no player agency.
   
2. " Black Star Inn is run by a lesbian couple, one of whom is an ex-ranger with strong feelings about animal welfare and vegetarianism. " - A rough truth to learn while GMing, nobody cares about your world's backstories until the players ask. Then if you have an answer, great, but 90% of the time this stuff won't be discovered. You'll find yourself forcing this info on the players, and they'll be like, 'why do I care if the ppl who own this inn are lesbians?'
   
3. " I'd appreciate any feedback on prices and menu choices " - lolol I laugh because I did this same thing in my first game. In hindsight three years later, it was probably the most pointless thing I've done since I started 5e. Again, nobody cares. If it doesn't advance the plot, which is determined by the player's interests, it's a waste of time.
   
4. " I've added a couple of travelling merchants who patrol the Sword Coast, the party has a chance to run into one as a random encounter. " - This is good. Always have a few back pocket encounters, but only lob them into the game if the players go looking for them.
   
5. " In Phandalin, I've created another hub Inn. " - Why? Phandalin already has an awesome inn and cast of NPCs. I think you've promised some people you are going to run LMoP, but it's clear this isn't LMoP at this point. This is just homebrew.
   
6. " I've additionally created an Excel spreadsheet which lets me randomly generate 5000 different NPCs on the fly " - Sounds like overkill, but if it works for you, it's cool. I use a one-page document with a few tables of names, quirks and defining characteristics.
   
   I strongly, strongly recommend you buy and read Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master. This will save you a year or two of learning how to prep and run D&D. It's not about defining the details. It's about creating several buckets of information you can pull on during the game, and watching your players.

Here is some good history on dragons in D&D; there have been a lot of iterations, although they have kept to the basic theme of chromatics, metallics, and gemstones (later).

In all fairness, 5E Monster Manual is pretty thin on material to build out dragons as more than stat blocks, but part of that is because the MM is mostly stat blocks, a bit of behavior. Earlier editions like 2E and 3E gave a bit more to work with, and the 1E Rules Cyclopedia had a fair amount as well. Dragons, to play them well, should get the full NPC personality treatment to flesh them out, and should be done before focusing on the stat blocks - they should have a reason to be there, rather than another big scary thing. They are (mostly) highly intelligent, have strong personalities and interests, and won't just mindlessly attack without a good reason.

There are some great suggestions in this thread on source books, but I also encourage you to look at D&D fiction books like Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms books to see how dragons' personalities are beyond the monster-stat block side. Also, look at non-D&D fiction to explore dragons - The Dragon and the George is unusual but fun, the Temeraire books by Naomi Novik are a very different take on dragons that is all about their interactions with humans. E. E. Knight's "Age of Fire" series is excellent in terms of giving a natural history and political exploration of dragons (but the editing in the last couple books is terrible, sadly).

In the end, you can make any monster/adversary interesting, but you have to be willing to do the work to develop them. I've been on a kobold kick lately to research what has been done and to come up with ways to give them actual personalities and a society. Dragons are much easier as there is so much material out there, and you have so much to work with.

Full disclosure: have been obsessed with dragons since He-Man's Granamyr and "Flight of Dragons" the animated movie. Watch those too.

The Angry GM did a very good article recently on metagaming. (If you're unfamiliar with Angry, he has a very different style than most gaming writers. If you're able to get past his "f&%$s" and "s@#&s," you'll find some very well researched and reasoned advice, and some good humor as well.)

I've been actively DMing for about four or five months now, and one of my players is the group's original DM and a DM for a Roll20 group. She uses the more prevalent definition of "metagaming," while I use Angry's, and it's been an interesting transition in the group.

Essentially, if the players are able to come to the correct conclusion about a major part of the storyline, while circumventing all of the deflections and delays I had put in their path (as happened recently), I don't see any reason to punish that. I rewarded that player with additional XP for clever thinking, even if I had to jump well passed what I had planned. If the bard knows a monster's weakness, they probably heard about it in some ballad. If one player acts on information on another player that they haven't formally discussed in character at the table, well, they've been traveling together for the better part of a year in game; the characters must have talked about it in the would-be-boring travel scenes that I gloss over.

