Roll20 Blog

[roll20]

Schedule Your Next Game is now on the Development server

Scheduling games is hard. Like, Tomb of Horrors-level hard. More than half of the Roll20 users we surveyed said that coordinating a time to play was a frustration in playing role-playing games, with over 35% saying it was their single greatest frustration. We get it. Here at Roll20, our team regularly juggles multiple staff and home games at the same time and we, too, have had trouble finding and sticking to our game times. So while we can’t do your laundry, rearrange your appointments, or order game night snacks (yet)—we’re hoping that facing the scheduling challenge with the right tools will make things a little easier.

You can now see Schedule Your Next Game on the Development server (available to Pro subscribers), which includes the following features:

When you’re on https://roll20dev.net/welcome you’ll see banners at the top of game images with your next game time, or a prompt to schedule your next game if you have GM permissions.

We’ve updated the default game image and some of the images that you see in the toolbar, including the tutorial and looking for group dropdown images.

Only active games (games with modifications in the last six months) will prompt you to schedule your next game.

The games list will sort on https://roll20dev.net/welcome to your next scheduled game time, then most recently modified.

We’ve standardized the ratio the game image is served at to 2:1. You may notice your game images don’t look the way you expected everywhere, and we’ll be working on a solution on upload for that in the future.

We’ve read a lot of your suggestions about this, and we hope you’re going to be excited about the improvements we’re making now and in the future. We’ve already enabled anyone with GM permissions to set the game time on live, and the next places we intend to improve are email notifications and calendar attachments, which alert you and your players in advance of the next game and enable integration with your own calendars. 

We’re proud that we are a platform that has helped so many people stay connected, especially recently, and we hope that the games you’ve played and social connections you’ve forged and maintained have been a refuge. Schedule Your Next Game helps maintain the games you’re already playing while also helping you find time for the next adventure. Future changes will all hit the Development server first, so if this is exciting for you, be sure to keep an eye out for more information here on the blog and there.

Dev server access is available only to Roll20 Pro Subscribers. Not a subscriber? Join today at roll20.io/subscribe

----

As a reminder, we’re matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.” Learn more and donate through our Tiltify campaign here: http://roll20.io/Tiltify-Code2040

[roll20]

Add Some Enchantment to Your Tabletop With February’s Roll20 Reserve!

In the deep of midwinter, in every hill and forest and valley, old spirits stir. Fair folk, fae, spirtes, and all manner of members of the Winter Court of Fae are included in this set, everything from the ruthless and ethereal monstrous Bocan to dainty glittering snow sprites and cuddly sentient forest animals. 

This set includes 27 of the weirdest, wildest, and coldest fair folk to be found in the myths and legends of the old world, and are ready to add some haunting mystery to the stories around your table on these dark, chilly winter nights.

Pro Subscribers unlock a new curated reward every month from Roll20 Reserve for no additional cost. From token packs to modules and everything in between, Roll20 Reserve offers hand-picked goodies selected to make your virtual tabletop better. Don’t miss your chance to claim each Reserve reward; at the first Tuesday of each month, the new reward becomes available, and the old one is retired. Click here to unlock your item today! Not a Pro subscriber? Learn more here.

[roll20]

Coming Soon to a Livestream Near You!

Next month be prepared for the adventure of a lifetime. GM Shareef Jackson is bringing a whole new cast together to explore the world of Kids on Bikes. Come meet them and get hyped alongside them for a collaborative story-telling roleplaying game full of ordinary people grappling with strange, terrifying, and very, very powerful forces. Join them all on February 15 at 8am PT (4pm UTC) as they begin their journey together!

Meet the cast:

Shareef Jackson (Game Master) is a STEM diversity advocate who enjoys video games and TTRPGs! Follow him at shareefjackson.com, http://twitter.com/shareefjackson, or http://twitch.tv/reefjackson for links to his work.

My goal is to use the Kids on Bikes system to build a world that everyone can participate in.  I also want to promote a diverse cast of players, as well as in game characters, to show that tabletop RPGs can be enjoyed by everyone. - Shareef

Markeia McCarty is a geek & gaming host, TTRPG player/DM, improviser (UCB, iO, Second City) and is also a Marketing Manager for Hunters Entertainment. She's played on a variety of TTRPG shows including Critical Role, Geek N Sundry, and HyperRPG. She narrates and story edits the animated horror series, Something Scary, on YouTube (youtube.com/snarled). Tuesdays 6pm PT, she RPGs on Hunters Entertainment Twitch (http://twitch.tv/huntersentertainment ). Twitter/IG: @markeiamccarty, Twitch: DarthMarkeia

