Best Roll20 Alternatives will be discussed in this article. Playing Dungeons & Dragons Online might be challenging, but tools like Roll20 can make virtual adventures more enjoyable. For those of us who are now cooped up at home and in need of some social connection, tabletop RPGs are unquestionably the ideal pastime. But are there any alternatives to Roll20?
Undoubtedly, there are. The other options allow you to spend some time with your pals while temporarily escaping into a fantastical world and solving someone else’s problems.
It’s time to move your D&D or other RPG online if you’ve been playing in person. If you haven’t already, you should begin your own adventure right away.
Playing tabletop RPG with Roll20
A collection of tabletop role-playing game tools, also referred to as virtual tabletop games, are available on the website Roll20 and can be played both locally and remotely online. The website was created in 2012 following a prosperous Kickstarter campaign.
Instead of attempting to turn the game into a video game, the platform’s goal is to create a true tabletop experience by providing the game master with simple online tools. The platform’s open architecture makes it possible to integrate a huge variety of tabletop role-playing games.
As long as you have a browser open and a reliable internet connection, Roll20, one of the most popular digital tabletop RPG systems, is a free online solution that provides you with everything you need to conduct a smooth role-playing experience with your friends.
With the click of a button, this platform offers a wide variety of fresh and time-tested campaigns that can be launched, along with an undeniably flexible selection of tools for creating your own using unique assets. Additionally, Wizards of the Coast, Paizo, and other titans of the tabletop RPG industry are now directly supporting it.
On the other hand, switching from a paper and pen to a digital tabletop is unavoidably intimidating, and with a UI as infamously difficult to use as Roll20’s, the idea of beginning an online campaign might be as horrifying as dealing with a dictatorial game master.
Troubles with Roll20
Even though Roll20 has an integrated tutorial, new players might still find it difficult to understand. Additionally, the inability to add unique items to a virtual compendium hinders the game.
Despite the fact that the developers have received multiple requests for this feature over the past year, they have chosen not to do it because of security or copyright issues, even though it requires no more security than any other custom feature they have already enabled, such custom species.
A lot of highly sophisticated features are hidden behind a barrier, but if you play frequently, it’s totally worth it. However, Roll20 is a good option if you have the time to learn how to use it and don’t want to create a highly customized game. If not, there are a lot other platforms that are similar to Roll20.
1. MapTool
This Java 6+ virtual tabletop platform is a free Roll20 substitute that allows for several internet players and is networked, colorful, collaborative, and adaptable.
Even if the players are on opposite sides of the world, it can be utilized for online face-to-face and real-time role-playing. These resources are not meant to replace everything at the RPG table or to function as a standalone role-playing game.
Instead, it is designed to be as flexible as possible, working with a variety of gaming platforms, including those for science fiction, fantasy, and tabletop miniatures games.
It has a lot of versatility because the tools weren’t created from the ground up for any one RPG. However, this can make it challenging for the platform to simply demonstrate to users how to use the tools for their particular needs.
Fortunately, the active, lively community forums are a great place to find rapid fixes for any problems you might encounter. The developers would like to welcome you to the forum because this is one of their greatest advantages.
There’s a good gamble you’ll be able to discover someone who has already done the most of the fine-tuning for you if the game you want to play is generally accessible. One of the most frequently suggested Roll20 alternatives is MapTool.
2. Fantasy Grounds
This of the best Roll20 alternatives is ideal for game masters who want to play tabletop RPGs with a few friends online. It gives you the same functionality as playing in person, including the ability to roll dice, manage character sheets, keep campaign notes, share handouts and images, and perform many other tasks.
Every role-playing game must include dice rolling. Since the start of this trend, Fantasy Grounds has stood out from competing platforms thanks to its dice rolling function. One of its most well-liked aspects to date is this. This post will explain roll20 alternatives.
RPGs usually require that players and game masters keep track of information as the game progresses. Fantasy Grounds facilitates this with a free, integrated library of Pathfinder and D&D rules.
Here you may find information on skills, enemies, gear, and much more. In addition, you can buy any comprehensive rule sets you require, such Call of Cthulhu and Rolemaster Classic.
All things considered, Fantasy Grounds is a straightforward and user-friendly program that you can use to play on maps with a variety of elements that simulate a real-world game. In no time at all, you may begin playing with your buddies.
