Making D&D Online... ACTUALLY Good

Playing D&D Online is often seen as a worse experience than playing IRL, but why? Is DnD Online just plain worse than irl? I don't think so, and I'm here to tell you why.
Go check out Hero Forge and their MASSIVE Black Friday Sale! www.heroforge.com/
In hero forge you can create custom minis of your dear TTRPG characters! Hero forge allows you to customize everything about the mini to get the perfect replica of your character, and not only that, but it gives you tons of options for which materials you would like your mini to be made in, from premium printed plastic to colored plastic, and even digital 3D printable minis!
Get the Pointy Hat Map Bundle HERE!
drive.google.com/file/d/1dTOq...
Video Editing by the amazing Bia: / bnazf
Writing, Illustration, and Narration by me: / antodemico
Additional sketches by the amazing Fey: / feymilde

[@pointyhatstudios]

Hello web surfers 😎 ready to surf the web with your webonauts friends? Or ready to fight me about irl vs online?

[@delinquentcat3832]

I’d love to be part of an online campaign with you as a dm!!

[@Domanese]

*Rolls initiative* FIGHT ME!

[@enthurian100]

Did you remember to add the GinnyD video into the i thing?

[@2xghostx2]

dude you didn't link Ginny... :P but Great work on the Video PointyHat! :)

[@TDay-uk6dq]

i absolutely love and prefer online d&d

[@pamsp]

My main beef with online is that players get sidetracked easier if they are on their own pcs, and this is a big bum for the DM

[@AspynDotZip]

that’s real unfortunate I’ve never really seen that happen with my players as we all just have either discord or the battlemap up and don’t have other stuff running, but i think that comes down to the people you play with sadly

[@thenecrodancer4833]

Yeah, it is one of the big caveats when it comes to D&D Online

[@luciboye5585]

i’m playing a campaign and on of the pcs was playing roblox during like half of the session 😭😭

[@She1lz]

Yeah dawg like it’s super disrespectful to be playing games while in a campaign you took days to preform

[@wowanothercookie]

Funnily enough I have found that my players that get distracted, are more likely to do so in real life. Online we tend to have more technical issues, which is exhausting!

[@DevenportRick]

The cheek, the nerve, the gall, the audacity and the gumption to have hero forge as a sponsor in this video, unmatched, love to see it

[@gabrielsalesmartins]

I hate irl rpg, and I use hero forge to make portraits for the npcs, there are no contradictions there

[@ryanb5127]

See I use heroforge to put 3d models of players into my vtt. The subscription gives digital download credits for either porting into a vtt or stls I can print myself for my shelf

[@Frederic_S]

A player in my online game uses Hero Forge too 😁

[@antistraightmen]

cmon drag reference

[@drewdane40]

​@@gabrielsalesmartins How much does Hero Forge make from you on that deal?

[@Skimmer951]

Thank you for including the commuting time! I play both online and at the table and the irl games have a lot of extra work involved with me having to check bus time tables, when and how do i get home. Do I have to sleep over in the city and where? How do I do about food? etc. My online games are way more chill as I can just go to my desk when it is time and go sleep when im done.

[@althechicken9597]

Yeah, I live in the middle of my group, so they normally come to my place, but they live 15 minutes, 1 hour, and 2.5 hours away from me. It's certainly adds fun to scheduling.

[@andrewlustfield6079]

@@althechicken9597 Real life play is always superior to playing online. Online play is a good option for people who live in different cities or states, or who have other real life constraints. For example, my best friend's wife had a stroke a few years ago, and there's no way he can both host a game and manage her at the same time. That's just not an option. But in many ways the feel is more like playing WOW as opposed to D&D---a lot gets sacrificed in online play. When she was alive, Mom was a psychologist, and she had once said 75% or more of our communication is body language, 15% is in our tone of voice, and the final 5% is the words we are saying. These are also the same numbers they tell you in training if you work in a call center. That's why talking on the phone and worse, texting are piss poor ways of communicating. We might not even be aware of all we are conveying when role-playing a playing a character in person, but it adds layers of nuance that gets left on the cutting room floor when you're online. Once a month I host a live game, and we schedule well in advance so he can attend, and that's be going for going on two years. The in-game difference is palpable. Plus we also have the social aspects of passing snacks around the table, catching up with one another, etc. Our mid game meal break is usually a pot luck where we do the main course and everyone brings salads and sides and desert. On rare occasions we'll get lazy and order pizza. But that too is an essential part of the game...from my perspective it's night and day.