One of the things I'm excited about with this upcoming Kids on Bikes campaign is the wonderful diversity representation. Differing ethnicities, gender identities and backgrounds both on & behind the scenes. Not only that, but we'll have the feel good pleasure of having a Kids On Bikes campaign where yes, anything thrilling can happen (like Space Robots, possessed toasters, and aliens that can do the Tango) but also real social commentary can be done with knowledgeable and experienced people co-creating together. The possibilities are pretty beautiful and I'm excited to be a part of it. - Markeia

Xu Mason is a bilingual first generation Asian American actress/writer/comedian. She came up through the Chicago improv scene, where she studied at The Annoyance, iO, and The Second City. She has been on multiple iO Harold Teams, and was a 2019 Second City in conjunction with NBC Universal Bob Curry Fellow. Her writing has been found in Points in Case, Belladonnas, Flexx Mag, and Funny-ish. She currently plays games online with her improv team StirFriday Night, and more. Find her on twitter and instagram at @hellotherexu. 

I love collaborative world building. I think it's so much fun to create and explore a world together, using one tid bit here to fuel another. Setting the mood, and creating something zany, fun, and lovely - or all three. It's almost like improv, but only for my head and shoulders. - Xu

Noir Enigma is a voice actor, streamer, musician and improvisor. He has studied at Chicago's iO, Westside Theater, and Second City. He is the Nerdy host of Critical Misses' Morning Ritual, creator and Game Master for Kobold Presses Into the Southlands, Magpies Second City Saviors and The Lonely Throne a 5th Edition game in his created setting of Gloria on Thursdays on his twitch channel. He is the Social Media Manager for LFM Network and can be found at twitter/twitch/youtube as @TheNoirEnigma.

What I’m most excited about is trying out this new system. Kids on Bikes is something that I’ve heard so much about but never got to get my hands on until now. Plus I get that added benefit of playing this new system with such amazing players, I have not played a single game with any of the cast so this is so terribly exciting that I can’t wait. I know we’re going to bring something special together and I can’t wait for you all to see it! - Noir

Kailey Bray is a Juilliard-trained actor from Ottawa, Canada. She is the creator and Game Master of Damsels, Dice, and Everything Nice, the Princess RPG parody. In addition to Damsels, she’s the Community Manager for AMC's Walking Dead Twitch Channel, and a producer for Hyper RPG and Pixel Circus. (Twitter: @hapabarbarian)

I’ve never gotten to play Kids on Bikes and I’ve always wanted to try! I love the collaborative world building aspect of the system and I can’t wait to see what we all create together! - Kailey

Premieres February 15 | 8am PT (4pm UTC) | twitch.tv/roll20app

[roll20]

5 Marketplace Modules To Get Started With Dynamic Lighting

Dive into an immersive experience with UDL using an item from the Roll20 Marketplace - we’ve done the prep work for you!

With the recent announcement of Update 1.0 to our Updated Dynamic Lighting, now is the perfect time to delve into everything Updated Dynamic Lighting has to offer for your campaign.

If the idea of more prep work scares you, never fear. We have a plethora of products on the Marketplace that come ready-to-play, right out of the digital box! Below are some of our favorite products that really take advantage of UDL’s strengths.

New to Dynamic Lighting? Try Wardlings! 

New to the Roll20 Marketplace, Wardlings is a 5E-compatible campaign guide set in a world where children can perceive magic but adults cannot. This campaign is all-ages friendly, and the Roll20 release features original map artwork with Dynamic Lighting integration that is sure to delight players of all ages. With a focus on open woodland spaces, the Dynamic Lighting setup is fairly simple - which gives you and your players a good chance to experiment with the feature and get comfortable with it!

Plunge into the icy depths of Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden!

This 2020 release from Wizards of the Coast is packed with winding caverns and lairs portrayed through intensely intricate maps - and our Dynamic Lighting is the frosting on the cave! Your party’s bone-chilling adventures will be enhanced with dark and dreary lighting as they wind through every twist and turn - all of the terror, without losing any of the map detail! 

The Alien RPG Starter Set brings cinematic chills!

Is there anything more tense than survival horror? How about survival horror in the pitch-black of space? The Alien RPG Starter Set includes full floor plans for every scenario, complete with Dynamic Lighting integration that adds a terror-inducing atmosphere for your players. Your players will practically be able to hear the hum of fluorescent lights flooding cramped spaceship hallways as they work together to escape the deadly xenomorph. 

Need a new adventure? Look no further than the Sanguine Dawn Inn from DMDave and Tom Cartos! 

