New to Roll20 or RPGs? Need Guidance? Click Here. (Read the OP First)

David M. said: Hi New to Roll20 and so far really loving it. Cant wait to get into a game. I do have a question, does Roll20 have a spectator option? I would love to watch a game in progress if a group didn't mind someone listening in on there game. If not, is there a record feature built into roll20 that can be posted later? I mean lets face it, some fantastic events can occur in these games and some peolpe would love to share them with the comunity. A lot of people post on Twitch and youtube.  If you just want to watch a game, you should ask the GM to let you.  A lot GMs don't really mind.

Hi  David M. - In order to save your games for later, you will need to use a recording software like OBS or Xsplit to local record your screen. You can learn more about this tools on our  Live Stream and Record Game Sessions wiki. We also have our  Online Role Playing:Index , which will provide more tips on getting started broadcasting to an online audience. This Index also contains our  Digital Content Provider Directory - a listing of folks who already stream or podcast regularly to an audience each week!

Hi David, There isn't a "spectator" mode, although I believe there's a suggestion for that here: ( <a href="https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/1925031/" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/1925031/</a> ) if you would like to vote and/or comment. &nbsp;You could request an invite from a GM that would let you in the game just to observe. &nbsp;I know that some GM's and player's can be(and have been) open to this. The wiki has some information on&nbsp; Live Stream and Record Game Sessions . &nbsp;Roll20 does not have a native function to record. &nbsp;Twitch streams seem very popular although I'm not familiar with the process. oops: didn't see the other responses... &nbsp;:-P &nbsp;Cheers

Hi all, I finally signed up for roll 20 and am just looking around the site to find a group for 5E. So far most groups seem to fill up faster than I can post so i'm going to keep trying and hopefully something will pan out -_-; Please hit me up though if you have a campaign that could use another player. Bio has the down and dirty for background.&nbsp; Gambatte! ja ne?

Hello Faris-San. You will have better luck if you make a post in the&nbsp; LFG forum . This&nbsp; thread is a good read about what members think is a good lfg post and the devs made a&nbsp; post about what you should put into your lfg post.

thanks for the links pat :) i'll head that way.

I am new to both roll20 and p&p RPG's and I was mainly wondering whether or not cross playing is acceptable since although I am male I tend to be better at making female characters.

Hi&nbsp; Holden S. - They way you play in Roll20 is up to you - you're welcome to play whatever style you choose, lots of people play characters from either gender, it is your fantasy world, be who you want to be. Since you are new, you might consider taking the time to go through our&nbsp; Tutorial - it will help you learn how to use our software and check out our&nbsp; Looking for Group tool to find folks to play with!

I'm new to Roll 20. I've played Pathfinder a little bit with people IRL, but can't find the time to meet up with them anymore. As such, I decided to turn to online RPGS. How exactly is the game played? I've watched a few gameplay videos but cant seem to get the gist of it. And is there a game mode where I have the option to type out things instead of using voice chat? I'm not comfortable with strangers hearing my voice.&nbsp;

For specific Pathfinder questions I recommend you visit the Pathfinder subreddit to see if the community can help you understand the rules. (We only help with Roll20 specific set up here). As for your Roll20 setup questions, I recommend you try our tutorial: <a href="https://app.roll20.net/editor/tutorial/" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/editor/tutorial/</a> - it will help your understand how to best use Roll20. Lots of groups do chat via text only here, you'll want to look in our&nbsp; Looking for Group tool - if you click this link, I have used the Advanced Search to find you text only games.&nbsp;Have fun!

I have played DnD a few times back during 3rd edition, looking to get back in it, couple of questions: 1. Do I need to have a character sheet ready to go and if so, where can I do that? 2. Are there any quick 1-2 hour games? 3. Do I need a webcam? I have a headset/microphone.

