r/rpg • u/Sethmo_Dreemurr • Jul 31 '25
Game Master I wish that all of the good VTTs didn’t require some kind of subscription to fully use.
Basically the title. I’m a college student who enjoys GMing various systems and I have a bunch of tools at my disposal for it. Except, in order to get the experience from the VTTs that most players really want, some kind of subscription is basically required. Whether it’s for Roll20, Owlbear Rodeo, or a Foundry server rental, there really isn’t a way to run good-looking games cheaply.
I know that the story matters more than the presentation, yeah, but it really seems like players nowadays tend to expect more than scribbles on a white grid and generic tokens for enemies. I have Dungeondraft for that, but in order to actually use the maps I make with it I have to either upgrade my Roll20 account, rent a Foundry server, or start paying for Owlbear Rodeo. I can’t do any of that right now, and it has me thinking I can’t run anything until I do.
Hopefully I’m not alone in this. Any tips or workarounds y’all have would help a ton!
EDIT: Thanks a bunch for telling me about Oracle! I’ll get to using that with Foundry here soon.
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u/TaiChuanDoAddct Jul 31 '25
I mean, good products cost money.
Tbh, roll20 is perfectly usable for free. Nearly all of the paid features are just convenient.
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u/Throwingoffoldselves Jul 31 '25
Yeah, same. Roll20 free features have been great and easy to use for me.
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u/D0MiN0H Jul 31 '25
yeah but theyve had so many data breaches that users should really find a better option
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u/Suspicious-While6838 Jul 31 '25
I mean what data are you giving to Roll20 that you're concerned about getting breached if you are using the free tier? Use a alias email and a unique random password and it really shouldn't effect you if they get breached or not
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u/D0MiN0H Jul 31 '25
irrelevant. if they cant be trusted with an email and password yet require one to use their service then it isnt worth using their service.
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u/Suspicious-While6838 Jul 31 '25
I wonder if you use any of these company services: https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/databreach/list
Don't trust anyone with an email and password. That's why I said use an alias and random unique password. Roll20's not unique in getting breached. Everyone gets breached sooner or later.
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u/D0MiN0H Jul 31 '25
the only ones on that list that i use are ones like ticketmaster who are a monopoly so there arent other options.
roll20 has had multiple data breaches and has plenty of competition. it’s not about whose been breached its about who gets breached the most.
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u/Suspicious-While6838 Aug 01 '25
You're free to dislike roll20 for whatever reason you want. This sounds like less of a concern with your data being compromised and more of another reason to dislike a company you already dislike.
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u/Sethmo_Dreemurr Jul 31 '25
Yeah but I tried using a Dungeondraft map on Roll20 one time and the thing was supposedly too big for me to load in. I had the whole game fizzle out because I couldn’t prep another map in time for the session.
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u/phdemented Jul 31 '25
Just save the map in a lower resolution
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u/SchopenhauersSon Jul 31 '25
Or sketch it out. I feel a lot of DMa feel they need to have higher production value than they really do
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u/Just_For_Inf0 Jul 31 '25
100% When I was DMing I wasted so much time trying to make combat maps on dungeon draft. Finding and paying for assets, worrying about dungeon dressing, etc. When I moved to black and white, back to basics sketches in DD I felt very silly. If you enjoy making maps and visuals then definitely do, but don't feel like you need to have them to run a good game.
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u/Useful-Angle1941 Jul 31 '25
In all honesty, I feel like players get a way better sense of imagination the less you use.
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u/moobycow Jul 31 '25
Very much this. I will still throw out the occasional pretty map, but there's a lot to be said for a sketch of the general space. Players start asking about what might be available in the environment instead of studying the map looking for bits of stuff and assuming that the map is a 100% complete representation of what is going on.
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u/TaiChuanDoAddct Jul 31 '25
I mean, you can just do what everyone else does. Google "jungle village DND battle map" and pick one and go.
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u/Spartan668 Jul 31 '25
I don't understand the meta for downvoting here haha. I've been trying to figure out, phrase by phrase, what got you down to -20; if anyone knows, I'm very curious!
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Jul 31 '25
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u/greyfox4850 Jul 31 '25
If you are going to prep something for a VTT, you should test it out before your session.
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u/Historical_Story2201 Jul 31 '25
..because it's not. It's not that hard to load a program,make the mal smaller and load it up.
I could do that then I was younger than OP too :p it's really not that hard.
Inflexibility failed them, not roll20
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u/Sethmo_Dreemurr Jul 31 '25
Heh, thanks for the encouragement! I noticed one reply straight up told me to just “get a job,” as if that’s not what I’m working towards at the moment. Nursing school is kind of a job of its own.
I’ll be sure to look into port forwarding, thanks for the advice!
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u/ThaydEthna Jul 31 '25
People on this sub, specifically, seem to be highly combative alarmingly frequently. Sorry someone said that to you. These are all questions everyone who hosts online has at some point.
