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FAQ

This section collects quick answers to the most common questions about DnDino.

If you need a full explanation of a specific screen, it is best to open the dedicated guide page afterwards. The FAQ is mainly meant for the most common practical cases.

How do I jump back into my latest campaign?

Open Home and use the latest adventure card.

From there you can:

  • open the adventure dashboard directly
  • jump to the last visited place, if available

It is the fastest way to resume your work without going through the full adventure list every time.

What is the difference between a base sheet, an adventure character, a place presence, and a combat participant?

The base sheet is the general record for a character or creature.

From that sheet, DnDino can create separate contextual records:

  • the adventure character, used inside a campaign
  • the place presence, used in places
  • the combat participant, used in combat

This system keeps separate:

  • contextual names
  • initiative
  • current HP
  • DM notes
  • local combat or place state

In other words, the base sheet remains the general reference, while contextual records let you work in a practical way during play.

How do I add a hero to an adventure?

Open the Adventure Dashboard, then go to the Characters panel.

From there you can:

  • add an existing character
  • create a new character with Create character

If you create a new character from the picker, saving returns you to the selection panel and refreshes the list immediately.

How do I add a presence to a place?

Open the place and go to the Presences panel.

From there you can add:

  • a hero already linked to the adventure
  • an NPC
  • a Monster

Keep this important distinction in mind:

  • an NPC remains unique within that place
  • a Monster can be added more than once

This lets you place multiple instances of the same monster in one place, while avoiding accidental duplication of NPCs.

Can I rename a monster without changing its base sheet?

Yes.

That is one of the main reasons why DnDino uses contextual records.

You can rename a monster:

  • during pre-combat
  • in place presences
  • in other local contexts where the operational name needs to be easier to read

This does not change the name on the original base sheet.

In text fields that support internal links, use the Link command.

From there you can create links to:

  • characters
  • places
  • spells
  • rules
  • feats

This is especially useful:

  • in Places, to link other places or characters mentioned in the description
  • in Characters, especially in Attacks, to link rolls or useful references

They turn descriptive text into an operational tool.

Inside rich text attack fields you can add links such as:

  • Full Attack
  • Free Roll
  • Roll Dice
  • Attack Roll

This lets you:

  • roll dice quickly
  • apply damage to targets
  • link to other app entries

It is one of the most effective ways to make a monster sheet truly useful during combat.

Am I forced to use automated combat rolls?

No.

DnDino offers a lot of automation, but it does not force you to use it.

You can still:

  • roll physical dice at the table
  • read results in a traditional way
  • apply damage manually

The app mainly helps remove repetitive HP updates and mental math.

Does combat still work well on a single monitor?

Yes.

Flat Combat works well even on a single screen.

Using a second display with the Players Window is great for presentation, but it is not required. On one monitor you can still run combat comfortably and decide from the settings how the players window should behave.

Can I choose how much information players see during combat?

Yes.

In Settings > Combat, among other things, you can decide whether players see:

  • round number
  • hero HP and conditions
  • NPC HP, conditions, and names
  • monster/enemy HP, conditions, and names
  • next turn

This lets you decide whether you want a more transparent combat flow or a more classic DM-screen style.

How does the final combat summary work?

At the end of combat, DnDino closes the encounter and syncs contextual data back to linked records.

In addition:

  • the DM sees the final summary inside combat
  • players can see a summary in the Players Window, if the option is enabled

The public summary is focused on the player characters, not the enemies.

Why are some characters missing from session or adventure charts?

Charts use only the data recorded during completed combats.

In general:

  • if a character takes part in a combat but deals or takes 0 damage, DnDino can still show a zero point
  • if a character does not take part in that combat, no point is drawn for that character there
  • you can click the legend to hide or show a line and focus on the characters you care about

In single-session charts, the horizontal axis shows the encounter order within that session. In adventure statistics, charts can group data by combat or by day depending on the panel.

What happens if a hero drops below 0 HP?

Heroes can go into negative HP.

The rule handled by the app is:

  • between 0 and -(max HP - 1), the hero is Unconscious
  • at -max HP or lower, the hero dies outright

During combat, when a hero is unconscious, DnDino also shows the death saving throws panel.

How do I show an image to the players?

DnDino uses a dedicated window for player-facing presentation.

You can use it:

  • during combat
  • for adventure images
  • in other flows that support presentation

The window behavior is configured in Settings > Media and, in part, in Settings > Combat.

How do I back up my data?

Go to Settings > Database.

From there you can:

  • see where the app data is stored
  • open the data folder
  • open the backup folder
  • create a snapshot manually
  • restore a snapshot
  • restore from iCloud, if configured

In the same section you can also decide:

  • automatic backup frequency
  • maximum number of snapshots to keep

Where can I find technical database information if something looks wrong?

Go to Settings > Diagnostics.

There you can check:

  • database path
  • whether the file exists
  • size
  • last modified date
  • SQLite version
  • detected tables and record counts

This is the right place to check when you want to understand whether a problem is only visual or really affects saved data.

How do I contact support?

Open Settings > Support.

From there you can:

  • send a support request
  • send a suggestion
  • copy the contact email

Use Support when something is broken or unclear. Use Suggestion when you want to propose an improvement or a new feature.

Tip

If an answer here feels too short, use the FAQ as a starting point and then open the dedicated guide page, such as Characters, Places, Combat, or Settings.