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.”

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.”

DnD_VTT_Screen1.jpg


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.

DnD_VTT_Screen2.jpg


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

DnD_VTT_Screen3.jpg


“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.

DnD_VTT_Screen4.jpg


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.”
 

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Beth Rimmels

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Zaukrie

New Publisher
I would rather have a monitor flat on the table to have something like a interactive map. Everyone looking at the laptop just strange.
Which you can 100% use this for....just remember they aren't set up to lay flat, so you need to add fans!
 

CleverNickName

Limit Break Dancing (He/They)
I have no idea how you get that from this at all. It literally comes with drawing tools and 2d map import, so I don't get the hours of work thing either.
Mostly from experience using FantasyGrounds, then Foundry VTT, then Roll20.

Are you currently using a VTT to play D&D? If so, which one?
 

Zaukrie

New Publisher
Mostly from experience using FantasyGrounds, then Foundry VTT, then Roll20.

Are you currently using a VTT to play D&D? If so, which one?
I've used all three of those, right now we use Foundry. I can make a map there, or, more likely, use a 2D tool and import it in no time (just like you can with this new tool).
 


Zaukrie

New Publisher
Is there a demo of this new tool available? I'd be happy to try it out.
Only what we've seen online so far (which does not include drawing tools in the preview, or showing us importing). We should get to try it much later this year, and I'd expect a launch in 2024......from all the stuff we've seen so far.
 

CleverNickName

Limit Break Dancing (He/They)
Only what we've seen online so far (which does not include drawing tools in the preview, or showing us importing). We should get to try it much later this year, and I'd expect a launch in 2024......from all the stuff we've seen so far.
Well, like I said: they can miss me with all the fancy 3D stuff and animations, but if their 2D interface will let me drop in my home-drawn map, screen it, and then get out of my way, I'd probably be interested.
 



Lazybones

Adventurer
This looks like it could be very cool for published scenarios where everything is already set up and you can just log in and play.

As others have noted, the customization tools will be the big question for DMs like me that like to homebrew. I've gotten to the point in Fantasy Grounds where I can grab a map off the Internet and turn it into a usable battlemap with lighting and line-of-sight in just a few minutes, but it took a decent amount of time to gain that level of proficiency. Same with the Neverwinter Nights Aurora toolset, back in the day. If they have a workshop where I can just login and pick out a map somebody built that's useful for that evening's session, I can see using this for my homebrew campaign, but I suspect it will take quite a while to get to that point.
 

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