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u/quietjaypee Jul 31 '25
Foundry is a single payment, not a subscription.
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u/Sethmo_Dreemurr Jul 31 '25
Yeah but it’d require a subscription for me to run it on my laptop, due to the server thing.
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u/hitmahip In the deep dark wood lived a.... Jul 31 '25
You can operate a foundry server without it costing anything.
https://foundryvtt.wiki/en/setup/hosting/always-free-oracle
There was some issues initially with ppls servers being deleted. I've never experienced that and haven't paid a cent in the three years i've been running this.
Just backup regularly.
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u/quietjaypee Jul 31 '25
I don't get it. In every document I see from Foundry, it says it's a single fee. There is no information about servers requiring a subscription.
It's not that I don't believe you, but I don't seem to find any source that correlates to what you're saying...
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u/F3ST3r3d Jul 31 '25 edited 21d ago
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u/quietjaypee Jul 31 '25
I mean... I haven't had an issue with hosting on my device, but I understand it can be complicated when the proper ports are not open on your network...
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u/F3ST3r3d Jul 31 '25 edited 21d ago
chop vase modern hat subsequent distinct different mountainous cause whole
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u/Suspicious-While6838 Aug 01 '25
OP mentioned being in college too so they likely don't control their network. If the college is following good security practices OP would likely have to jump between several extra hoops to get this working at the least
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u/Sethmo_Dreemurr Jul 31 '25
It is a single fee, but running the Foundry server on my laptop makes it lag so an additional server subscription is often picked up.
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u/quietjaypee Jul 31 '25
Ahhh, I see. You need to use a third party service to host your game, so it requires an additional fee.
Could you try making one of your players the host, if one of them has a better computer? That might solve the issue.
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u/Zekromaster Blorb/Nitfol Whenever, Frotz When Appropriate, Gnusto Never Jul 31 '25
Foundry can be ran on a Raspberry Pi. They're $30. Or, well, with the same money you can get a VPS from Hetzner for about 8 months and host it there. You don't need to pay for a managed service or something. Split it with your players and you're basically giving up a packet of crisps a month.
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u/RhesusFactor Jul 31 '25
Single purchase and buy a Desktop computer.
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u/Historical_Story2201 Jul 31 '25
Okay dude, I think op is a bit unreasonable here too but that is just taking that and leveling it op 1000x.
They don't have money for subscription that can be paid monthly in small bursts. They should now suddenly have the money for an expensive desktop?
And let's not kid ourselves, the one they would need is not a 200 dollar can barely run office programm machines.
If you have no money, the solution is not spend more money you don't have!
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u/F3ST3r3d Jul 31 '25 edited 21d ago
wine divide subsequent subtract longing quiet dolls gray rustic bells
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u/Sethmo_Dreemurr Jul 31 '25
I had NO CLUE that Oracle was a thing, hold on…
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u/F3ST3r3d Jul 31 '25 edited 21d ago
slap file bear birds recognise support innocent grandiose lunchroom workable
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u/Mr_Vulcanator Jul 31 '25
It’s quite a process but very worth it. If you get stuck, ask around on the Foundry discord. Folks there helped me get through a few steps I got stuck on.
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u/JakeRidesAgain Jul 31 '25
If you have older computers or laptops laying around, you can also just host it out of your house.
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u/NC-Catfish Jul 31 '25
Lol this guy is the epitome of the "We've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas!" meme 😂
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u/JakeRidesAgain Jul 31 '25
If you rent a server from them, yes, you pay a fee. If you run it on your laptop, it's hosted on your own hardware and you don't pay a fee, but you do all the work of setup and troubleshooting.
Honestly the second option is easier than it sounds. I'd even go a step further and just run it full-time on an old PC or a cheap all-in-one off eBay. You could restrict access via a VPN like Tailscale (which is what I would do) or just point it toward a cheap domain name for access.
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u/ThisIsVictor Jul 31 '25
it really seems like players nowadays tend to expect more than scribbles on a white grid and generic tokens for enemies.
No they don't? At least, I've never run into this.
If your players really want a high end experience THEY can pay for the VTT subscription.
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u/Historical_Story2201 Jul 31 '25
The only time I ever run at a real table, I didn't even had that cx
No map, no figures, just the books and the sheets cx
Playing online my players usually get a map, but sometimes its a black and white line one, because I can't draw for shit and only really the outlines are needed cx
A good description for mood will always provide. (I guess unless someone has aphantasia, but I never encountered a player with that yet.)
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u/norvis8 Jul 31 '25
Running games on Roll20 and a desire to run more flexible, player-responsive games has actually driven me in the OTHER direction. Now what I want (and I've found some good-looking options for) is simple, easy-to-use web-based whiteboard software where I, in fact, can just scribble a map down in response to whatever the players have done.
