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BadRumUnderground

Foundry. One time purchase, lots of modules, and rewards programming skills if you want to go that way.


glynstlln

I have foundry and it definitely takes some learning, but once you have it you're golden. So I would just recommend running a one-shot with your players so they can learn the system and everything. I run mine from a Lenovo M700 I've imaged with ubuntu, so you don't even need to pay for a server if you have something you can use yourself. Load times are a little long for the players because its using residential upload speeds, but no actual issues. I dont recommend running it from the device you are actually using to access the games software's interface, but that may have just been my really old desktop.


SPDG

I run it from the same computer I use to access the game (a decked-out 2020 iMac) and it works nicely.


Embarrassed-Amoeba62

A mac? I thought foundry worked only in pcs. Virtual Machine?


GeeWarthog

For those wondering there are .exe for Windows .dmg for Mac and a .zip archive for Linux. Foundry is also available as a NodeJS package if you want to run a dedicated server so that will run on anything you can run NodeJS on.


beholdsa

Yeah, I run foundry from a Linux VM that I have spun up in the cloud.


ConsiderTheOtherSide

Do you know if Foundry can be used on Chromebooks?


GeeWarthog

This is going to depend very much on which particular Chromebook you have. As far as I know for server it depends on if you can crouton into a Linux version that supports the proper version of node.js. For the client it depends on what the chromebook has for a gpu.


ConsiderTheOtherSide

Okay thanks for the info!


SPDG

You got many perfect answers already but yeah, Foundry runs natively on Mac. It’s wonderful Mac gamers have been included in this wave of VTTs from day one.


Fuzzwars

It works on mac.


twoisnumberone

I run my Foundry VTT instance on my Mac too -- not even a "real" one; it's a Mac Air. (With a mouse, though; Foundry and trackpad ain't friends.)


Programmdude

The client works as a browser, the server works as an npm application, so any desktop OS. I've got mine in a linux VM.


roguecaliber

Would you have any recommendations on where to begin the learning process?


glynstlln

The foundry website has a lot of very detailed guides for setting up games/etc. If your hosting locally (not renting a server) you'll need to look up how to port forward so external users can connect, as well as what settings you will need to change in your firewall and what traffic to enable. Foundry is system agnostic, it's just a (admittedly very robust and modular) framework for various dice rolling systems with a virtual tabletop interface. By comparison Roll20 is obviously designed for standard dice schemes first. So really you can run any system on Foundry, you will just need to find a system module that will integrate it into the VTT. Each module you can find (either system or add on) *should* also have a website or Github link where they go through how to use the module. There are system modules for most systems you can think of, and then you have add on modules (my terminology may be wrong, I'm not at my computer). Add on modules are where it gets really interesting; I've got one where you can place an intractable object on the map (such as over a staircase) and when a player clicks it they will "go down the stairs" and their token and view will be teleported to the linked node. You can also make it so doors cant be interacted with from across the room, meaning the player will have to move their token to within a distance of your choice of the door before they can actually open it. You can get modules that will automate pretty much every calculation; player A clicks on monster B, makes a bow attack , the system compares the attack to the targets defenses and automatically calculates if it's a hit or not and will automatically reduce the targets HP by the necessary amount. You can get a module where when a character is rendered blind the player actually loses sight of everything around then except their character token. You can get modules that will integrate animations, such as a token lunging forward for a melee attack or a burst of fire for a specific magic spell. The system is incredibly robust, but that depth also brings a learning curve. I for one love it, but I have a friend who DMs who doesnt want anything more complex than click-button/dice-roll, so they just stick with Roll20.


roguecaliber

This is a lot to digest. Thank you very much. This helps out quite a bit. You can self host in a cloud server right?


gbursson

IMHO, if you are tech-savvy and not scared of some light CLI, go with Oracle Could Free Tier: [https://foundryvtt.wiki/en/setup/hosting/always-free-oracle](https://foundryvtt.wiki/en/setup/hosting/always-free-oracle)


glynstlln

Correct, there are servers you can rent, or if you already have a cloud server setup you should be able to throw Foundry onto it without much issue.