Endlessly prolific and expansively original, DMDave brings a multitude of adventures to the Roll20 Marketplace. With a background in architecture, design, and storytelling, artist Tom Cartos boasts a repertoire of maps and addons for Roll20 users, as well. The two have teamed up to create The Sanguine Dawn Inn, a variable level adventure mixed with daytime and nighttime action. And this is just one example of their work - both artists feature a multitude of high-quality game-enhancing offerings on the Roll20 Marketplace.

Ready to try your hand? Delve into the Underworld with Venatus Maps!

Venatus Maps offers a wide array of beautiful maps and assets for building the perfect battleground in Roll20. Upon purchase, the art is added to your Art Library, which means it’s up to you to drag the art into the VTT and set up the Dynamic Lighting.  Start with the Underworld Maps: Part One, and you’ll have the beautiful artwork of Venatus Maps as your guide while you build an exciting and immersive lighting experience for your players.

Remember, Dynamic Lighting features are only available for Plus + Pro subscribers. Upgrade your subscription and see your games in a whole new light today! \

--

As a reminder, we’re matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.” Learn more and donate through our Tiltify campaign here: http://roll20.io/Tiltify-Code2040

[roll20]

Marketplace Roundup for January 21st 2021

The Wardlings Campaign Guide has come to Roll20! In it, you’ll adventure in a world full of wonder and magic that is sparked by the innocence of humanity’s most important heroes…children! This enchanted campaign setting comes to life through children’s minds as they take center stage as the saviors of the land. They venture on epic quests to protect their realm and perceive magical creatures and events in the world around them, all while remaining uncorrupted by their elders' vices and responsibilities.

This bundle contains character creation rules for your new Wardlings character, new core class options, a whole new magic system for your Wardling’s familiar, an overview of the lands of Or’Mya and its inhabitants, new backgrounds, powerful spells, whimsical monsters, and more! Exclusive to the Roll20 release, you'll also find original maps illustrated to enhance your Wardlings Campaign Guide encounters! So if you’re looking for the perfect option for a family game night with the kids, the world of Or’Mya awaits you!

So, what kind of hero will you be? Purchase and play the Wardlings Campaign Guide today on Roll20!

Here are some of our favorites from our Marketplace Creator’s this week:

Fiasco Complete Bundle by Bully Pulpit Games | $29.99

Dan's Deck of Castle Towers by Dan DiPietro | $6.99

MARKERS! Starter Pack by Renflowergrapx | $4.99

Candlekeep Mysteries(PRE-ORDER) by Wizards of the Coast | $49.95

As a reminder, we’re matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.” Learn more and donate through our Tiltify campaign here: http://roll20.io/Tiltify-Code2040

[roll20]

Bad Heroes: An Accurately Named Pathfinder 1e Podcast

Bad Heroes is a comedy-adventure actual play podcast with a love of storytelling, roleplay, and the more charming forces of Hell. Set in a homebrew world using Pathfinder 1st Edition mechanics, it's a show about four unlucky adventurers who have been thrown together on a dangerous mission to hunt curses for the Queen of Vyer. Follow along as these hapless heroes try to survive vampires, werewolves, and their own bad choices.

Written by Lian of Bad Heroes.

Roll20 Presents Recap:

Chaos Initiative is chilling in a dwarven fortress! It’s a party for everyone. Hang with them Mondays at 1pm PT.

Burn Bryte: After Midnight is in full swing with rescues and mysteries and more! Join them in Olaxis Mondays at 6pm PT.

The Indie Showcase has returned! January 12 kicked off with Thirsty Sword Lesbians and the 19th will be showcasing One Last Fight. Join us weekly Tuesdays at 3pm PT.

Indoor Recess decided that the only way to beat the gods is to kill them… or join them. Hang out with them Tuesday at 8pm PT.

Balikbayan: Returning Home is headed towards their finale! We’re sure everything will work out perfectly. We’ll find out on Wednesday at 5pm PT.

Chaos Initiative has decided saving (or conquering) the Ten Towns is not enough so they’re headed to the stars! Aabria and Elf began their GM Prep sessions this week as they get ready to take the team into a galaxy far, far away for a Star Wars: Edge of the Empire campaign. They’ll be GM Prepping on Thursdays at 1pm PT.

The last Tabletop Tabletalk with GabeJamesGames took a look at Esper Genesis with Rich, the designer. He’ll be back with another guest to talk about accessibility in tabletop games on January 22. Catch up on the series over on Youtube.

Follow us on Twitch and YouTube so you don’t miss your favorite Roll20 Presents shows and find new creators.

Help us support Code2040! As a tech company, we are striving towards a more equitable industry and one of the ways we’re doing that is with matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.” Learn more and donate through our Tiltify campaign here: http://roll20.io/Tiltify-Code2040.

