Questions tagged [online-roleplaying]
For questions regarding role-playing via play-by-post or play-by-chat protocols, or realtime through internet-based tools like Roll20, Skype, or OpenRPG.
119
questions
151
votes
9
answers
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Can I begin roleplaying if I'm visually impaired?
I've been reading about RPGs for a long time, and I'm extremely interested in trying it... But I'm afraid to start because I'm visually impaired and have to use a screen reader to navigate a screen. ...
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64
votes
4
answers
6k
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How to play when you have little experience and speech difficulties?
I can't talk, not a word, but I am really interested in getting into tabletop RPGs. But from my understanding of the game, this is difficult to do when you can't talk. I am learning sign language but ...
- 401
45
votes
7
answers
9k
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How do I play a quiet, lone wolf character but also engage my group?
I've recently gotten into a custom D&D-like role-playing campaign and have developed my character to be a quiet, contemplative rogue who has a backstory that mostly represents a lone wolf.
I've ...
- 543
45
votes
7
answers
11k
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Can you play pen & paper roleplaying games over the Internet?
I'm sad to say that I have absolutely no friends who would like to play D&D with me however I would love to play. I know about Neverwinter Nights and I've played quite a bit of it, but I'm looking ...
- 459
44
votes
9
answers
19k
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How can I run a successful play-by-post/play-by-e-mail game?
I've played in a couple of play-by-post games over the last couple of years, and they've all ended more-or-less unsatisfactorily. Usually posting would slowly wind down until we hit a bottleneck of ...
- 2,808
38
votes
2
answers
3k
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As a DM, what changes do I need to make to my preparation when transitioning to online play?
I, like many others, have been forced by the current situation to re-evaluate how my games are played. I current run/play in pathfinder 1e and D&D 5e campaigns that have been played entirely in ...
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34
votes
16
answers
22k
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I keep rolling terribly. How can I keep playing this character and have fun, despite my luck?
I've always wanted to play D&D before, and recently I finally found an online play-by-chat group I can play with regularly. I spent a lot of time chatting with them and building up a fun noble ...
- 358
34
votes
2
answers
5k
views
How do I find a friendly, inclusive roleplay group online?
One of my queer friends is interested in joining a campaign online, and is looking for an inclusive, friendly group of players. She asked me how she'd find such a group. I'd love to answer her, but ...
- 1,692
32
votes
6
answers
12k
views
How can I manage a party that has grown too big?
I always wanted to try playing D&D and recently got a group of friends together to play online with on Roll20. No-one in the group has any experience playing D&D or any tabletop RPG before.
...
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31
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Where did the writing-focused roleplaying forums go?
Asking on behalf of a friend. She writes:
One of my first experiences with text-based roleplaying was on an anime AU (alternate universe) forum. While they accepted people with all levels of literacy,...
- 411
29
votes
4
answers
3k
views
What do I do when some players won't show up consistently?
I am running a campaign in Roll20, and I have some players that will very often miss sessions without any warning, or just show up really late into the campaign. Because of their absences, I have had ...
- 2,272
27
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Are there any challenges during an in-person game that aren’t a factor online?
I have been asked to run a one-shot D&D game by a friend for a certain event. The game will be an in-person session, with everyone physically present, whereas I only have experience running online....
- 9,221
26
votes
7
answers
14k
views
Finding online RPG players for a play-by-chat RPG Campaign?
I'm thinking of running a Pathfinder campaign for Skype (text only) and I don't have a group of players. How can I go about recruiting people for play-by-chat games instead of in-person? Are there any ...
- 269
24
votes
7
answers
3k
views
Helping players remember NPCs with uncommon names
In my game of The Dark Eye we play in the south of Aventuria, and thus the players come across many NPCs with names that are not that common (especially compared to common german names) and my players ...
- 9,726
24
votes
7
answers
7k
views
How do you better keep track of enemy abilities and tactics during combat?
Recently, I was trying to follow my own advice and run a very difficult combat encounter that involved varied terrain, non-standard situations, and a decent number of enemies and enemy types.
I ...
- 63.6k
24
votes
4
answers
7k
views
Problematic Players help (1/3); Newbie Declaring Solo
This is part 1 of a 3 part question:
Part 2 is here
Part 3 is here
I'm a GM for 5e, running an online game. Most of the players are brand new to the game, and partially because of that, I've picked ...