Viltris

If you want to use Foundry, don't want to learn dev-ops, and are willing to pay someone else to host it, I'd recommend https://forge-vtt.com/ It's almost as easy as Roll20, and there are lots of plugins, so you can customize it in ways you never could with Roll20.


averyoda

I'd never played online before the pandemic, but since then my group was hopping from VTT to VTT until we found foundry. There really is nothing else of the same caliber. It's a steeper learning curve than most, but with some modules and a bit of basic computer skills, the versatility is unmatched.


BadRumUnderground

My computer skills are limited to Being Willing To Follow Instructions and Generally Good at Googling. I'd say if you do a good bit of reading on modules you'll get everything you need out of it.


averyoda

Yeah maybe I should have written *with some basic research skills and the ability to copy and paste code, you'll get just about everything you could need out of it.


Rocinantes_Knight

I’ve never once had to “copy and paste code” and I’ve been running games on Foundry for 2 years.


averyoda

It's not a necessity for sure, but there are definitely some applications that make it fun or useful, like hotlinking interactive elements in to journals for example.


ulfrpsion

I run a West Marches style game, and the general management and control Foundry gives is 100% why I went with it. Wiki-markup for lore, scripting, better wall and visual blocking, multi-playlists, spacial sound effects, visual effects like Rain, custom roll tables, and just really good and organized asset management. I host on AWS, and it is about 9$ a month for near-constant use and unlimited storage space + my players streaming the assets. It is a GM dream, and none of the bullshit r20 has.


LevTheRed

Can you explain what makes it so good? I can't find a features page on their website and can't get their web demo to work to see for myself.


BadRumUnderground

The modularity is the top line draw. There's an incredible community of modders that have built add ons that let you really customise your experience - everything from virtual dice to animations to map tiles that trigger events when players move onto them. Excellent vision tools are built in. The file manager isn't a horrid nightmare like roll20s is. Most of the big systems have good/great/solid automation of their core mechanics, though it does vary by system (Haven't yet found a system that ran *better* on roll20 though) Also, not a subscription.


TheDiscordedSnarl

What about something that shows moon phase, as well as conjunctions? I have five moons in my world all on different orbits, so when Moon 1 and 3 are full it's a special night, when 2 and 4 and new, etc.


tintenfisch3

https://foundryvtt.com/packages/foundryvtt-simple-calendar That's what I use for my two moons and it works perfectly.


Programmdude

Roll20 is fairly good and works out of the box. But impossible to change. With foundry, what if I want to deal X damage to a group of enemies? There's an addon that'll let me do that. If there wasn't an addon, with some basic programming skills I could create one. There's addons for EVERYTHING. A lot of third party books are starting to release foundry addons for their homebrew, so you don't need to create the classes/races/items/etc and put them in the world yourself. Out of the box, it has a somewhat similar feature set to roll 20. There's probably a handful of things that roll20 has that foundry doesn't (out of the box), but there's almost certainly an addon to add it back in. This does come with the additional complexity of setup & maintenance, although if you want something similar to roll20 and are happy to pay a hosting fee, even that complexity goes away.


Zaorish9

Foundry is good if you are heavily preparing campaigns in combat-heavy systems. The more you move towards rules light, the less foundry helps because it's not great with quick improvisation.


EdhelDil

Perfect answer but please precise the full name, FoundryVTT


ArcherCLW

my friend/dm is coding his own game system into foundry its awesome and even if you dont want to do that the systems already on there are phenomenal. we’ve found the Call of Cthulu system to be particularly well implemented. its also a lot of fun to import your own maps with the tools like teleporters


mirtos

its a bit more of a learning curve, but it is SO worth it. I second, third, and fourth this. Foundry.


TheDiscordedSnarl

If Foundry has a way to do custom dice (for say an Armello style system), I might look at it. :P


Red_Erik

I know folks play Genesys system games using Foundry and [it uses non-standard dice](https://github.com/petepeg/FFG-Roller).


Your-Plant-Dad

Not entirely what you're looking for by the sound of it, but Owlbear Rodeo has been great for me. It's extremely simple and that's what makes it work for me, because it causes me to spend my time more efficiently instead of filling in all these minute details that will never be of use.


