False, the DM buys an ultimate license and the players only need a free demo license.
FGU Ultimate license is $149; Foundry VTT is $50.
But my point about everybody needing a copy of FGU still applies; whereas Foundry is browser-based - so Foundry can be used on business laptops or any other computers which prevent manual installation of software.
I could be wrong but FGU Ultimate license only allows the license owner to be a DM? Whereas Foundry allows any player to be set as the DM for a campaign.
False, the DM buys an ultimate license and the players only need a free demo license.
FGU Ultimate license is $149; Foundry VTT is $50.
But my point about everybody needing a copy of FGU still applies; whereas Foundry is browser-based - so Foundry can be used on business laptops or any other computers which prevent manual installation of software.
I could be wrong but FGU Ultimate license only allows the license owner to be a DM? Whereas Foundry allows any player to be set as the DM for a campaign.
EDIT: I'm wrong about you being wrong. The only person who can DM is the person who has the Ultimate license and account.
FGU Ultimate
Host the Ultimate game and players join and play for free
It's $149 and if the DM pays for that Ultimate license the players just use the free Demo client. I have been doing this since last September (2020) and it's always been that fee/structure.
Every time someone makes me look at Foundry I see nice things but not the power of Fantasy Grounds. The Pro of FGU is also the Con - there's a sunken cost in a learning curve. It's not user friendly, clearly designed by people who are engineers and make things work (They can't possibly have a designer who's focused on user experience. If they do, that person is either being held back or failing).
Fantasy Grounds Unity is hard to learn, but every single lesson I learn as as DM unlocks better games for myself and my players. The more you know the more it's clear that all other VTT's stand in it's shadow in terms of raw power. The problem is learning FGU is akin to learning a programming language. There are all kinds of rules and tricks that aren't intuitive or documented well and nobody left comments in their code ;)
Here is another vote for Foundry VTT. It's quite easy to learn although it takes some effort to master (and I can't really claim to be a master). As another +, there is a pretty active discord community and one can get good answers in minutes to any issue.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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.
Here is another vote for Foundry VTT. It's quite easy to learn although it takes some effort to master (and I can't really claim to be a master). As another +, there is a pretty active discord community and one can get good answers in minutes to any issue.
When our group switched from roll20 to Foundry, the players were all saying how intuitive Foundry was, and asked why hadn't we been using it all along.
I have starting to be DM on online roleplaying, where we need map and figures etc. Problem is that i have zero knowing different virtual tabletop softwares. My need is software where players can join easy (i prefer software that players dont need buy software) also i would enjoy if the use is simple and intuitive. So the top things are: map that you can custom, figures move there and that it is simple to use. I also enjoy if buiyng the product im ready to set the campaing, so there is no need many different modules and "microtransactions".
Foundry VTT has caught my attention, though i have understand there is need on port forwarding, or you can benefit if you can use java. This sound like this product really isnt my cup of a tea.
I have found others, like Fantasy ground (this is quite expensive), then there is Fantasy ground unity it is less expensive, what is the difference between these two FG products? Astral looks really appealing, quite interesting, but is there some cons on this? How easy is joining, need all players buy Astral? Talespire has also being on my radar, one players mentioned that, and it really looks cool, but it looks also that getting one map done and campaing going could need quite effort, but visually stunning Talespire really looks.
Im trying to get different viewpoint of products, so i could pick the right product on me and our group so we dont have to change different product.
Afterall virtual tabletops has quite a lot, so comparison is challenging. It would be best, if there is somekind demo on those products that one can try set the campaign.
I personally prefer AboveVTT. It is a browser extension that works directly from DnD Beyond. It doesn't quite have the plethora of features that other tabletops have, BUT it is incredibly intuitive to get into. I had the entire system figured out in < 5 minutes I'd say. Really makes it desirable imo if you have a "lowest common denominator" player who may have a harder time picking up roll20 or Foundry.
