Foundry is amazing. I'm dropping Fantasy Grounds (in which I have invested a LOT of money) for it. FG's UI is just so unintuitive and archaic. I will miss the combat automation of FG, however.
Surprised to see FoundryVTT missing from the list. Very well supported & works brilliantly provided you have a decent upload speed to serve your players (since your computer is the server). Also requires that you have access to your router's settings for port-forwarding purposes.
Ugggg I'm so tired of hearing people say that DND Beyond isn't owned by WoTC...
You're right DndBeyond is Twitch/Amazon etc... however it's the officially licensed online resource for D&D. WoTC contracted it's creation and licensed it... As such D&D is the online "Ambassador" of D&D. They did this because they saw value in pushing the Online space with Twitch streams etc... It is in everyone's best interest to have a VTT integrated into DNDBeyond officially so that it could be seamlessly integrated into twitch streams. Right now it is a mess, and it's completely ludicrous that Beyond was ever launched without a basic VTT. As far as twitch is concerned it should have been a design requirement from day one.
They don't necessarily need to build a VTT. They could just build an API into the source materials so you could plug in and use your source materials/character sheets from DDB on other VTTs. I think that would help drive the competition on the VTT scene and keep all of the players pushing forward. My biggest gripe is having to buy source materials in different places; hardback, digital here, digital there, etc. It would be FANTASTIC if we could purchase sourcebooks on one site (my choice is DDB) and still be able to use that digital content on other sites that use digital content. Since you can buy books at Fantasy Grounds and Roll20 for example, I would assume all are properly licensed from WotC. It sure would be great to only have to purchase that material ONCE and be able to use it everywhere. (Easier said than done, I know, but a humanoid can dream right?)
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Though not currently a member, seeking admission to the really long and important signature club. Please consider this as a current CV.
You can dream but, it's never going to happen. Even if only 10% of people buy a given book more than once, that's 10% of the total money WOTC makes. They're not going to give that up in a hurry.
It is not, financially, in WOTC's interest to allow people to share info. across platforms. It's in their interest to make you buy everything 2, 3, even 4x if possible. The only reason NOT to do it is fan backlash (which would happen) -- they have to factor that in. So what they have to do is require the maximum amount of re-buying they can, for the least amount of fan complaints. That amount isn't 0, because there are stupid people like me who will do it (we might grouse, but we will do it), but it's not a high number, and definitely not the majority of players. So they know they can't make EVERYONE do it. But if they can just make each DM do it, say, and we're chumps enough to do it "for our friends" (i.e., our game group), then that's a win for WOTC. They're not going to give up that money in a hurry, as I say.
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WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Foundry VTT is the best digital table top by far. It makes Roll20 appear primitive. Props to Roll20 for turning a niche concept into an easily accessible tool for gaming, but it feels ancient and amateurish compared to Foundry.
That is unfortunate that they are making it harder for us to use the data, to me that is the beauty of DDB is the ability to create characters so easily. Why do they care if we want to export it? How is that affecting there revenue?
Being able share content across platforms is good for Beyond and consumers, but it is completely detrimental to Wizards and it could be argued that it hurts more than it benefits other platforms. It is possible that Beyond could be under pressure from Wizards and other platforms to address this issue or else Beyond could face legal action. I highly doubt the licensing agreement between Wizards and Beyond would allow cross platform sharing without heavy objection from other platforms and Wizards themselves.
What people want is essentially being able to buy Skyrim on the PC and being able to play that on a Switch, Xbox, or PlayStation. If Bethesda is within their rights to disallow cross platform access, Wizards is also well within their rights to disallow cross platform access.
What people want is essentially being able to buy Skyrim on the PC and being able to play that on a Switch, Xbox, or PlayStation.
The problem with this analogy is that DDB doesn't have the things VTTs have, so you can't use it as a stand-alone site the way you could play Skyrim as a stand-alone game on each platform.
A more apt analogy would be that you used to be able to export your Skyrim character and use it in ESO without leveling it in ESO or something (and thus, you don't need to subscribe for as long as it'd take you to level).
