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Quick Start

This guide gets a DM from login to a usable first session quickly.

Who This Is For

  • new DMs
  • beta testers
  • anyone evaluating whether SDMT is simple enough for live use

Goal

By the end of this guide, you can:

  • create or select a campaign
  • start a live session
  • open the map and initiative tools
  • feel oriented enough to run a first encounter

Estimated Time

5 to 10 minutes

1. Sign In

  1. Open SDMT.

    Screenshot: SDMT Landing Page

  2. Choose Log In or Sign Up.

    Screenshot: Login/Signup Modal

  3. Enter your credentials and continue.

2. Create or Select a Campaign

  1. From campaign selection, open an existing campaign or create a new one.

    Screenshot: Campaign Selection

  2. Keep the name simple and recognizable.

  3. Open the campaign when ready.

3. Choose DM Role

  1. Select the DM role if you are running the session.

    Screenshot: DM Role Selection

  2. Confirm you reach the main app view.

    Screenshot: Main App View

4. Create or Open a Session

  1. Open the Sessions tab.

    Screenshot: Sessions Tab

  2. Create a new session or select one that already exists.

    Screenshot: Create Session

  3. Start the session if you want players to join live.

    Screenshot: Start Session

5. Open the Core Tools

For a first successful run, focus on only two tabs:

  1. Initiative

    Screenshot: Initiative Tab

  2. Maps

    Screenshot: Maps Tab

That is enough to run a simple encounter without learning every system at once.

6. Load a Map

  1. Open the Maps tab.

  2. Load an existing map, or upload one if needed.

    Screenshot: Map Loaded

  3. Confirm the grid and scale look correct.

7. Prepare the Encounter

  1. Add or review initiative entries.

    Screenshot: Initiative Entries

  2. Open the loaded map.

  3. Place or sync tokens.

    Screenshot: Tokens on Map

  4. If desired, save the layout as an encounter preset for reuse.

8. Invite Players

  1. Start the live session.

    Screenshot: Live Session Banner

  2. Share the session code.

    Screenshot: Session Code

  3. Ask players to join and confirm they can see the correct session state.

First Success Checklist

  • you can sign in
  • you can open a campaign
  • a live session is active
  • initiative is visible
  • a map is loaded
  • at least one player can join successfully

What To Learn Next

Once this flow feels comfortable, move on to:

  • Run Your First Session
  • map and token visibility workflows
  • encounter preset reuse
  • session switching and multiplayer coordination