D&D (2024) D&D's Upcoming Digital Tabletop

Perhaps the showstopper of todays D&D Direct event was a preview of the upcoming D&D digital playspace. Hosts Gina Darling and Ify Nwadiwe met with Kale Stutzman, principal game designer of D&D Digital, where he ran them through an adventure using the technology. The video shown in the presentation, though, was labeled “Pre-alpha gameplay footage.”

The upcoming D&D VTT uses Unreal Engine 5 to power it.

“There are a lot of ways to play D&D online and we don't think a lot of them hit the big three things we think are important – fun, convenience, authenticity,” said Stutzman.

In the demo, you see the dice roll on the screen, and it bursts into the result. Encounter mode is when you roll initiative

“The DM can set the mood, the lighting, what time of day is it. Is it raining? Are there fire embers falling from the sky?” said Stutzman.

The community will be able to create and share assets. “We want to make content that's building blocks that people can break apart and make their own content with. That remix is core to the DNA of D&D, said Stutzman.

Stutzman didn't answer when the VTT will release, but he did say that D&D staff and limited friends and family are trying it now and that they're going to gradually open it up. “...and a lot of people listening will be able to play it this year,” Stutzman added, which means a play test in “late 2023.”

 

[Zaukrie]

these are just examples, how about special creatures or extras for books and all kinds of things which will all be add-ons? don't think they will just hand over all the stuff up front how about expansions for things or special adventures that are digital only? My point is with foundry i can down load tuns of free content or make my own, bet you can't do that with this as they will not let us make our on add-ons, unlike foundry.

Why would they hand over adventures for free? publishers don't do that (mostly) on Foundry either.

No one is arguing any of the points you are bringing up. And, I'll bet you a million dollars you can make up your own in this tool after its out for at least a year.....I'll bet you all the money on the planet.

 

[Zaukrie]

I can do this with what is out there already and so this brings nothing to my table other than giving them money.

So, it isn't for you I guess. Just like Foundry (which I run) isn't for everyone, or Roll20, or Wildshape, or Shard, or Owlbear Rodeo, or any of the other VTTs.

 

[Vincent55]

Why would they hand over adventures for free? publishers don't do that (mostly) on Foundry either.

No one is arguing any of the points you are bringing up. And, I'll bet you a million dollars you can make up your own in this tool after its out for at least a year.....I'll bet you all the money on the planet.

you just didn't get what I was saying, adventures like extras for published ones, so you buy it and then they offer a digital extra that cost you more. As to the foundry, I can get many free things but I make my own adventures all I have paid for was well recently making 3d things and that didn't cost much. I have made much of my own stuff for it and Dungeon draft which still has a lot of free stuff made by others, and i will not hold my breath on them letting you create things for their VTT, unless you have a contract if their previous moves have told us otherwise. I just don't trust Hasbro Bro.

 

[Vincent55]

So, it isn't for you I guess. Just like Foundry (which I run) isn't for everyone, or Roll20, or Wildshape, or Shard, or Owlbear Rodeo, or any of the other VTTs.

I own foundry and i don't want or need this and really it is a little too late to the market place as many have used others and the distrust of this company was made clear so good luck selling this to the masses.

 

[Clint_L]

I fully agree about the “looks pretty for streaming” part. If only we all had all day to work on our games like some streamers, lol. It’s frustrating that some tools are more about form than function, I agree.

So, I want to push back on this line of argument. Because the exact same argument could be made against one of my favourite D&D-related hobbies, which is collecting, building, and painting miniatures and terrain. Which, yes, sometimes I spend a considerable chunk of time doing to prepare for games. And I'm not streaming anything.

Using miniatures and some form of terrain, or at least a battle map, goes back to well before D&D existed; in fact, miniatures-based wargames are what spawned D&D. So those of us who like that aspect of the hobby are not aberrations. There's a lot of us! We have a proud history! We get weird about building our little dioramas for playing a game!

The VTT is nothing more than taking that aspect of the hobby and putting it online. It will almost certainly make it more accessible. And if someone wants to spend their day using it to build a really cool encounter set, then I totally get it. I can't wait to see the builds that people come up with - they'll give me inspiration for my analogue versions!

Edit: One of my recent builds:

 

[Zaukrie]

My players loved complex terrain set ups, it increased their creativity a ton. Every table is different....

 

[UngainlyTitan]

So, I want to push back on this line of argument. Because the exact same argument could be made against one of my favourite D&D-related hobbies, which is collecting, building, and painting miniatures and terrain. Which, yes, sometimes I spend a considerable chunk of time doing to prepare for games. And I'm not streaming anything.

Using miniatures and some form of terrain, or at least a battle map, goes back to well before D&D existed; in fact, miniatures-based wargames are what spawned D&D. So those of us who like that aspect of the hobby are not aberrations. There's a lot of us! We have a proud history! We get weird about building our little dioramas for playing a game!

The VTT is nothing more than taking that aspect of the hobby and putting it online. It will almost certainly make it more accessible. And if someone wants to spend their day using it to build a really cool encounter set, then I totally get it. I can't wait to see the builds that people come up with - they'll give me inspiration for my analogue versions!

Edit: One of my recent builds:View attachment 280246

That is very pretty and impressive as to the work put into it. I am not sure about your argument though. I would of the view that the VTT can do all the bell and whistles one likes to apply but it has to do the simple basic stuff also.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Just to say ditto to all of above

While I don't necessariliy trust a publicly traded corporation for doing the right thing all the time, in this case I think they'll put out something that's pretty darn good and will only get better as time goes on

Exactly.

It's not going to be tough to beat out Roll20... I've already been considering moving to DDB just because the character sheet works way better than the R20 sheet (at least as a player); and then use Owlbear Rodeo for maps because that works much better for mapping. If only I hadn't already spent ~$300 on books for R20. And then would have to spend similar again in DDB. I wish DDB was subscription based like the 4e character tool was

Yeah if this is even as moddable as, say, Dragon Age Inquisition, much less something like Skyrim, I doubt I’ll mess with any other VTT.

The value of a vtt for me is to be able to have the benefit of that big complex set piece without needing an actual table, and everyone can just sit on the couch or comfy chair, with my long distance buddy linking in via the built in audio/visual chat function. This looks like it’s gonna perfect for that.

My big question is, how hard is it for the DM to override a result or recon something? It's pretty easy in Roll20 because you just ignore the roll. With the graphics and automated calculations to targets, etc., that's an important question.

What was said in the demo is that the program doesn’t execute rules, it just “shows you where the rules are”, and used movement as the basic example.

I see no reason to think the DM won’t be able to just say, “yeah that actually does hit because XYZ. Good catch, roll damage.” And then manually apply the damage.

I can do this with what is out there already and so this brings nothing to my table other than giving them money.

Okay?

 

[Sumony111]

I own foundry and i don't want or need this and really it is a little too late to the market place as many have used others and the distrust of this company was made clear so good luck selling this to the masses.

I dont think "The masses" followed any drama about OGL or really care about it or think about Hasbro's reputation.

WOTC can include advertising for this tool directly in the books or on DnD Beyond. They can include a one-month trial coupon with each new players handbook or for every new DnD Beyond subscription. If they really want to, they can stop selling any official adventures or books on other platforms.

I suspect they won't have any trouble reaching masses of players. If they can make this VTT the easy, low hanging fruit for new people joining the hobby, I suspect it will be very successful over time.

 

[Sumony111]

Also if you look at the AI assisted modding systems that things like roblox are implementing, we may not be terribly far from easy, and fast generation of 3d assets and terrain for lay users. We arent there yet but it might not be real long before they could integrate tools that would make 3d homebrew very viable.