3. Inkarnate
This Roll20 substitute is a comprehensive tool for creating fantasy maps with a wide range of features and a free version. Using Inkarnate, you can create world and area maps, city and village maps, interior battle maps, and scenery maps.
Inkarnate provides a variety of map styles, such as world, regional, parchment, and top-down war maps, in addition to appealing aesthetics and an intuitive user interface. Other people’s maps can also be explored, copied, and modified, which is quite helpful.
4. Foundry Virtual Tabletop
In order to play multiplayer tabletop RPGs, players can connect directly over the internet using Foundry VTT, a self-hosted application. The program provides a collection of digital tools as a virtual tabletop that emulate and improve the experience of playing a game with friends in person. A few of the many components that make this experience possible are character sheets, dice, battle map exploration, and moving heroic tokens. This post will explain roll20 alternatives.
5. Rolisteam
Similar to Roll20, Rolisteam enables you to arrange tabletop role-playing games with friends or participants who are applied out across a large geographic area. There are numerous methods for sharing maps and photos, as well as a mechanism for interacting with other gamers or friends.
The goal was to create Rolisteam-managed RPGs that were just as fantastic as traditional tabletop RPGs. To do this, the developers are working hard to provide you with ever-more features, such as a music player and a painting tool during campaigns.
6. Battlegrounds: RPG Edition
This Roll20 substitute is a digital tabletop system designed to improve your traditional role-playing games, whether your players are nearby or halfway around the world.
Any traditional RPG, including D&D, Rolemaster, Shadowrun, and many others, can be played using BRPG. Additionally, you can use it to play offline as well as online.
For those of you who wish to play with your old buddies from back home, it’s perfect. BRPG is ideal for use with an HDTV or projector for in-person gaming sessions. It is not necessary to know how to program or manipulate XML in order to use BRPG.
BRPG can be used to play board games, war games, card games, and dice games. This Roll20 replacement includes a demo version that may be downloaded for free. Additionally, BRPG offers a large selection of paid and free digital game conversions and art packs.
7. Astral Tabletop
This browser-based Roll20 substitute is a platform for tabletop role-playing games that lets you host and participate in matches both online and in person. Play games with others online and have live video chats with them.
As an alternative, game masters can create and host games using robust tools for managing maps and fighting, as well as having simple access to a vast library of materials through an online marketplace.
Astral can handle almost any tabletop role-playing game. You can start playing right away thanks to built-in compatibility with the majority of common game systems.
The system frequently incorporates fresh concepts and feature requests, making using the Astral platform to play and create enjoyable, lively, and constantly-evolving.
With Astral’s extensive collection of backdrops, accessories, and tokens, you can make stunning battle maps or submit your own. A large variety of assets are available to pro subscribers, and new packs are released every month. You may add weather, visual effects, triggers, and much more using basic tools.
Astral’s tools, which are designed for desktop, tablet, and mobile platforms, don’t require installation.
8. EpicTable
You can play your favorite pen and paper role-playing games with your friends on EpicTable from across the table or from across the globe. It’s a virtual tabletop platform.
This platform makes the virtual tabletop as quick and easy to utilize as your physical tabletop in order to achieve this. The designers use a central messaging system to handle all picture and data transfers transparently while avoiding networking configuration issues.
Additionally, they don’t try to enforce many rules, which would encourage you to prepare extensively for the tool rather than your players and the game.
EpicTable has made it possible for players to play Dungeons & Dragons efficiently from a distance, which is valuable in and of itself, but what’s more essential is that it also functions for a face-to-face game just as well.
This Roll20 substitute is a computerized table with an easy-to-use user interface. You don’t need to use any special firewall techniques to set it up, and you can start playing right away. This post will explain roll20 alternatives.
9. Standard Action
This Roll20 substitute is a flexible tabletop gaming application that emphasizes simplicity. Among other things, Standard Action provides features like a live chat function and an interactive gaming board.
Game masters can use dynamic lighting, custom map layering, and the division of their maps into distinct chapters to bring their gaming environment to life.
Conclusion
The free, simple way to play tabletop games online with others may be through Roll20. You may use it directly from your browser because it is fully web-based. Along with background music, character sheets, a sizable art library, and other features, it has audio and video chat. However, a lot of resources are blocked by a paywall.
There are more than ten top applications. Best Alternatives to Roll20 are available for a variety of operating systems, including online or web-based, Windows, Android, Mac, and Linux, with a choice of tools to suit your gaming requirements. The top substitute is MapTool, which is open-source and free.
