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Evan Bailey

Evan Bailey

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Evan Bailey posts

The 2025 Statblock Importer is here!

The 2025 Statblock Importer is here!

Hello DMs,

I'm excited to share an update for the D&D Beyond Statblock Importer that now supports the new format from the 2024 Basic Rules and Monster Manual. The Statblock Importer is a browser extension that is available for Chrome or Firefox, an...

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Improved Initiative Tips: Tracking Spells and Limited Actions

Improved Initiative Tips: Tracking Spells and Limited Actions

Hello DMs,

In Improved Initiative, you can track the Spellcasting slots, as well as uses of Daily and Recharge actions, for each combatant. I've gotten a few questions recently about how this works, especially with respect to Characters vs. Creatures.

These trackers are controlled in the View Post

Epic Holiday Discounts and Gifting

Epic Holiday Discounts and Gifting

Hello DMs,

I'm excited to offer a few promotions that Patreon has enabled just in time for the holidays.

If you've been waiting for the right moment to subscribe to a paid tier, you can use the Promo code EPICYEAR at checkout to get an additional 20% off of an annual Epic Tier subscription! The promotion is active until January 1st.<...

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Improved Initiative v3.11: Duplicate Combatant

Improved Initiative v3.11: Duplicate Combatant

Hello GMs,

Here's a small update for Improved Initiative. There are a lot of technical changes behind the scenes, and I've added a feature that you might find useful. Duplicate Combatant can be enabled on the Commands tab in the Settings pane. You can use it to copy a combatant after you've used quick add, or made ad-...

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Paragon Campaign Dashboard: Campaign Management

Paragon Campaign Dashboard: Campaign Management

Hello GMs,

Here's a big new feature set for Paragon Campaign Dashboard. I've used PCD for several different campaigns since I launched the app, so I needed a way to better organize my cards and dashboards.

If you're pledged at the Epic Tier and logged into Paragon ...

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Improved Initiative v3.10: Dark Mode

Improved Initiative v3.10: Dark Mode

Hello DMs,

I'm excited to share with you the much requested Dark Mode for Improved Initiative. This update cleans up some styling, and refactors the stylesheet pretty extensively. There may be some changes that affect your Player View CSS.

...

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Improved Initiative v3.9: Preloaded Content Settings

Improved Initiative v3.9: Preloaded Content Settings

Hello DMs,

Here's a small update for Improved Initiative. The main change is the new Content tab on the Settings pane, where you can configure which Open5e sources will be loaded. As more sources are added to Open5e I've seen some requests for this functionality.

There are a few other optimizations and bugfixes:

  • Fixed som...

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Improved Initiative 3.8: Reaction Tracker

Improved Initiative 3.8: Reaction Tracker

Hello DMs,

Hope you're well! Here's an update for Improved Initiative. I took some time off this summer, I hope you've all been able to play a lot of RPGs recently. I've been playing a lot of Baldur's Gate 3, and it inspired me to build this Reaction Tracker featur...

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Improved Initiative 3.7: Library enhancements and fixes

Improved Initiative 3.7: Library enhancements and fixes

Hello GMs,

Here's a small update for Improved Initiative. I added the ability to sort the Creatures library by recently used. It will start tracking your 100 most recently used StatBlocks, so you can quickly find your most common monsters.

I also fixed a few issues with how the grouping options work. Grouping by CR and Type will work...

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Try Epic Tier one week for free!

Try Epic Tier one week for free!

Hello DMs,

Our friends at Patreon have enabled free trials, so I am now offering a free week of Epic Tier. If you're a free user, or are only on Account Sync, you're welcome to try it out and see how you like ...

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Improved Initiative 3.4: More Preloaded Statblocks

This one's a freebie! Our friends over at the Open5e API added two new sourcebooks to their Monster catalog, the Monstrous Menagerie and the Tome of Beasts 3. I had to push a small update to tolerate the sheer size of this bestiary! Apologies if you re...

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Paragon Dashboard: Card Templates

Paragon Dashboard: Card Templates

Hello GMs,

With Paragon Campaign Dashboard, you might find yourself making copies of the same kind of Article card for locations, encounters, or characters. This new feature allows you to save a card as a Template to quickly make new ones like it. You can manage your Templates in the App Settings pane.

I've also made a few quality of...

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New official URL for Improved Initiative

New official URL for Improved Initiative

Hello GMs,

Improved Initiative has a new official URL! The app can now be accessed at https://improvedinitiative.app/.

The old URL is still down for now. Azure support tells me I'm looking at mid-March for a resolution so I decided to take the opportunity to move...

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Outage update and data workaround

Outage update and data workaround

Hello DMs,

The outage of the official URL, improved-initiative.com, is still ongoing. Based on my conversations with Azure support last week it could be a while longer, or I might get lucky and it could be sorted next week.

In the meantime, instead of sitting on my hands, I wanted to share a couple of workarounds in case you're havin...

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Outage at improved-initiative.com

Hello Patrons,

I wanted to give you a heads up that we're experiencing an outage at the official website address improved-initiative.com. This happened because I mistakenly let the domain lapse. Amateur mistake! My sincere apology if this affects your game.