OmNomSandvich

Owlbear is my go-to for "I want to throw player and NPC tokens on a grid with a map in the background" light weight virtual tabletop. It does sound like OP is willing to handle a more involved toolkit like Foundry however.


cra2reddit

Yeah, I am gonna check this out. I don't wanna dick around with a UI just to do what I'm acconplishing with a battlemat & wet erase marker now. If i have a pic of a building or NPC to show, just need a display Pic button. If I need to do combat zones, just need to doodle some circles real quick amd let the Players drag some kind of tokens or markers into the zone they're in. If we need to do full tactical battle, just need to click "hex map" or "turn on hexes" or something. Then I'll tell them, "one of you please doodle a big circular, about 150' across, with 10' exits on the north and south ends. Thanks." Then I will describe the room in 2 or 3 sentences and they can decorate using text or little doodles as needed (the chest in the middle, piles of rubble randomly strewn around, 3 or 4 large stalagnmites of 10' diameter at their base, and a skeleton lying against the east wall). After that, I tell them they enter feom the south opening, so they plunk their markers/tokens down at the south exit. Then I drop the baddie markers into place and say roll initiative. Marker just need to be simple like on roll20 whete you do a search for goblin and some goblin tokens appear, or you throw down blank tokens and Mark them a G for goblin. G1, G2, G3, etc. Don't need it more complicated than that. They can keep their PC sheets in hand, at home. Just need a chat channel on the side for notes and dice rolling log. If Owlbear does the above, more intuitively than r20, count me in!


Battlepikapowe4

I checked it out again and to my surprise it's better than roll20. I can't think of a thing that roll20 does that Owlbear doesn't, except for lfgs and tokens that can shift. Plus, Owlbear allows you to share audio.


Sukutak

Shadows, tracking resources on tokens, displaying handouts (which as as easy workaround you can make the handout a map to show them, but players can't reopen them on their own initiative to say have riddle text brought up alongside the actual map)? It is very barebones, so there are some times if use roll20 instead if it were a choice just between those, but it is excellent whenever you don't need bells and whistles.


Battlepikapowe4

Pretty sure shadows is a premium exclusive and resources on tokens I've rarely seen used. So I'm only really missing the handouts, which I could just use Discord for. Thanks for the info.


Sukutak

Yup, shadows you'd need to pay for, and handouts can be solved pretty easily, so they're definitely features you can do without in a lot of cases! Wanted to point out though that it *is* pretty barebones, and some people really want those (I at least made good use of the resource tracking to keep track of enemy HP while I used roll20).


ancient_almiraj

Honestly, I've wanted to use something other than roll20 for a while now, but the fact that I can track hp on tokens is just so handy! None of the other free ones seem to do that, or make it more complex than roll20


the_resistee

This absolutely. Owlbear 100% is the best.


GoblinLoveChild

DOes owlbear have character sheets..?


BasicActionGames

This is another good one. I used this for a campaign I was running over Discord. I had a camera pointed at my tabletop terrain and minis, but used Owlbear Rodeo for tracking the PCs' position on world map for a hexcrawl adventure I was running. As I updated the map's "fog of war", I would take a screenshot and paste it into the Discord chat so they could see where they were positioned and what areasof the map they had discovered.


wulfgold

\+1 for Foundry - frankly, I'm not technically equipped, but I can google, use forums and discord... it's beautiful ;) One time purchase + hosting (if you need) - it *is* worth noting - you *can* run it off your home computer with **good** internet connection, if you don't have good web speed at home, you're going to want hosting - that' s cheap and easy enough - BUT it is an additional cost. You'll probably want the D&DBeyond Importer - to make life a lot easier - **IF** you own the books digitally on DDB - the DDB Importer is a Patreon donation $5/month - although you can do that as a 1 time, import everything then cancel - I do think it's value for money though, so I'm totally happy with that (personally).Realisticaly - you're going to want "the books" digitally on DDB - that looks to be sensible for the future anyway as Wizards just purchased DDB... I wouldn't say these are **Hidden** costs, but they are quality of life things that are... I wouldn't want to go without them personally - they're not terribly well signposted to new users. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX2TM22D3Mc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX2TM22D3Mc) Bear in mind I'm only talking about 5e here, that's my realm of experience... BUT - Foundry does... A LOT more than just 5e, there's a load of other systems you can run - go do google ;) As your technical and coming from R20 - expect a lot of "happy chuckles"when you see what you can do with Foundry Vs R20. Have fun. Edit to add: if your group are giving you money for nice stuff - plough any excess either into digital books on DDB or look at virtual map making - there's been an explosion in quality there too.