[roll20]

Marketplace Roundup for January 14th, 2021

Candlekeep Mysteries is an anthology of 17 short, stand-alone, mystery-themed adventures for D&D, designed for characters of levels 1-16. Each adventure begins with the discovery of a book in the titular library, and each book is the key to a door behind which danger and glory await.

These adventures can be run as one-shot games, plugged into an existing Forgotten Realms campaign, or adapted for other campaign settings. This book also includes a map of the library fortress and detailed descriptions of Candlekeep and its inhabitants. Preorder Candlekeep Mysteries on Roll20 and enjoy the adventures built ready-to-play with Dynamic Lighting support and more. We'll handle the prep so you can get playing. P.S. - You can expect Dynamic lighting support and more when it launches on March 16, 2021!

Here’s some of our favorites from our Marketplace Creators this week:

The Wolves of Autumn by Session Zero | $6.99

The Sloop by Savage Scrolls | $12.99

Heart of Fae Battlemap by Ori The Cartographer | $6.99

Esper Genesis Core Manual by Alligator Alley Entertainment | $39.99

As a reminder, we’re matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.” Learn more and donate through our Tiltify campaign here: http://roll20.io/Tiltify-Code2040

[roll20]

Updated Dynamic Lighting 1.0 is Live

A new year brings change, and in that spirit, we’re announcing the first major update to our Updated Dynamic Lighting system with Update 1.0, now live on Roll20.

Last spring, we debuted Updated Dynamic Lighting to our Pro and Plus users. An entirely new system for allowing our players to control the lighting in their games, Updated Dynamic Lighting was developed from the ground up to replace Legacy Lighting once we knew that Legacy Lighting had reached its limit to accommodate user requests. This new system uses WebGL, a JavaScript API for rendering graphics in compatible web browsers, without the use of a plug-in. It also allows us to do things Legacy Lighting could not do, like adding different types of vision with their own color and filter effects and a more intuitive way of creating opaque darkness, and overall, it lays a better foundation for us to add many of the user requested features and enhancements going forward. 

The launch of this new system was a step in the right direction, but we stumbled along the way. There were bugs and sluggishness we didn’t anticipate in our initial launch. We apologize for those problems and their impact on your play time, and appreciate the feedback that has helped us deliver an improved version of Updated Dynamic Lighting today. We hope this update shows we’re committed to listening to feedback and working continuously to give you the best experience possible.

To give you a more thorough accounting, here’s some of the issues we tackled:

Fixed an issue where darkness was breaking in explorer mode at the top left corner of the map for users on MacOS using integrated graphics settings

Various Nightvision issues ranging from disappearing GM layer to Nightvision showing up on tokens you are not using “Control-L” on

Ability to add a Dimmable Nightvision effect

"Pixel Dust" scattered across the map

Fixed a "cone" issue that kicked in when you hit a large number of tokens on the map

Implemented significant performance improvements, which cut down considerably on the resources used across the board

Fixed an issue where moving lighting barriers were updated as expected 

and many, many more, some of which you can see in our Change Log.

With these issues addressed, we’re officially releasing Update 1.0, which gives us a solid foundation to continue to build on. We’re excited with how it’s performing thus far, and we think you will be, as well. As always, we welcome your feedback in the forums and look forward to addressing whatever issues may arise as you play. 

For those of you still using Legacy Lighting, there’s never been a better time to make a copy of your game, convert it, and give Updated Dynamic Lighting a try. We will still support Legacy Lighting for a while, but we feel it’s only fair to let you know that we will be deprecating our support for the Legacy system sometime in the future. We will be sure to give you enough time to convert your games – and you can still use the Legacy system for some time after support is withdrawn – but our hope is that you’ll find enough in Updated Dynamic Lighting to not want to go back.

Thanks for your support and patience during this time. If you’ll indulge a little corniness, we appreciate your passion and want to give you the best experience possible in your games. Updated Dynamic Lighting has been in the works for some time, and we see the 1.0 Update not as a finish line, but a checkpoint. Similarly, we know that development on Updated Dynamic Lighting isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon. We’re going to keep working to improve it and bring it up to meet our standards and expectations. As always: Thanks for playing with us.

[roll20]

More on the Indie Showcase 2021 from go_jg!

It's a new year and that means a new season of Roll20's Indie Showcase. This year will feature not just new games but an all new host team! 

