Virtual TableTops (VTTs)
You want to play, but need to play remotely. But how? Depending on your needs, playing remotely might mean playing on a Virtual TableTop (VTT).
I’m going to call out D&D 5E support in each VTT, because that’s the most popular gaming system, and that’s what most of you want to know about. I’ve also had great times playing 13th Age, Bluebeard’s Bride, GUMSHOE, FATE, Hillfolk, Numenera, and other games on VTTs. Just make sure the VTT supports the game you want to play.
Read more sage wisdom and advice about VTTs here: https://www.dreadunicorngames.com/blog/category/VTTs
VTTs have maps for tactical combat, dice rollers, text chat, and more. Most folks I know use a VTT with Discord for voice. (More on that here.)
I find all the VTTs a bit cumbersome and slow. Like many folks, I tried Roll20 first. I thought “how cumbersome and slow!” so I tried others. So far, my dream VTT isn’t out there. But I’ve had great fun playing on VTTs, so what exists works.
Roll20
Pro: Free version, most popular VTT so more players know it and has great publisher support. More systems supported than any other VTT. Great support for D&D 5E and many other game systems (I’m really impressed with the support for FATE and other Evil Hat games). Most of my experience as a player or GM online is through Roll20.
Con: Cumbersome user interface. New features seem to take forever to deliver, so I suspect an aging codebase that is hard to work with. Lags out a lot. Door support is terrible. Most of my experience with other VTTs is trying to find something better than Roll20.
Fantasy Grounds
Pro: More automated than Roll20. For example, casting D&D 5E faerie fire on a target causes all subsequent attacks to have advantage automatically, no remembering required. Second most popular VTT on the market, lots of players and systems. Great D&D 5E support. Brand new codebase on the Unity platform. Matt Colville raves about it and Jen Page works there.
Con: High learning curve, no free version (there is a free demo). Your game system might not be supported, or under supported. Example: 13th Age has support for only half the classes in the game (not an issue with D&D 5E).
Foundry
Pro: Feels like what Roll20 should have been. Very smooth and responsive in comparison. Support for a massive number of systems. Buy once, play forever.
Con: No free version. No publisher support yet, so the system support is broad but basic. One-person company.
Astral
Pro: Free version. Nice looking, with some great special effects built in, for example, make it rain or snow on the characters with the click of a button. Large number of game systems supported. Sounds are built in. 3rd party material available on DriveThruRPG.com. Drag and drop creatures from the D&D 5E SRD onto the map. Great doors. Nice tutorials on YouTube.
Con: Fine, but not great D&D 5E support. For example, you can’t buy a Wizards of the Coast adventure like you can on Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds. Performance issues (that keep getting better every time I try the system).
Role
Pro: Most intuitive UI in any VTT I’ve tried. Audio and video built in. Lots of building blocks to build your own stuff.
Con: Early access, lots more to come. You need to use those building blocks to build anything, including character sheets.
And There’s More!
While these are the five that are on my radar at the moment, there are a lot more VTTs out there. Do you use one I didn’t mention? Or one or more that I did? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
More resources for playing remotely:
Online Communication for Roleplaying Games
Next Up: Maps for Remote Play