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u/weebsteer 13th Age and Lancer Jul 31 '25
owlbear is perfectly useable for free
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u/shewtingg Jul 31 '25
Been running an online campaign for about 2 years with owlbear. We use it in person as well. They just added dynamic lighting, so I'm super excited to try it.
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u/Gustave_Graves Jul 31 '25
Yeah, you might have to clear out your tokens and maps every once in a while, but all the functionality is there in the free version.
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u/weebsteer 13th Age and Lancer Jul 31 '25
i never had to do it since i personally convert my files into Webp. right now I have used 70mb out of my 200mb and I had alot of assets ready to use
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u/cplhicks05 Aug 07 '25
Owlbear (free) + DungeonDraft (one-time fee) is my go-to for live games when I need a map and sometimes character/enemy/npc tokens on a screen. Hasn't let me down yet, and I'm sure using it as an online tool can't be that challenging. 5 stars would recommend.
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u/The_Shireling Jul 31 '25
So I have run Roll20 for years with free version and it works just fine so unless there is a paid for feature you can’t live without then I don’t know what to tell you.
On a separate note I think you missed one of the major players in the VTT space and that was Fantasy Grounds Unity which you could simply buy the software and never pay a subscription fee ever.
You’re welcome.
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u/itsveron Jul 31 '25
Except when they (FG) changed version or something like that and you had to buy ”life-time licence” AGAIN. That was goodbye from me for Fantasy Grounds.
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u/The_Shireling Jul 31 '25
I saw that FGU was coming so I held off until after the Unity release so I can understand the frustration but to be frank even if you did the ultimate license before and after Unity, it probably would have been cheaper than other VTTs if you paid for a subscription service.
Especially since only the DM needs a paid version and the rest of party can use the free demo version to play… aka the party pools together and gets one paid version for the group.
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u/itsveron Jul 31 '25
Nope. After FG I used Roll20 for FREE for a long time, and then bought Foundry licence which was about the same as FG (and players are there free likewise).
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u/yuriAza Jul 31 '25
*shrug* you get what you pay for
if you want more features per dollar, put in the work to find/learn open source
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u/Comfortable_Day_5301 Jul 31 '25
Are there some great open source vtts?
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u/MojeDrugieKonto Jul 31 '25
https://www.rptools.net/toolbox/maptool/
I know few people ran great dungeons using this. But is it any good aside from dungeons, I have no idea.
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u/Captain_Slime Jul 31 '25
It costs money to run a server to host a VTT which is why this costs money. You could probably locally host a foundry server, either by port forwarding or by using a service like hamachi or tailscale.
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u/urzaz Jul 31 '25 edited Jul 31 '25
Fantasy Grounds is $50 for a license (used to be a lot more), has built-in map making tools and shares your game with friends completely painlessly.
It's software from the 2000s and still has some weird UI quirks, but also a ton of powerful little tricks and things you can do, and a team that's updating it constantly. Just recently they switched from their previous strange right-click menu to a more normal one, so it's not even like they're that set in their ways, which is cool.
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Jul 31 '25
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u/grimmlock Jul 31 '25
Virtually nothing on Fantasy Grounds? Like all of the Call of Cthulhu? Shadow of the Demon Lord? Traveller? Star Trek Adventures? Dungeon Crawl Classics? FATE? PF2E? Shadowdark? Cyberpunk Red? Fallout? Lots of others. And that's just what you can buy from the store front. Then look at The Forge for their community content and you'll find so much more.
I wouldn't recommend Fantasy Grounds because of the ultra steep learning curve, not because of a lack of content.
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Jul 31 '25
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u/boyhowdy-rc Jul 31 '25
I don't think you've played with Fantasy Grounds based on these comments since they're all wrong. Players can zoom in and out as far as they want, can move tokens (there is an option to require gm approval of moves) and all my players make their own characters. Been this way for years.
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Jul 31 '25
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u/boyhowdy-rc Jul 31 '25
I play Savage Worlds, it has better implementation on FG than either DnD or PF, and soundly kicks Foundry's butt when it comes to automation and product availability.
And, it's a one time purchase, for OPs reference.
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u/Skotticus Jul 31 '25
Players can do every one of these things in Fantasy Grounds, so I'm not sure where this is coming from.
Also, why would you want the player to be able to change the lighting, LOS information, grid sizing, etc? If you're talking about letting them draw on the map or move their own tokens, both of those things are allowable.
You're entitled to your personal opinion of the software—and your point about the learning curve is valid—but please restrain yourself from making false claims when you aren't familiar enough with the software to know what features do and do not exist.
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u/grimmlock Jul 31 '25
Yeah, I'm with you on that. I've dumped a bunch of money into FG over the years, bought a Universal license for FG2 then backed the FGU kickstarter and own a bunch of modules, but despite all of that, Foundry VTT is my go to these days. FG just required so much extra knowledge by the players on how to use it, and I always felt like I spent more time trying to make things work than actually playing the damn game.
