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Your Step-by-Step Guide to Software, Hardware, and Finding the Perfect Digital Table Dungeons & Dragons is known to be illustrated by people sitting around a table, rolling dice and eating snacks together. But with the rapid rise in popularity, many games are now happening online. Tables have extended beyond physical limitations and can now connect players in different countries or even continents.  Playing tabletop RPGs online has evolved from a backup plan into the preferred way to play for millions of players worldwide. Whether you are struggling to coordinate schedules with local friends or want to dive into the hobby for the very first time, playing online removes geographic boundaries entirely. This guide breaks down exactly how to play dnd online, detailing the tools you need, the best software available, and how to find a welcoming group. Hardware and setup You don't need a powerful gaming computer to play D&D, although making sure you meet the baseline requirements will help you avoid any technical glitches or issues and make sure the focus remains on what matters - the story itself. The computer A standard laptop or desktop computer is highly recommended. While you can access certain character sheets via your phone, running a virtual map, looking up rules, and participating in a voice call simultaneously requires the screen real estate of a proper monitor. The microphone Bad video is tolerable, bad audio ruins games. Built-in laptop microphones may pick up the sound of your computer's fans, your typing and every nearby siren. Invest in a dedicated USB microphone or a decent headset. Your party will thank you. Headphones over speakers Always wear headphones while playing online. If your microphone picks up the game audio coming out of your desktop speakers, it creates an unbearable echoing feedback loop for everyone else in the call. A webcam Ask your group what their camera policy is before Session 0. Some tables require webcams because reading facial expressions drastically improves roleplay and keeps players focused. Other groups prefer voice-only "Theater of the Mind" style play to protect privacy and keep things casual. The Virtual Tabletop (VTT) A Virtual Tabletop (VTT) is the software that acts as your digital table. It displays maps, tracks the locations of character tokens, and handles dice rolling (if your group decides to roll digital dice). Choosing the right one depends entirely on your budget and how much time you want to spend learning the software. Owlbear Rodeo Free (with premium tiers) Best for: Casual groups, fast setup, simplicity Roll20 Free / Optional subscription Best for: Browser-based play, massive player base FreeVTT Free with no registration required Best for: Online and in-person games Foundry VTT One-time GM fee ($50, free for players) Best for: Advanced automation, heavy modding, lighting Fantasy Grounds One-time Subscription or license tiers Best for: Deep rulebook integration, tactical automation and many others you can browse here If your game does not rely on battlemaps, you might not even need to set up a VTT system. Or your GM might direct a webcam at their table, where they have a physical grid or terrain removing the need for a digital platform setup. Video and voice Unless your game is "play by post" (text-based game through a chat or forum) you will need a platform to communicate on. For most people the primary choice will be Discord. Although there is a multitude of various other platforms (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and many others alike) that work just as well. Some VTT platforms have integrated a video and voice module to keep things in one place. Make sure to test your microphone and video before the game begins to avoid the classic "Can you hear me? I cant hear you? Why can't you see my video" situation. How to be a great digital player Playing through a monitor requires a distinct set of social manners to keep the game moving smoothly. Implement these four simple habits to ensure your Game Master invites you back: Art of the Pause Online audio cuts out when multiple people speak at once. Practice leaving a tiny half-second buffer zone before speaking up to prevent accidentally talking over your fellow players or the GM. Minimize digital distractions It is incredibly easy to open a second browser window to browse social media or play a video game while another player is taking their turn in combat. Avoid this at all costs. GMs put hours of unpaid work into prepping maps and stories; give them your full attention. Remove the background noise If you are playing in a loud household, have pets that bark, or are chewing on snacks, turn on Push-to-Talk or keep your microphone muted whenever you aren't actively speaking. Test your tech early Don't wait until exactly game time to find out your browser needs an update or your headset isn't syncing. Log into your Discord channel 5 to 10 minutes early to run an audio diagnostic test and ensure everything is working smoothly. How to find an online group Once you have your headset plugged in and your necessary accounts created, you face the most notorious hurdle in the entire hobby: finding an active group of people to play with. With Groupfinder you can filter players and games by timezones, to make sure that your schedules align. There is a multitude of groups and players looking for their next game - Either reach out to a group or create your own player post.