So... I've used Foundry as a DM and Player and Roll20 as a Player... Roll20 was distressing, maybe it was a bad night, but it lagged a lot and crashed a few times over a 4 hours session, plus it just looks ugly.
Foundry Pros:
Easy access for my international party, reliable solid - there have been some browser issues and these haven't been unifrom, some player swear by Chrome, others by Firefox, they each claim that X browser does or doesn't work for them, but we're at the stage where they all claim to have good consistent access.
My god it's full of stars... Foundry is very tweakable, my maps look on screen how they do in my head. I've got good web speed, so lighting, audio, fx galore (where needed) and it holds up solidly,
Automation. As someone else mentioned, combat just runs very smootly, players can concentrate on being tactical or RP, Foundry takes care of the rest. About 6 months back we took on a complete noob, I stopped all the automation and we talked the guy through "how to D&D" so he could understand what was happening and why. As he learned things, we've re-automated them. Everyone in our group favours the automation for the above reasons. The noob still asks questions (a good thing), but now has PHB and mostly asks clarifcation these days... His character still does stupid stuff, but that's his character ;)
Journal/Quest log. We started with LMoP and aren't far off going into RotFM, there's been a lot of homebrew in the mix and there will continue to be. I work full time, so modules get a lot of the work out the way, but damn - I can essentially just write my DM notes on to the Foundry screen, attach pictures, NPCs inventorties etc. etc. Maybe I don't need to run modules after all?
Foundry adopts "better" modules into its core-design (with time). Each Version is an expansion on the last, so yeah there is the risk of modules becoming obsolete, but the better/more popular modules get integrated into the core product with time and they seem (so far) very proactive with this.
Cons
Plastic crack syndrome, it's not always easy to put down. I have wasted serious amounts of time tweaking and tweaking. It's very easy to not see the wood for the trees, so many modules... I've found a few modules that have clashed and broken each other, which has taken an awful lot of time to figure out where the issue was.
This doesn't bother me, but the world's burning and I want to complete my campaign more than worry about my disposable income burning through the ozone layer... Yes, there are additional payments - if you want. So $50 for the core product, £5 or so for DDB Muncher access - in my opinion worth it, but you could get away with $55 and cancel your Patreon after a month to get monsters, modules and all the bells and whistles imported. Module importing is super useful. I would say importing Monsters is necessary, there's no damn way I would input all that information. Is this well enough signposted at point of (Foundry VTT) purchase? I don't think so, but $5/month/1 time doesn't bother me at all.
Paid content... well, aside from the Patreon/Importer doodad, there is other paid content on Foundry, pre-built modules specifically for Foundry... You don't have to buy them. I did get a couple, they don't really fit into the overall feel of my Forgotten Realms world, but I don't feel burned on the purchases. There's DMsGuild etc. etc. that's all optional purchases and I'm good with that, some are betterr than others, but some are better than WOTC content, you pay your money, you take your chance.
Speaking of DMsGuild, this might be an unnessessary gripe, but I kinda feel a little resentful that I can't just import my DMsGuild content straight into Foundry, but all good things...
Honestly, Foundry has made my DMing life a lot easier. Yes there's not very well signposted optional, additional costs if you want, but $5 isn't even half a beer where I live. It's very well supported, the community is great and super helpful - I'm not an IT type and I've gotten a pretty "sexy" game running with all? the bells and whistles. Development into the future looks very promising, the owner/creator seems all about the learning curve and improving the product - it's noticably come along leaps and bounds in the (almost) year I've been using it and Foundry itself is making all the right noises about continuing that - although, if they stopped developing it right now, I would still be very happy with the product I have with no more inprovements, but then again, I've experienced Roll20. ...and on that comparison (the only one I have), Roll20 is like Fisher Price, Foundry is like Mechanno.
If you are looking at a replacement for roll 20 I suggest aboveVTT I have switched to that 100% now with my group, it is a free chrome plugin that allows you to import your own maps (I use inkarnate). It is completely interstates with DnD beyond out of the box as is.