- 523
24
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How can I find online playtesting groups to playtest my game?
I'm just putting the finishing touches on the 9th iteration of my self-designed RPG system (with its own setting), and though it was woefully rocky in its early days I think that it's really coming ...
- 241
22
votes
4
answers
3k
views
How to manage players who stay in the gamemaster mindset when they are players, not GMs?
The situation takes place in an online Pathfinder 2 community. Here everybody has PCs and can play on any session with a level that more or less matches the level of one of his PCs. A handful of those ...
- 21k
21
votes
5
answers
4k
views
Method for playing an online text-based RPG that doesn't require everyone to be online at once? [closed]
I am contemplating starting up a web-based text game for my D&D group to be played alongside our weekly sessions. The idea would be to play through events related to the main storyline, but not so ...
- 17.5k
21
votes
5
answers
3k
views
How to improve player engagement in video call for virtual tabletop game?
So I have been gamemastering my university group (6-7 PCs) for more than 4 years, and recently since we moved apart for job reasons we have started to use Roll20 and Skype to play together.
I ...
- 664
21
votes
7
answers
4k
views
How can I get mic-shy players invested in roleplaying over Skype?
My roleplaying group is composed of four friends who roleplay using roll20 as our board and Skype to handle our voice communications.
I have one player who is used to roleplaying only in text and ...
- 311
21
votes
2
answers
466
views
Strategies for effectively running a temporary online game
Other questions have done a good job of outlining where to find online players and some of the tools available for ongoing virtual games (Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, etc). Many of those tools have a cost ...
- 2,008
19
votes
5
answers
3k
views
How can I deal with players that get bored waiting for their turns playing online?
All of my friends (and my only and favorite role playing group) live far away from me now. One of them still lives in the city, the other three are in Nicaragua.
We've spent great moments roleplaying ...
- 7,615
19
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Dealing with a disgruntled player leaving my campaign
So I've been running a game of Shadowrun over the internet for the past few weeks online, and I've had a hectic personal schedule, so I haven't been able to do lengthy sessions. I've got a player who ...
- 12.7k
18
votes
11
answers
14k
views
How to get the players to care and RP more?
About two month ago I got interested in D&D and I decided to start playing it. I read the rules, found an adventure and got four of my friends to play with me. They always show up to play and we ...
- 181
18
votes
2
answers
416
views
Recommended protocol for effective communication using a Virtual Table Top (VTT)
I'm a player in a group that meets weekly. We use FantasyGround+Teamspeak combo and it seems to work for the most part. Or, should I say, it's better than not meeting at all. ;-)
One consistent ...
- 3,276
17
votes
18
answers
6k
views
What RPG systems work well online? [closed]
I have a number of RPG-loving friends, but they're unfortunately scattered around the world. I'd like to run a game with them online, using emails or message boards or something of that ilk. (like ...
- 742
17
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Are there any systems that are specifically designed for online real-time text play? [closed]
Lately I've been doing a lot of gaming online, via chat rooms -- with a regular group and a regular time for a session each week, just through text rather than in person or via Skype or something. ...
16
votes
7
answers
3k
views
What do you do when one of your players is being difficult?
I am running a campaign and have been for about 5 months now. All of my players are pretty new to D&D. All except one. He is honestly my worst player despite all of his experience. He is ...
- 199
16
votes
6
answers
4k
views
What do I do when I suspect players may be fudging rolls online?
I suspect my players may be fudging their rolls in an online IRC and Skype game. While I can't confirm this (for obvious reasons), I'm highly suspicious.
I logged all their rolls over the course of ...
user8248
15
votes
5
answers
7k
views
Can I keep playing a character who annoys other PCs?
Context
This question is about an online community campaign. We are around 20 players who play in a persistent universe where anyone can run a game as a GM. The system is Pathfinder 2e and players can ...
- 21k
15
votes
5
answers
4k
views
DM Sees no reason to switch online voice chat platforms
Whenever our party cannot meet in person, our DM will schedule an online session to fit our schedules.
We use a web based software, with less than stellar voice chat built in. Sometimes you cannot ...
- 5,074
15
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How can I reengage in a session when I've disengaged because of ADD?