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WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Surprised to see FoundryVTT missing from the list. Very well supported & works brilliantly provided you have a decent upload speed to serve your players (since your computer is the server). Also requires that you have access to your router's settings for port-forwarding purposes.
Part of this thread was to create awareness for me as much as for everyone else. It was not intentional, I had a hard time finding information on a lot of VTT. So i am grateful for you guys bring the the ones i had not heard of to light. Thanks for doing this, competition only help the consumers.
What people want is essentially being able to buy Skyrim on the PC and being able to play that on a Switch, Xbox, or PlayStation.
The problem with this analogy is that DDB doesn't have the things VTTs have, so you can't use it as a stand-alone site the way you could play Skyrim as a stand-alone game on each platform.
A more apt analogy would be that you used to be able to export your Skyrim character and use it in ESO without leveling it in ESO or something (and thus, you don't need to subscribe for as long as it'd take you to level).
That just feels like nitpicking on the analogy. It would be like saying playing Skyrim on the Switch is different from playing Skyrim on the Xbox because the Switch comes with its own screen while you need to buy a TV with the Xbox.
VTTs comes with their own "TV screens" in the form of maps and tokens on a computer screen, but Beyond requires the player to buy physical maps and figures, use Google Sheets to push cells around, or maybe even use another VTT. VTTs and Beyond are not exactly the same, but they are still platforms.
If players are using theater of the mind, then VTTs and Beyond are practically the same and the "TV screen" is just the imagination.
I think The next couple of years we are going to see an explosion of VTT, I already see several different ones in beta or early access that look very interesting.
I think we’re going to see a hybrid solution where you have some people playing in front of each other using digital technology, or people playing online and the experience is just going to get cooler and better and more immersive.
what I can’t wait for is augmented reality table tops where you put on some glasses or look through some device on the table and you see all of your characters in 3-D
Yes, Foundry is extremely well done. They clearly thought hard about how both DMs and players actually play the game and what we need during a session, and either they, or one of the modders, have provided it.
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WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
I know I am a little late to this poll, but Foundry VTT just released and is the best VTT I have used so far. (played on roll20 and fantasy grounds)
What you talking about Willis? :p, sorry could not resist. If you don't get it, it is an old TV show reference (Probably just dated myself). Anyway, thanks for you comments there seems to be a lot of folks you have great things to say about Foundry, so thanks for chiming in as well.
I have played with Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, and Foundry for my VTT. I am hoping and waiting for the day the DnDBeyond makes a feature or product that can serve as a VTT, The website is brilliantly laid out, I continue to purchase my D&D material from them, and if they were to add a way of adding a VTT to their services with the level of quality everything else they provide, I would sign-up immediately!
I wouldn't mind giving it a try, is there a VTT for dummies video series out there? I have used Roll20 for years and tried Fantasy Grounds but just couldn't figure it out. I'd love to get off of Roll20 but I won't want to be frustrated trying to decipher a new system.
I wouldn't mind giving it a try, is there a VTT for dummies video series out there? I have used Roll20 for years and tried Fantasy Grounds but just couldn't figure it out. I'd love to get off of Roll20 but I won't want to be frustrated trying to decipher a new system.
There's a few. Fantasy Grounds has a horribly steep learning curve and is non intuitive (in my opinion), while Foundry is really great and easy to use (most issues people have are when things are done in a different way from what they were used to in Roll20 for example).
For the hosting part, if you use my service The Forge (https://forge-vtt.com), then it's a couple of clicks and you're up and running in seconds without having to install or configure anything.
I'd like to see D&D Beyond integrate tightly with an existing VTT. Imagine D&D Beyond simply being the character sheet for your FoundryVTT players, and dragging items from the Monster Manual from the GM's sidebar.
Look at the integration Avrae has with the D&D Beyond, and it may be closer than we think. Plus, it avoids the expensive and time-consuming hassle of developing yet another VTT, while simultaneously pushing more players into D&D Beyond--and it makes purchasing content on D&D Beyond even more appealing.