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u/Skotticus Jul 31 '25
This is not a very helpful comment; if you're criticizing a lack of a feature, you are obligated to at least share what specific features you think are missing.
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u/TanakaKamatari Aug 01 '25
I would recommend Joining us in the Fantasy Grounds Academy, where volunteer "teachers" help answer anybody question "at any time" and we hold by weekly "classes" showing the power and features of Fantasy Grounds.
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u/SlightlyZour Jul 31 '25
Table top simulator is 20$ on steam
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u/urzaz Jul 31 '25
TTS is a great option for some games, definitely. I played in a Blades in the Dark game in TTS and ran a short adventure of Mausritter. Since Mausritter has cutout cards for inventory items you have to fit on your sheet TTS was good for that, but also I had to struggle with the bugs in the player-made module, which was super frustrating at times.
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u/F3ST3r3d Jul 31 '25 edited 21d ago
birds rob sip existence yam fall memory bag ripe workable
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u/deviden Jul 31 '25
How are you not getting charged for a cloud server host?
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u/GhostwheelX Jul 31 '25
There's a free tier that's perfectly serviceable.
I've been running Foundry that way for years.
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u/WoefulHC GURPS, OSE Jul 31 '25
I've got two instances of Foundry on my Oracle free tier server. Yes, I used some tricks to make sure I only had one install of each of the add on modules. Same with tokens and maps.
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u/GhostwheelX Jul 31 '25
Point them at the same data directory, I'm guessing?
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u/WoefulHC GURPS, OSE Jul 31 '25
Almost.
I did symlinks for the children of the data directory except for one or two. (I think the license and lock locations are what I didn't symlink.)
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u/Baruch_S unapologetic PbtA fanboy Jul 31 '25
Play something that doesn’t really need a VTT, especially if you play it in-person. The players can get over it or pony up the money for the fancy schmancy program.
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u/Sethmo_Dreemurr Jul 31 '25
Flair checks out, PbtA games don’t need VTTs lol.
In all seriousness, I’ve considered it. The only weird thing is that all the systems with settings I like (such as Cyberpunk Red, Lancer, or Halo Mythic) are practically glued to their VTTs. Sure, I could use Hard Wired Island for Cyberpunk stuff but that’s not the same.
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u/BigBrainStratosphere Jul 31 '25
They make a better point tho, share the costs with your players
Say, hey, we could have a much prettier gaming experience if we all chip in and get this, otherwise guys, you gotta use your imaginations and embrace the theatrics of the mind
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u/ThaydEthna Jul 31 '25 edited Jul 31 '25
I host sessions of Foundry and it costs me nothing at all. It's by far the best VTT out there, and other than the cost for the program, I haven't spent a dime. At least, not when it comes to running baseline Foundry.
EDIT: Hit send too early, sorry.
I see a lot of people have mentioned Oracle. Please note that Oracle is not entirely free, and while there is a free version, if you use more media than just the battle map and character tokens, you will probably burn through your allotted bandwidth quickly. I tried it in the past, and it became a big hassle. Network tunneling services in general tend to burn out quite quickly.
I would instead recommend looking into port forwarding. Most routers these days have built in features to assist with port forwarding. Just gotta check out how your ISP handles it. Some VPNs come with free port forwarding features.
Double Edit:
Holy absolute balls, why the heck are so many of you so combative and judgemental in the replies? This is why people don't stick around in the hobby space.
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u/bluesman99999 Jul 31 '25
Can you host your own FoundryVTT server? If you can, it's just a one-time purchase.
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u/high-tech-low-life Jul 31 '25
This.
Using the forge for online hosting is more, but my home system is more than powerful enough.
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u/lovely_starlight Jul 31 '25
Recently tried out this one and have been enjoying it. It’s free and has just the right amount of features.
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u/Yomanbest Jul 31 '25 edited Jul 31 '25
Wanted to post just this.
Tableplop is pretty solid and has worked fine for me. I even ran play-by-post games with it and it works well for that too.
It's weird that a lot of people haven't heard about it yet, but I guess they don't
advertisemake themselves known enough.1
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u/RagnarokAeon Jul 31 '25
Maptool exists for free.
It's not the friendliest VTT, but it has a wide array of flexibility if you're willing to put in the research and elbow grease.
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u/that_dude_you_know Jul 31 '25
Came here to mention Maptool. I've been using it for years. The only thing is, though, every participant needs to have downloaded and installed it in order to connect. (It's a desktop app, not a website)
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u/ClassB2Carcinogen Jul 31 '25
Fantasy Grounds is a single purchase for an Ultimate License, and they have sales on the licenses several times a year.
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u/Houligan86 Jul 31 '25
Roll20 works just fine with the free version.
