What Is a Digital Tabletop (VTT) and How Does it Work?

March 26, 2023Last Updated: March 26, 2023

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Have you ever ever puzzled how folks play tabletop role-playing video games (TTRPG) on-line? Or are you itching to dive into some tabletop gaming however cannot discover a local people to play with?

In that case, then a VTT is the reply to your wants. VTTs or digital tabletops let folks meet up on-line and play TTRPGs digitally. These vary in complexity and add a number of options that make TTRPG gaming simpler—a lot in order that some even want them over taking part in tabletop video games bodily.

So, let’s discover what a VTT is and why you need to begin utilizing it.

What Is a VTT?

As said earlier, VTT stands for digital tabletop, and it might merely be outlined as a digital platform that simulates a tabletop for (usually dice-based) RPGs.

Which means VTTs want some elementary parts to be efficiently described as VTTs:

A VTT will need to have a shared “desk” everybody can see. The desk will be introduced as a web page that the gamers can draw on and work together with as the sport progresses. That is the core criterion for any VTT earlier than it may be thought of one.

A VTT will need to have “tokens” that the gamers can work together with. In basic bodily TTRPGs, it is difficult to play the sport with out some sort of illustration for every character within the scene. So, a digital tabletop should present tokens for the gamers to characterize their characters on the digital desk.

It will need to have a dice-rolling mechanism. Granted, some TTRPGs do not want cube, however they largely nonetheless require some sort of RNG (random quantity generator) mechanic. Apart from, there are such a lot of dice-based TTRPGs that not having a cube on the VTT feels an excessive amount of like a drawback.

These three necessities make for a useful VTT. Nonetheless, different VTTs, like FoundryVTT and Roll2, supply further complicated options to enhance your gaming expertise. As an illustration, they each have character sheets that monitor well being and different variables in real-time, have animation results like combating, partitions, and fog-of-war, and assist background music and sound results.

However, some easy VTTs, like Owlbear Rodeo, do not have way more than these three fundamentals. These VTTs are usually free and way more accessible. So, should you do not need to make investments a lot in a VTT, think about using different TTRPG providers like DnD Past.

Why Do You Want a VTT?

Probably the most obvious motive you may want a VTT is to play with folks not in your bodily space. It lets you play video games with associates—or strangers—with out leaving the consolation of your property. This implies it is extra logistically handy to play on-line VTT video games than to set a schedule with your mates to play in individual.

This comfort even extends to sport masters. In any case, organizing video games, carrying maps, cube, and different sport paraphernalia to your meet-up place, monitoring everybody’s well being, stats, and stock, writing and compiling notes, and all the opposite duties required to arrange and run a TTRPG might be an actual problem.

In the event you use a VTT, the app might deal with all that tedium. It might additionally prevent some huge cash down the road. Shopping for books and kit, printing maps, making 3D tokens, and transportation prices can rack as much as vital sums.

Greater than that, VTTs are versatile—you should utilize them to play TTRPG on-line, or you should utilize them in an area bodily sport for comfort and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, should you plan to take your sport immersion a notch increased, VTTs can provide you ample room for that.

Many VTTs have every kind of options. There’s like lighting and token imaginative and prescient limiting what gamers can see. And sport masters can place partitions on maps to cease their gamers from coming into locations they should not be capable of. You’ll be able to even use instruments alongside your VTT should you’re taking part in on-line, like a Discord voice changer, that can assist you keep in character.

How Can You Get a VTT?

There are two main methods you may get a VTT. The primary is to obtain and set up a VTT to your pc, and the second is to entry it by way of a web site. An instance of the previous consists of Fantasy Floor and FoundryVTT.

To make use of these providers, it’s essential obtain and set up them in your pc. Moreover, these VTTs will value you: Fantasy Grounds begin at $39, whereas Foundry’s buy web page lists it at $50.

However, you may nonetheless discover just a few free downloadable VTTs, like MapTool. You should use these as a substitute of paying for a VTT should you do not thoughts dropping out on some fancy options.

You too can play with a VTT straight out of your browser. A few nice examples embrace Owlbear Rodeo and Tableplop, which helps you to play and host video games without spending a dime. Roll20 is one other instance of an amazing VTT, however if you wish to entry its extra superior options, you have to get a month-to-month or annual subscription.

However what’s nice about all these VTTs is that almost all of them have an energetic neighborhood that would assist get you began.

As soon as you’ve got chosen a VTT, the subsequent necessary factor is creating your sport. In the event you take pleasure in being a gamemaster, that is the enjoyable half.

Not all VTTs are designed for intricate world-building and character creation, however most have house so that you can enter your scenes and tokens. If you need a VTT with in depth world-building capabilities, you may need to fork out some money to pay for both Foundry, Roll20, or Fantasy Grounds. However should you do not need to spend further, you may make essentially the most out of the world you’ve gotten by making private notes.

When you’re able to share your sport, it is time to arrange a server. In the event you’re utilizing a downloaded VTT, you will most definitely want a server to host your sport, particularly in case your gamers are on the opposite aspect of the world. However should you’re all related to the identical native community, some VTTs like Foundry allow you to use your LAN to start out a sport. This eliminates the necessity to pay for a server and is way extra dependable than taking part in over the web.

On-line VTTs, however, are already on a server, so that you needn’t fear about getting your individual for them. Simply create an invite hyperlink and ship it to your mates to get began.

However should you’re trying to play with strangers, you could find On the lookout for Group (LFG) boards on Reddit or Discord and be part of them. Alternatively, you may promote your Roll20 video games on its boards to seek out folks to affix your journey.

Whereas handy, VTTs needn’t cease you from calling your mates to return to have enjoyable on Saturday evenings. Quite the opposite, they’re there to make issues extra enjoyable for you and your gamers by minimizing how a lot out-of-game work it’s a must to do.

Select a VTT, grasp it, and also you and your gamers will be glad about it. It might make your subsequent sport session way more immersive and enjoyable.