Lackofname
Explorer
I used Maptools back in the day, but eventually found it too much work. Now I'm getting back into things and need to learn Roll20 by the first session next Sunday.
I'd never seen owlbear.rodeo before. That's kind of cool (although the lack of hex maps is an issue for me).I think I've fallen in love with owlbear.rodeo. It's a free but very barebones browser-based VTT. There is no audio or video component - you will need Google Meet, Zoom, or Discord for that. I recommend Discord because of all the dice and RPG bots available. There are also no tools for character sheets. What you get: maps, tokens, fog of war, drawing tools, barebones dice tray, and a laser pointer. All tokens, maps, and other images live on your computer so there are no limits on file size or storage space. There's hardly any learning curve compared to other VTTs. It also works beautifully on desktops, tablets, and phones (but there is no app - you need to use a web browser on all devices).
That said, it is very barebones. There are no user accounts - everything works on a custom URL that you can password protect at creation, but you can't change that password later, so anyone with the link and password will always be able to get in. It "remembers" what map and token images you "uploaded" from your computer with a cookie (they don't use third party cookies though), so if you clear your cookie cache, you will have to add everything again since it pulls the images from your computer. There are no defined roles like GM or Player, but the original URL creator has some rights other users don't (like hidden tokens etc.). The creator is the only one with access to the tokens and maps they upload, but other users can load their own tokens and maps too (which the original creator won't be able to see unless the user shares them). You are also only considered the original owner on the device where you originally created the URL.
All things considered, the pros outweigh the cons if you are looking for something lightweight and easy that pairs nicely with your other online gaming tools like Discord. The developers are committed to keeping it simple and not trying to replicate other VTTs like Roll20.
There's nothing stopping you from importing a hexed map.I'd never seen owlbear.rodeo before. That's kind of cool (although the lack of hex maps is an issue for me).
Very interested in your comparison of Owlbear Rodeo to Role. Role seems a bit like Owlbear Rodeo with the web meeting functionality integrated with the basic TTRPG features.I also just received my early access account info for the recently Kickstarted Role VTT. Will report back when I've had a chance to play with that. Role: A New Kind of Platform For The RPG Community