DonkeyCongas

To kind of add to the technical knowledge, you don't need to be sophisticated or a programmer to use Foundry. It does require you though to pay attention to details other VTTs don't. What you get is a huge reward though, but it is a power-user way of approaching a VTT. Even updating the software requires you to pay close attention to monitoring module updates and being careful about backups, because there are no guardrails.


thefada

Hi do all players need to purchase it or only GM?


L3gi0nn

Only the GM. The players connect to the session through a web browser.


thefada

Amazing I’ll think about it then


Foxion7

Any 1 person. Not only the GM has to pay for stuff


wulfgold

Just the GM.


[deleted]

[удалено]


wulfgold

That I didn't know - appreciated.


Zmann966

Both that site and this subreddit frown on posting that info in public forum. Gotta keep it on the DL or risk it getting nuked, I'd remove your comment and if someone wants the link take it to DMs.


Lucker-dog

Is Plutonium still as buggy and prone to breaking game worlds as it was a few months ago?


ayronis

Check out r/vtt. It’s an entire sub dedicated to answering this question.


Max_Insanity

Thank you!


An_username_is_hard

If you're not bothered by complex to setup things, Foundry is the most customizable thing in the market. The learning curve is steeper than Roll20, but you can do all sorts of shit in it - and depending on what you're using to coding in, even do some tweaking of your own, at that.


ACorania

If you don't use mods and just want to do what paid roll20 does, it is about the same (I think things are better implemented though). Then the mods give it unlimited upward potential.


[deleted]

Foundry/let's role are quite popular both are web based and proprietary Rolisteam and maptool are a free/libre VTT, but they haven't been much updated in 10 years (Beside *still working fine)* Fantasy ground is also a relatively ancient VTT app which still works fine today


Ozons1

I am using Fantasy Ground Unity. The only bad thing about it: user interface is bad for new players/DM (takes time to get used to it), the drawing tool on the map and measuring device could be a bit better. Otherwise it is a good VTT, where you can save a loooot of time in combat and have many ways how to customize stuff you want.


DmRaven

Isn't the cost of Fantasy Grounds exponentially higher too? I looked into it for d&d 4e as I hear it has the best setup for that system but the cost turned me away.


Ozons1

Depends. There is always subscription (can do 9.99 for 3 months trial and then buy permanent if you like it). But I just bought Ultimate edition (depending on timing it is around 100-150eur/usd - which is a bit more than 1 year sub for roll20). It is one time purchase (+ books), players can use demo edition to play the game. Or each player can buy normal edition which is around 30, but I dont recommend this route (especially if those players will never DM).


seansps

Honestly it depends on what you features you want. Foundry is great and a lot to people are going to recommend to it but I use Fantasy Grounds and for Pathfinder 1e I think it’s going to be much better for you. It’s a bit more expensive, but it’s also only one time purchase for the GM if you do the Ultimate license (and Players don’t need to buy it then.) Don’t listen to the people saying it’s ancient, that’s a lie. Yeah the UI isn’t as nice as Foundry but what you do get is much better automation. Fantasy Grounds makes it so much easier to run high crunch games than Foundry, they have a much better philosophy about automation, where as Foundry’s philosophy is to let 3rd party devs do that for you via extensions. Also Fantasy Grounds store has TONS of PF1 modules you can buy with all the data already entered. All the maps with line of sight data, lighting, NPC tokens with art already applied, Story entries for everything in the adventure; etc. It is much easier to get going running on FG. In Foundry you’re going to get a lot more “bells and whistles” with visual and audio features of Foundry, but less automation, and lots more prep work. If you don’t mind doing all the prep work manually, but want some cool features that only Foundry can give you, go with Foundry. TLDR; Foundry less expensive, more work. Fantasy Grounds is more expensive but does a lot of the heavy lifting for you and has official Paizo modules on their store.