As far as the monster inventory situation is concerned, I recommend getting some Pathfinder Pawns (I've linked to the two boxes I have on Amazon). They let you surprise your players with a huge variety of them. If you go on Paizo's website, you can buy printable versions for cheaper. The art is pretty good, and it's hard to beat the variety you get for your dollar.

In the end, everyone has a different playing style. I prefer to resolve differences when I can. Encourage some frank, open discussion at the table and away from it. If you can't resolve your different styles with your roommate, it might be best if they don't continue with the group. The overall group's fun level is really the deciding factor.

INVESTIGATING...

1. With newbies, I make it ultra obvious until they get used to looking around. First I make sure to be clear in my descriptions. I also really push passive perception. I will share that they notice things around them. Whatever makes sense in context that might give an indication they should look around more closely. If that doesn't get them biting them I simply ask "Do you want to look around more carefully?" Then if they say yes I ask them to roll an investigation check. Newbies frequently need to be given more obvious prompts until they get used to operating more independently.
   
2. If they are veteran players I usually don't have to do the above. I let them make their choices but I make sure I am really clearly describing the area.
   
   MAPS...
   
   
3. I do not rely heavily on actual maps unless there is a tactical reason they need one. I use Theater of the Mind. As long as I am describing things well, it can actually enhance play since everyone has a clear picture in their head of a 3 dimensional space instead of a flat map.
   
4. I rarely ever draw a map while in game. It takes too much time. When I do need a map, if the space is complicated enough that I actually feel the players need a map, then I need time to draw it accurately anyway. If the space is something like a 20x20 room with nothing in it but the PCs and the bad guys then I don't usually need a map.
   
5. I also hate spending hours and hours on maps when my players may never even go to the whatever I am mapping. Therefore I use a hybrid of things to provide a map when it is necessary, but almost always prepped ahead of time.I don't always draw the map, though. I sometimes rely on other resources. Examples below:
   
   

• I sometimes use these: https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Tactical-Reincarnated-Accessory/dp/0786966793/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=grids+dnd&qid=1571626033&sr=8-6
  
• and these https://www.amazon.com/DUNGEON-TILES-REINCARNATED-WILDERNESS/dp/0786966319/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=grids+dnd&qid=1571626069&sr=8-11 upon occasion.
  
• I also bought this and use this for larger maps. I create them then save them for reuse/retasking later. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RGYL979/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I only buy it when it is on sale.
  
• I do have erasable battle grids but I ended up rarely using them. If I am putting in the effort to create the map I would like it to be in a format for reuse/retasking later on. And what if the players come back through the area? Having to draw the thing again seems a waste of energy. That's just my preference.
  
• There are also generic maps available for all kinds of settings for very little cost on the Dungeon Master's Guild website. Tons of options. Many look quite professional. Sometimes I use those if they fit with my needs. Example selected at random: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/190205/A-Dozen-Maps
  
• Along with the above, frequently there are really nice looking maps available for specific official modules. I don't believe there are any for Dragon of Ice Spire peak but I know there are many offerings for other modules. Some are really, really good.

One dice set for each player is a great idea. You can actually find decent dice lot for a reasonable price. Sharing dice set is a pain and slows down the pace. Plus, the bag I linked has actually 20 sets, so you can actually lend or give your players more than one (that helps for when you need to roll more than one of a certain type of die).

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Miniatures, as stated by others are a question of preference. Depending on system, I either use the theater of the mind (this is great, even the best with creative players) alone or, for when it is more tactical, I use tokens. For years I used chess pieces as tokens for both heroes and foes. It is only recently that I switched to paper mini (I made them stand with binder clips), and am moving slowly to real miniatures that I paint as I feel it is more immersive. Although using tokens of any kind will put you in need of some sort of playing mat. You could easily print 1 inch squares on paper, use a chess board (it's too little to my taste). If your family gets hooked, you can invest in a playing mat later on.

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What you might or might not need is this tip: don't forget it is your (as in your family and you) game, and fun is the purpose. If you are ever in a position you are not certain about a rule, don't pause the game to search it. Improvise. If it is at players' advantage all the better. They don't feel cheated this way and you can always add a lurking goblins if you feel the need to tip the scale a bit. They will never know you added them because you will never tell them (game masters have to keep those illusions!).