I'm very new at this, and I realize I'm responding to an old thread, but since this has come up in my life, I'm going to contribute here in case it helps someone else. My use case is a little unusual. We're all new to D&D (I played a little in 1979 while in college, and another player played in a group about 10 years ago for a few sessions). Within the group, I'm the most technically oriented.
I considered three options for remote play: 1. D&D Beyond + Avrae + Above VTT
I decided not to use this solution because I didn't want to trouble my players (my extended family) to install a Chrome extension, or even Discord. All of use use Zoom, and we are used to it. But I do let my players share my D&D Beyond content where appropriate. I like the Android apps, too.
2. Fantasy Grounds Unity I have a Fantasy Grounds Unity license, and my purchased content there basically mirrors what I have on D&D Beyond. I found the learning curve to be difficult, and play slows down while we figure out features. It was less satisfying than in-person, paper and pencil, hand drawn maps. But that's not always an option. This will hopefully improve as we learn the program better.
Pros: This is a very mature product. There is lots of documentation, both text and YouTube. There is also a lot of available content. I have only used it for 5E, but I know it supports many systems. Also, even though I am behind a double NAT, there's no trouble getting everyone to join my games using their "lobby". Network performance is good, even on old, slow computers like ours, as long as Internet connectivity is decent. Since my license is "Ultimate", my players can all use the free version, and even share my content.
Cons: High learning curve, antiquated user interface.
2. Foundry I heard great things about Foundry, and got a license for that. Pros: With the MrPrimate Importer, I was able to leverage my D&D Beyond content. As of this writing (February, 2022), it seems to work quite well. Nice user interface. The additional modules available, some paid and some not, can really make this VTT shine. The players do not need to install ANYTHING. This was the main draw for me. I could tell them to browse to a site and it would just work.
Cons: The learning curve (for me, not a gamer and new to D&D as well as VTTs) is high. There's an additional layer of complexity because while Foundry really excels with the additional modules, you have to learn each one. Everyone I play with has antiquated equipment. I think of all of us, I have the best computer, with 16 GB of RAM, Intel i5. I built this box in 2009. But it's a business machine, not a gamer machine, so not a great graphics card; I'm using the built in graphics on the motherboard. I initially installed Foundry on a server I have available in the cloud. Performance was abysmal.I initially attributed it to the latency between me and the server. When I did a sample run with one of the players, it was basically unusable. Things got better when we cranked it down to a low frame rate and lower performance, but it was still bad. Then I installed it on a local laptop in my home. Intel i5, 8GB RAM, SSD, nothing special graphics (but it's only running as a server, so graphics shouldn't matter, I guess). I set up my test player (my adult son) with Zerotier to avoid firewall and NAT issues. It worked, and was a touch better once we cranked down the FPS and performance, but it was a case of "looks amazing, can't use it". I had to rule out Foundry on that basis alone. Maybe some day, when everyone upgrades (hah) we'll try it again.
As of now, we're either in-person or playing using Fantasy Grounds Unity + Zoom + Syrinscape. This is a very nice combination. I think that once I know FGU better, we'll have a better experience. I'm spending some spare time watching videos and reading up on how to use FGU, but I do have a life.
I hope this helps someone who is looking to make a decision. N.B. I didn't try Roll20, but I hear it may be a good option for some.
I personally prefer AboveVTT. It is a browser extension that works directly from DnD Beyond. It doesn't quite have the plethora of features that other tabletops have, BUT it is incredibly intuitive to get into. I had the entire system figured out in < 5 minutes I'd say. Really makes it desirable imo if you have a "lowest common denominator" player who may have a harder time picking up roll20 or Foundry.
I second AboveVTT, it is amazing. No need to have a master in programming or script hacking to use, you're up and running in a few minutes.