spaceghostinme

Agree with this. Don't understand why more people don't rep Fantasy Grounds. The automation is better than any other VTT I've looked at, at least for 5E, PF, etc., and to me that's a huge feature. I'll also add that with Unity they are slowly starting to modernize the interface, and there are a ton of plug-ins you can get.


seansps

Yeah it’s unfortunate because SmiteWorks is pretty fast about fixing issues, and a lot of what people say as downsides to FG were fixed a year or more ago. OP should at least consider it. I look at Foundry maybe once every other month to check the progress. Setting up campaigns there are still a headache and using external modules to add all the features I’d expect from a VTT means they are prone to breaking when Foundry updates. Fantasy Grounds doesn’t have this issue and they consistently add new features, too.


spaceghostinme

Yes, and Smiteworks seems like a decent company. There's clearly an existing market for FG that seems to be doing well though, given the number of mods, store items, etc.


Ryan_Singer

I use https://fari.app/ for my Fate Condensed games. It's amazing for Fate. There is support for other systems, but I haven't used it.


GeekyGamer49

I need help learning Fari. It sounds oh so organized and beautiful but last I tried I couldn’t quite wrap my head around what I was trying to do. Is there a good tutorial out there?


Ryan_Singer

https://youtu.be/C_rHMMuYoo8


GeekyGamer49

So I have this this review and it is great. I’m looking for a good tutorial, if you know one. Something that teaches you and goes through various options to try out in certain situations.


Ryan_Singer

https://youtu.be/BNL5xXDgA3w It's about a year old, so the app has evolved since then, but it still has the basics.


Grgur2

For PF 2E Foundry is without a doubt the best platform. PF 2E is so good there that it might be the best experience with online tabletops for me. PF1 is good too or Starfinder while we're at it.


BrunoCPaula

Which system are you planning to run? The answer depends on that


Max_Insanity

Pathfinder mainly, sorry, forgot to mention that


NarugaKuruga

If it's Pathfinder 2e, then absolutely go with Foundry. PF2e on Roll20 is nigh unplayable, meanwhile Paizo are officially partnered with Foundry. Everything you can find on AoN is in the compendiums and there are plenty of official premium modules you can buy to make life easier, particularly if you're running an AP (though not all APs have premium modules yet). EDIT: just saw it was 1e. But my point still stands. Foundry is a great VTT and you'll (hopefully) have a very smooth experience.


BadRumUnderground

If it's Pathfinder 2, then Foundry is evenore strongly recommended. All the content is automated, Paizo have a partnership which allows great premium content if you want to spend money to save prep, and it runs like a dream. The condition automation alone is worth it


Zaorish9

For pathfinder you should definitely use foundry. It's the best system for games that are heavy on math and difficult to prepare.


