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I Tried Virtual D&D. Here’s How It Went Down

Jan 24, 2024 by Louigi Balao

2 min read

    
AB_I Tried Virtual D_D. Here’s How It Went Down

Dungeons and Dragons is a vast world full of potential, glory, and whimsy! If you don’t know much about it yet, feel free to read our beginner's guide to help you grasp the game better and even jump-start the fantastical fire.

All the same role-playing, goblin-kicking potential, but accessible from your couch!

This article will plot out my experience in virtual D&D, specifically for a platform called Roll20. Perhaps it can help you and your friends enjoy D&D further, even if it is online.

The D&D journey started in college with just a few friends who had extra time between classes. The first session was fun, lasting about six hours with a character I just created for the sake of roleplaying. I didn’t think I would get really into it, which meant more games but with different friends. 

From Roll20 Official Website

Roll20 was a confusing platform at first, but thankfully, our Dungeon Master (DM) knew his stuff. After a week of preparation, we had our first online session. Because this was during the height of COVID, no one was going anywhere, and sessions lasted around three hours at a minimum.

Initial thoughts. What. The. Heck. Was. I. Doing? Aside from the regular character sheet I was familiar with, everything else seemed new. This, of course, was kind of my fault, because I only tried the website out a few minutes before the session—my bad. After 20 minutes or so, I was able to set my skills, items, and even my backstory in the sheet.

From ABC Network Official GIPHY

The first cool thing about the platform was its ability to roll specific dice, it may sound basic, but it provided seamless actions for our encounters. I know it is just basic addition and subtraction whenever attacks are being computed for their hits, but when long sessions happen, your ability to think straight dampens. To spice things up, we were even able to add short GIFs and catchphrases whenever we would attack.

Fast forward a few sessions and we were able to level up. In our face-to-face sessions, we would have the Internet as a guide to see what we can get whenever we level up, stuff like ability points, feats, etc. This is integrated into Roll20, and it was a matter of searching and seeing which feats were under your class like sneak for rogue, smite for paladin, and so on—all in the platform.

From Pudgy Penguins Official GIPHY

If you are a budding Dungeon Master, you have access to shared assets that can work well in the game. So if you are planning an awesome homebrew, this platform can work well for you and your mates.

The wonderful thing about D&D is its ability to pull you out from who you are, it gives you a moment to become someone else and get a different experience. This, of course, is a figment of the imagination but the feelings are real nonetheless. The convenience of online roleplaying is upon us and if you want to get your sessions started without interruption, having a fiber-fast Internet connection will do the trick. Upgrade today with PLDT Home Fiber Plus plans and you can play your heart out with friends and family as you dungeon-crawl together.

 

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