Hi Andrew, welcome to Roll20. 1. No, although you can create your own game and use that to at least start planning out potential characters you might like to play which a DM might let you port over when you join a session. 2. There are often one-shot games being run in a variety of systems, the best way to get involved is to read the opening post of this thread and ensure that your profile is filled out to the best of your ability. 3. Webcams are not necessary at all, neither are headsets/microphones really although having speech capability is often useful for online gaming. That being said there are certainly text only games operating regularly on the site too. Most of all, have fun.

Hello, i'm one of the many interested new players. I've always been interested in tabletop rpgs, but sadly haven't had the time and opportunity for them until recently. I have a couple of questions that i'll continue trying to find answers to, but may be resolved here.&nbsp; 1) Site-related: Edit: I've resolved my time-zone issue. 2) Game-related: I am very interested in playing a medieval/ancient warfare character. There are many game systems that are available (FATE, Pathfinder, DND 5e, etc). Out of respect for peoples time, I want to be as prepared as I should be before submitting applications. Would it be prudent for me to very thoroughly read the player manual of the game system of the game i'm interested in applying to, or is that excessive?&nbsp;

The Stoic said: Would it be prudent for me to very thoroughly read the player manual of the game system of the game i'm interested in applying to, or is that excessive?&nbsp; That is more up to the GM of the campaign you join to decide on the required level of familiarity to the game system for his players but understanding the basics never hurt (just don't stress about not knowing the every by page and verse). Familiarity with roll20 helps out a lot in games so I would recommend watching the various videos posted in the original post (page 1, first post) and going through the&nbsp; interactive tutoria l to help get the basic understanding of how roll20 works. Good luck with the game (if you are in one) and enjoy.

Thanks Pat, that helps.I watched the videos, but i'll go through the tutorial.

Hi names Aaron been interested for a while in starting tabletop&nbsp;rpg, I've read some basics and understand a little bit but what I'm lloking for is a group that can teach as we play mentality&nbsp;as an intro to this style of gaming nothing specific. Ive started rulebooks for some games but alas my brain turns to mush after a while its so much info and I'm more of&nbsp;interactive learner than reading. So if there is a group or someone out there will to help me with this it would be much appreciated.

Ahoy, aaron o! Welcome to Roll20 :) To get kicked off right, I'd suggest watching our introductory video series, Introduction to Tabletop RPGs series , which covers the general idea of how they are played, which game to choose and then find a group of fellow gamers. Secondly, for the Virtual TableTop itself we have a Tutorial that shows you how to use the various parts of the software.Additionally, starting your own test game to play with the controls is an excellent way of getting used to the software, and you really can't break anything I promise! Thirdly, check out the Looking For Group Tool and Looking for Group Forum daily for games that may be of interest to you. Fourth, be sure to completely 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 Enjoys Playing 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 Actively Seeks Group For is where you can add yourself to the Player Directory for systems you want to play We have a wiki that grows weekly and is very much worth exploring. Feel free to ask any questions you have about Roll20 by posting in the various sub-forums on their particular topics (Don't stress about putting topics in the right sub-forums, we mods really don't mind moving topics when needed!) Happy gaming!

Hello. I was wondering if it'd be possible to make games that aren't RPG based, like RISK on here. From what I've seen/read, it seems like Roll20 would be perfect to start a Risk game because it can (and usually does) take many hours or even days. If it IS possible, how hard would it be to do that? I'm asking because it's one of my favorite tabletop/board games. I was wanting to play it with some people while I try to get in a D&D game (which I'm a total noob at).

Hello qwerty and welcome to the community. It is rather simple to recreate a boardgame here at roll20. There are many people that have created them here. I know of Risk, Monopoly, Axis & Allies, and others that people play here. It does take some prepwork but it is all doable with the free account.&nbsp; You would need to get an image of your board, find or create your tokens, create your cards (if it uses them), and have fun after you assemble it. I know it sounds hard but it isn't. It just takes a little bit of effort. Good luck and if you have a question feel free to post it in it's own thread in the specific use forum.

Okay. Thanks for the quick reply and for welcoming me. I'll probably be asking a lot of questions since I'm new to Roll20, tabletop rpg's, and game building.