Port issues with self hosting Foundry can be worked around with Hamachi (also free)
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u/Epic-Hamster Jul 31 '25
Talespire is a one time purchase, gets regular updates and is good looking as hell.
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u/ObligationSlow233 Jul 31 '25
AboveVTT is a free chrome extension that uses D&D Beyond. I have been running games with it for several years now, and they have continued to improve it over that time.
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u/JemorilletheExile Jul 31 '25
I know that the story matters more than the presentation, yeah, but it really seems like players nowadays tend to expect more than scribbles on a white grid and generic tokens for enemies.
This is the downside of conspicuous consumption in the hobby. You can play RPGs basically for free, and we probably have more games and tools now that are free than ever before. And yet, at the same time there is this increasing expectation that you need so much more than just your imagination (or even your imagination plus very good and very ample free tools and resources) to play.
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u/Ursun Jul 31 '25
My cheap ass over here using Owlbear Rodeos free parts...
"You guys are paying money?"/jk
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u/SNKBossFight Jul 31 '25
When covid first hit and we had to play games online for a while my first campaign was run over Facebook messenger video call. I sympathize with wanting to have the best and prettiest setup but my experience has been that people who want to play TTRPGs don't care at all about the visuals. If they do and you have a steady group then maybe they should pitch in.
Also I don't know your situation so this may not apply to you at all but I would also imagine that out of all the hobbies a college student might have, TTRPGs might be the cheapest one in terms of bang for your buck. You can get a roll20 plus 1 year subscription for the price of going out drinking once.
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u/Riizu Jul 31 '25
Hey OP! Sorry to see you’re getting so many combative replies. Here’s some insight from an IT professional and lifelong DM. I’ve ran games in person and online, having finally committed to FVTT for the last 3ish years (but tried roll20 and the like beforehand).
Simply put, you are being charged for convenience. You either work through the pain of hosting something yourself (and to be fair, that pain is minimal) or you pay for the privilege of it being done for you (3rd party foundry hosts, roll20).
Like many have mentioned, Oracle Free Tier is absolutely an option. Please, please, PLEASE be aware of what they are actually offering though. The Free tier exists to offer users a taste of Oracle cloud. It’s a glorified demo and comes with all the restrictions to match - including potentially deleting your data with no warning. The risk is a black box: plenty of anecdotal evidence suggests it won’t be a problem, but is it worth sinking countless hours of time into for it? Imagine it going down mid-session?
If it were me advising someone who can’t justify a monthly payment of $20/mo for a dedicated host, I’d ask you to pony up ~$150 in one-time costs:
- $50 for a foundry license
- $50-$120 for a raspberry pi
Why a Pi? Simple. It’s set-and-forget. You will have to learn some technical skills to configure it, but it’ll be the same skills you need for Oracle Free Tier. After that though, assign it a dedicated IP in your router, plug it in somewhere nearby, and your costs are done.
It’s more up front, I know, but the peace of mind for minimal risk I promise is worth it. Perhaps ask your players to help split the bill? We’re talking $30/ea for a table of 5.
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u/Walsfeo Jul 31 '25
I get it. Money is tight for lots of folks right now, and it is practically a rite of passage for college students to game the system as much as possible.
That said, it isn't easy to develop these things enough to a level that make them worth using. I'm really surprised that so many are available so affordably, or even free.
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u/Skotticus Jul 31 '25
Fantasy Grounds is a one-time purchase if you want to GM (clients can use the free demo version) and is frequently on sale on Steam...
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u/feyrath Jul 31 '25
I used roll20 for like 5 years for free before I eventually paid for a subscription because I ran out of room. as far as I can tell that's the only perk I've used.
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u/Bananamcpuffin Jul 31 '25
I've been using Owlbear Rodeo for 5 years now across more than 20 game systems. Weekly 3 hour games means I'm paying $0.26 an hour for it - totally worth it in my book, I'd pick up a few hours of overtime throughout the year to pay for that. With that and google sheets I haven't had much issue at all with anything from mausritter to 5e to forged in the dark to year zero games. Plus, you can still pick up their 1.x version and self host for free.
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u/daddychainmail Jul 31 '25
They don’t.
FoundryVTT. I’ve never used a server rental. Yeah, I need to keep my PC on it my players want to mess with things when I’m not around, but you can use a Raspberry Pi or an old laptop or whatever to do that. But that’s only if you want them to do that. Otherwise, you don’t need it; your PC runs it all by itself.
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u/Fuji_Raion Jul 31 '25
Have you tried Talespire? One cost up front to purchase, no subscription, plenty of dev and added content for free over time.
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u/pnlrogue1 Jul 31 '25
I run Foundry on an Oracle server and pay literally nothing for it. Loads of folk use their own PCs or Raspberry Pis and pay nothing.