Avoid Fantasy Grounds, once you learn the interface is completely spoils you from playing any other way. Roll20 is my only other experience with a VTT and it seems a constant nightmare of tweaks and breaking scripts and lag and delay. Not to mention the ongoing cost for that, sheesh. FG calculates most things for you, checks saving throws automatically, adds in modifiers like Adv/Dis advantage for conditions, spells etc automatically. I use it to run even my offline games.
For combats with complex, NPCs, its ability to summarize their abilities and being able to quickly tag all NPCs (for a fireball, for example) either on the map or the Combat Tracker helps play flow smoothly, especially if you have big battles. Each NPC can have their own specific hit points, separate initiative, attack and damage rolls and you can mask the NPC so the players don't know what they are fighting. Plus little tricks like a player being able to emote, or having an NPC speak in Elven (your DM chat seems to come from the elf) so that only the elvish players understand it adds color and interest.
Flagging the characters for a short or long rest calculates and recharges all abilities and HP appropriately, automatically. Customizing lets you add in all sorts of unique character options. You can add in FG modules from many many third party companies Kobold Press or so many from the DMsGuild, etc.
It is also amazingly versatile at creating maps, quickly customizing NPCs making prep go quickly and allowing you to pull three chapters out of one adventure for use in another, for example. And then being able to bundle that up, save it as a module or export it as a stand alone PDF? Amazing. This 'copy and edit' feature is worth the price on its own for DMs.
Line of sight is vital, lighting is interesting, things like water and fog etc are cute but the core battle automations are the key reasons for me to invest time to make things run sweetly in FG.
My group has done fine with roll20. Good integration with DDB, the dynamic lighting is cool, easy rollable tables and macros, and it's pretty flexible for creating custom monsters and NPCs.
Just wanted to share an alternate perspective since everyone seems to dismiss roll20 as a buggy mess, and that is not my experience. We do have sound issues from time to time, but the person just reconnects and it's resolved in 10 seconds.
I think it depends what you want a VTT for, my group do all there dice rolls on DnD beyond, we play on Discord and we are 90% TOTM so really I use a map for more complicated combat. I don't need highly detailed LOS, range etc, as I prefer to take a more cinematic approach to running combat. Above VTT manages all I need very easily, I can even get a hand drawn map up quickly, snap a pic load it to Google docs and make it public, then link it in Above VTT.
Definitely agree, it all depends on what you want.
If all you want is a map and you only play DnD, then AboveVTT is the way to go. If you play other systems, then I'd look at Owlbear Rodeo for your maps.
If you want the automation, then you've got some more options to pick from.
Fantasy grounds is better for automation, but is also the priciest option and everyone needs to be able to run the program on their computer. There's also a bit of a steeper learning curve for the DM and the players. The biggest drawback with Fantasy Grounds is you have to purchase the books on there, however it's all hosted on your own PC so if the site goes down you still have it. It also takes a lot of persuasion anytime you want to bring your party away from all that simplicity.
Foundry is next up, automation can be done, but it's a lot more about finding the right modules to install on the game and setup is so much more effort than the other options. The bonus is that you can run the software off a hosting service such as the Forge or even run it off of a raspberry pi, if you have one kicking about like me. Also, there's a great importer which means you don't need to repurchase any books you have on DnD Beyond.
Next up is Roll20, the first site I tried about 3 or 4 years ago and I was so underwhelmed with it, I bought Fantasy Grounds straight away.
My personal preference is Foundry.
I'll also add that I have never used a VTT for audio or cameras, I handle all of that through discord.
FGU Ultimate license is $149; Foundry VTT is $50.
But my point about everybody needing a copy of FGU still applies; whereas Foundry is browser-based - so Foundry can be used on business laptops or any other computers which prevent manual installation of software.
I could be wrong but FGU Ultimate license only allows the license owner to be a DM? Whereas Foundry allows any player to be set as the DM for a campaign.
Foundry by a country mile IMO...
As a DM and a Player I have ran in both and Foundry is heads and above better.
Especially if you want to run more than one type of TTRPG on it.
PF2E is AMAZAING in Foundry as you can upload the PDF and it automatically makes the maps for you!