Can someone bring me up to speed with the whole DDB/Foundry integration? Is this something that is totally unofficial and subject to breaking either through ongoing changes to DDB, or even by a legal cease and desist letter?
It's fantastic that the option to pull data from one into the other is available, and - to me, at least - it makes Foundry an appealing alternative to FG, but without the blessing of the two parties, it all seems to hinge on things remaining reasonably... as-is I guess?
Foundry is amazing. I'm dropping Fantasy Grounds (in which I have invested a LOT of money) for it. FG's UI is just so unintuitive and archaic. I will miss the combat automation of FG, however.
Surprised to see FoundryVTT missing from the list. Very well supported & works brilliantly provided you have a decent upload speed to serve your players (since your computer is the server). Also requires that you have access to your router's settings for port-forwarding purposes.
They don't necessarily need to build a VTT. They could just build an API into the source materials so you could plug in and use your source materials/character sheets from DDB on other VTTs. I think that would help drive the competition on the VTT scene and keep all of the players pushing forward. My biggest gripe is having to buy source materials in different places; hardback, digital here, digital there, etc. It would be FANTASTIC if we could purchase sourcebooks on one site (my choice is DDB) and still be able to use that digital content on other sites that use digital content. Since you can buy books at Fantasy Grounds and Roll20 for example, I would assume all are properly licensed from WotC. It sure would be great to only have to purchase that material ONCE and be able to use it everywhere. (Easier said than done, I know, but a humanoid can dream right?)
Though not currently a member, seeking admission to the really long and important signature club. Please consider this as a current CV.
Other personalities... Burgee , The Colorless Knight, Fiorello, RW Goodbarrel, Dred, Evrik - Out of the Abyss & Dungeon of the Mad Mage
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You can dream but, it's never going to happen. Even if only 10% of people buy a given book more than once, that's 10% of the total money WOTC makes. They're not going to give that up in a hurry.
It is not, financially, in WOTC's interest to allow people to share info. across platforms. It's in their interest to make you buy everything 2, 3, even 4x if possible. The only reason NOT to do it is fan backlash (which would happen) -- they have to factor that in. So what they have to do is require the maximum amount of re-buying they can, for the least amount of fan complaints. That amount isn't 0, because there are stupid people like me who will do it (we might grouse, but we will do it), but it's not a high number, and definitely not the majority of players. So they know they can't make EVERYONE do it. But if they can just make each DM do it, say, and we're chumps enough to do it "for our friends" (i.e., our game group), then that's a win for WOTC. They're not going to give up that money in a hurry, as I say.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Foundry VTT is the best digital table top by far. It makes Roll20 appear primitive. Props to Roll20 for turning a niche concept into an easily accessible tool for gaming, but it feels ancient and amateurish compared to Foundry.
Being able share content across platforms is good for Beyond and consumers, but it is completely detrimental to Wizards and it could be argued that it hurts more than it benefits other platforms. It is possible that Beyond could be under pressure from Wizards and other platforms to address this issue or else Beyond could face legal action. I highly doubt the licensing agreement between Wizards and Beyond would allow cross platform sharing without heavy objection from other platforms and Wizards themselves.
What people want is essentially being able to buy Skyrim on the PC and being able to play that on a Switch, Xbox, or PlayStation. If Bethesda is within their rights to disallow cross platform access, Wizards is also well within their rights to disallow cross platform access.
Check Licenses and Resync Entitlements: < https://www.dndbeyond.com/account/licenses >
Running the Game by Matt Colville; Introduction: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8 >
D&D with High School Students by Bill Allen; Season 1 Episode 1: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NJTUDokyk&t >
The problem with this analogy is that DDB doesn't have the things VTTs have, so you can't use it as a stand-alone site the way you could play Skyrim as a stand-alone game on each platform.
A more apt analogy would be that you used to be able to export your Skyrim character and use it in ESO without leveling it in ESO or something (and thus, you don't need to subscribe for as long as it'd take you to level).
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Part of this thread was to create awareness for me as much as for everyone else. It was not intentional, I had a hard time finding information on a lot of VTT. So i am grateful for you guys bring the the ones i had not heard of to light. Thanks for doing this, competition only help the consumers.
