r/VTT

W2A2 is a VTT tool that was created with a few big principles in mind: make any TTRPG session as easy to play as possible, be user friendly for beginners but still offer advanced tools for more experienced players, and most importantly, be affordable and not subscription based.

This app stores everything locally and allows the GM to host a game in a matter of minutes, without having to pay for any hosting services. It includes all things you'd normally expect from a VTT tool, and a few additional features that we thought of while testing through our own sessions.

App is still in development, should be available in a few weeks! 

Looking for recommendations for story driven- or RPG-adjacent boardgames that can be run on a VTT or tabletop simulator.

Me and my friends live in different countries. We finished a long running DnD campaign a while back and we're looking for something similar, but where we dont need one of us to DM.

We're currently playing Earthborne Rangers, and I've tried Arkham Horror solo. Does anyone have any other suggestions they think might fit?

I know it might seem like we should just play Baulders Gate or some other computer game. But I really prefer boardgames. :)

I could go for a VTT option like Foundry, but again it would ideally be without the need for a GM.

Appreciate any help you can give!

Hey all — I've spent the last several months building 16-VTT, a browser-based virtual tabletop with a full 16-bit JRPG look instead of the usual battle-map aesthetic. Wanted to share where it's at and get some feedback before it heads to Kickstarter.

A few things it does:

• Live character customization — you can swap hair, armor, and weapons on your sprite instantly, and whatever you actually equip from your inventory shows up on the character, not just as a stat line.
• No-code narrative triggers — chain together "chest opens → NPC delivers a JRPG-style cutscene line with a full character portrait → door unlocks," all with clicks and no scripting.
• Dynamic fog of war and lighting, one-click dungeon generation, and a full world map with travel and GM-authored events.
• Pricing: one payment for the GM, every player joins free — no subscriptions, no per-seat fees.

Still pre-launch, but the landing page is up if you want to take a look or get notified when it drops: 16vtt.com

If you have any comments or suggestions, let me know! :)

https://preview.redd.it/om0eqkreudkh1.png?width=825&format=png&auto=webp&s=4dbfc524d752b149bd32d8044126e5d56216e0d3

You're welcome to use it too:

http://www.dungeonmixer.io/

Why?

I'm a Theatre-of-the-Mind GM, and I thrive on that emergent scenography that happens when everyone's sharing a wholly imaginative experience. I don't do battle maps, so I'm not interested in VTTs. But I absolutely need immersive audio.

That's traditionally been a challenge for online sessions. A 'soundtrack' clashes with the functionality of video conference tools - they suppress or destroy sounds which aren't human speech - so it's always been necessary to 'decouple' the soundtrack audio stream from the voice stream.

In the early days I played with Tabletop Audio, and later Syrinscape added a web player. I discovered Tavern Tunes recently, which does what it does beautifully - but all these tools limit you to their in-house content. That's a deal breaker for me.

Spotify Jam became my go-to when it launched in 2023, but while it solves much of the dilemma, it's just a synced playlist, not an audio mixer; fine most of the time, but sometimes you want those extra layers and more natural scene-setting control.

I knew what I needed: a really basic web-based 6-track mixer where I could build the file library, mix up various scenes, and stream away knowing that things would be synced on the player end; something players could easily navigate to in a browser then push out of the way and forget about.

When I couldn't find what I was looking for, I went on a coding journey and made a clunky prototype that crashed half the time. That was a few years ago, and I've dusted it off and tidied it up in preparation for some approaching Mothership missions.

If you're interested in trying it at your own virtual table, feel free. If you think it's useful and have some feedback/ideas - please share!

I'm growing exhausted of seeing a new VTT or TTRPG tool popup every single day. There is no innovation and everyone is clearly vibe coding some solution hoping to make money with little effort. It's depressing to see because I love this hobby.

I fell in love with tabletop games 10-years ago because it allowed me to stretch a creative muscle I didn't use for a very long time before. Things weren't black and white, solutions came in many forms. They allowed me to be authentic and witty. I LOVE these games and I love introducing new people to the hobby because I want them to feel the same joy I did years ago.

In between those 10-years I built Astral Tabletop, dddice, and now Overseer Studio.

Overseer Studio is a one-time purchase, downloadable app to organize all your tabs, PDFs, applications, and more in one convenient digital GM screen. You can add shortcuts, customize scenes however you like, and you can even write your own plugins to expand the functionality of Overseer with new themes, languages, tiles, and more.