If you’re meeting me for the first time, hi, my name is Jess (she/they). I’m a queer Canadian streamer, writer, producer,content creator, and a heckin huge nerd for indie games. As much as I appreciate the big name games for introducing me to TTRPGs, it’s indie games that have won my heart. That’s why I’m so excited to get to co-produce this new season of Roll20’s Indie Showcase alongside the wonderful Bee Zelda. I’m looking forward to showing off some fun indie games that are in the Roll20 marketplace, as well as some you can build into Roll20 yourself. We have an impressive assortment of games this season with great casts of folx to play them. I think everyone will find something new to enjoy: intriguing mechanics, GM-less cooperative narrative control, and even some new takes on old systems you already love. 

For my first game of the season I’m excited to be showcasing One Last Fight by Ethan Hudgens. In One Last Fight you are a heroic party on your way to the final battle with your nemesis. This game is a great one shot for folx who want to create a really dramatic story and features really fun pieces that make it feel like you’re playing both a board game and a role playing game. The weeks that follow will have everything from magical girls to animal folks, warrior princesses and lots more!

- Jess (go_jg)

Roll20 Indie Showcase | One Last Fight airs live on Tuesday January 19, 3pm PT (11pm UTC) on twitch.tv/roll20app.

As a reminder, we’re matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.” Learn more and donate through our Tiltify campaign here: http://roll20.io/Tiltify-Code2040

[roll20]

Marketplace Roundup: Year in Review

Before we look forward to the new items that have released so far this year, let’s take a second to look back at our Top 5 Independent Creators of 2020. The creators and items listed below were the highest selling non-Roll20 produced pieces of content on our Marketplace. So without further adieu, let’s jump right into the list:

1.HUNTERS ENTERTAINMENT: ALICE IS MISSING | $19.99

Alice is Missing, is a silent role-playing game about the disappearance of Alice Briarwood, a high school junior in the small town of Silent Falls. This immersive, mystery RPG is played without verbal communication. Players inhabit their character for the entirety of the 90-minute play session, and instead of speaking, send text messages back and forth to the other characters in a group chat, as well as individually, as though they aren’t in the same place together.

2. DUNGEON CHANNEL: WEATHER OVERLAYS | $5.99

Weather Overlays is a collection of animations to aid in setting the mood during wilderness encounters.

3. DAVID HEMENWAY: GAME PROPS DUNGEON | $4.99

No longer do your players have to imagine the marble pool and ornate pillars in the chamber they've just entered. Need a cell in the floor for when the PCs get out of hand? Make your RPG come to life with the Game Props Dungeon object set! This pack contains 292 PNG object files you can drop into any map. Each object comes with various rotations to preserve realistic shadows, or you can use the included shadowless version if you prefer. Dressing your dungeon in realistic detail is easy with Game Props!

4. TOM CARTOS (DMDAVE COLLABORATION): HOW THE LICH STOLE CHRISTMAS | $7.99

How the Lich Stole Christmas! is a Fifth Edition adventure for four to six characters of 18th to 20th level, and it is optimized for a party of four characters with an average party level (APL) of 20. Although this is a holiday adventure based on a classic children’s novel, it can easily be inserted into any Fifth Edition campaign setting or run as a stand-alone adventure. Characters of 18th or 19th level who complete this adventure should earn half the necessary experience to reach the next level. 20th-level characters who complete this adventure will earn one of the epic boons detailed at the end of this adventure.

5. NORSE FOUNDRY: WINTER WONDERLAND | $4.99

Time for adventure at the North Pole? Have your players been naughty or nice? Santa as an Orc? A Goblin? A Minotaur? Is that box a gift or perhaps a mimic? 20 tokens to make your holiday gaming a unique experience. Take your Roll20 Game to the next level.

--

As a reminder, we’re matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.” Learn more and donate through our Tiltify campaign here: http://roll20.io/Tiltify-Code2040

[roll20]

Indie Showcase Returns for 2021!

Bee Zelda (they/them) is a podcaster with the Broadswords on the Oneshot Network, a content creator, and a regular TTRPG twitch streamer. And now Bee, joined by the illustrious Jess, is co-producing the new season of the Roll20 Indie Showcase! Getting swept up in the world of tabletop RPGs, Bee has played so many games with so many people, and now they have the opportunity to show off their best tabletop skills. Bee is incredibly hyped for the opportunity to show off all the amazing indie games and fabulous content on the Marketplace, and to play those games with some marvelous guests. 

This year Bee will be bringing you the best games that showcase not only what the Roll20 Marketplace has available, but also what the TTRPG community is capable of. First up, they will be playing the most talked about game in 2020: Thirsty Sword Lesbians! Later on, Bee has prepared games that involve passionate romance, Canadian war, perilous journeys and deep sea creatures. 

The guests this season are going to be amazing! From some very familiar and cherished faces to new and talented ones, fantastic people will be joining us! Indie Showcase 2021, get hype.