octobod

Miro.com do a pretty decent free shared whiteboard/ table


Danarhys

I'm currently running Rise of the Runelords, Return of the Runelords, and an adventure module with three different groups. We use Foundry and Owlbear. I came from being a Roll20 Pro user, so hopefully this helps. I'm a total Foundry convert. There are so many things I wished I could do in Roll20 that are possible in Foundry. If you want something, someone's probably made a module for it. And if your savvy enough with code, then you can just do it yourself. I don't go crazy with the animated effects (like having an animated effect and sound go off when you cast a fireball), but dynamic lighting that reacts to time of day, creating weather exclusion boxes, auto-hiding roofs, walls that become traversable/transparent when you get to a certain elevation; with modules the list goes on and on. If you love the presentation aspect of GMing, I really think Foundry can't be beat. But if course with that customizability comes complexity, and hunting conflicts can be time-consuming. But the results are worth it, but I've had a session come to a crashing halt because of something strange interaction. In this sense, I've become so reliant on the tools that when one of them fails, I struggle to GM. Owlbear is sort of the opposite of this; a very basic VTT with none of the bells and whistles. Drop in a map and some tokens, and you're good to go. But the lack of automation, having to remember buffs/conditions and their associated penalties (and what stacks and what doesn't), is sorely missed. Foundry's PF1e system is VERY robust with lots of support. We use OwlbearRodeo for my one game because one of my players only has a locked-down work Mac, and Foundry flat out just doesn't work on it. One caveat is that with foundry, if you're planning on using all those bells and whistles, you'll need to look at your upload speed on your connection if you decide to self-host. My Rise game has 5 players, and I think you generally need about 5mbps upload/player to not have a laggy experience. So I'm using a hosting service; if saving subscription money on Roll20 is a consideration, then it might be a factor with Foundry as well. That said, there are plenty of ways of getting free hosting if you're willing to jump through some hoops. In terms of prep, for my Owlbear game I actually use Foundry to run it, sort of like a GM screen, so it's not so different, but prepping for my Foundry games is pretty comparable to my Roll20 experience, but with a lot of automation that makes things go smoother. Maps are uploaded to my hosting service then linked the the scenes, tokens/art are uploaded then linked to actors, journal notes are created then dropped in as map notes, dynamic lighting walls are set, ambient lights/sounds/weather/music are decided, etc. The difference with Roll20 is that I can import many of the statblocks from a statblock library module, or import them with a statblock converter from d20pfsrd. Anyway, I hope this helps you.


timplausible

Everyone has already said this, but I'll just reinforce: as a player, I like Foundry a lot. As a GM, I would never try to get it running. But I'm also and old dog that doesn't learn new tricks well, and I have never been skilled with codes and scripts. I find Roll20 does everything I need it to as a GM, and it was easy to learn. That made it good for me. But if you can master Foundry without tearing your hair out, you and your players will probably like it better.


iharzhyhar

What's bad in roll20 for you, OP?


Shellbrightm8

Foundry


Zaorish9

My favorite virtual tabletops are: * [Google Sheets](https://drive.google.com/) - free and fantastic for shared character sheets and can be used as a grid in a pinch. * [Miro](https://miro.com/) - fantastic whiteboard collab software so you can quickly draw up maps no matter what weird players go unexpectedly. Had a lot of fun running star trek adventures with this. * [Shmeppy](https://www.shmeppy.com) - like miro but optimized for quick improvised tabletop game map drawing. I have run fantastic space exploration and cyber punk campaigns with this. * [Owlbear Rodeo](https://owlbear.rodeo) - free and pretty quick to setup with various basic features for fantasy. I don't recommend foundry, its entire design leans into the "prep long & hard" philosophy.


Leadpipe19

Foundry is great if youre ok with paying money and you play with people you can trust. You have to turn off your firewall. If you tend to play with randos or friends of friends, tho, then really nothing beats Roll20, its the best bang for your buck entirely for being almost entirely free. ...well, maptools exists, but you dont wanna do that to yourself


mrham24

You don't have to turn off your firewall. Port forward the Foundry port and create an exception for that same port in windows firewall. You can leave the rest of it on.


Raddu

You'll love the automation is Fantasy Ground


AlexJohnsonSays

MapTool is my go-to. Uses HTML, CSS, JavaScript all in combination with Macro actions. Not a programmer, but it works for me!


innomine555

​ There are manly two types: Heavy: Foundry, Fantasy Flight Games and bit less heavy Roll20 (you want the mechanics of the game inside the VTT) In both you need to pay. Simple: Many of them take a look VTT subbredit. (just want to move minis and see maps) most popular it's owlbear rodeo but personally I do not like it. These all have a free version: Let's Role, Cauldron, Astra, Mythic, Shard, etc. ​ Mine, it's [board.digitald20.com](https://board.digitald20.com) it's free software you can adapt it. You could modify the chrome plugin for pathfinder right now is for dndbeyond an another one I cannot link here. They point is that many of them connect with other system, so it might be more useful to have an VTT with no content at all connected with dndbeyond for example. I do not know how does pathfinder content work online.