What is a “session zero” (and why should you have one) You have decided to start playing D&D, keep in mind that Dungeons & Dragons is a social game. Sure, we have dice, miniatures, maps, terrain, rules and books. But they are all connected by social interactions and connections. And managing those social situations before they become problematic will save you a lot of headache. After all, you are looking to find a dungeons and dragons group not be defeated by the recruitment process. A session zero (named so, because the first session will most likely be the one where you all sit down and finally get the game going) is a validation checkpoint. A change for all the players to discuss what they expect from the game and the group. Voicing any concerns or topics that should be addressed beforehand, not when they have already become issues. During the session zero, players (including the DM, they are a player as well) will be given a general pitch of the game, the theme, the style and the direction the DM is expecting you to go. This most likely will not be a two-hour lore-dump session, where you make notes and try to remember all the important bits. It should resemble an elevator pitch. Short, straight to the point, without too much flavouring and getting bogged down in details. This is a chance for the players to understand and align their expectations regarding the game. Going into the first session with Boblin the Goblin, aiming to be the funniest character known to man and then realizing that the DM has prepared a serious, down to earth, adventure focusing on social intrigue and moral choices… Well Boblin might’ve not been the best character for that. /images/general-media/1774882359_X6rlHtg9.jpgRead the room. Create a character that fits the atmosphere of the game. And if you were hoping for constant laughs, you will find that the game and your expectations were severely mis-aligned. Session zero will try to manage expectations and set themes. Aligning players, aligning characters Understanding the world, the themes and topics is useful for the players to understand whether the game they are about to commit to is really for them. Whether it will be something they will look forward to prior to every session, or will it eventually become something that “you are not feeling”. Perhaps the tone can be adjusted - from gothic horror with no room for laughs to something that is still eerie, but the players can find humor in appropriate places. This is the time to discuss these questions. The time to adjust the game is now, as it will be rather difficult to do a complete shift when you are ten sessions deep. This is also the point where players can discuss their characters. Whether they have anything complete prepared by then or just a fragment of a concept. Your characters shall be adventuring together - try and figure out how that plays into the world you were presented with. Can you find some common background pieces with another player to somehow connect your characters? Or perhaps come up with a reasonable theme that would bring all your characters together. If your plan was to play an edgy loner, who doesn’t like people and works alone. Discuss this with others, as this might become an issue later, when the other characters can’t figure out a way to establish any reasonable connection with your edgelord. Be flexible, adjust concepts, ideas, goals and character details. A social contract Nobody likes contracts. Unless you are a warlock, then you live for contracts. But a social contract is more for managing expectations. How often will you play? Figure out whether your group can agree on a fixed schedule that everyone can book in advance. Every second Thursday evening? Booked now. Ofcourse this is subject to change as life happens.   Is it a 100% attendance game? If someone can’t attend, will the session be cancelled or will they be somehow “dragged along” without any narrative focus on them for the session. Is there a narrative way to exclude characters from certain moments, if the player is unable to participate? Agreeing on these will help you avoid situations, where some players might feel left out and might decide to start ghosting the sessions, until they are eventually removed from the roster. /images/general-media/1774882564_47pDcYw0.webpIf you have trouble setting some systems up, ask others to help you What systems and platforms will you be using if this is an online game? What video or voice platform will you be using, is everyone okay with the choice or does someone need help setting something up? Whether combat happens on a VTT or some other platform, can everyone manage that? Check in with others and figure out that the technical aspects won’t become too much of a burden to manage. Boundaries. A vital part of session zero. Even if you think these are not necessary - It is still strongly recommended. Using various safety tools can make sure that various themes or topics that the game might tackle are accepted by everyone. Especially if you haven’t played with all of the members of the group before. You can find various different tools to help set the right boundaries and make sure everyone feels comfortable with the game. Take a look at “Lines and Veils”, “X-Card” or “Monte Cook Games RPG Consent Checklist”. Vibes. How are the vibes Keep track of the vibes during session zero. Do you notice anything that might be considered a “red flag”? Is the humor off, does everyone feel like they get enough respect and attention from the others? All of these are important to keep in mind. While some things can be discussed and corrected, if needed. People are different and while they might be great people to be friends with, it doesn’t mean that they would be great people to play D&D with. If there are issues that you feel should be discussed, turn towards your DM and talk things out. Perhaps you were not the only one who noticed it. Or maybe it was a case of miscommunication. Clearing the air before the game actually begins is important. Otherwise the problems will start festering and your enjoyment of the game will decrease over time. “No D&D is better than bad D&D?” - No. Not at all. With Groupfinder you can  find a dnd group that fits your preferences. Maybe it will take a few tries and session zeroes, but once you find your group, you will know these are your people. And you will enjoy the games a lot more. Why bother with all of this? It might feel like all of this is too much trouble just to get the game going. But statistics have shown, that groups who go through a "session zero" before their actual game are  significantly less likely to ghost or fall apart after a few sessions. Spending a few hours talking about expectations might save you hours of frustration later on.