-bee zelda

The Roll20 Indie Showcase returns on January 12, 3pm PT (11pm UTC) on twitch.tv/roll20app.

As a reminder, we’re matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.” Learn more and donate through our Tiltify campaign here: http://roll20.io/Tiltify-Code2040

[roll20]

Hit the Streets with January’s Roll20 Reserve Item!

This set of nine (!!!) individual urban-themed maps can be combined to form a series of continuous maps when used in sequential order. Mix and match and set the perfect scene for your party! The whole collection is also included as a conveniently-compressed compilation image to form one mega map of 51x66 squares. In this pack, you'll find a marketplace, fountain square, city gate, churchyard, and more! Configure this mapset in dozens of different ways to reuse or randomize the layout to your heart's content. Pro Subscribers unlock a new curated reward every month from Roll20 Reserve for no additional cost. From token packs to modules and everything in between, Roll20 Reserve offers hand-picked goodies selected to make your virtual tabletop better. Don't miss your chance to claim each Reserve reward; at the first Tuesday of each month, the new reward becomes available, and the old one is retired. Click here to unlock your item today! Not a Pro subscriber? Learn more here.

[roll20]

Marketplace Roundup for December 24th, 2020

The Fate Worlds Fangs & Claws bundle from Evil Hat Productions is full of magical cats, gene-modding, vampires, and zombies. If that isn’t enough to keep you entertained, then we’re not sure what will! This bundle is jam-packed with adventure, turmoil, danger and magic as it contains The Secrets of Cats, Crisp Line, Blood on the Trail and Morts, all compatible with the FATE system.

Whether you’re in the mood to play magical cats, face vampires or live the zombie life, the Fate Worlds Fangs and Claws bundle has you covered. You can get your copy right now on the Roll20 Marketplace!

Here are some of our favorites from our Marketplace Creators this week:

Magi-Vend Item Pack by Slowquest $4.99

How the Lich Stole Christmas! by Tom Cartos | $7.99

Deadlands Action Deck by Pinnacle Entertainment | $9.99

Delta Area City by Tactical Master | $6.99

As a reminder, we’re matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.” Learn more and donate through our Tiltify campaign here: http://roll20.io/Tiltify-Code2040

[roll20]

Tome Of Tips: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition OGL Character Sheet

Dust off your reading spectacles--the Tome of Tips has returned.

Today’s entry is a little different than past chapters. Today, we’re going to be talking about a game system--namely, Dungeons & Dragons: 5th Edition. Maybe you’ve heard of it! 5th Edition is the most popular system on Roll20 by far, and it’s played in a variety of ways. 

And there’s no wrong way to play. Whatever your flavor of D&D is, we think it’s awesome because it’s yours.  What we’re here to do today is tell you about some features of the D&D 5E character sheet that you might not know about--features that could help you better play the game your way. Are you getting the most out of your games? Do you know everything Roll20 has to offer your 5th Edition playgroup? Read on to find out!

Use the Dungeons & Dragons: 5th Edition Character Sheet to…

Click the bubble icon on abilities and spells to send their description to the chat

We’ll start with a simple one that just might save you and your playgroup a bundle of time.

Did you know you can click the word bubble icon next to abilities and spells to send their descriptions to the chat? Save your DM the trouble of paging through the compendium in a separate tab and share the details of your spell’s effect with the party with just a single click. 

Here are some details about spell descriptions you might not know: In the D&D 5E sheet, there are actually two types of spell outputs. Spellcards don’t roll damage or show the Difficulty Class (or DC) needed to save from that spell. Attacks roll damage and display DCs, but they don’t show any description--at least not by default. To change that, just jump into the settings menu for a spell by clicking the cog here. 

Scroll down the settings and toggle the INCLUDE SPELL DESCRIPTION IN ATTACK field to On.

Presto! Further, if you’d like to change the description of the spell--to shorten it, add in some signature details about your character’s spellcasting, or what-have-you--the text box just below this field in the Settings menu is, in fact, editable.

The results, in chat:

Add various modifiers to an item for easy-to-build Magic Items and more

The MODS field on items is often overlooked, but it could save a shrewd DM some time when crafting magic items on-the-fly. 

MODS is a text field that accepts various AC or magic bonuses that will then figure into that item’s calculations automatically. For example, you could give a chestplate AC +1 to make sure that any character equipped with that item gets a +1 bonus to their armor class. 