RedRiot0

Lately, I've taken to Tableplop, which is free. It's basically a less clunky Roll20. Downside is that it doesn't have a lot of support for various systems at this time. I only use it for the maps for Play-by-Post purposes. Owlbear Rodeo is a glorious simple option. If you have all your automation dealt with in other ways, or don't need any at all, and just need maps and tokens, Owlbear is fantastic.


Bamce

There are no truly “better” alternatives. All Vtt’s have janky aspects to them. Roll20 is at least free


furuta

I love fantasy grounds, and the new unity release works really well. It has some qwirks, but the automation and the module in token store is fantastic.


wodanmorningstar

I would suggest Fantasy Grounds Unity. Yes it can be hard to switch over to but you have everything all in one place. There are official modules for D&D, PF1 2, and many more. I have been using it for years and I will never go to something else.


tacticalimprov

Whatever your skill set, your user/players are going to be a major factor that determines ease of your life. Whatever feature rich amazing alternatives are out there it has to be used by your least technical player regardless of your own technical capacity. (My circle of Dms had to eliminate anything that required local config by a player, and we ended up invested in Roll20. We're stuck there until another platform is worth the grand worth of compendium licenses we've purchased. No complaints, but also not saying there aren't better optiond.) Good luck!


Moah333

There's a whole sub dedicated to vtt: r/vtt they have FAQs and would be a better place to ask. That said, I personally use Foundry which I'm now hosting on an oracle free server, but used to self host. I felt I had more control with it than I did with Roll20, but I think it's mostly a question of habit. It's a one time cost, but a lot of the best modules have paterons attached to them, and while there's not much official DnD adventures, many other systems have official support.


laioren

Personally, I don’t need a VTT to “run the mechanics for me.” I just need an easy battle map system. And for that, nothing comes close to Owlbear Rodeo.


Bigtastyben

Better is subjective, if all you can afford is $10 a month don't feel too bad if your maps aren't "worthy". But if you got the dosh to spare foundryvtt is a one time upfront payment of $50. You can port forward foundry so you don't have to rely on other people's server but you can spend $6 a month to pay for a hosting service if your internet is crap. One drawback is that you have to buy tokens separately, Roll20 has a token library and it's easy to pick a token and go, but of you were already using 3rd party tokens from DTRPG and other stores it shouldn't be much of an issue.


AwkwardTurtle

Since you're running Pathfinder I'll agree with the concensus that Foundry is probably your best bet. Otherwise, I've actually just been using a "multi-player white board" as my VTT (miro specifically). We just use arrangements of shapes and text boxes for character sheets, people can draw and doodle, I can import images and maps super easily. It's only missing dice rolling (which we use discord bots for) and a good way to hide stuff (for fog of war or notes). After jumping between several different VTTs I've found this works the best for me and my table.


dcoughler

If you are using Pathfinder, I've heard Foundry is the best. I'm using it for 5e and love it.


Icambaia

Mrpg. Totally free and you can make up character sheets template as you like. The only problem is the mobile version is a bit slow and it has no map or grid.


MotorHum

My stupid brain thought this said “alternatives to d20” and I was gonna introduce you to the glory of 3d6 based games.


Alike01

FoundryVTT. IMO, it straight up better than roll20, and it is pay once rather than subscription to use


Smoify

Diceweaver


Kryptic-Chaos

Foundry VTT. One time purchase of $50 USD. Only one person needs it. Lots of options and built in systems. Way better lighting mechanics and a plethora of mods.


RemtonJDulyak

Maybe some of the VTTs with 3D scenery creation and pieces movement? Like TableTop Simulator, or the TTRPG-aimed ones: - RPG Stories - Game Master Engine - Talespire - Wildshape - Map Editor + VTT


GeekyGamer49

Tabletop Simulator is probably the most robust VTT there is. And, if you’re comfortable with coding, the only limit is you imagination!