I'm in an online, voice-only Pathfinder 2e game. I'm having a lot of fun... But when the party gets in discussions about which from among a number of options to take (do we kill the bandit leader? ...
- 2,283
14
votes
5
answers
2k
views
How to facilitate equal speaking opportunity in a voice-only online game
New GM to two players, both with limited D&D experience (we're playing 5e). We're all well versed in written roleplay, but theater and acting doesn't come overly naturally to any of us. Add in the ...
- 8,110
14
votes
5
answers
653
views
DFRPG city creation via telepresence
I'm planning a DFRPG campaign for the first time since my group began gathering via telepresence. How can we best approximate sitting around the table to collaborate, talk, and work on city creation1 ...
- 53.3k
14
votes
2
answers
504
views
As a player, is Player's Basic Rules sufficient in order to play the game with other players online?
I'm looking to get into Dungeons & Dragons 5e and playing with other players online through roll20.net and other sites, but I wonder if Player's Basic Rules will be sufficient for me in order not ...
- 299
14
votes
2
answers
381
views
Online play: How to keep the group focused?
I'm the default GM for a group of friends who have been - in some constellation or another - playing together through two major campaigns and various shorter ones over the past decades (plural). ...
- 1,435
13
votes
6
answers
2k
views
What information should I give the players for them to draw their map?
I am going to start an online Westmarches-style campaign, using a slightly patched version of Pathfinder 2.
I expect the whole adventure to happen on one big island (where the PCs arrive in session 0),...
- 21k
13
votes
6
answers
10k
views
Are there any pbp sites left? [closed]
I was once a regular user of RPOL.net. I left for several years and came back to find it a fraction of what it had been. And not a very large fraction at that. Are there any good play-by-post sites ...
12
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How do you actually crawl through a dungeon in online play?
Yes, this is quite a silly question considering I've been gamemastering for almost five years now, but one thing that drove me away from (and the same thing that made me return to) D&D 4E was ...
- 7,615
12
votes
7
answers
2k
views
What table-top games are best-suited for online play? [closed]
The type of play I'm talking about here is using Skype as well as an online dice roller.
The differences between this kind of play and standard play is that it can be very chaotic, especially for the ...
- 819
12
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Can you effectively run a RPG session using Tabletop Simulator?
Can Tabletop Simulator be used to play an RPG? I have seen videos showing that it could be possible to play games like this, but I have never seen someone play an actual game.
What are the pros and ...
- 223
12
votes
2
answers
396
views
How to help engage an ADHD player over Zoom
My wife and I have always played D&D together. It’s my first time DMing a large group of 6, her included. We have newer players who struggle to engage, and tons of new player questions.
I’ve seen ...
- 129
12
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Simplest online, interactive platform to play Dresden Files RPG on?
I am looking to start an online Dresden File campaign, and looking for a web client to play the game on. For this I need
Online chat
Keeping track of players' stats (which both Gm and players can see)...
- 7,047
11
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Can RPGs be played "offline" or "asynchronously"? [closed]
Is it possible to play RPGs without all the players meeting physically, or even playing at the same time? For example, the GM might provide a description of where the players are and then the players ...
- 8,610
11
votes
2
answers
6k
views
What software can I use to simulate a deck of cards for playing online? [closed]
I'm going to be running a game over a Google+ hangout, and the game needs a deck of cards that all of the players will draw from, keeping some of the draws hidden. I've searched around but most of the ...
- 629
11
votes
3
answers
388
views
What are some good, free, hosted services to use for a Play-By-Wiki game? [closed]
Aside from a highly specialized and purpose-built website, perhaps the best option I can think of for managing an asynchronous online RPG is "Play By Wiki". I've found there's a great number of ...
- 6,245
11
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Cutting Words timing when playing online
Lore Bard's Cutting Words feature states the following:
Also at 3rd level, you learn how to use your wit to distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and competence of others. When a ...
- 7,031
11
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How to deal with a know-it-all player in a Second Life–based freeform RPG?
I'm a first time poster on this stack but have been using it to help out with some online text-based RP.
A new player in our Second Life roleplay group is coming in fresh to the online world. He is a ...
- 121
10
votes
3
answers
576
views
How to reveal initiative dice simultaneously online?
Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to phrase this.
I'm going to run an online game of Riddle of Steel. Part of its combat mechanic is that at the beginning of a round, each player picks either a red ...
- 303