The MODS field, then, is perfect for creating magic items quickly. You can set a modification for: -Armor Class -Attacks (For Items that have an Item Type including the word “weapon”) -Attack Modifier -Damage (and Damage Type) -Secondary Damage (and Secondary Damage Type) -Range

-Spells (Including spell attack and spell DC) 

-Stats 

-Saving Throws

-Skills

Don’t forget the space in between (for example, Ac +1, not Ac+1)!

Keep track of items, ammo, and consumables in your inventory 

Keeping track of depleting resources in Roll20 is easy--so easy, in fact, that it happens more or less automatically. Drag-and-drop an item (like arrows) from the compendium to a character’s inventory and a resource-tracker will populate automatically. 

Then, just make sure the USE AS A RESOURCE checkbox is selected on the item’s settings. From there, a player will just need to manually deplete the number next to the item to keep track of its use. 

As this number goes down, the number in your inventory will go down, too.  But there’s a way to automate that process as well! The 5th Edition OGL by Roll20 Companion API Script helps keep track of those resources automatically. It ties resources into attacks and abilities so that a player doesn’t have to manually deplete their inventory. Like all APIs, it requires a Pro account to use. For more information on this API script, check out our Zendesk article here. 

The Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Character Sheet is powerful and versatile. These are just some of the ways it can make running a game of 5E in Roll20 even easier. There are dozens of tricks and tips to uncover and discover. But the most important thing about your game is just that: It’s yours. Use what works for you! 

That’s all for this installment of the Tome of Tips. Got a topic you’d like to see us dive into in a future entry? Let us know in the comments or over on Twitter, and as always: Thanks for playing with us. 

As a reminder, we’re matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.” Learn more and donate through our Tiltify campaign here: http://roll20.io/Tiltify-Code2040

[roll20]

Leftovers & Chill: Rollvember 2020 Schedule

Looking for entertainment while you finish up your shopping, bake your cookies, or eat your leftovers? Come celebrate Rollvember with us! We’re streaming our way through the end of the year while you sit back, relax, and celebrate the very real and not-at-all made-up 13th month of the year. Support us in raising money for Code2040’s initiative to break down racial barriers in tech. We’ll be matching donations dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000. 

*All times listed are in PT

Friday, 12/18

6:15 pm: Slices & Dices from Roll20 Spotlight

6:00 pm: Indoor Recess and the Home Alone Hijinks. Join Carlos, TK, Katie Mae, C’loni & Masood as they loot the McAllister home, trying to survive Kevin’s wrath. Every $100 raised adds a trap to the house!

Saturday, 12/19

11:00 am: Three Black Halflings play a Christmas edition of For the Queen! Aabria Iyengar, Jeremy Cobb, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, and Jasper William Cartwright are about to find out who is the most LOYAL reindeer of all! Join them as they play a For The Queen hack where each reindeer has to decide for themselves whether they stick with Santa... or go down in history.

5:00 pm: Stir Friday Night plays Gamma World. Join Masood Haque, Ben Cummings, Harrison Hapin, Joan Moon, Erica Geiser, and Xu. Stir Friday Nights leave behind the post-apocalyptic world of Balikbayan to instead play in the post-apocalyptic setting Gamma World! Consistently hilarious and consistently post-apocalyptic, join them for a hell of a good time.

Sunday, 12/20

2:00 pm: Carnelian King runs Burn Bryte with Celeste, Gabe & Lysa.

Monday, 12/21

2:00 pm: Join Bee and Tracy of The Broadswords alongside Adam-ali, Daniel Kwan, and Drak as they explore Olaxis in a game of Burn Bryte. $5 to give advantage or a small item.  $10 Bee eats a beanboozled; $25 Tracy has to do a bunch of pushups; $50 Someone has to go one a date with the ship. Please make them date a ship!

6:15 pm: Slices & Dices from Roll20 Spotlight

5:00 pm: They're not only Heroes of the Storm -- they're heroes of D&D! Join Gabe Hicks, Sidkitten, Martianbob, Tetcher & TBK from Chillrogg and friends from Wisdom’s Heroes CCL to play some D&D.

Evening: Rude Tales of Magic Chats for a live Q & A session!

Tuesday, 12/22

2:00 pm:  Ross Thompson and Ruel Gaviola bring double the board games with Eric Yurko, Monique Bishop  & Heidi Smith playing Blank Slate and Hues and Cues!

5:00 pm: Deborah Ann Woll doesn’t just act, write & play RPGs. She loves board games just like us, and she’s going to be running some tonight with Mary Howard, Daniel Montgomery, Janina Gavankar and Krystina Arielle.

Wednesday, 12/23

2:00 pm: Explore the dangerous world of Kobold Press‘ Tome of Beasts 2 with LittleRedDot, Lauren Erwin, Bee Zelda, Drak and Trooper ! 

