Playing tabletop games online has been an idea since the internet was invented, and the early version of the concept can be seen in the LAN parties and DOS dungeon crawlers of a bygone time. It’s not a coincidence that Dungeons & Dragons was developed as a TTRPG at about the same time home computers were being developed.
The last year has seen an explosion in the demand for online activities across the board, and D&D already had a headstart. One of the best options for playing online is Tabletop Simulator.
There are several different kinds of tabletop simulators that can work for D&D, some that are part of third-party websites and others that are stand-alone programs that you can download and customize. Tabletop Simulator is one of the latter, and there are a few important things to remember to optimize your experience when using this program to play D&D.
6 Get Steam and Download TableTop Simulator
It seems obvious, but given the options when it comes to buying software these days, just asking where to find the program isn’t such a stupid question. Be careful of websites that claim to sell the game, as they’re often selling credit for Steam to purchase the game, not the game itself.
If you don’t have a Steam account, you’ll need to make one to download and use Tabletop Simulator. If you’re hosting multiple players as the Dungeon Master of a game, you’ll have to invest in the 4-pack version of the game, which is slightly more expensive. Extra content for other games will cost more, but there’s plenty of material available for D&D through the workshop.
5 Customize Your Game Using The Workshop
Tabletop Simulator is used to play all kinds of games, not just D&D, so there are a lot of customizable options available. That includes official DLC for various TTRPG games along with material from the Steam workshop that fans have created for specific games, such as maps or figurines. Some of these are directly related to D&D and you can download and use them at no additional cost.
This experience will be slightly different for a Dungeon Master, who needs to have all of the player information at their disposal, plus all of the equipment and literature required to oversee the gameplay. Luckily, most D&D materials are in the public domain, and the fan-made materials in the workshop are free of charge.
4 Use A Computer With An SSD
This recommendation is more for DMs or those elite players that enjoy using detailed pictures, 3D models, or other features that take a lot of space to store and a long time to load. A lot of the materials associated with playing D&D on Tabletop Simulator need a lot of space to store and a Solid State Drive (SSD) isn’t essential, but it’s extremely useful.
An SSD drive has a quicker access time and lower latency, using an integrated circuit to store data as opposed to an electromechanical drive. That means you need less time to acquire and set up whatever adventures are a part of this week’s session.
3 Make Sure You Have Friends Because Bots Aren’t Allowed
There might be some tabletop simulators that are exceptions to this rule, but generally, Tabletop Simulator doesn’t have the programming to support an AI player in a D&D game. The exception here is games that are designed specifically for solo players, and D&D isn’t one of them.
That isn’t to say that this game isn’t versatile when it comes to D&D-related activities with a fragmented party. Tabletop Simulator is infinitely customizable, so you can also use it to roll characters, design dungeons and related encounters, and put homebrew ideas together.
2 Upload The Literature in Advance, Such As Manuals And Maps
This is related to the part about computer hardware. How much of this is required before you even start playing depends on your experience level and what kind of computer you’re running.
A beginning party might just need to upload the basics, like character sheets and a player’s manual. More advanced campaigns in which the party and DM use different modules would also have to be considered.
Depending on your exact computer and internet set-up, the vast array of things needed might cut into your game time. Any DM or player might tell you that’s not an acceptable use of time, so start your uploads as soon as possible and spend more time gaming.
1 Don’t Worry About The Dice For A Change
We’re going to switch it up and discuss something you don’t need, and for some players, it’s the best part of tabletop gaming. For others, such as the DM, it’s a nightmare that won’t be missed.
Tabletop Simulator might not solve all of your tabletop gaming issues, but if you’re playing a game with dice, you now have one less thing to worry about. The rolling process is entirely electronic and any number of dice are available, which means that the days of fumbling for an elusive 4- or 5-sided die are over. You can bet the DM is also pleased that they don’t have to mess with a physical D100 anymore.
NEXT: 15 Best Tabletop Simulator 2-Player Games