[@cerealman2751]

Commute is the primary reason I play online sometimes. In the game I'm running I have a party of 4. I'm the only one of he 5 of us that drives and everyone lives on opposite sides of town. So it takes me about 3 hours to pick everyone up and get back to my place to play. They help pay for gas and we enjoy playing in person a lot more, so it's worth it. Whenever I'm doing solo campaigns though I do them online. It's not worth the effort to drive across town for a solo campaign

[@cloudphoenix241]

Seeing Hat Ginni was so fun! It's awesome to see 2 of my favourite creators collaborating

[@peterbillings3276]

Absolutely! What a fun surprise 😄

[@crystalcorrigan8573]

I lost my sugar when I saw this

[@8-7-styx94]

IRL voice changers do exist but they frequently cost a good chunk of change to purchase. They usually come with a variety of voices to use as well. But even your phone can act as one if you download an app for free.

[@cornuqopia4460]

😊

[@austinjerome5447]

Really? I'm a dm but I can't find a good one both me and my players like. Any suggestions m8?

[@arthurpprado]

Having a "Twitch chat" in online sessions is something that happened naturally at most tables I've played in. Some even created multiple text channels on Discord to do things like posting quotes we've found hilarious or important, or listing actions the players took that might be considered crimes. The best part is sometimes catching the DMs by surprise by saying something so funny that they have to stop and acknowledge it

[@TheGreatCreator101]

All games I've played online have a text chat for us, but I cannot say it's the same as the side conversations I had at the table. It's not just about memes, it's also about being able to have side convos in-character. You can't have those without interrupting the DM and the solo moment they might be having with another player.

[@dziooooo]

​@@TheGreatCreator101I don't see the problem here? Nothing is stopping you from having a side-conversation in-character, no matter how you play. Online you can have an IC chat, separate from OOC talk about memes and scheduling. It doesn't have to interrupt anything. And neither does an in-person conversation at a table. You just need to be aware of where the spotlight is, pick a non-assholish moment to have your side chat, adjust your volume and pay at least a little bit of attention to what's going on in the "main" scene. I think it's actually harder to do at a table, because online you have two modes of communication that don't disrupt each other (talking and typing). They're still competing for your attention and you might miss some details if you're doing two things at once, but at least you won't loudly talk over someone else's important scene.

[@trijacz9814]

Same! Quotes, memes and art, I host a pin bot on our discord server, cuz we found out there is a limit on how many pins you can have😅

[@anikanele7958]

I often have non-players join the vc on mute and just spam memes in chat lol

[@LordOwenTheThird]

Thanks for including the section about ADHD. As much as I love the convenience of online D&D I feel so much goddamned dread before the games I play online because I know it'll be hard to pay attention to slower story stuff or remember important events and NPC's. Just to throw in another thing, one thing I always run into and fear is talking over people during the game. I used to do it a lot around the start of covid and that just sucks for playing d&d. I had to learn to wait for a gap in time or just get silly and use that hand raise function sometimes. Just throwing that out as a thing some people will also run into so people can prepare for it.

[@tiph3802]

Oh gods, the accidental "internet lagged and now we're all talking simultaneously" thing!

[@TMR2k]

I have ADHD but i can pay better attention online than irl, im not sure why that is but irl i get sidetracked a little too quick and i sometimes feel the urge to grab my phone for some short-lived entertainment. Online i dont have that issue, i think it might be because i can look at the map more up close and in detail since we have virtual maps and my DM puts a lot of detail in them maybe XD

[@darkguardian011]

Is there anything specifically wrong with the handraise function? Or just feels weird using it because we've been conditioned from a young age to get the attention of an authority figure and we don't want.... I answered my own question, but now I've typed this and I'm not gonna waste it. Send.

[@creativitywithchii203]

The timezone part is so true, I was playing D&D at 5am for almost two years (on Friday nights after a full week of work and school, too) but it was so worth it for all the fun we had, and when we cancelled for scheduling problems I wasn't even the one having issues XD

[@thenymphomancer5592]

Where were you vs where were they? My first exposure to DnD was a response for a short one shot request on Reddit and I was EST American time and the kind dm was from Singapore which I think was a 12 hour difference. So it was 9pm our time and 9am theirs so it was quite the experience and gave me the bug!

[@creativitywithchii203]

​@@thenymphomancer5592a few players and the dm were in EST American time, I think one in PST, and I was in GMT + 2! It was less the time difference being huge and more us playing when it was later in the day for everyone bc the others weren't free earlier, but I was willing to wake up early or stay up late so it worked out

[@dziooooo]

I'm on a Mothership Discord server. We played a session once which for one player was on Thursday morning, for me it was Thursday afternoon, and for another player it was actually very early on Friday.