Hello everyone. I'm glad to have found this thread since there is no introduction section. I'm hoping that someone will guide me in the right direction. I'm pretty much a complete noob to DnD, but I know the absolute basics of how it works. I will be taking a look at those links, I'm just not entirely sure where to start in terms of joining a game. Do you need Google Hangouts, Skype, or something similar for communication, or is video/voice chat built in to the Roll20 software? I noticed that somebody was hosting a Pokemon Mystery Dungeon campaign when I first stumbled upon this site a while ago, so if anybody would like to start another then I would love to join one to begin with. I would start one myself, but of course I'm not experienced enough for that yet. I hope I can find some new friends here. - Loren

. said: Hello everyone. I'm glad to have found this thread since there is no introduction section. I'm hoping that someone will guide me in the right direction. Hello and welcome to the community. This is the closest you will get to an introduction thread here. I'm pretty much a complete noob to DnD, but I know the absolute basics of how it works. I will be taking a look at those links, I'm just not entirely sure where to start in terms of joining a game. Do you need Google Hangouts, Skype, or something similar for communication, or is video/voice chat built in to the Roll20 software? Voice/Video chat is built into roll20 but many people use other software like google hangouts, skype, mumble, etc... It is mostly what the GM's decides he wishes to use and what works best for his group. To join a game all you have to do is find a&nbsp; Game posting or&nbsp; listing that welcomes new players and contact the GM to let him know you are interested in his game. There are also recruiting happening on&nbsp; G+ and&nbsp; reddit along with other sites. I would highly recommend reading the&nbsp; what makes a good lfg post and post to the&nbsp; lfg: read first prior to any posting. I noticed that somebody was hosting a Pokemon Mystery Dungeon campaign when I first stumbled upon this site a while ago, so if anybody would like to start another then I would love to join one to begin with. I would start one myself, but of course I'm not experienced enough for that yet. I hope I can find some new friends here. - Loren Your best chance is just to make a Looking for Game post in the&nbsp; LFG forum or contacting the GM of the game you were interested and talk to that person.

Hi all at roll20. I am inexperienced rpg gamer (but enjoy when i get the chance). I would just like to ask that to play with other players in the online community do you need the source books of the particular game you are interested in or will the GM walk you through for example character creation. Sorry for such a noob question &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Gaz H., Welcome to Roll20!&nbsp; The answer to your question is 'It varies depending on the Gamemaster; some will be willing to walk you through without you have any books, others will prefer you to at least have the books to refer to on your end.'&nbsp;&nbsp; Some games, such as D&D 5th Edition , have free basic rules online, other systems such as Pathfinder or Lasers & Feelings have everything available online freely, which make them good places to start exploring RPGs for little financial investment.&nbsp; When exploring for groups to join, make sure you ask the Gamemaster if you need sourcebooks for the game and how willing the Gamemaster is to help with character creation. If you scroll up a little bit, you can read my Welcome to Roll20 spiel.&nbsp; I hope you enjoy your time here.

so i've read some of the manual for d&d and i did the tutorial on roll20, but i'm still not confident on myself and i dont want to ruin other people's experiences, so i'd like to ask on average, how tolerant are the players here when it comes to complete noobs?

Hi Pedro, welcome to Roll20. Most DM's are very tolerant, don't forget... they were new to all of this themselves at some point. Your best approach is to keep an eye out for games that are listed as open to new players and that mention something in the text that suggests that the DM is happy to work with new players to increase their understanding of the genre. In the meantime I highly recommend continuing your personal development, watch some youtube vids to get a feel for gameplay and pace, make a game here and mess about in it so get a feel for the user interface and dice rolling syntax etc etc. Most of all, don't be disheartened if it takes a little while to get a game, there are many players out there but only a fraction as many DM's, just make sure your profile gives the best impression of you it can and try to get involved in some oneshots as these can be auditions for larger scale games in the future :) Most of all (part 2), HAVE FUN!!

hello! I just got into Roll20 and would like to join a game. I'm new to the online community so dont be to harsh on mistakes!;). Like pedro I have dont the tutorial but im not confident im my ability to gm. I have had some expierence in home games but not anything like this. i just want to have fun! thanks!

