r/VTT

Hi :) I've been building an offline-first DM tool for D&D 5e and just opened limited beta slots for the online side. Sharing in case it helps your table.

What it is

• Free, open-source tool for players, worldbuilders and dungeon masters
• Runs on Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, macOS
• Two-screen layout: DM screen + projected player screen (TV, second monitor, or another device)
• Fully usable offline/online

Online mode (experimental beta - limited slots)

• Share worlds with players, invite via code
• Realtime sync of characters, combat, battlemaps, fog of war
• Second-screen projection over the network for remote sessions
• Shared media pool with per-account quota (cloud art, portraits, session media)
• Beta is invite-gated right now; features still shifting and will keep evolving, expect rough edges and changes

Roadmap

• Full D&D 5e SRD implementation (closing remaining gaps)
• Bundled art for every species/class/monster/spell/item, no more raw-text cards
• Ready-made music packs for the built-in soundpad
• Better battlemap system (LoS, dynamic vision, AoE overlays, smoother large grids) + free visual asset packs for maps

Links

• https://github.com/elymsyr/dungeon-master-tool
• https://elymsyr.github.io/

I know, I know. This sub gets a new homemade VTT every week. I've been building mine for my own table, and I think it does a few things you don't see often, so hear me out.

It's called CartoSmith. The DM runs it on a Windows PC, and there are three ways to play:

- At the table. Pop out the Player Display window onto a TV or second monitor. Players see the map, the DM keeps everything else on their own screen.

- On stream. Share that same Player Display window to Discord or your streaming setup.

- Online. Players join from their phone browser, wherever they are.

Use one, or mix them in the same session.

What I think actually sets it apart:

- Whole buildings, not single maps. Floors are stacked and linked by stairs, and the DM gets a dollhouse view of the whole building showing who is on which floor, friend or foe. My biggest test building has 32 floors. (Pic 1)

- Real line of sight for each player. Every player sees only what their own character can see, through doors, windows, and down hallways, on their own phone too. Two players in the same building see two different maps. (Pic 2)

- DM Prep. Doors and chests are marked as an armed trap (red), locked (yellow), or confirmed safe (green), so you can tell at a glance what is going to bite the party. Players never see any of it. (Pic 3)

- Secrets stay secret. Hidden enemies, traps, and secret doors are never sent to players at all. It's not a layer covering them that someone could peek under. The data just isn't on their device.

- Phone play that works. Players type a six-letter code and a name, the DM approves them, and they're in. No accounts, no installs, no port forwarding. They move with a big on-screen pad, and the DM's PC checks walls, doors, speed, and turn order before anything moves. (Pics 4 and 5)

- A movement lock. One click switches players between free movement, DM approves each move, or locked. Handy when you're streaming or explaining something.

It also imports Dungeondraft and Universal VTT maps with walls, doors, and lights, and plain map pictures from Inkarnate and the like. It finds the grid in the picture for you.

Where it's at: the Windows app is in testing. Online play is in early preview, and it's running with real players on their own phones on different networks, not just everyone on the same Wi-Fi. It's not open to everyone yet, but there's a waitlist at https://cartosmith.app

Happy to answer anything about how it works under the hood. And if you've been burned by a VTT before, tell me what went wrong. That's exactly what I want to avoid.

Hey everyone! I'm Gabú from Wand & Widgets, and I just released the first beta of W&W Sheet.

I wanted the character's identity to carry through from the sheet to the map. The 12 classes get distinct colors, crests, and portrait frames, and multiclass characters combine those identities.

Two parts I'm especially happy to share here:

• A spatial inventory inside the sheet. Equipment has body slots, containers have their own grids, and you can rotate items while dragging them. The GM can keep the layout visual or enforce the available space. Weight still follows the game system.
• Tokens that react to actual game events. Marionette adds procedural motion to existing token images. For custom walking, attack, hurt, or fallen animations, you can supply your own images or videos. One saved set can be reused across a group of monsters.

The Turn tab also keeps actions, bonus actions, reactions, movement, and Extra Attack together. There are optional biography prompts for the character behind all those numbers.

Requires Foundry V14 and dnd5e 6.0+. This is a paid beta through Patreon, installed manually from a ZIP. It is a Foundry module, so you'll need Foundry to use it.

The attached teaser shows it running. The Ray of Frost effect is JB2A via Automated Animations and Sequencer. Full production credits are in the Patreon post.

Full feature demos and beta access on Patreon. Free membership is also available if you'd just like to follow development.

I'd love to hear from people who use spatial inventories: do you prefer them as a visual aid, or as an actual limit on what a character can carry?

As a side project, I’ve been working on a async PBP platform with an integrated VTT since October last year, RoundZero. I’ve been running a couple of campaigns with friends and it’s been a blast so far. The main priority is mobile, so you can take your turn while killing time

The chat separates in-character (IC) posts from out-of-character (OOC) chat, rolls, DM narration and combat logs. It features notifications, formatted text messages, and private messages.

The VTT has animated replays, combat log, animations, and position history. Rolls can be automated, and NPCs and monsters can act on their own (traditional automation, not LLMs).

Some differentiators:

• Language obfuscation, so only those who speak the chosen language see the original text
• Voice messages with transcription
• Theater mode
• Character sheet integration (D&D)
• D&D combat and roll automation
• In-app character sheets

The app is completely free to use, and the Android version is currently in closed beta

The demo is open, no login needed.

https://roundzero.app/pbp/c/roundzero-demo-mount-roghar/chat

Disclaimer for those who don't like AI: the app itself was developed with AI.

I'm looking for GMs or players who want to test the platform. Only D&D is automated right now (you can still use other systems, just without the automation).
My idea is that you can use it for:

• Traditional PBP campaigns
• Extending in-person campaigns (so you can keep playing between sessions)
• Running solo campaigns (where the DM builds a personal backstory in parallel)
• Technically, you can just use the VTT on its own

Feedback is welcome

Ran a quick test across some custom-made static encounter maps I created to check scaling, color balance, and miniature footprints on my homemade digital table build.

The main takeaway right now is the glare. I’m currently using a standard sheet of plexiglass to protect the display, but the overhead reflection is pretty obvious at certain angles.

I'm thinking about upgrading to real glass next. For those who built their own TV table enclosures, did you go with tempered glass or stick with acrylic? Any specific anti-glare options you'd recommend?