[@morganbiddlecom]

It's so great! I currently play with people on four different continents. It's so cool to have friends all over the world I hang out with every week.

[@AspynDotZip]

my party is in three timezones now and though i do miss the time we were all in the same room, the scheduling is actually easier now that we can just pop up two minutes before the session starts without having to drive anywhere or bring food or anything

[@MattGreenland1]

I play one game (both as DM and player) online and one game as a DM IRL. Both are good games. D&D in person is much more about meeting with friends and playing with them as much to catch up and see them as to play D&D. My online D&D game is much more about just meeting to play D&D and we just play. All the conversations are about the game. I have played with these people online for 6 years and i know next to nothing about some of them. but the game is fun.

[@Landir27]

Is possible to be both the dm and a player?

[@Scalesthelizardwizard3399]

@@Landir27 Yes

[@AtelierGod]

@@Landir27it’s called having a DMPC and is the stuff horror stories are made of.

[@BlertaPupu]

As an DM and player both irl and online I don't really agree. I don't think the social aspect takes a lot away from offline DnD/RPG. Just have to have a DM that empathizes playing over meeting up. You can talk after the game or beforehand.

[@aquartertwo]

Seconding this statement. I think IRL D&D works well if it doubles as an excuse to meet up IRL, or just a part of the itinerary for meeting up at someone's place.

[@MatiasGRivera]

You are a godsend. I was 90% against online D&D because of computer illiteracy and bad experiences on my part, but the consideration for others and their commute times (and ADHD) gave me a lot to consider. Also… the fact that you’re producing this much quality content and being so generous and interactive with your community and fans about it? I easily see you carving out a place in modern gaming. You’re already a landmark individual in my eyes, and a lot of people will agree.

[@EveloGrave]

I play online because my friend and I live in different states. I would definitely prefer to be in person. Seeing each others faces makes a world of difference. "Just use cameras" It isn't the same it is like watching a youtube video or tv. But yes, online has so many benefits. It is amazing.

[@freakyfro99]

Music is something that I've added to my IRL sessions. It helps so so so much! There's a guy on Spotify that had made a bunch of playlists (Brian Davis) and they got shared on reddit years ago. I still use them all the time. I've found other things for more specific uses but his playlists have been good general ones. Gotta get into voice changers though. I really want one of my characters to have a proper effect on her voice, it's just not the same vibe when I speak. No matter how hard I try lol.

[@peterbillings3276]

Thanks for passing on the playlist tip. It’s a lot of work to compile your own playlist. Being able to share them is just *so* freakin’ convenient.

[@persiancarpet5535]

May I recommend you a musician called Travis Savoyé. He makes themes for premade DnD adventures, his greatest work is the Curse of Strahd track.

[@peterbillings3276]

@@persiancarpet5535 😱 this is amazing! Thank you!

[@SeiaiAnkoku]

​​@@persiancarpet5535 I also enjoy Travis Savoie's music, and I play his Icewind Dale Rime of the Frostmaiden soundtrack at most of my sessions. Highly recommend his work!

[@hunterpdx7061]

It's funny, I remember back in the 80s during the "Satanic panic" when things like D&D were absolutely vilified. If people had played then how they play now, folks would have declared a jihad on the gaming industry LOL.

[@kathanbrannon9464]

Online DND is about the only way I can play with how chaotic my work schedule is, and it’s one of the best times of the week. Plus all of my online friends are the ones that want to play! Thank you for this video Pointy!

[@Chaptor]

As someone who is terminally online (both for work and for my hobbies), getting to play D&D in person with my friends is always the highlight of my week. I've played D&D extensively both online and offline and I agree that playing online is great as well, it just isn't AS great. It's still D&D mind you, as long as you have a good group it's going to be a blast no matter where you play.

[@Koopaperson]

I’m a forgetful DM so GM notes that I can see on the map but the players can’t is great. Also one of the players lives across the country but I need those traps on the map!

[@the_nerd_showtv5562]

It's not something I struggle with, but I know that some dms sketch up the room the players are in and then write there all of the informatios, maybe It can help you too.

[@nateabels5151]

I play both. Like you point out, there are advantages to online. However, I primarily play for the social aspect, so I always prefer an in person game. You do have good points and even in person, there are usually laptops at our table.

[@Glaswalker1001]

Funny thing: I once had a horror session using a VTT and made a digital handout for each player of a plaque that was on the wall of the old clinic. Only that one player had one that was different in a creepy way and tied into her characters backstory. It was very effective.