You are wrong about FGU Ultimate. Let's go to the source and keep it simple: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/home/home.php
EDIT: I'm wrong about you being wrong. The only person who can DM is the person who has the Ultimate license and account.
It's $149 and if the DM pays for that Ultimate license the players just use the free Demo client. I have been doing this since last September (2020) and it's always been that fee/structure.
Every time someone makes me look at Foundry I see nice things but not the power of Fantasy Grounds. The Pro of FGU is also the Con - there's a sunken cost in a learning curve. It's not user friendly, clearly designed by people who are engineers and make things work (They can't possibly have a designer who's focused on user experience. If they do, that person is either being held back or failing).
Fantasy Grounds Unity is hard to learn, but every single lesson I learn as as DM unlocks better games for myself and my players. The more you know the more it's clear that all other VTT's stand in it's shadow in terms of raw power. The problem is learning FGU is akin to learning a programming language. There are all kinds of rules and tricks that aren't intuitive or documented well and nobody left comments in their code ;)
Here is another vote for Foundry VTT. It's quite easy to learn although it takes some effort to master (and I can't really claim to be a master). As another +, there is a pretty active discord community and one can get good answers in minutes to any issue.
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.
When our group switched from roll20 to Foundry, the players were all saying how intuitive Foundry was, and asked why hadn't we been using it all along.
Most things in Foundry are rather intuitive. And some just... are not. You just have to live with those several quirks. All apps have them.
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.
Hi!
This topic looks promising on my needs.
I have starting to be DM on online roleplaying, where we need map and figures etc. Problem is that i have zero knowing different virtual tabletop softwares. My need is software where players can join easy (i prefer software that players dont need buy software) also i would enjoy if the use is simple and intuitive. So the top things are: map that you can custom, figures move there and that it is simple to use. I also enjoy if buiyng the product im ready to set the campaing, so there is no need many different modules and "microtransactions".
Foundry VTT has caught my attention, though i have understand there is need on port forwarding, or you can benefit if you can use java. This sound like this product really isnt my cup of a tea.
I have found others, like Fantasy ground (this is quite expensive), then there is Fantasy ground unity it is less expensive, what is the difference between these two FG products?
Astral looks really appealing, quite interesting, but is there some cons on this? How easy is joining, need all players buy Astral? Talespire has also being on my radar, one players mentioned that, and it really looks cool, but it looks also that getting one map done and campaing going could need quite effort, but visually stunning Talespire really looks.
Im trying to get different viewpoint of products, so i could pick the right product on me and our group so we dont have to change different product.
Afterall virtual tabletops has quite a lot, so comparison is challenging. It would be best, if there is somekind demo on those products that one can try set the campaign.
I personally prefer AboveVTT. It is a browser extension that works directly from DnD Beyond. It doesn't quite have the plethora of features that other tabletops have, BUT it is incredibly intuitive to get into. I had the entire system figured out in < 5 minutes I'd say. Really makes it desirable imo if you have a "lowest common denominator" player who may have a harder time picking up roll20 or Foundry.
So... I've used Foundry as a DM and Player and Roll20 as a Player... Roll20 was distressing, maybe it was a bad night, but it lagged a lot and crashed a few times over a 4 hours session, plus it just looks ugly.
Foundry Pros:
Cons
Honestly, Foundry has made my DMing life a lot easier. Yes there's not very well signposted optional, additional costs if you want, but $5 isn't even half a beer where I live. It's very well supported, the community is great and super helpful - I'm not an IT type and I've gotten a pretty "sexy" game running with all? the bells and whistles. Development into the future looks very promising, the owner/creator seems all about the learning curve and improving the product - it's noticably come along leaps and bounds in the (almost) year I've been using it and Foundry itself is making all the right noises about continuing that - although, if they stopped developing it right now, I would still be very happy with the product I have with no more inprovements, but then again, I've experienced Roll20. ...and on that comparison (the only one I have), Roll20 is like Fisher Price, Foundry is like Mechanno.
https://wulfgold.substack.com
Blog - nerd stuff
https://deepdreamgenerator.com/u/wulfgold
A.I. art - also nerd stuff - a gallery of NPC portraits - help yourself.