I bought this dry erase grid which works great with miniatures. And these or these for paper miniature bases that you draw yourself are awesome if you don't have $1k to spend on miniatures! I think it makes it much more fun because you can give your players cut out index cards to draw their own character at session 1.

If your group really loves the tactical aspect, it really sounds like grid-based combat is the way to go. That's where all the tactical action comes in. Theater of the mind is great if you want to speed up combat and focus on roleplay without slowing down due to calculations and figuring out movement, but it sounds like your players like that aspect to the game. There's no reason to avoid it if it's a fun part for your players!

To some it's tedious, to some it makes combat extremely fun. I for one love strategy games and doing theater of the mind takes half the fun of combat away for me. I want to pick exactly where I move and what I attack and consider who can get opportunity attacks and how to coordinate. That doesn't translate well to theater of the mind. But grid-based doesn't have to be expensive whatsoever either.

Check these out. They're a great for noobs learning to play. It's simpler and needs no DM. Great way to get your feet wet and learn the basic mechanics. I took one when i deployed and used it introduce new players to the game.

https://www.amazon.com/Wizards-Coast-Dungeons-Dragons-Ashardalon/dp/0786955708

https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Legend-Drizzt-Board/dp/0786958731/

If you still want to dm, these are great supplies to get started:

https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Starter-Wizards-Team/dp/0786965592/ (i highly suggest you get this)

https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Spellbook-Cards-Accessory/dp/0786966726/r (i find these really helpful)

https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Spellbook-Cards-Arcane/dp/B01MRVJ1TB/

Also, check out your local gaming store. They are a great resource. Also ask about Pathfinder, which was created based off of D&D

I've got a great book for drawing fantasy maps, but for worldbuilding I prefer to take inspiration from fantasy books. I really like the Shanara books (especially Sword), the Belgariad, Sabriel and other Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix (a favorite when I was in high school), besides the classics like LotRs and the Wheel of Time series.

We use this book: https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Time-Roleplaying-Game-Fantasy/dp/0786919965

I think it might be the same as yours.

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We haven't started converting it to 5e yet. We agreed to do a few one-shots with the original system and if people feel like it needs work we will convert it. I you start doing it sooner then us I'd be more than interested to take a look at it, converting a whole game to a different system is no small job and I wish you the best of luck!

Personally I got them on Amazon EU. Dunno if it's just the stock but the prices there seems a bit lower.

 

The Monster Codex is showing on Amazon US for like $27 here and most of the others can be found there as well for a moderately lower price.

 

I will agree the one off price seems higher in comparison to say a small box of mini's for $10, but the mini per dollar value is just superb. You're looking at $0.10, per mini for one of the $30 dollar boxes, not including postage, as they average 250-300 tokens per box.

 

If the price is putting you off there are a few ways you can have a similar effects making your own, assuming you have a printer. Example, just search about in the various DnD subreddits (/r/dndnext , /r/dnd, /r/DnDBehindTheScreen etc.) for paper craft mini's and such.

If you’re looking for low cost I would recommend reaper bones or wizkids deep cuts/nolzurs marvelus miniatures. Depending on the size /set it’ll run you $4-$100. $4 being an individual Meduim sized mini $100 being a boxed set of a lot of them or a single large set piece like a huge dragon. Both of these options are unpainted and you should be able to find whatever you’re looking for. If you just want best bang for your buck I would recommend pathfinder pawns they’re card stock minis and usually get a couple hundred for around $15-$40 depending on the set you get. Another option is to find board games that use minis like zombiecide or some of the d&d board games

What are you looking for? I've become a huge fan of Kobold Press' Tome of Beasts for new and interesting stat blocks. They have some really fun things. And I liked some of the character options from the Critical Role campaign setting. There are a few bits and pieces I've find elsewhere, including many of the free products from Dungeon Master's Guild. I've occasionally looked through the publicly available homebrew items and monsters from D&D Beyond, and I haven't found anything that fits me perfectly, but they have plenty of interesting and unique ideas.

