What's available for online roleplaying?

[robkelk]

I'll start off by saying that I'm not interested in video gaming, either PVP or cooperative (which is why I'm not asking in The Legendary). What I'm looking for is a "virtual tabletop" - something that people can connect to and talk though a game, with a dice roller function that can handle more than just 1d20 or 3d6.

What's out there for roleplaying when people can't get together? What's good, what's okay, what's usable with external add-ons, what should be avoided, and what's out there that people know about but haven't used?

My criteria:

• Pros: Low cost, Presence of a dice roller where everybody can see the results, Ability for at least a half-dozen people to take part at once.
  
• Would be nice: Voice communication, Ability to show maps and other visual aids. If it has a text interface instead of voice communication, the ability to save the game log.
  
• Not wanted: Ads.
  

I currently have a static IP, so I can host a service if necessary - but I'm also interested in existing online services that would probably be faster than my home connection.

[Ankhani]

Roll20 ( https://roll20.net/ ) is probably the most obvious/popular choice for online tabletop gaming. I've only had a cursory examination of it, from years ago, but you can do a lot of stuff there (voice/cam chat, images, etc.), with only a few static banner ads that I've noticed if you don't pay for whatever.

MapTool ( www.rptools.net/toolbox/maptool/ ) is another choice, if you're fine with text-only. It allows the most of the same visual-aid stuff that I've seen in roll20 and it's entirely free with out any ads or other unpleasantness. You can save logs as well as entire gamestates as you please.

[LulzKiller]

I can confirm for Roll20, I've used it in the past

[Norgarth]

another I've heard of but haven't used is Fantasy Grounds
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/home/home.php

[Epsilon]

Fantasy Grounds is one I've used in the past and is pretty good.

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/home/home.php

Pricing is low and you can either pay monthly or all at once. Get the Ultimate package as the GM and any number of other players can join your game. Comes with basically everything you asked plus it also includes a number of game systems though likely none you personally would want to play in knowing you except maybe FateCore.

Matthew Coville has done some nice tutorials on how it works: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_q...sy+grounds

[ECSNorway]

I've used MapTools a few times and it helps if you have a big screen. When my Mac Mini was working I liked to put it up on the big-screen TV while I played from my laptop (we ran the chat session via Jabber, rather than use the built-in chat on MapTools).