Roll20, a longtime favorite for long-distance tabletop roleplayers, just gained a level in awesomeness. In a new licensing deal with Wizards of the Coast, Roll20 will now offer licensed Dungeons & Dragons content for their platform, allowing you to load premade character sheets, maps, tokens, and other tabletop essentials right into the free program.
Content like Lost Mine of Phandelver, winner of two ENnies and a Golden Geek award, is already available for purchase on Roll20 for $20. Fans can also pre-order the upcoming Storm King’s Thunder module due out September 6, which pits players from level 1 to 11 against an onslaught of hill and frost giants.
Though Roll20 has been compatible with Dungeons & Dragons since the beginning–cofounder Riley Dutton called the tabletop favorite “the spark that pushed us to start the product,” in a press release–but this new licensed content allows dungeon masters and players to jump right into gameplay without creating custom maps and character sheets unless they choose to do so. D&D, while one of the most popular tabletop systems out there, is known for being a little intimidating for new players. While 5E has been an excellent introduction for tabletop newbies, Roll20’s new integration with introductory modules like these makes that process even smoother.
Roll20 has already attracted 1.6 million users to its online service. Dungeon masters can set up a game, send out a link to their usual gaming group or open the game up to strangers, and play with digital dice and easy-to-use scene constructors and other tools. With built-in voice, video, and text chat, it’s a complete tabletop simulator sans the salty snacks.
If you’ve been waiting for the right time to dive into the depths of Dungeons & Dragons, Roll20’s version of Lost Mine of Phandelver is the same price as the D&D starter set with premade, easy-to-use maps, tokens, and character sheets. Find yourself a group and get rolling!