Just describing this mods, not advertising I promise.

https://www.amazon.com/Giant-Book-Battle-Mats/dp/1912803038

(Just read on the page that it's not even available right now. And I can't really see the price either, pretty sure I paid about $50 - $60)

I bought this and I absolutely love it. Really only works for 5 or less people in terms of party size imo, but I honestly prefer using this over my big battle mat because I have to role up my big one.

You might be able to find something similar, but instead of getting terrain, I use this instead. Very handy.

As others have mentioned in this post, dice, sourcebooks, and dice trays are also all excellent ideas.

The only thing I might say is to stay away from mini's if he's on the cheaper side. Wouldn't really want to tempt him into buying a bunch of minis, because they can get extremely expensive.

If you do see the book of battle mats available, I highly recommend getting it.

I like my Chessex wet erase, but I am old school that way.

This set provides a nice set of printed maps you can use in a variety of situations https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Tactical-Reincarnated-Accessory/dp/0786966793/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2K4MRCP2E6OJX&keywords=tactical+maps+reincarnated&qid=1562638140&s=gateway&sprefix=tactical+maps+re%2Cprime-instant-video%2C149&sr=8-1

For cheap mini's, there are several companies making flat printable mini's you can stick in bases. The other option would be to head to a LFGS that sells pre-painted singles or buy them online. The more common ones can be pretty cheap. Just be sure that you get some with large (2') bases. Many of the baddies are large sized.

I’m actually pretty much in the same boat (homebrew Adventure, about to start LMoP, looking for what’s next, the works haha) so I’d love to hear any answers.
That being said, idk if you’ve heard of/are a Fan of Critical Role (D&D campaign on Twitch/YouTube done by voice actors) but they released their campaign as an adventure: Critical Role/Tal’Dorei Campaign I’m getting it either way cuz I’m a fan of the show and will want to probably run this at some point, but I’m still interested in other people’s answers cuz I might not use this one right away.

Minis end up being very costly, but a few tips to add to the already good info here:

1. I love my Chessex Wet Erase game mat. I use it along with some Expo Vis-A-Vis wet erase markers. (Seems to be a common combo, since Amazon even mentions it as "often bought together"). The next step down is a roll of reuseable gaming paper. This is pretty cheap, though while it is reuseable, it is very easily damage, as it is essentially a roll of wrapping paper. The other option which was already mentioned is plexiglass with a grid drawn on the back. Depending on how large you go, this can be more or less expensive than the gaming paper, but definitely more durable.
   
2. Since each mini is around $5-10 and may or may not come pre-painted, I strongly suggest you keep your eye on Ebay. You can often find "lots" of minis of different sizes that you can get very discounted, assuming you are okay with used minis.
   
3. If buying actual minis becomes too expensive, the next best thing is tokens. Sometimes you can find token sets from back in the 4e days on ebay (some used, some new), but it's probably even cheaper just to make your own. This allows you to custom tailor your minis to your campaign. I.e. add a mini specific to one of your BBEGs.
   
4. If the above mini ideas are both too expensive, a trick I sometimes use is to take a set of d6s (I use mini d6s, but I'm a rogue so I have tons of these on hand anyway :P) and use a separate die for each enemy--each one with a different number face-up. If you have more than 6 enemies, use multiple, different color dice sets and color code different "types" of enemies. Rarely do I have more than 6 of a single type of enemy.

Turnkey miniatures has sets of townsfolk, animals, royals, etc. Pretty reasonable too. http://www.turnkeyminiatures.com/Sets_c_14.html

Ceasar Miniatures has packs of 30ish minis in 12 or so poses. They are a bit under sized (22mm v 28mm). But I think it looks good for smaller beings. Their website is awefull, and Amazon is pretty expensive for them but check eBay. They have ratmen, goblins, skeletons, orcs.

Always look at Reaper bones. Here is a six pack of goblins. https://www.miniaturemarket.com/rpr77024.html

Another thing to do is get the d&d board games. They come themed to the game and have around 40 minis each. The games are okay, but the minis are great. I would wait for sales too. A few times a year they drop below $40. Here is the ravenloft game. https://www.amazon.com/Wizards-Coast-Dungeons-Dragons-Ravenloft/dp/0786955570

Edit:added ravenloft

I'd recommend picking up some 1" grid paper like this https://www.amazon.com/Pacon-Grid-Roll-Inch-Rule/dp/B000XP23O8
You can probably find it in office supply store in flipboard sized sheets.