Check out AboveVTT, it's a Chrome plugin, free, and integrates quite well with D&DBeyond. Might be something to consider.
If you are looking at a replacement for roll 20 I suggest aboveVTT I have switched to that 100% now with my group, it is a free chrome plugin that allows you to import your own maps (I use inkarnate). It is completely interstates with DnD beyond out of the box as is.
I'm very new at this, and I realize I'm responding to an old thread, but since this has come up in my life, I'm going to contribute here in case it helps someone else. My use case is a little unusual. We're all new to D&D (I played a little in 1979 while in college, and another player played in a group about 10 years ago for a few sessions). Within the group, I'm the most technically oriented.
I considered three options for remote play:
1. D&D Beyond + Avrae + Above VTT
I decided not to use this solution because I didn't want to trouble my players (my extended family) to install a Chrome extension, or even Discord. All of use use Zoom, and we are used to it. But I do let my players share my D&D Beyond content where appropriate. I like the Android apps, too.
2. Fantasy Grounds Unity
I have a Fantasy Grounds Unity license, and my purchased content there basically mirrors what I have on D&D Beyond. I found the learning curve to be difficult, and play slows down while we figure out features. It was less satisfying than in-person, paper and pencil, hand drawn maps. But that's not always an option. This will hopefully improve as we learn the program better.
Pros: This is a very mature product. There is lots of documentation, both text and YouTube. There is also a lot of available content. I have only used it for 5E, but I know it supports many systems. Also, even though I am behind a double NAT, there's no trouble getting everyone to join my games using their "lobby". Network performance is good, even on old, slow computers like ours, as long as Internet connectivity is decent. Since my license is "Ultimate", my players can all use the free version, and even share my content.
Cons: High learning curve, antiquated user interface.
2. Foundry
I heard great things about Foundry, and got a license for that.
Pros: With the MrPrimate Importer, I was able to leverage my D&D Beyond content. As of this writing (February, 2022), it seems to work quite well. Nice user interface. The additional modules available, some paid and some not, can really make this VTT shine. The players do not need to install ANYTHING. This was the main draw for me. I could tell them to browse to a site and it would just work.
Cons: The learning curve (for me, not a gamer and new to D&D as well as VTTs) is high. There's an additional layer of complexity because while Foundry really excels with the additional modules, you have to learn each one.
Everyone I play with has antiquated equipment. I think of all of us, I have the best computer, with 16 GB of RAM, Intel i5. I built this box in 2009. But it's a business machine, not a gamer machine, so not a great graphics card; I'm using the built in graphics on the motherboard. I initially installed Foundry on a server I have available in the cloud. Performance was abysmal.I initially attributed it to the latency between me and the server. When I did a sample run with one of the players, it was basically unusable. Things got better when we cranked it down to a low frame rate and lower performance, but it was still bad. Then I installed it on a local laptop in my home. Intel i5, 8GB RAM, SSD, nothing special graphics (but it's only running as a server, so graphics shouldn't matter, I guess). I set up my test player (my adult son) with Zerotier to avoid firewall and NAT issues. It worked, and was a touch better once we cranked down the FPS and performance, but it was a case of "looks amazing, can't use it". I had to rule out Foundry on that basis alone. Maybe some day, when everyone upgrades (hah) we'll try it again.
As of now, we're either in-person or playing using Fantasy Grounds Unity + Zoom + Syrinscape. This is a very nice combination. I think that once I know FGU better, we'll have a better experience. I'm spending some spare time watching videos and reading up on how to use FGU, but I do have a life.
I hope this helps someone who is looking to make a decision. N.B. I didn't try Roll20, but I hear it may be a good option for some.