In the meantime, you can access the app at 2023-01-28 07:09:20 +0000 UTC View Post

Improved Initiative Tips: Spellcasting and Ability Tracking

Improved Initiative Tips: Spellcasting and Ability Tracking

Hello GMs,

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed a pleasant holiday season. I have been focusing on my mental health and spending time with my family recently.

Spellcasting and Daily Ability "Bean Counters"

Improved Initiative can track spellcasting, daily ability usage, and more. The way to configure this isn't o...

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PCD October updates: Frame Card, Dashboard URLs and More

PCD October updates: Frame Card, Dashboard URLs and More

Hello GMs,

I've been incrementally adding new features to Paragon Campaign Dashboard over the last couple of months. Here are some highlights.

Web Frame Card

Embed an iframe element in a card pointing at a URL of your choice. Experimental- ma...

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Improved Initiative 3.3.0: Combatant Colors, New Tiers

Improved Initiative 3.3.0: Combatant Colors, New Tiers

Hello GMs,

I have lots of news for you, and a small feature update for Improved Initiative

Combatant Colors

The Combatant Color widget will allow you to quickly assign a color to any combatant. This is useful if you're using color coded tokens...

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Paragon Campaign Dashboard + Excalidraw

Paragon Campaign Dashboard + Excalidraw

Hello GMs,

I have an exciting Paragon Campaign Dashboard update to share. Here's what's new:

Drawing Card

Paragon Campaign Dashboard: Dice Card Improvements and Custom Colors

Paragon Campaign Dashboard: Dice Card Improvements and Custom Colors

Hello GMs,

This month I added a few new features to Paragon Campaign Dashboard.

Dice Card

  • You can now configure the Quick Rolls that appear on the card
  • If you make a Dice Card interactable in Player View, you'll see the name of...

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Paragon Campaign Dashboard: Card Colors and PDF Cards

Paragon Campaign Dashboard: Card Colors and PDF Cards

Hello GMs,

I hope you've had a chance to try Paragon Campaign Dashboard! I'd love to hear about other apps that you use to do session prep for your own games, and how you take notes during play. I know pencil and paper still reign supreme for this for lots of folks, and ...

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Big update for Paragon Campaign Dashboard

Big update for Paragon Campaign Dashboard

Hello GMs, DMs, MCs et cetera!

Happy New Year! I'm excited to share a pretty big update for Paragon Campaign Dashboard (PCD). PCD is a powerful, highly customizable virtual DM screen that you can use for any tabletop RPG.

I've been working on this ...

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v3.2: Mythic Actions and bonus OGL Content

v3.2: Mythic Actions and bonus OGL Content

Hello DMs,

Improved Initiative 3.2 is now available. Here are the highlights:

Mythic Actions are now supported, including when you import D&D Beyond Statblock...

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Improved Initiative 3.0 is here!

Improved Initiative 3.0 is here!

Hello DMs,

I am thrilled to share the 3.0 update of Improved Initiative with you. This update features the new Library Manager UI. The Library Manager provides a way to apply bulk actions to your saved items in Improved Initiative. It wil...

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Improved Initiative 3.0 Preview now available on the Dev Preview

Improved Initiative 3.0 Preview now available on the Dev Preview

Hello Patrons!

It's finally time for me to share a sneak peek at what I've been working on for the last few months. Improved Initiative 3.0 features the new Library Manager. The Library Manager provides a way to apply bulk actions to your saved items in Improved Initiative. It will exist alongside the "cla...

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Paragon Campaign Dashboard: Account Sync, Sharable Dashboards and more!

Paragon Campaign Dashboard: Account Sync, Sharable Dashboards and more!

Hello GMs,

I hope you all have been having a peaceful 2021 so far. Here's what's new with Paragon Campaign Dashboard this month:

Account Sync is now enabled if you're signed in with Patreon. It's a bit experimental, so let me know if you notice any...

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December Bonus: Quick Edit Combatant

December Bonus: Quick Edit Combatant

Hello GMs!

I've published a small update to Improved Initiative that includes a frequently requested feature. The new Quick Edit Combatant command lets you make quick ad-hoc adjustments to a combatant's Name, Max HP, and AC, witho...

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December Update: Paragon Interactable Cards

December Update: Paragon Interactable Cards

Hello GMs,

I hope you're all well this holiday season. I've released an update for Paragon Campaign Dashboard with a handful of additions:

  • Search Box on Cards Tab
  • Radial Display for Clock Cards
  • Each Dashboard gets its own Player View URL View Post

October Update: Multiple Dashboards

October Update: Multiple Dashboards

Hello GMs,

I hope you've been enjoying the spooky month of October. I've been having a blast running a Blades in the Dark game for my regular group.

Paragon Campaign Dashboard now supports multiple dashboards. You can use the new D...

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September Update: Drag & Drop Initiative

September Update: Drag & Drop Initiative

Hello DMs,

I've been busy this month! I've made progress on various projects. Here's what's new:

Improved Initiative now supports rearranging combat initiative via drag-and-drop. This long-requested feature was surprisingly tough to implemen...

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