“Covering the basics” is a easy-to-follow set of articles helping players get through the first steps of the game. You found a game to join? Well done, but now what? A character What makes a good character to play? Is it optimizing your stats to be the most overpowered character? Picking the right skills, feats, powers or spells? For some players, yes - that is important. And at the end of the day, you don’t want to end up with a character who will be outdone by everyone else in your party. But at the same time, your character should be more than just useful - they should be interesting. They are more than just “Human Fighter” or an “Elf Ranger”. When creating a character, what is important, but to create a character the other players and the world will want to interact with, focusing on who is even more vital. We will not be focusing on the intricate details of how you should create your character sheet, instead the article will serve as a guideline of how to flesh out your new hero (or anti-hero). /images/general-media/1776695082_Yb187gsl.jpgYour character should be more than just a two-dimensional adventurer. Make them real and the game will treat them as such. Who is your character? To start weaving your character into someone interesting, you need to find that core concept to start building around.   For inspiration, think back at some characters from a book, movie, tv show, game or real life. Find someone that has that core essence that you feel would be interesting to roleplay. Perhaps Rincewind the tourist from Discworld, Beorn from The Hobbit, Donna from Doctor Who or perhaps Esquie from Clair Obscur. Whichever character comes to you as someone you’d like to somehow pay homage to, can be worked with. Think of what makes that character interesting to you, is it their attitude towards problems, other people or nature. Are they clumsy, perceptive, analytical or indifferent towards things? The way they see the world is a great direction to have. Now the end-goal is not to copy the character 1 to 1. That is almost never going to work. The nature of the game is likely to be very much based on random outcomes, no matter how well-planned and foolproof your approach is. As dice determine the success of various attempts, it is best to keep that in mind.   A bad roll can turn your James Bond into Johnny English. Flesh them out If you have a core concept, you can start working on making them more real. Ask yourself various questions about them. “What made them like this?” “Why would they be adventuring?” “Is there a problem they are running from?” “What is their favourite dish?” Yes, even figuring out their favourite food can be a great process of figuring out who they are. It might not be a fact that would ever come to play, but can be a good stepping stone to actually understanding them. Knowing their favourite dish or colour can be helpful when diving deeper into that answer. Their favourite colour is pink - why? Did they grow up in a house that had pink wallpaper? Or was there an ever-blooming cherry blossom tree that they have fond memories of? Where was that tree? Does it hold some significance to them? Was there another person involved with that fondness? What happened to them? And so forth. Just like actual humans have preferences that don’t derive from nothing - neither should your character. The more you ask, the more real they become through this. It is highly recommended to write those points down - so you have a written understanding of them. And you can later refer back to the document to remind yourself of who they are. /images/general-media/1776695107_mBmxHoQ9.jpgWhat made them like this? A tragic event in their past or a goal they haven't yet reached? Backstory Ask your GM questions about the world and the setting. The more you understand, the easier it will be for you to place them there. If your GM is willing to work with you to flesh out the world around your character’s past, you will end up adding towns, locations, events and traditions to their world.   You may find it difficult to write your character’s backstory. You are not a writer, at least thats what you keep telling yourself. Doesn’t matter - your GM is hardly expecting you to write an eloquent piece of literary history. And that is not really that important. What is, is to know where your character came from - do they have a past that slowly catches up to them. A debt that will eventually have to be repaid. Or a goal that they are striving towards, as they have set out on their adventuring path. You shouldn’t try to aim for a 7-page backstory from the start. Some GMs might find backstories that are too detailed and long to be counter-productive. But setting where they grew up, with whom they interacted back then - how they grew up and mark down some important events that formed them as a character. Think back to the core concept of your character - and reverse-engineer your way towards the events and reasons why they ended up that way. Generative AI Now that various AI tools exist, players might find it easy to prompt the LLM with something like “Write a backstory for my elf ranger. When they were young, their parents abandoned them in a forest. There, wolves adopted them. But the wolves also abandoned them. Now they trust nobody. Their aspiration, though they keep it a secret from others, is to open a bakery.” And AI will give you a long backstory to work with.   But you are not done. Don’t just copy-paste it into a document and send it to your GM for approval. While using Gemini, ChatGPT or any other AI tool is useful for fleshing out some ideas, you need to make sure they are your ideas. You can take the draft you have been provided with and start working on the details - AI is unlikely to understand your character perfectly - what it is, that got you interested in them in the first place. Remove, add, rewrite and polish the initial draft. Make sure it is consistent with the world your GM has given you. And once you are done with an initial version, take some time and read through the whole backstory. Does it make sense to you? Do they feel real? And is the core idea still present? At the end of the day, it is your character. Using various tools to help you flesh out is helpful, but you should know them better than anyone else. Consider making a short summary section for you and the GM to reference later. Highlight various bits that are important to you. Connecting people Your character doesn’t have to be a lone wolf in the world. At times it can be better and more convenient to connect your character with another player’s.   Talk with your party before the game and see if you can find some common ground with some other character. Perhaps they were childhood friends, but drifted apart. Or perhaps they met once on opposite sides of a battlefield. Creating a connection to another character can make it easier for your GM to connect them to their world.   A shared past can be a great framework to make sure your party ends up as a cohesive group, not just “written together”. Your Game Master will have their hands full with various aspects of running the game, they will appreciate it, if you hand them characters that have a reason to adventure together. /images/general-media/1776695187_W8cxu9E4.jpgYour character's journey is just beginning. A good backstory is a great foundation to build on. Work in progress Your character should not be something that is completed once the first session rolls around. Instead feel free to add bits and pieces as you discover the world through playing. You are bound to find new aspects of the world, that your character could be connected to. Of course make sure that your GM is notified of these additions. And that it still fits with their vision of the game. Find your story If you have a great idea that you want to play with, but haven't found a game to play yet. Look at the games that are looking for players. Or post your player profile and find a tabletop rpg group to play with.