Which VTT do you use?

[payn]

Is there a VTT that has decent support for the players mapping while they explore the dungeon, but the GM being able to.throw down a battlemap at need? Because that would be my perfect VTT.

Isnt that the fog of war feature? Or do you mean you describe it and they have to draw it? Like the old screen paper days?

 

[Reynard]

Isnt that the fog of war feature? Or do you mean you describe it and they have to draw it? Like the old screen paper days?

I mean like at the table: players having access to a drawing tool that let's them draw the map as they go (shared, obvs) as well as me as GM being able to load a map of room 7 when a fight starts.

 

[payn]

I mean like at the table: players having access to a drawing tool that let's them draw the map as they go (shared, obvs) as well as me as GM being able to load a map of room 7 when a fight starts.

Roll20 and Foundry have drawing tools. They are pretty crud though. I have only used them to place an AOE effect or mark something of importance to a battlemat. I think the best thing to do is just create your maps in advance and place the line of sight fog on the pawns of the players.

 

[Reynard]

Roll20 and Foundry have drawing tools. They are pretty crud though. I have only used them to place an AOE effect or mark something of importance to a battlemat. I think the best thing to do is just create your maps in advance and place the line of sight fog on the pawns of the players.

I want the players to have to map.

 

[Negflar2099]

I chose Fantasy Grounds and while I would love to try some others now that I've spent money on it I feel like it's too late to change. That said it is a really good program. The lighting and visual effects that they added in unity are especially cool, and (especially with a few extensions) it makes DMing much easier. I don't think I could DM without it now and having it already in place when the pandemic hit was a stroke of pure luck.

 

[payn]

I want the players to have to map.

I get that, but it will be clunky via VTT. Although, Foundry makes all kinds of things possible if you want them to be. You just have to put in the work. PCs doing the mapping is one of those things that nobody realizes they want anymore, until they have to do it. Maybe... I mean for me its like F that, but I get the old school appeal.

 

[Reynard]

I get that, but it will be clunky via VTT.

That's why I was asking if there was one that allowed that. I would gladly give up "automation" for a tool that lets me run the game the way I do at a table.

 

[Thomas Shey]

It doesn't help that on-the-fly mapping is kind of pants on a lot of them. As I've noted, its one of the few issues I really have with Maptool, and I've heard it isn't the only one weak in this area.

(You could have players draw their own map as they go with a second instance of Maptool being hosted by whoever is drawing the map. Its just that the moment the structure gets at all complex, you're going to run into problems).

 

[payn]

That's why I was asking if there was one that allowed that. I would gladly give up "automation" for a tool that lets me run the game the way I do at a table.

Thats the beauty of Foundry. You can make it do anything you want. Well, if you have the drive to learn how to code it.

 

[Reynard]

Thats the beauty of Foundry. You can make it do anything you want. Well, if you have the drive to learn how to code it.

Can players draw a map that is theirs?