VTT Impact on GMing Skills

[Retreater]

Like many GMs, I've been running mostly on VTT for over a year now. I'm actually running more frequently online than I ever did in person (because it's easy to find games, convenient to get together, etc). But I am starting to consider how my style online is different in person, and which GMing muscles will need retraining.
For example, I tend to improvise less online. I have battlemaps at the ready, encounters already laid out. I don't want the players bored as I prepare an encounter, looking at a blank computer screen and disengaging from the game.
I have used more official modules. They're easier to setup when they're already on a VTT. Or even if they're not on the VTT, at least I'm not putting all the content on a VTT AND writing an adventure.
We are sticking with rules lite systems. Nobody in our group wants to learn a new system while not in person.
Character sheets are automated with the dice math already done. We don't even roll dice anymore.
I don't narrate areas as often. The map does most of the work. Players can ignore most of the description when they can see the placement of doors, hallways, and monsters on a grid.
My character voices and expressions are limited online. People seem to have difficulty understanding me using voice chat, so doing strange voices, whispers, screams, are just out of the question. Facial expressions and gestures are lost without a camera (and sometimes people aren't watching you even if you use a camera).
What are skills are you putting aside these days? What are some suggestions about retraining them?

 

[Dragonsbane]

I find I improvise more, but I have a pretty beefy setup for my game. I have loaded around 400+ maps all organized in sections, thousands of tokens, a huge set of audio fx, music, ambiance... this way as I improv my sandbox game, I have almost anything I might need. Also I find I do voices better, as I am a bit less shy. I also never use the exact map as what is there, I tell the players its more of an outline, and I mention any differences. I also find I can share images of NPCs on a map screen as a NPC index, with a small description so at any time players can be reminded of what is happening. When I use 5E modules like Phandelver, I think the extra maps and tables that are pre-done save time in prep, more time for the game.

As far as the math, good riddance lol. We switched from 5E to Cypher so it is more basic rolls, no math almost due to system.

 

[Marc_C]

Nothing has changed from in person. I use two screens. One to see the virtual battle map and the other screen to see the players expressions. We use Googlemeet and the white board.

 

[kenada]

It’s pretty similar, but I still use hardcopy notes even when running on a VTT. The primary difference is in setting up the maps. I put more effort into them for the VTT than I would if they were just sketches in my notes.

 

[MarkB]

I prefer pre-written modules, but when I've had to improvise I've found it surprisingly doable. I run with two screens, one for Roll20 and the other for several tabs of D&D Beyond, and it's pretty easy to bring up a set of monster stats if I need to improvise an encounter, running the rolls to the VTT using Beyond20. I have a small set of generic battlemaps, but I've even used the drawing tools to improvise a basic encounter layout when necessary. Generally I can get something simple set up in not much longer than it takes me to narrate the scene and the players to roll initiative.

 

[payn]

I used to draw out my maps as GM on a dry erase battle mat. Since covid hit Ive switched to theater of the mind for now. We have been doing a lot less combats and a lot more role playing which actually suits my tastes. I am missing some nice crunchy tactical combat at times tho.

 

[MNblockhead]

A lot of people like highly detailed maps for VTTs (see all the negative comments about Dyson maps in recent WotC adventures). But I personally like my mapt to be abstracted. It should show the amount of space, walls, doors, etc. But I'm happy leaving the dungeon dressing to my descriptions and the players' imaginations.

Improvisation is about the same with the caveat that the VTT you choose can affect how sandboxy you can be. Some VTTs are not very useful if you don't prep the maps. I highly recommend a VTT that allows you to quickly search and select from a large library of maps and tokens and makes it easy to open and drop tokens on them quickly. Also, manual Fog of War reveal is a must.

TableTool and Fantasy Grounds are both great for this.

Foundry, which is my preferred VTT, is okay. You can't search recursively through lots of subfolders, so it is actually better to dump all your maps in one directory, all your tokens in another directly, etc. Also, Foundry does not offer manual FOW out of the bag, but the SimpleFog modlule provides this functionality.

 

[tetrasodium]

I'm going to second what @MNblockhead said about using a vtt that let's you keep a bunch of organized maps o. It, bonus points if you can just download them and pick out relevant ones with a little preplanning. I was using arkenforge and a tvbox for a year or two before covid for in person play with great results. You can draw ayes away from the pretty map to lock ears onto your words but describing things different at times. "There's a worktable clottered with $whatever along this wall where the bookcases are" "over here in the corner is a trio of fancy looking vases" etc. As long as you sprinkle in differences occasionally it helps.

It's also a lot easier in person vtt than online e because you are still there across the table even if you swapped the battle mat & gm screen for a TV & laptop

 

[aramis erak]

Like many GMs, I've been running mostly on VTT for over a year now. I'm actually running more frequently online than I ever did in person (because it's easy to find games, convenient to get together, etc). But I am starting to consider how my style online is different in person, and which GMing muscles will need retraining.

It's a little different, For me, it's not new; I've been running a group remotely for 5 years+.

I find I improvise more, but I have a pretty beefy setup for my game.

I improv less onlinne. Mostly because it's too hard to tell when I've overstepped as a GM, and thus sticking to prep I've multiple changes to go, "Nawp, that'll trigger Fred"

I also tend to go TOTM with them whenever possible.

 

[pemerton]

The main thing I've found GMing online is that I need to maintain up-to-date soft copies of PC sheets. (Normally the players make notes in pencil and I keep all the sheets in my game folder between sessions.)

The systems I GM don't generally need maps or other visual/written aids. In one Prince Valiant session the PCs used a moderately sophisticated tactical set-up with their warband, and Zoom whiteboard was fine for sketching that out.