How RoverBook was designed

by Tim Chu February 20, 2021

It's been about a little over a year since RoverBook was first launched. But before the 5e notebook was successfully funded on Kickstarter in just 3 hours and blew past our goal by 1600%, it was just an idea that I couldn't get out of my head.

When I first began designing the RoverBook, I knew that I could not do it alone. I had lots of long-time D&D players trial the notebook and provide feedback. In fact, over 50 people helped in beta testing of RoverBook.

I went in with the goal to create a notebook that was useful, crafted specifically for 5e, with clean and beautiful design. I avoided putting a lot of artwork in the notebook because I wanted RoverBook to be a notebook for ALL campaigns and ALL players. Artwork would require a specific genre and I didn't want to be limited by that.

Naturally, the design process started with the character sheet. My goal was to put the things player's reference most on the very first page.

Little did I know that this page would be the most edited page of the entire notebook. Many tweaks were made in order to make sure that the space was being used in the most efficient and effective way possible. I'd be lying if some of those tweaks were for typos! But I'm most proud of the way I used the Custom Counter to consolidate space and create versatility. It can be used to track anything from spell slots, rages, hit dice, and anything else you can think of.

The next few pages on the character sheet would be for items that needed larger spaces but might be referenced less than things like stat modifiers.

And for our spell casters, I included lots and lots of space for spells!

Next, I wanted to include a World Map that players could use to draw the world that their campaign would take place in. This page was a must-have for me, since I think that the greatest part of being in a campaign is the discovery of new worlds.

And last but not least, the rest of RoverBook was designed for note-taking! I included lined pages on the left, and hybrid grid pages to the right. I call them hybrid grid pages because the vertical lines on the grid are slightly transparent. This makes them easier to write/read on when using them for regular notes. But if you also want to use them for drawing maps, combat encounters, initiative orders, you can do that as well!

Even after a year, I'm always open to feedback and changes to RoverBook. I believe the design process is continual and there are always opportunities to be better. Do you have some suggestions? Feel free to reach out! I love to hear new ideas. Thanks for reading and thanks for your support!