Looking for a simple overview on how to start running a game

Hi there. I thought I'd give roll 20 a try. I bought a little module (rick n morty 5e D&D) and want  invite some old D&D friends for a lockdown game,  but ran into obstacles trying to figure out how to manage a game. It started with trying to figure out how to share the map with players (after setting up an extra account). I kept being stuck on the launch page. After fiddling around for well over an hour I figured out you had to move the red "player" icon to a different page. Doh. the answers are simple, but not obvious. Only now all the tokens are visible to my one player (that also took a while to figure out how to put his character on the map). There is no fog of war etc. I'm sure the answer is again simple but by now my free afternoon is over and my energy sucked away. I don't feel like spending another hour searching for a simple but not obvious answer. Problem is, most of the walkthroughs and wikis I find online deal with design -- haven't found one yet that deals with simply starting to play a game - what problems you can run into, and  how to solve them. Don't want to give up yet on roll20 but up till now it's a frustrating experience, and with work and family there are only a few hours every day. So my question is; does anyone know a good idiot proof online overview or guide for running a game straight from a module? Thanks

Hi Martin, I made a couple of videos that might help. The first is a general overview, the second is a guide that helps people avoid some regular pitfalls when setting up tokens.: Roll20 TnT Starting from Scratch Roll20TnT Linking Tokens and Journals Also, here is the whole welcome wagon blurb I used to post when I was a moderator. You might find some useful info there: First off: Welcome to Roll20! If you are looking to dive on in I would recommend  against  taking the tutorial. It  is very old and out of date, and at some point it  will  break. My suggestion is to check out the  Learning Roll20  Course on Youtube, or my own video,  Starting from Scratch .  Additionally, starting your own test game to play with different features and controls is a great way of getting used to the software and layout! If you are ready to jump into some adventures, check out the  Looking For Group Tool  and  Looking for Group Forum  daily for games that may be of interest to you. Also, be sure to fill out your  User Profile ! Your "Bio" is where you have a chance to catch a GM's eye with a well-written statement about yourself The "Enjoys Playing" section is important for two reasons: Every entry you put here is a data-point for  The Orr Group Industry Report  of games being played, and it lets other people looking at your profile know a bit more about you The "Actively Seeks Group For" section is where you can add yourself to the  Player Directory  for systems you want to play We also have a  wiki  and a  Help Center  where you can find answers to a lot of your questions! However, if you can't find an answer, feel free to post in our  various sub-forums  based on their particular topics. Completely new to Role-Playing Games? Check out our  Introduction to Tabletop RPGs  wiki page. Good luck (and loot) on your adventures!

I don't have much to add to Keith's excellent advice, but I just wanted to throw in some words of encouragement. When I got an account in 2016 I got so discouraged by the complexity that I gave up and didn't come back for two years. When I did come back, I was running games after like two days. Roll20 doesn't have a learning curve so much as a learning wall. It seems daunting, but once you're over it and have learned all the mandatory stuff in a day or two, the rest is bells and whistles that you can learn as you go. (Like Dynamic Lighting...I'd recommend pretending that doesn't exist until you've mastered the basics, and just use plain old Fog of War for the time being. Infinitely simpler.) Don't get discouraged! It's worth the effort!