Hello, is there any way I could do a Play-by-Post on this website or some other one?

Hello Brent and welcome to the community. Play by posts are very possible. I have ran them here but you have to understand that if you are speaking of forum play by post, you do not have rollers in the forums so you have to make all your rolls in the actual game itself. Drop me a pm if you wish to discuss this more.

Hi Folks! My gaming group is trying Roll20 for our game (previously played over Skype, to varying degrees of success) and one thing I'm finding is that all of your documentation is extremely GM-centric. For example, our GM has created basic character sheets for all of us and sent us a message saying that they're "attached to our tokens" and a brief indication of where we can find them. From the documentation I've worked out that this is based on the GM View of the game (hardly surprising) but neither my own explorations or digging into the documentation offers any help for someone who is merely a player. Is there a way that players can manage/maintain their own character sheets once the GM has set them up? --------- Edit: Ah, okay, we've worked it out: you have to pretend you're actually going to play the game right now to see things like your character sheet. Not very intuitive, and as far as I've been able to find, not well documented.

Once the GM has set the sheet to be viewed and edited/controled by the player, the player can edit what they see to their hearts content. More information can be found&nbsp; here . If you have more questions please create a new thread for them so that more eyes will see your question. Yes, you have to enter the game to see the character sheet.

Ok So this might be weird (I will get off the site as soon as possible If you say no, So Don't worry about it) Im 13 And Im really interested in playing some tabletop games but No one at school is as interested as I am, So is there a rule that doesnt allow me at my age to play or is it based on what the GM Thinks?

Arcker. said: Ok So this might be weird (I will get off the site as soon as possible If you say no, So Don't worry about it) Im 13 And Im really interested in playing some tabletop games but No one at school is as interested as I am, So is there a rule that doesnt allow me at my age to play or is it based on what the GM Thinks? Welcome to Roll20&nbsp;Arcker, you're in luck, there isn't an age limit . &nbsp;People of all ages play the games here. &nbsp;Some games may be labeled as "Mature Content(18+)" in the&nbsp; LFG (Looking for Group) area. &nbsp;Best to correspond with whomever is hosting/running the game and let that person know your age, and experience. &nbsp;Have fun. &nbsp;I would advise going thru the "Getting Started" section of the&nbsp; Roll20 wiki if you haven't already done so. &nbsp;Great information. &nbsp;If you ever have any questions, you can always ask on the forums in the appropriate section. &nbsp;Cheers

looking for a DM for my first group we have 6 players we just need a DM

Sylus, you be better served by posting to the&nbsp; LFG forum .

Sylus, For that you should post in the LFG Forum, making sure to put as much detail as possible for ptential GMs as to your preferred systems, times & timezones, and what you're looking for in a game and gamemaster. Good luck!

Arcker. As Vince said, there is no age limit, and anyone age is welcomed to play here. It is highly recommended that you do not join games that are labeled "Mature content 18+" due to various themes, language, and other aspects that might be used in the course of the game. Communication with the GM about your age and what is allowed (by your parents or household) is key to having a fun time gaming. Nothing ruins a game more than a parent or a legal guardian overhearing cursing or graphic description of something and them not liking or even allowing that in their house.

Hey everyone, I'm completely new to this sort of 'gaming' but am totally excited to figure it out! Problem is, I don't know where to start! I've seen the videos and don't know what genres (game styles?) to pick! I don't know a single thing about this sort of gaming actually! Should I prepare first? Or get to know people first? Should I start with a single session to see if I actually enjoy playing this? Or should I go for a session of games to fully get to know the system and then decide whether to stick to Roll20 and games alike or not? I'm eager to try everything but find myself wondering if I should sign up for a game and if I then will be determined enough to join it too! I'm sure that after 1 or 2 games, I'll be accustomed to how these things go and will (most likely) love to play more! but I just can't seem to find a good starting position! Any help is appreciated! Even if it's just a YouTube link explaining it all! And a big thanks in advance to all the people reading this! :)