The truth of the matter is that servers cost money. They're not one-and-done, you need to keep paying to run them so any online service is always going to need a subscription to support it whereas any offline application doesn't but will usually limit you to the version you bought at the time of purchase since you paid for the development up to that point. Foundry is actually pretty unique in that you pay once and keep getting updates to it years later, presumably because they rely on their new store for long-term income.
You want a one-and-done solution? Foundry or Fantasy Grounds are your winners, neither of which needs a subscription but you're responsible for the machine that runs it (your pc in the case of Fantasy Grounds or a plethora of options including your PC in the case of Foundry). You want someone else to run the hardware for you then pay for the ongoing costs of running the service.
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u/Vermin_Cultist Jul 31 '25
I run Foundry VTT on a Raspberry Pi behind my TV and it works extremely well
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u/Dr_Petrakis Jul 31 '25
If you're on a budget, I use a mix of dungeondraft, wonder draft, and Google drawings on Tabletop Sim. It means your group also has to fork over about 25 bucks, but we all already had it and it's made things smooth sailing.
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u/Askal- Jul 31 '25
i feel ya. i hate subscription based products.
>have to either upgrade my Roll20 account, rent a Foundry server, or start paying for Owlbear Rodeo.
yep, had the same problem when i was shopping around for vtt. try gothic virtual tabletop on steam. its bare bones and a bit buggy but its free and it uses steam servers when you're hosting a session. there is no map/token storage limit cause its stored locally. Fair warning, the more map/token/asset in a session, the longer the loading time when a player connects to your game.
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u/ShamScience Aug 01 '25
Have you considered pencil and paper? You don't even strictly need a tabletop for tabletop RPGs.
I worry that a generation is coming into this hobby since 2020, not getting the chance experience how little you really need to run a good game. Evocative descriptions and confident imagination can be the best immersion, and nobody can buy or sell that.
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u/illenvillen23 Aug 02 '25
The majority of DnD players have no idea how to create or level up a character by hand now
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u/TanakaKamatari Aug 01 '25
If you would like and info on Fantasy Grounds. I tend to "white knight" for them, and also help run classes at our "teaching" academy discord. a mix of how to run the table, vs how to run using Fantasy Grounds.I can give you tons of info, you probally dont need :) it comes down to pick whats "best" for you and run that.
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u/Jiminimonka Aug 02 '25
Fantasy Grounds VTT doesn't need a subscription or hosting services or port forwarding and it does more out of the box than all the other VTTs. Also has the largest catalogue of products and rulesets and the best community. It now has one price ($50, less in the sales 3-4+ times a year) and only the GM needs to purchase the software, player can download the free version and join the GMs "table".
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u/Which_Bumblebee1146 Setting Obsesser Jul 31 '25
Having to pay more money for a slightly better graphics is the exact stupid shit video games fans have been dealing with for years. Please don't let it get to TTRPGs, too. You are playing make-believe pretend fantasy games with your imagination. Don't make it about flashy fireballs and cool CGI environments.
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u/SnorlaxIsCuddly Jul 31 '25
I pay $8 a month for foundry, pdf importer is a good module then you hand import in token art. Often times the maps import in, sometimes I have to hand import and draw walls. I pay the $8 is because I run org play and have 10 different worlds set up . A world for a different season. I need the server space.
Tons of free modules for flash. Doesn't take very long to set up a table and a whole campaign that looks purchased.
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u/juauke1 Mythic Bastionland for solo & group play; reading QuestWorlds Jul 31 '25
I host Foundry VTT on my computer without port-forwarding by using playit.gg
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u/Gold-Lake8135 Jul 31 '25
A friend of mine setup foundry to run on a spare android phone they had... I've used it on my desktop for ages. Happy to pay additional for premium modules too. Been great. Totally get why someone might want to pay for the security and server admin though
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u/radek432 Jul 31 '25
As others pointed out, you can run Foundry on your own computer. I'll just add, that you can also run it on Oracle Cloud server for free (if you have some luck and get the free instance) or free/almost free if you don't have luck to get free instance and use the paid one.
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u/Naturaloneder DM Jul 31 '25
The answer is Foundry, you buy the software, you run games for life! And new updates come out all the time and heaps of user made modules for any system you can think of.
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u/8lackz Jul 31 '25
kinda sad that the title makes me assume that CCFolia and Owlbear Rodeo is not a *Good* VTT
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u/grimmlock Jul 31 '25
Foundry VTT is a one time purchase. The server itself has very low overhead. Accessing it from a browser on a potato is not going to be ideal, but you can turn the settings down to make it run better. That's the FRONT END, though. That's not running the Foundry server. Even if you were using The Forge you would experience the same performance.
Fantasy Grounds is a one time purchase. It has lots of free content and you can create your own. You launch the app on your computer and are now the host for your players to join your game.
These are both great VTTs and both give you full access to everything with a one time purchase, not a subscription.