[@darkguardian011]

IT HAS A NAME?!? I constantly feel what my character feels, sometimes my character will get upset at something and I, their creator, have to figure out why they're upset at whatever just happened. Bleed. It's called Bleed.

[@x5132]

I've DM'd both irl and online, and gotta say, prep time for online play is double if not triple that of irl. While offline I can describe places, people, etc. with words, hand or body motions, drawings on the table, anything at hand, and use legos, erasers or bottle caps as 'minis' on a grid that describes the battle map with a few squiggly lines of my dry eraser. When playing online I gotta find or make the map or maps that match the places the party might go (and hope they don't change plans), find tokens for the enemies of the upcoming session (and hope they don't change plans), or subject the players to stare at a blank grid with rushed MSpaint style drawings (and hope they don't get distracted). I find that the theater of the mind works a lot better when they can see me in person and not through a camera. Also online you have the limitation of having to speak one at a time which slows the rhythm of everything. When playing irl: While I'm resolving the attack of a player, the other players can be discussing their next movements and be ready when their turn comes; when an NPC is speaking with a party member the others can be theorizing on the information they've got; while the DM is info dumping a player because their successful history check, the others could be dividing the loot, etc.

[@taylorsutherland9043]

I dig it. This has motivated me to start my D&D group chat back up. Thanks for all you do. Love the energy.

[@Aleera616]

Playing online is a great option in many situations and I am glad that it's an option. But the older I get the more I realize that I care way less about immersion, mechanics or how well something works. My best D&D memories were made in real life. Sitting outside on a warm summer evening, eating good food and laughing with friends in someones garden. Or all cozy in winter, eating something we cooked together while our characters battle through snow and ice. I know this isn't true for everyone but in a time where everything is digital I crave those real experiences and 50% of my D&D experience are things that are... not D&D. As I said, playing online is not "worse" by any means, it's just a different experience. And I get why some might prefer it or might have no choice because their friends are far away or have a busy schedule. Or when a pandemic hits. But for me personally, I like to play with people in the same room even if it means that I play way less. However, I am really happy with how far technology has come and that this option exists and makes many people very happy

[@scareowl9075]

Personally I feel like sitting in a dark room and imagining everything going on is more immersive than constantly seeing your friends' actual faces and being reminded that it’s just a game.

[@sidecharacter7165]

Seeing the icons does more than seeing someone’s face. Also, no worry about getting new minis if someone dies

[@Shalakor]

I don't even own a webcam, and don't have to run the AC as low when you're alone in your underwear. Having an icon to match the character you're playing is better. Especially when you're like my group and cycle through a few campaigns on hiatus depending on which member is available for the extra time commitment of DMing.

[@TerryEllis1620]

​@@Shalakorand you don't have to have the heater on full blast if you've got a cover *looks over at my wife*

[@BlertaPupu]

But... it's not a bad thing it's just a game.

[@scareowl9075]

@@BlertaPupu Of course I'm not saying I want it and real life to be indistinguishable. It is a game but one of the main reasons I love it so much is being able to really immerse yourself in a world, a story and a character in a way that few mediums allow. Escapism you know.

[@MrB0nesMildRide]

Any plans for a Paladin Lich? Could see the Oath of Love subclass you made being a really cool potential villain

[@henryhere]

I'm pretty sure he's gonna do all of them over time, and paladins are at least half casters, unlike the barbarian which still got a lich anyway so yeah probably

[@Ghastly1]

That one is going to be hard to make original because Warcraft III already did it.

[@Rud3us]

playing the campaign of BG3 with my friends in multiplayer gave me the same feeling of playing the tabletop D&D and i loved it, it has been sooo loong since i felt this good.

[@Pikachuguy44]

I'm so glad I found your channel dude, you're great at these videos, and the free homebrew stuff you give out is amazing!

[@teabeenz6526]