In many ways, Overseer is the product I wish I had when I first started DMing. It keeps me personally organized and I've heard from countless others that they truly love using Overseer.

Overseer isn't a VTT, but it works with your VTT and many, many other tools.

I'd love if you tried Overseer at your table for your next online or in-person session. You can try it for free for as long as you like and if Overseer works for you, it's on $24 in early access.

Happy gaming!

A little update on where Epic VTT is right now.

There has been a lot happening behind the scenes, and I wanted to put everything into one place instead of only showing individual screenshots.

Epic VTT has grown far beyond the original idea. At this point it is a functioning web-based virtual tabletop that I am continuing to build, clean up, optimize, and expand.

Here is some of what is currently being worked on or already functioning:

• Multiple RPG systems

Character sheet support is being built for D&D 5e 2014, D&D 5e 2024, Pathfinder 2e, Starfinder, and Daggerheart. The goal is for each system to have sheets and information appropriate to that game instead of trying to force everything into one generic sheet.

• Character, NPC, and creature sheets

These are being integrated directly into the VTT. They are not a separate character generator. They are part of the campaign system and connect with other VTT features.

• Customizable character sheets

Panels can be moved and arranged, themes can be customized, and I am currently working on making sure those layouts and preferences save correctly between sessions.

• Multiplayer character sheet updates

I am working on moving character sheet communication toward WebSockets so changes can update between players without constantly rewriting the entire character sheet or campaign data.

• Maps and tokens

Maps and tokens can be placed and controlled directly on the tabletop with multiple layers and tools for the DM.

• Dynamic lighting and vision

Lighting has been one of the larger areas of development. This includes line of sight, walls, darkvision, night vision, thermal vision, light sources, and other visibility tools.

• Interactive doors and windows

Doors can open and close and affect both movement and vision. Windows can allow vision through them while still preventing movement.

• Lighting tools for DMs

Walls, doors, windows, and light sources can be placed directly onto maps. Torches can also be placed as movable light sources.

• Multiple tabletop layers

The VTT includes separate layers for maps, lighting, tokens, canopy objects, and DM notes so different parts of a map can be managed independently.

• Grid customization

The grid can be adjusted or removed, and removing it can also remove token snapping when a game or map does not need a grid.

• Token sizing and movement

Tokens support different creature sizes, including smaller sizes such as 1/2 and 1/4 grid spaces, along with size locking and movement tools.

• Character and token connections

Character information can connect with tabletop tokens so things like HP, AC, conditions, initiative, images, and other information can work together instead of being completely separate systems.

• Damage resistance and immunity support

Damage applied through token controls can reference character information and account for resistances or immunities.

• Initiative tracking

Characters and creatures can be connected to initiative while retaining their token and character information.

• Chat system

Campaign chat supports rolls, images, emojis, GIF links, private messages, and DM communication.

• 3D dice

A 3D dice system is being developed directly inside the VTT with multiple dice types and visible results.

• Weather effects

Weather tools are being developed for natural, seasonal, and fantasy weather with adjustable intensity.

• Journals

Campaign journals can be created and managed, including information that a DM can choose to share with players.

• PDF library and viewer

PDFs can be stored in a user's library and opened while working inside a campaign.

• Drawing and text tools

DMs can place drawings, text, spell templates, and other information directly onto the tabletop.

• Campaign saving

A huge amount of recent work has gone into making campaign information save correctly, including maps, tokens, positions, rotations, character information, chat, layers, and other campaign data.

• Performance work

As Epic VTT has become larger, I have been working on reducing unnecessary updates and improving how information is saved and synchronized. This is especially important as multiplayer testing expands.

• Account and campaign libraries

Maps, tokens, PDFs, characters, NPCs, creatures, and journals are being organized so information is stored in the correct account or campaign location instead of everything being dumped into one place.

• Drag and drop functionality

A lot of the VTT is designed around being able to move, arrange, resize, and interact with things instead of navigating through endless menus.

• Campaign management

The tabletop is being built as part of a larger campaign system rather than as a standalone map viewer.

There are still bugs. There are still sections that need cleanup. Some features are further along than others, and sometimes fixing one system exposes something else that needs attention.

That is development.

I would rather show Epic VTT while it is actually being built than pretend everything is finished.

This also isn't just a character generator, character sheet website, map maker, or lighting demo. Those are individual pieces of a much larger VTT.

The goal is to bring those pieces together so a DM and their players can manage their characters, campaign, maps, tokens, encounters, communication, and game tools from one place.

There has already been an enormous amount of development put into Epic VTT, and there is plenty more to do.