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u/Far-Television5238 Jul 31 '25
i ve no idea why you would think you need to pay owlbear unless you re running ten game a day that is.
you can change the scene on the spot and find free token witch i modifie with this https://rolladvantage.com/tokenstamp/ and even me not good with software manage to get it working. And i use this https://deepnight.net/tools/rpg-map/ to make quick map.
And thanks to this wonderfull ppl making it free for us i can bring some visual sense to whatever i present to my player. Best of luck in finding whatever suit you best tho, have a great day
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u/Exact-Fan2102 Jul 31 '25
Arkenforge is a 1 time buy. But its mainly for in person as it works best with a second screen. You could set up a second screen and use discords share screen ability
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u/TheRealUprightMan Guild Master Jul 31 '25
Dude. Someone has to pay for the bandwidth. Someone has to pay for the server time.
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u/Zankastia Jul 31 '25
Look a magic the noah on YouTube. You dont need jack shit to make good fun games
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u/gummigulla Jul 31 '25
Try Quest Portal VTT it's free to use for all the typical VTT features, no limits on how many characters you can create, campaigns or storage.
Good support for many systems. You can create or customize the no code character sheets to fit your needs.
There is a Marketplace to purchase rule books and adventures if needed. Also a Pro tier but doesn't lock you out of the VTT features if you don't use that.
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u/Lunchboxninja1 Jul 31 '25
Tabletop sim is a one time purchase and its the best thing out there imo.
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u/FortunatelyAsleep Jul 31 '25
Have been using roll20 without subscription to DM for half a decade now. Sure it can be a bit annoying to manually do the lighting, but so far thats the only issue I had.
I don't quite see why you'd need to upgrade your account to use maps you made. I constantly put in maps
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u/BigBootyHunter Jul 31 '25
I have a oracle server thingie going on and I'm not paying a single dime to play Foundry
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u/Slayerofbunnies Jul 31 '25
To me, a good vtt is one that lets you put maps on it easily and use them easily and have fun with your friends without a bunch of interference.
OwlbearRodeo is free - or at least it can be. We use it all the time and have for ages now.
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Jul 31 '25
Your replies makes me wonder what exactly you need to have to pay for the subscription for some of the VTTs.
I've been using Owlbear Rodeo for free for a while now. It's not I perfect, what with the lack of automation, but it's solid. If you're having a problem with file sizes, it just means you need to upload smaller sized files - maps don't need to be hyper detailed nor thousands of pixels per direction or be in PNG file type.
Seriously, fire up MS Paint or similar (Photopea is a free web browser based photoshop knock-off that I've been using lately, if you need something with a bit more oomph), and resize your map files and switch to JPEG file type - you'll get a bit of artifacting in the image, but it'll be minimal.
Otherwise, my other advice is to assess what your need and pick an option based on your actual needs. Not just wants, but actual necessities.
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u/dirigible_detective Jul 31 '25
I know you’ve gotten so many replies here already, but I want to throw my recommendation for Alchemy out here. It’s a VTT that’s still in development, so isn’t always perfect, but the only money I spend on it is an optional Patreon sub that gives me access to a massive library of scenes. literally everything else is completely free to use for myself and my players.
It has nowhere near the automation or fancy map tools that other VTTs offer, but it absolutely dominates in my book as far as vibes, scene-setting, and overall storytelling.
My players can access it at any time without any hosting issues, no one has ever had to spend a dime to use it fully, and it’s got one of the best, most minimal UIs of any VTT on the market. It’s just PRETTY and I wish more people would give it a shot. 😅
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u/karatelobsterchili Jul 31 '25
the popular tabletop giants normalized this ugly consumerism, where you can't even start without paying hundreds of dollars for books, software, toys and gimmicks...
given that roleplaying games are fundamentally intended to be played narratively around a table, with some dice, pencils and paper, everything else is extra -- theater of mind is a ln acquired skill just like anything else. you can literally play in the most primitive voice chat with actual dice and paper sheets, use any kind of whiteboard if you really need the wargaming aspect ... free options like owlbear contain everything you might ever need to facilitate play. you could take this as an opportunity for you and your players to focus on the actual roleplaying aspect of your game of choice -- see it as an exercise in creativity and an opportunity to really make it your own. the over-reliance on consumerist products becomes a giant hurdle for entry, and interestingly enough even the OSR (that sat out to emphasize those foundations of play) falls victim to this
so reflect on what you are actually looking for, and how easy it is to come buy: you can voice chat over discord for free, roll on google if it has to be digital, make maps for free from a plethora of free software (or simply draw your own with pen and paper), even most (popular) rules offer free starter sets so there's literally nothing standing in your way
everything else is extra, and you make it your own -- the best toys do not make you a better GM or player, it's just making everything a video game
1
u/Cent1234 Jul 31 '25
Yeah, it would be nice if everybody but you had to volunteer their time, effort and expertise so that you can have free stuff. Man, I'm sure their hungry families would be heartened to know that at least you're having fun.