I second AboveVTT, it is amazing. No need to have a master in programming or script hacking to use, you're up and running in a few minutes.
Maybe I'll give it another try. It has been a while since I looked.
Avoid Fantasy Grounds, once you learn the interface is completely spoils you from playing any other way. Roll20 is my only other experience with a VTT and it seems a constant nightmare of tweaks and breaking scripts and lag and delay. Not to mention the ongoing cost for that, sheesh. FG calculates most things for you, checks saving throws automatically, adds in modifiers like Adv/Dis advantage for conditions, spells etc automatically. I use it to run even my offline games.
For combats with complex, NPCs, its ability to summarize their abilities and being able to quickly tag all NPCs (for a fireball, for example) either on the map or the Combat Tracker helps play flow smoothly, especially if you have big battles. Each NPC can have their own specific hit points, separate initiative, attack and damage rolls and you can mask the NPC so the players don't know what they are fighting. Plus little tricks like a player being able to emote, or having an NPC speak in Elven (your DM chat seems to come from the elf) so that only the elvish players understand it adds color and interest.
Flagging the characters for a short or long rest calculates and recharges all abilities and HP appropriately, automatically. Customizing lets you add in all sorts of unique character options. You can add in FG modules from many many third party companies Kobold Press or so many from the DMsGuild, etc.
It is also amazingly versatile at creating maps, quickly customizing NPCs making prep go quickly and allowing you to pull three chapters out of one adventure for use in another, for example. And then being able to bundle that up, save it as a module or export it as a stand alone PDF? Amazing. This 'copy and edit' feature is worth the price on its own for DMs.
Line of sight is vital, lighting is interesting, things like water and fog etc are cute but the core battle automations are the key reasons for me to invest time to make things run sweetly in FG.
Here is some more I have written about the FG process I use: https://www.dieascast.com/blog/2-making-the-most-of-fantasy-grounds
FundPirate
The Die As Cast podcast
My group has done fine with roll20. Good integration with DDB, the dynamic lighting is cool, easy rollable tables and macros, and it's pretty flexible for creating custom monsters and NPCs.
Just wanted to share an alternate perspective since everyone seems to dismiss roll20 as a buggy mess, and that is not my experience. We do have sound issues from time to time, but the person just reconnects and it's resolved in 10 seconds.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
I think it depends what you want a VTT for, my group do all there dice rolls on DnD beyond, we play on Discord and we are 90% TOTM so really I use a map for more complicated combat. I don't need highly detailed LOS, range etc, as I prefer to take a more cinematic approach to running combat. Above VTT manages all I need very easily, I can even get a hand drawn map up quickly, snap a pic load it to Google docs and make it public, then link it in Above VTT.
Definitely agree, it all depends on what you want.
If all you want is a map and you only play DnD, then AboveVTT is the way to go. If you play other systems, then I'd look at Owlbear Rodeo for your maps.
If you want the automation, then you've got some more options to pick from.
Fantasy grounds is better for automation, but is also the priciest option and everyone needs to be able to run the program on their computer. There's also a bit of a steeper learning curve for the DM and the players. The biggest drawback with Fantasy Grounds is you have to purchase the books on there, however it's all hosted on your own PC so if the site goes down you still have it. It also takes a lot of persuasion anytime you want to bring your party away from all that simplicity.
Foundry is next up, automation can be done, but it's a lot more about finding the right modules to install on the game and setup is so much more effort than the other options. The bonus is that you can run the software off a hosting service such as the Forge or even run it off of a raspberry pi, if you have one kicking about like me. Also, there's a great importer which means you don't need to repurchase any books you have on DnD Beyond.
Next up is Roll20, the first site I tried about 3 or 4 years ago and I was so underwhelmed with it, I bought Fantasy Grounds straight away.
My personal preference is Foundry.
I'll also add that I have never used a VTT for audio or cameras, I handle all of that through discord.
Good choice. Foundry is dead anyway.
Dead?!?! Did I miss something?