5:00 pm: Participate in Mike Udall, Caleb Snarr, Khalif Hashim, Amber, and Skylar Mulder’s D&D game! There's a help/harm meter that will affect the party based on donations, or impact rolls (advantage/disadvantage due to 'magic'), and the final encounter will also gain help or add more enemies and things based on that meter!

Saturday, 12/26

2:00 pm: Salty Sweet Games’ Against The Stars crew plays an original Honey Heist hack set in Burn Bryte’s Olaxis Galaxy with a special twist! Every $25 give a wallaby a snack AKA a random PC gets a re-roll; every $50, chat comes up with another complication/twist to add to the heist; every $75, all wallabies get a snack AKA all PCs get a re-roll; every $100, we give away a Burn Bryte bundle!

5:00 pm: Queuetimes with Bee Zelda, Jake, Rick & Kaitlin are playing Scum & Villainy with interactive giveaways! 

6:00 pm: Featherfall Tabletop plays D&D with Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Sunday, 12/27

2:00 pm: "Help" Pixel Circus play D&D! Saige Ryan, Kailey Bray, Xander Jeanneret, Gina DeVivo, Anthony Carboni, Vince Caso & Aabria Iyengar are giving the audience so much power! $10 gets a reroll; $25 is a useless magical item; $35 is a confessional; $50 for a seat at the bar; $100 a bar fight! 

5:00 pm: Mike Pondsmith, John Kovaleski, Noura Ibrahim, Luke Gygax, Beast & Jason Azevedo play Cyberpunk RED. We’re only flipping out a teeny, tiny bit about this one.

6:00 pm: Featherfall Tabletop plays D&D with Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

8:00 pm: Join Dungeons, Dice, and Everything Nice to help them create the best (or worst) Rollvember memories!

Monday, 12/28

1:00 pm: Hang out with Chaos Initiative for an all-intro session! Ask the cast questions and enjoy a full episode of pure chaotic goodness that is Aabria, Aki, Gabe, Dave, and Elf.

4:00 pm: Join Asians Represent for the final Rollvember stream of 2020, where they play Evil Hat’s For the Queen!

[roll20]

It’s Our Favorite Month Again – Rollvember!

Ah yes, Rollvember. That magical thirteenth month of the year between the beginning and end of December when you eat leftovers and spend time with friends. It is definitely not something we made up as an excuse to hang out and play games on stream, raising money for Code2040. Whether you’ve been celebrating Rollvember for as long as you can remember or this is your first time, you’re in for a treat. Quite a few of them in fact.

From December 17 and December 28, look forward to:

Lots of TTRPG one-shots with amazing casts.

Secret special guests!

Board games on the virtual tabletop.

Roll20 staff streams.

Prizes and giveaways.

Lots of ways you’ll be able to influence the games and raise money for a worthy cause.

Save the dates and get your comfiest pants ready for 12 days of hanging out on Twitch with Roll20.

And you can help us support Code2040 now! As a tech company, we are striving towards a more equitable industry and one of the ways we’re doing that is with matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.”

[roll20]

Marketplace Roundup for December 10th, 2020

Alien Archive 4 has arrived on Roll20 and in it you can battle, befriend, or become more than 100 bizarre alien life forms in this all-new creature collection. The Roll20 conversion features new races with full player rules, letting you play everything from a fungus-uplifted animal to a humanoid made of magical coral. There is also some new alien technology to help give your character an edge, including armor, weapons, magic items, and more. You’ll also discover new rules for grafting the strange physical traits of other species onto your own character, creating a staggering array of customization options! Grab your copy today on the Roll20 Marketplace.

The Battle for Absalom begins on Roll20! Just as the Edgewatch agents discover the identity of the final member of the Twilight Four, their investigation reaches a fever pitch. The Radiant Festival’s stolen giant excavator, Graveraker, makes its grand reappearance by stampeding across the fairgrounds and threatening everything in its path.  Experience the conclusion of the epic six-part adventure by playing Ruins of the Radiant Siege now on Roll20.

Here are some of our favorite’s this week from our Marketplace Creators:

5e Magic Items Vol.2: Seas and Jungles by Loottavern | $6.99

Shadow of Cthulhu Encounter by Domille | $6.99

Attack! The Warehouse by Tom Cartos | $6.99

Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide by Wizards of the Coast | $39.99

As a reminder, we’re matching donations to Code2040, “a nonprofit activating, connecting and mobilizing the largest racial equity community in tech to dismantle the structural barriers that prevent the full participation and leadership of Black and Latinx technologists in the innovation economy.” Learn more and donate through our Tiltify campaign here: http://roll20.io/Tiltify-Code2040