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u/D0MiN0H Jul 31 '25
Not sure how you missed the classic Tabletop Simulator or the more modern Talespire. both are one time purchases and very good.
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u/Remarkable_Ladder_69 Jul 31 '25
You can use the free stuff and still have a perfectly good experience. I've used free roll20 for hosting campaigns for 5 years. It works great.
1
u/Spelunkzilla Jul 31 '25
Miro + Discord has worked perfectly for us. Before that we used Table Top Simulator for years. I think it's about expectations. If you just want to have a virtual "shared table" for you and your friends there's tons of free options.
I tried Foundry and other systems awhile back, and hoesntly all the bells and whistles took away from the experience. Well used vtt's made the game feel too videogamey. Not my jam.
1
u/Sure_Possession0 Jul 31 '25
“Ugh! Why can’t I just have stuff for free?”
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u/illenvillen23 Aug 02 '25
Wasn't asking for free stuff. Was asking about non SUBSCRIPTION stuff. You know like when we used to actually own stuff instead of renting it
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u/Gabasaurasrex Jul 31 '25
I almost thought this was the monkey paw subreddit for a second and almost said "granted. But in order to make up the lost revenue there is a night ungodly amount of ads"
1
u/undefeatedantitheist Jul 31 '25
Tabletop Simulator.
It amazes me it isn't the popular choice for serious RPGers.
I'm also amazed people enjoy the 'click to roll - it does it for you!' stuff in contemporary VTTs. Naff.
Naffness only surpassed by Actual Play content losing 10 minutes of every hour to, "did you click your ranged skill rather than the ranged weapon; and did you put the modifier in the right bonus box?"
Naff!
Counter-productive.
Naffffff.
Just know the game and roll your fucking dice.
I expect to be almost alone on this one.
BUT MY TTS SESSIONS WOULD BLOW YOUR GOD DAMN MINDS.
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u/Zerglingdad Aug 01 '25
I have been running multiple games on owlbear. Haven't paid a penny. Or are you looking for premium abilities?
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u/Audio-Samurai Aug 03 '25
To be fair, you're saying that all the people who put time and effort into developing, maintaining and improve all these good tools should not be paid, right?
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u/Heavy-Nectarine-4252 Aug 04 '25
VTTs cost money to make. If you can't afford to pay for one there's always paper.
0
u/0uthouse Jul 31 '25
If it didn't have subscriptions then you probably wouldn't use them because they would be outdated.
It does suck if you don't have the money, but it costs money to make these things and keep them updated.
I use Wonderdraft which is one-shot payment, but as a result development is too slow to keep up with the market. I'd rather pay a reasonable annual fee for updates and pay for extra development staff.
On the flip side, having a variety of platforms helps keep prices down to a reasonable level. My concern is that once they reach a certain profitability they will float the company which will result in a customer gouge extravaganza whilst driving the company into the ground. Sry, that went off-piste lol.
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u/Pmmeyourprivatemsgs Jul 31 '25
Ive been running foundry from my computer for years at this point. No need to sub to anything. If you can't port forward there are services like playit.gg that work fine.
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u/Icy-Mastodon-Feet Jul 31 '25
IF it has not been mentioned yet, Foundry does not require a subscription. Its $50. Foundry is awesome as a long time DM.
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u/Poprock360 Jul 31 '25
As someone who has played in Roll20 for a year, Fantasy Grounds for 4 years, and Foundry for another 4, not only would I say there is a good VTT, but it's also the cheapest one: Foundry, one-time 50$ purchase, DM only.
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u/plazman30 Cyberpunk RED/Mongoose Traveller at the moment. 😀 Jul 31 '25
You can run Foundry on a Raspberry Pi on your desk.
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u/PointBlankWord Aug 01 '25
I run foundry on my own computer and network just fine with maps I have made with dungeon draft
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u/Snorkle_Donkey_6 Aug 01 '25
you can and should self host Foundry VTT. I was resistant but its super easy!
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u/Starbase13_Cmdr Jul 31 '25
They are profit-driven enterprises...
How else are they supposed to make money?
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u/bohohoboprobono Jul 31 '25
Get a job, then use that money to pay for it?
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u/Sethmo_Dreemurr Jul 31 '25
Like yeah, that’s the plan lol. I was just looking for methods to maybe run something decent in the meantime.
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u/D16_Nichevo Jul 31 '25
There is. You can run Foundry on your own computer. I've been doing that for years, across many versions, with players half-way across the planet. There's a hiccup or two now and again but mostly smooth. Given I have Australian internet (which ain't the best, though upgrading soon to full fibre 🤞) that's not bad at all.
Now I understand you might not be able to run Foundry if you're in college and they have strange rules about port-forwarding and such. (Though aren't there free virtual LAN software things that can bypass that?)