I have a couple battle mats, and a bunch of dwarven forge, but some rooms are complicated and my party is excellent at evading my preparation.

Be careful when printing these maps to have the scale correct. If the map says 1 square = 5ft sq, then you want each square to be 1 inch on each side. This will make the maps "feel" the right size.I do this measuring in Gimp to be sure. /u/sanderdc also makes a great point about the squares being 10ft sq !

You can also just buy some gaming paper or a wet/dry erase battle mat and draw it out yourself. Sometimes, that's pretty fun, and you can draw new parts as you go. This simulates the "fog of war" effect. It also requires far less preparation because you're just live copying the map as you go.

• gaming paper (cheap) : http://gamingpaper.com/product/gaming-paper-original-1-square-roll/
  
• Battle mats I love and use ($20 reusable): https://amzn.com/1601255578

You can not like it, but to say it isn't a roleplaying game is disingenuous. It's fine if your opinion is that it should have been a board game. it isn't fine if you're stating for a fact that it was not a roleplaying game and is really a board game.

Saying D&D 4e is not a roleplaying game is not acting in good faith. Lots of people act in bad faith. That doesn't make it right.

Have you played the D&D board games from the 4e era? Castle Ravenloft, for example. That is what a 4e board game looks like. It's almost nothing like the 4e D&D rolepaying game. By calling D&D 4e a board game you're saying it's basically Castle Ravenloft.

Come on. Nobody can believe that.

Also, if you are actually making the maps by hand (my players have really appreciated mine), this book is invaluable. Gets you to think about a lot of features you may have never considered. https://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Fantasy-Art-Maps/dp/1440340242

Flip chart grid paper is probably my #1. We have a pad that's lasted us months for half the price of a proper vinyl battle mat, but personally I'm going to go with the battle mat for next time because it's much easier to deal with overall.

Still, paper is great for prepping maps ahead of time, especially for one-time use, but also, if you can keep them in good condition, for maps you'll come back to repeatedly (rather than a battle mat that you're going to erase/redraw every encounter).

I recently bought two 1" grid easel pads, which I draw maps on. You can find them on Amazon, or at an office supply store depending on what's available near you, I bought mine from Staples.

As an example of what I'm talking about, here's a link to one from Amazon

For tokens, I use a small collection of D&D miniatures I had from when we last played 3.5 ten or so years so, I don't have much in the way of duplicates and a decent amount are basically impossible to use (My level 3 group ain't fighting Bane any time soon...), so I've been supplementing with some spare dice for the time being, anything will work so long as everyone is clear on what each token represents.

> Well for starters I think they make a spell card set somewhere.

They do, and they make this sort of thing much easier.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786966548/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_PlyuDbXKD0Q54

When I know my players will be encountering a spellcaster, I pull the cards I need out beforehand and set them aside. Then I just track the creature's spell slots on a piece of paper.

I bought a pack of this stuff, and draw my maps with Sharpies:

https://www.amazon.com/Post-Sticky-560-Premium-Sticking/dp/B00006I9V8

They have 1" squares pre-drawn in a nice light blue, and at 25 x 30 that's more than enough for most battlemaps. You get a 2-pack of easel-style pads at 30 sheets each, for about $0.67 per sheet. Less than $1 USD per map is a price I'm okay with.

I’m old school, and I’m reading this as ‘what fantasy writings/books/novels can I read to be a better DM/GM’?

I would recommend the original Dragonlance trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman for insight in to storytelling and how to balance humor, darkness and the death of a character (PC).

Dragonlance Chronicles: "Dragons of Autumn Twilight," "Dragons of Winter Night,""dragons of Spring (TSR Fantasy) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0140115404/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9KVtDb1EVFJXC

For combat storytelling, there is no one better than R.A. Salvatore IMO. The way he describes combat, it gave me great insight on how to turn combat in to part of the story through explanation of PC actions to the party. ‘You hit and deal X damage’ just doesn’t have the same appeal to me as ‘your character scores a grazing slash across the foul beast, some of its black blood oozes out in unnatural ways...’

