I will begin by saying that I believe that playing tabletop RPGs online has gotten very accessible, very affordable and very easy.  The abundance of video/voice chat services, online tools and virtual tabletops mean that you can create a gaming environment that is as good as, if not better than, sitting around a physical table.  Now I know that I am a little bias in this area, as I truly enjoy DMing on a virtual tabletop, but it really can be a fantastic experience.

With the recent isolation caused by the virus pandemic throughout the world, I have noticed lots of discussion on how to play tabletop RPGs online.  In this article, I will take you through some options to help you get started.

A Simple Start

If your chosen RPG and gaming method does not require map and token use, you can get yourself started very quickly and easily.  You will most likely just require a voice chat service, a dice roller, and possibility, a way to share files.

There are plenty of voice chat services out there, but the one that I would recommend is Discord.  I recommend it for three reasons.  It is easy to set up, it works well, and it is free.  Those are three really good reasons to use it.  Get started using Discord.  As a bonus, Discord has a text chat feature that will allow you to speak directly to all or just one of the group.  Learn how to send a private message.

For most RPGs, you will need to roll dice to determine the outcomes of situations in your game.  I know that some folks like to roll their own dice and let the group know the results.  If you would prefer to use virtual dice, there is no shortage of options.  Just do a Google search for virtual or online dice, and there will be pages to choose from.  One virtual dice option that I think is a good choice is Roll Dice with Friends.  This site allows everyone to join a single room and see each other’s rolls.  This removes the possibility of “fudging” the results and allows for an instant reaction from the group.  Get started using Roll Dice with Friends.

At some point, you will likely need to share a file of some type with the group; be it a map, an image, a note or similar.  If you are using Discord, this is as easy as dragging the file into the text chat window.  This will allow everyone to access it.

Adding to the Experience

Now that you have a start, let’s look at some of the additions you can add to your online tabletop experience.

The first option is to add a video chat service.  Once again, there are plenty of options available, but I would suggest using one of these two popular free video conferencing options.  They are Zoom and Skype.  Both services are simple to set up and simple to use.  As a bonus, these options have text chat, file sharing, and screen sharing.  Get started using Zoom.  Get started using Skype.

The next option is to start using an online campaign manager.  These services allow you to create the campaign components you need such as maps, images, NPCs, storylines, character sheets, ETC.  You get your players to log into the campaign manager then share the campaign components as they are revealed during gameplay.  There are lots of choices in this area as well, but I will warn you that there is a steep learning curve with most of these options.  Two of the best that I have used are World Anvil and Kanka.  World Anvil is considerably more complex than Kanka, but they both have their place depending on how you want to use them.  Although it is not a quick or easy addition to your online RPG play, it can greatly add to the experience once you get the hang of it.  Get started using World Anvil.  Get started using Kanka.

The final option is to move into a virtual tabletop.  This is the granddaddy option for playing tabletop RPGs online.  Sometimes referred to as VTTs, virtual tabletops give you everything you could need to play your favourite RPG online.  Features include map views with moveable tokens, image sharing, character sheets, virtual dice, and built-in compendiums and modules.  Some virtual tabletops include audio/video/text chat services, music/sound effects players and map builders as well.  Like campaign managers, these have a steep learning curve.  Know that once you get the hang of it, you will wonder why you tried to play RPGs online without one.  The two giants in the RPG virtual tabletop world right now are Fantasy Grounds and Roll20.  I wrote an article comparing the two that you can read here.  Get started with Fantasy Grounds.  Get started with Roll20.

So there you have it, everything you need to start playing your favourite RPGs online.  Give it a try.  I know that you will love it.

Have you ever played tabletop RPGs online?  How did you do it?  What did you use? Let me know in the comments.  Thanks for reading.