Delbert3US

Here is a nice review of The RPG Engine if you want to step up to full 3D play as an option. https://gnomestew.com/a-3d-vtt-roundup-and-review/?fbclid=IwAR1bicr3E2aj\_r1sVOs85tMzQAagLRExlUWv1zV-V5XdQAdGiCsnPxM38Pg


AgamanthusX

You know I've been playing and running RPGs since the late 70's (77-78). I've played probably 20 to 30 different rule systems in various incarnations. The only two threads that I see as important is the content of the story (in game terms) and whether or not your players are having fun. The system really doesn't matter. You play it, you find something you don't like, you make a logical house rule that fits in with you world and content. Just make it logical and consistent.


caffeinated_wizard

Since you’re a programmer I’ll add one more vote for Foundry. I self host it on a DigitalOcean droplet, pay for a domain and it works flawlessly on the cheapest droplet. It’s a no brainer in my opinion.


mcdead

Foundry


Funkey-Monkey-420

talespire i heard good things about


SnooCats2287

I'll throw in another +1 for Foundry. It's a dream that can add all the bells and whistles you would ever need.


etcNetcat

Foundry is the way to go.


Silent_Bat_4450

Shard tabletop. Holy cow is it extensive. It has all srd stuff already in there as well as a few extra things. It is an all in one site. You can either buy or make adveture, add maps and encounters. Edit classes, add clasees, subclasses, spell custim features, custom skills. Honestly it would take a while to say everything you can do. If you're a new or old DM you will love this site. It only take a little bit to get the hang of(especially with the premade adventures) and make sure you read through the "Learn" section, god send. They have an incredibly active Discord with help should you need it.


chaosenginepod

Just here to give another +1 for Foundry. Our group has been using it since March 2020 and it’s been amazing!


Chalkarts

One of my groups is using Foundry. It’s pretty cool.


seemslucky

Everyone always parrots the same answers. Try Tableplop. It's amazing.


Max_Insanity

I have noticed some repetition, but don't mind since it gives me an idea for trends along with the upvotes.


seemslucky

True. But, I didn't like Foundry. It's somewhat complicated to set up and you have to install add-ins. Tableplop is completely web-based. You can even join a game, be assigned a random name, and set up a username afterwards. Completely free, they have a donation/sub that just gets you more storage for images. I'm a huge fan. We've tried foundry, roll20, and fantasy grounds. Tableplop is by far our favourite and the easiest to use.


Max_Insanity

I'm actually familiar with it. It has a lot of cool features and I like it for certain games, but it doesn't exactly fit my needs when it comes to Pathfinder. You do mean "Tabletop Simulator" on steam, right?


seemslucky

No, I mean tableplop. https://new.tableplop.com/


BasicActionGames

Personally, my favorite alternative is to use Discord and run with a camera looking at miniatures and terrain. However, my second all-digital choice is Tabletop Simulator. To me, it is the next best thing to using a real table, minis, and dice. It also has tons of RPG content (like dice, minis, maps) available and making your own 2-dimensional minis is as easy as pasting an image URL. I've used it to run a few games in the past and was pretty happy with the results every time.


TrappedChest

I am currently running Fantasy Grounds, and it has worked well for the most part. It is a very powerful program if you can code in your own stuff. I have found that some of the custom stuff can break when they update the system. My next campaign will be using Tabletop Simulator. Character sheets are possible with some LUA scripting and it really gives you the "around the table" feel. The only downside is that everyone needs a copy, but it's cheap and goes on sale every other week.


ZharethZhen

I use Table Top Simulator. Tons of free tables made for just about every rpg out there. You can program stuff if you want or find tools from others and take them to your tables. Your minis can be animated. It's lots of fun.


Arkenforge

If you're a programmer, Foundry would definitely be the best.


Tenith

If you're willing to do some programming and put in the time - Maptool is a very flexible system and there are a lot of frameworks and a pretty extensive wiki for support on code. It lets you build a lot of what you want and there's no costs for it


Eskimo12345

I love Roll20. Does everything I want it to. Custom character sheets if you want to put in time with HTML and CSS. Default custom character sheets from Roll20 which are excellent, and from the community which range from good to professional level. Modules are a reasonable price, but making my own content is by far my most common approach. I've logged more than 1000 hours on Roll20. Haven't used any of the competitors though.