Workflow Tutorial

DM Tab Workflow: From Prep to Play

A real example of how to use the Hoard system for a 5-room dungeon—from prep to distribution.

Published January 20, 2026 • 7 min read

The Scenario

You're running "The Goblin Warrens" for a level 3 party of four. The dungeon has five rooms:

  1. Guard Post — 3 goblins, minor loot
  2. Barracks — 6 goblins sleeping, consumables
  3. Armory — Locked chest (DC 15), weapons
  4. Chief's Chamber — Boss fight, key treasure
  5. Hidden Treasury — Requires chief's key, the good stuff

Pre-Session Prep (30 minutes)

Before your session, open your campaign in D20 Loot Tracker and navigate to the DM Tab. Create five hoards—one for each room.

Hoard 1: "Guard Post"

Items:

  • • 15 gold pieces
  • • 3× Shortsword
  • • 1× Potion of Healing
  • • 3× Leather scraps (1gp each)

Notes:

Basic loot. No surprises. Quick combat, quick reward.

💤

Hoard 2: "Barracks"

Items:

  • • 8 gold, 24 silver
  • • 2× Leather Armor
  • • Thieves' Tools
  • • 2× Rations (5 days)
  • • Crude map of dungeon

Notes:

The map is a fun reveal—DM tag: "shows-room-5-location." Let them figure out there's a hidden room.

Hoard 3: "Armory (Locked Chest DC 15)"

Items:

  • • +1 Dagger (unidentified: "Keen-Edged Dagger")
  • • 2× Javelin
  • • Chain Shirt
  • • 30 gold pieces

Notes:

First real magic item, but they don't know it yet. DM tag: "reveal-when-identify-or-attune."

Hoard 4: "Chief's Chamber"

Items:

  • • 85 gold pieces
  • • Cloak of Elvenkind (unidentified: "Fine Green Cloak")
  • • Ruby (worth 50gp)
  • • Brass Key

Notes:

The brass key opens Room 5. DM tags on key: "opens-treasury." DM tags on cloak: "cursed-no-actually-fine-just-messing-with-them."

Hoard 5: "Hidden Treasury"

Items:

  • • 200 gold, 50 platinum
  • • Wand of Magic Missiles (7 charges)
  • • 3× Potion of Healing
  • • Scroll of Fireball
  • • Silver locket (plot hook for later)

Notes:

The big reward for exploring thoroughly. DM tag on locket: "belonged-to-missing-merchant-session-12."

Prep Complete

Total prep time: about 30 minutes. Five hoards created, items populated with API search, unidentified items set up, DM tags added. You're ready for game night.

During the Session

Here's how loot distribution actually plays out at the table:

Room 1: Guard Post Cleared

Party defeats the goblins. "You search the bodies and the guard post. There's a small pile of coins, some rusty shortswords, and—nice find—a potion."

Open DM Tab → "Guard Post" → "Move to Incoming"

Time: 10 seconds. Items appear in party's Incoming tab.

Room 2: Barracks Discovered

Party sneaks in or fights the sleeping goblins. "Among the bedrolls and mess, you find some coins, spare armor, and... a crude map scratched on leather. It shows this dungeon—and there's a room marked that you haven't seen yet."

Open DM Tab → "Barracks" → "Move to Incoming"

The map mention creates intrigue. Players now know to look for a hidden room.

Room 3: Armory Unlocked

Rogue picks the lock (DC 15). "Inside, you find weapons and armor. One dagger catches your eye—the blade has an unusually keen edge."

Open DM Tab → "Armory" → "Move to Incoming"

Players see "Keen-Edged Dagger." Someone will want to identify it later.

Room 4: Chief Defeated!

Boss fight won. "The goblin chief's body holds a brass key and a fat coinpurse. In his quarters: a fine green cloak, a ruby the size of your thumb."

Open DM Tab → "Chief's Chamber" → "Move to Incoming"

Players will likely test the cloak for curses. Let them sweat a bit.

Room 5: Treasury Found

Using the map clue and the brass key, they find the hidden room. "Gold glitters in the torchlight. A wand lies on a velvet cushion. Healing potions. A scroll tube. And... a silver locket that seems out of place among goblin treasure."

Open DM Tab → "Hidden Treasury" → "Move to Incoming"

The locket seeds a future plot hook. They'll remember finding it here.

Time Comparison

Without Hoards

  • • 5 rooms × 3-5 min each = 15-25 min
  • • Looking up item stats
  • • Deciding loot on the fly
  • • Typing into tracker manually
  • • Players wait, momentum dies

15-25 minutes of dead time

With Hoards

  • • 5 rooms × 10 seconds each = 50 seconds
  • • Click → done
  • • Items pre-researched
  • • Transfer is instant
  • • Momentum maintained

Under 1 minute total

Post-Session

After the session, you can:

  • Check transaction history: See exactly what was distributed and when.
  • Review player assignments: Who claimed what from the incoming loot.
  • Plan reveals: The "Keen-Edged Dagger" and "Fine Green Cloak" need revealing next session.
  • Seed future content: That locket? You have 8 sessions to figure out what merchant it belonged to.

Try This Workflow

Prep your next dungeon in advance. Create one hoard per encounter. Watch how much smoother your session runs.

Start Your Session Prep

Free forever • Works with D&D 5e, Pathfinder 1e & 2e

The Takeaway

30 minutes of prep saves 25 minutes of session time—and those 25 minutes are the good kind (gameplay) replacing the bad kind (bookkeeping). Your players never see the work you did; they just notice the game flows better.