I'm still building. I'm still testing. I'm still fixing things.

And Epic VTT keeps getting closer.

Like the title says, I just found out that soncraft on discord has a limit. I've been using it for months and I've never noticed it run out of time before but tonight mid-session the sound effects and ambience just went off. Said I ran out of time. I don't really want to pay seven bucks a month or 80 bucks a year.

I didn't know if anybody had any good free alternatives. I think ambient sound, board effects and background of music are some of the best immersive things you can do for a vtt based game. And I particularly enjoy controlling it over discord versus trying to do it in roll 20.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

I know all the regulars know this but I have had a recent conversation with a couple of newish DMs and they ended up being amazed at what they could do offline with FG, for FREE. Here are the key things that seemed the most mind blowing:

• the Combat Tracker
• seriously, the Combat Tracker
• reskinning NPCs
• saving those reskinned NPCs as recurring characters
• editing adventures
• keeping notes

Is there any other amazing feature for offline game play that I am forgetting?

Like the description says, I was wondering what is the best VVT right now out now for...

* A new VVT user

* Looking to build custom campaigns (so maps, tokens, etc.)

* Easy to use/learn too

Hello everyone!

I'll be DM'img soon (5e) but online I've only tried Roll20, during the pandemic. I was ok with it, but I feel like I wamted something different and Alchemy looked perfect, but I only have a Chromebook nowadays. And it lags a lot.

Is there a good option for a VTT on weaker Chromebooks?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everybody,

Im playing with this idea of using a somewhat cheap projector to project area lighting or for instance lightning effects on an actual tabletop game. (A matt, terrain, models, the whole thing)

Im wondering if you have any tips on what to use software wise.

I daw things like foundry or owlbear, but they might be overly complicated (?)

I have no experience with for instance video editing software, so something affordable and user friendly would be a pro.

I could have it run of a laptop or a pc where the projector is a video output like a second screen.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance

I'm intending to run a custom system that will kind of replicate the experience of a classic shoot 'em up(Shmup) video game, for an in-person game using a tv-in-a-box tabletop platform(Unfortunately the way my gaming table is built there is no way to build it in without ruining existing features/integrity). I just assembled this recently and have no experience actually using it to display anything like a battle map or anything.

My groups are solely in-person and generally don't use digital support. I have a projector, but we usually just project stuff like level-up instructions, rough maps via MS paint. Visual-novel-esque environment backgrounds, or character/monster illustrations.

So I don't need to host, just present.

I don't need support for existing systems, but the ability to show tokens with like +1, -1, or status effects and general rpg stuff would be helpful.

What I do need is the ability to have a background, preferably animated, the ability to scroll it behind the grid while the grid remains static, and maybe even better if there can also be a "foreground" for a parallax effect.

I need multiple player tokens and enemy tokens, and the ability to overlay additional UI. Such as shared assets, a progress meter, stuff you may see in a video game UI. One thing I'm doing is projecting the "flight path" of enemies for positioning, so it would be useful to either lay out flight path objects, or if the software can actually perform them on a turn-by-turn basis, even better. I heard some of these have some cool automation and macro features, so in my mind it sounds like something that can be done - but the visual indicator would be most important to me.

It would be easier to be able to lock to grid, but having the option to move items unlocked from grid would be nice. So optimally both, an even more optimally being able to lock small objects to 9 points in a grid(center, edges, vertices).

I've run a variant of this system as a mini-game in other campaigns to solid success, so I'm trying to expand on that - it's not a question if this works in practice. I did said variant with all physical objects, so I feel this method could prove to be exactly what we are looking for - I just need to find the "right" VTT software, because I can't afford to buy them all, nor the time to test them all. I've tried watching videos on youtube about the recommendations, but so many are focused on specifically what I don't need - accessibility each player, and integration of other systems, rather than the capabilities. So here I am hoping reaching out to people with direct experience may prove helpful.

To be fair I do intend to use this display for other combat-heavy or tactical-combat based RPGs, and hope to maybe even get some unique use out of it for more social or abstract rpgs. I play pretty much everything but d20-based systems these days(I have over 100+ physical core rulebooks)So any suggestions for how to use it in other unique ways would be helpful too.

I have provided pictures of said newly built platform, and a quick-and-dirty example of what I'm looking to display.

Thank you for you input in advance.

Centered bullets indicate traveling orthogonally, cornered travel diagonally, being able to slide the meter as a percentage would be cool, too.

Currently just displaying a animated background via youtube for demo purposes.