The Legend of Drizzt Boxed Set, Books I-III (Set 1, Bks. 1-3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786947772/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-PVtDb67EWJ0S

I hope this helps! Other suggestions about reading older editions of D&D is also excellent but may be confusing for a newer DM getting used to the rules.

Game on!

https://www.amazon.com/TOPS-3-hole-punched-squares-Carton/dp/B000ON9WZM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1542978361&sr=8-4&keywords=flip+chart+grid

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Why buy a special mat that you can damage when you can have 50 that you can save and re-use, or throw away, for cheaper?

I will be creating my own (because I love projects like this) but I have also considered getting this book for when my players go somewhere I am not prepared for. :)

https://www.amazon.com/Giant-Book-Battle-Mats/dp/1912803038/

If you're looking to buy a big roll, Amazon Canada has one for $45.


Alternatively you can find wrapping paper that has a grid on the back and stock up after holidays from a brick-and-mortar store.

Paper Miniature Bases, 20mm Circle, 3mm Clear (25) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RKJW2L4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_E74TAbASM21W9

Paper Miniature Bases, 25mm Circle, 3mm Black (25) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RKMHW34/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_s84TAbQTXD8Z9

You can also get bigger ones for large creatures.

Pathfinder JUN132387 Flip-Mat: Basic Terrain Multi-Pack https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1601255578/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_YTXIBbR1Y51ES
(hopefully that works, not sure if there's a special way to post links)

yeah, you can buy it here https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Time-Roleplaying-Game-Fantasy/dp/0786919965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521698985&sr=8-1&keywords=wheel+of+time+RPG and you might be able to find a PDF of it online somewhere

If you have a little cash to spend, pick up Table Fables I and II. It’s a gigantic collection of tables to randomly generate anything you could want.

Table Fables I

Table Fables II

I just finished reading Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master, and it sounds RIGHT up your alley. I highly recommend you check it out.

Koplow Games KOP10827 Jumbo Polyhedral Dice Game Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002IXM1EK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_GItkDbDHH3J5J

Koplow Games Jumbo Polyhedral Dice

The edge of the cube is 2.4cm. edge dodecahedron = 1.3cm. edge tetrahedron 3.1cm

You can get them in many different places. FOr example:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spellbook-Cards-Arcane-Dungeons-Drangons/dp/0786966548/ref=asc_df_0786966548/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310868039252&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3028985496335995429&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045794&hvtargid=pla-566818398459&psc=1

This is the Arcane deck. There are a few others for specific types of spellcasters.

Or, you can of course just make custom ones for specific characters.

https://www.amazon.com/Wiz-Dice-Bag-Holding-Role-playing/dp/B01476QV14

20 sets at $1.50 each? Hard to argue with.

A piece of paper with male, female and family names. I use OneNote for my campaign notes and i use Discord for Cam-Calls and Screensharing battlemaps via Affinity Photo. I also use Table Fables, Table Fables II and the Character Compendium (books). Usually also some scribble paper.

Make numbered tokens for baddies out of cardboard. However you prefer, but a disc with a silly goblin drawing you do yourself is enough to fight against. (Like a DIY version of this: https://dirt-cheap-dungeons.myshopify.com/products/horde-tokens-10 .)

I also like using (peanut butter) M&Ms for enemies, especially if there’ll be a bunch. The PC that gets the final blow gets to eat it!

As for a grid, invest in some of the grid wrapping paper roll stuff. Cheap and takes a sharpie for a planned map, or is just a good-sized grid for an impromptu fight. (I got this stuff a year or so ago, and it’s served me fantastically; your mileage may vary: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003G4DLLC?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf .)

I’ve also seen some dope LEGO stuff. Not cheap to acquire, but if you’ve got a bunch lying around, it can add a lot. I’ve been meaning to put together minifig minis for some of the more special NPCs, actually.

You can also pull tokens out of Monopoly or Clue for the PCs or special baddies.

I’ve used coins as well.