That just feels like nitpicking on the analogy. It would be like saying playing Skyrim on the Switch is different from playing Skyrim on the Xbox because the Switch comes with its own screen while you need to buy a TV with the Xbox.
VTTs comes with their own "TV screens" in the form of maps and tokens on a computer screen, but Beyond requires the player to buy physical maps and figures, use Google Sheets to push cells around, or maybe even use another VTT. VTTs and Beyond are not exactly the same, but they are still platforms.
If players are using theater of the mind, then VTTs and Beyond are practically the same and the "TV screen" is just the imagination.
Check Licenses and Resync Entitlements: < https://www.dndbeyond.com/account/licenses >
Running the Game by Matt Colville; Introduction: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8 >
D&D with High School Students by Bill Allen; Season 1 Episode 1: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NJTUDokyk&t >
I think The next couple of years we are going to see an explosion of VTT, I already see several different ones in beta or early access that look very interesting.
I think we’re going to see a hybrid solution where you have some people playing in front of each other using digital technology, or people playing online and the experience is just going to get cooler and better and more immersive.
what I can’t wait for is augmented reality table tops where you put on some glasses or look through some device on the table and you see all of your characters in 3-D
I know I am a little late to this poll, but Foundry VTT just released and is the best VTT I have used so far. (played on roll20 and fantasy grounds)
Yes, Foundry is extremely well done. They clearly thought hard about how both DMs and players actually play the game and what we need during a session, and either they, or one of the modders, have provided it.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
What you talking about Willis? :p, sorry could not resist. If you don't get it, it is an old TV show reference (Probably just dated myself). Anyway, thanks for you comments there seems to be a lot of folks you have great things to say about Foundry, so thanks for chiming in as well.
I have played with Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, and Foundry for my VTT. I am hoping and waiting for the day the DnDBeyond makes a feature or product that can serve as a VTT, The website is brilliantly laid out, I continue to purchase my D&D material from them, and if they were to add a way of adding a VTT to their services with the level of quality everything else they provide, I would sign-up immediately!
After 3 year of Roll20 pro subscription, i switched on Foundry VTT (+Beyond for character levelling). It's awesome.
Thanks for your feedback, a lot of people are switching to foundry VTT.
I wouldn't mind giving it a try, is there a VTT for dummies video series out there? I have used Roll20 for years and tried Fantasy Grounds but just couldn't figure it out. I'd love to get off of Roll20 but I won't want to be frustrated trying to decipher a new system.
There's a few. Fantasy Grounds has a horribly steep learning curve and is non intuitive (in my opinion), while Foundry is really great and easy to use (most issues people have are when things are done in a different way from what they were used to in Roll20 for example).
There's a series of tutorial videos here from Encounter Library : https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLGgCMB0gYnLFWxyrCkUYwHY4vvA_yME7m&v=kEQlhdF1568&feature=emb_title
We're working on a tutorial game here, though it's being revamped right now : https://demo.forge-vtt.com/game
For the hosting part, if you use my service The Forge (https://forge-vtt.com), then it's a couple of clicks and you're up and running in seconds without having to install or configure anything.
I'd like to see D&D Beyond integrate tightly with an existing VTT. Imagine D&D Beyond simply being the character sheet for your FoundryVTT players, and dragging items from the Monster Manual from the GM's sidebar.
Look at the integration Avrae has with the D&D Beyond, and it may be closer than we think. Plus, it avoids the expensive and time-consuming hassle of developing yet another VTT, while simultaneously pushing more players into D&D Beyond--and it makes purchasing content on D&D Beyond even more appealing.
Can someone bring me up to speed with the whole DDB/Foundry integration? Is this something that is totally unofficial and subject to breaking either through ongoing changes to DDB, or even by a legal cease and desist letter?
It's fantastic that the option to pull data from one into the other is available, and - to me, at least - it makes Foundry an appealing alternative to FG, but without the blessing of the two parties, it all seems to hinge on things remaining reasonably... as-is I guess?