Hello Ashdane and welcome to the community. If you have not yet, try the&nbsp; tutorial to learn how to use the features of roll20. What you want to look at to figure out your genre is what do you like to read or watch? If it is westerns then you probably like westerns, if it is sci-fi then it is probably sci-fi. It is all about your likes. I would recommend looking for casual games that indicate they welcome new players or one shots. The&nbsp; LFG forums has games listed there and there is our LFG search engine. This is a quick search for games that&nbsp; welcome new players . Good luck and if you have a question feel free to post your question in the&nbsp; specific use forum .

Thank you very much Pat! I will definitely try to find my genre through the tutorial you linked! Seems like a fun way to figuring it out! And thank you for pointing me in the right direction of the forum! I will have a look around!

Just wanted to say thank you, I've learned quite a bit from this forum.

Just a quick question. &nbsp;I haven't started using it yet but could I use Roll20 as a "play by post" style game. &nbsp;or do all players and the gm need to be logged in at the same time to play. &nbsp;Ie. could individual players login into the game, do there actions etc, and then check back to see results? &nbsp;It's exactly the UI I'm after to play with friends from home but timezones etc. restrict us to PBP or PBE type rpgs

Zach R., Roll20 can be used for asynchronous or play by post style play easily.&nbsp; Each game has its own private forum and a chat archive for at-the-table chatter.&nbsp; What you'd be missing from the traditional play by post forums experience is the ability to roll dice in the forum -- all dice must be rolled at the game table.&nbsp; If you need more help on the subject, be sure to post in the Specific Use Questions forum. Happy gaming!

hi all , i need a few people to help me try and learn how to properly use roll20 .&nbsp;

Hello sotiris m. - Our Mod GenKitty shared this info above - it should help you teach yourself:&nbsp; Welcome to Roll20 :) To get kicked off right, I'd suggest watching our introductory video series, Introduction to Tabletop RPGs series , which covers the general idea of how they are played, which game to choose and then find a group of fellow gamers. Secondly, for the Virtual TableTop itself we have a Tutorial that shows you how to use the various parts of the software.Additionally, starting your own test game to play with the controls is an excellent way of getting used to the software, and you really can't break anything I promise! Thirdly, check out the Looking For Group Tool and Looking for Group Forum daily for games that may be of interest to you. Fourth, be sure to completely 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 Enjoys Playing 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 Actively Seeks Group For is where you can add yourself to the Player Directory for systems you want to play We have a wiki that grows weekly and is very much worth exploring. Feel free to ask any questions you have about Roll20 by posting in the various sub-forums on their particular topics (Don't stress about putting topics in the right sub-forums, we mods really don't mind moving topics when needed!) Happy gaming!

Avacyn said: Hello sotiris m. - Our Mod GenKitty shared this info above - it should help you teach yourself:&nbsp; Welcome to Roll20 :) To get kicked off right, I'd suggest watching our introductory video series, Introduction to Tabletop RPGs series , which covers the general idea of how they are played, which game to choose and then find a group of fellow gamers. Secondly, for the Virtual TableTop itself we have a Tutorial that shows you how to use the various parts of the software.Additionally, starting your own test game to play with the controls is an excellent way of getting used to the software, and you really can't break anything I promise! Thirdly, check out the Looking For Group Tool and Looking for Group Forum daily for games that may be of interest to you. Fourth, be sure to completely 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 Enjoys Playing 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 Actively Seeks Group For is where you can add yourself to the Player Directory for systems you want to play We have a wiki that grows weekly and is very much worth exploring. Feel free to ask any questions you have about Roll20 by posting in the various sub-forums on their particular topics (Don't stress about putting topics in the right sub-forums, we mods really don't mind moving topics when needed!) Happy gaming! You should consider updating the top of the thread with this Avacyn. &nbsp;This is perfect advice and it seems to answer 99% of the questions here. &nbsp;;-)