Thank you so much for this video!! I started my d&d journey 2 years ago with an r/lfg post, and my online game has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I’ve had the chance to run a couple games irl since and I’ve found I still prefer online for all the reasons outlined in this video. I play audio only and it makes it so much easier to get immersed for me as a mostly theater of the mind DM. There comes a point where you hit that flow state and it’s like listening to a podcast or reading a book, and that becomes harder to do when you have your friends faces staring at you + people fidgeting or getting up to get snacks (I’m one of those ADHD DMs that prefers online). I’ve used a discord music bot to play custom Spotify playlists since day one, and being able to “score” my games like that has become so much a part of my DMing style I cannot play without it. I have playlists for different moods, different locations and characters, I’ve even been able to do things like give my villain faction a musical motif by having all of their songs feature a hurdy-gurdy. It’s to the point that when I’ve run irl games I’ll sit there with my laptop and discord running and just play it from my speakers lol. I’m separated from my usual players by 3-10 timezones, and none of us would’ve met if not for the game. Yeah it would be nice if someday we could all sit around the same table and play a session, but that doesn’t make our games any less amazing. (In fact my brother’s group that originally all lived in the same town decided to move to online because it was so much more convenient for scheduling + immersion) All the things you can do to make in-person d&d special you can find ways to replicate online. If you’re interested in starting to play d&d, online is an incredible option. Scheduling is always hard on or offline but online makes it simpler for sure (I’ve had players joining games from the backseats of cars before) and with online ttrpg simulators like Roll20 or D&DBeyond it becomes so much easier to keep track of spells and dice rolls. If you get creative you can still do props or other fun things unique to online like custom discord emojis, and if you’re as lucky as I am you can end up meeting some very dear friends.

[@nicolebee3283]

My dnd group has been online for the past few weeks and tbh I’ve been way more comfortable with it. When it’s in the game store I struggle to talk due to background noise but at home it’s a lot easier

[@Sara-sn5gd]

I love to see my two favorite DnD KZbinrs collabing and shouting each other out. Loved the skit with Pointy boring the lich beyond undeath with his lich variants (which I love! I wanna play with a blight villain so bad!)

[@danielluna9213]

Nothing will ever come close to getting together with my friends every week, drinking a couple beers, and rolling real dice

[@sidney_mel0]

What an amazing set of maps, Pointy Hat! AMAZING! Thanks a lot! Oh, and so good to see Ginni show up! You are two of my favorite RPG content creators!

[@KyleHoughton]

Honestly great points, I was just thinking about how those with ADHD, like myself, to keep on task when playing online and I really appreciate you addressed that, with Ginni Hat! Thank you for doing that! I still personally prefer irl but I'll take your points into consideration.

[@seanlynch9627]

can we all talk about the fact that pointy has comes up with the greatest segways into his sponsors out of any youtuber. he literally creates lore, uses stuff from previous videos(e.g sorcerer lich) and it feels like hes making a whole setting when hes doing this

[@GoldFox98]

One thing that i love to do in my dnd online game is linking audios to certain scenes or characters, for example there is this character that is basically the pursuer from dark souls 2 and always torments the party at the worst times, appearing with the prowler sound effect and i cannot express how satisfying it felt when they killed him and were in a room with a almost dying npc they loved and then heared that sound, priceless. You can also use it in more meta ways, like a ost that plays when they have a battle shonen moment, rising from the ashes of the fight and turning the tides of a battle, but then one time they fight this antagonist that is just trying to save his people and so, when they almost kill him, the theme plays for him, starting the second phase of the bossfight. Great video as always btw

[@AegixDrakan]

Oh yeah, playing with Audio in that way is amazing. I've done it several times in my One-Shots online. The tipping point of a boss battle queuing up a "Heroic Second Wind" battle playlist that opens with "One Against The World"? Players immediately start going balls to the wall with clever combat stuff. Spooky halloween one-shot where the players know the characters aren't likely to survive? I started it off with OSP Red's haunting cover of "Bad Moon On The Rise", which had them go from grinning to "Oh... Oh yeah we totally gonna die aren't we? :o " And I very much look forward to playing a certain audio sound (The Warper Crackle from Subnautica) when they meet their first Immortal (monstrous creatures from a "Cursed Comet") and seeing their freaked out faces moments before they realize "Oh !@#$ they're not monsters. They're killer robots. RUN" XD

[@danielsamborskyi6410]

Omg!!! This new hat cameo! Love it!! Oh, btw, I cant stop watching your videos for about 2 weeks because of how cool they are! My hat's off with utmost respect.

[@cole7274]

My take on in-person vs online: In-person is my favorite and how I have the most fun playing and running games, because my "goal" of DnD is to have a fun time hanging out with friends. Chatting with friends online is great! But nothing beats going out with your group and having everyone together :) I think our games are allowed to get sillier because of this too, (and in my experience side-chatter is much easier and less intrusive in-person than online), and for as great as voice changers are nothing beats being able to point and mime at the table of friends. Online is the best way to run combat and in-person dungeons will never be as good as online dungeon crawling. Setting up your VTT to be dark, dingy, shadowy, and giving your players a limited cone of vision so they see what their character sees and has to try and make out what the token at the edge of their vision is... it's just so fucking cool. Doing dungeon crawling as a board game where people make their moves on their turn, running combat with tactical finesse, having tokens of their character instead of a random letter on a whiteboard, and allowing for much more complex battles and battle effects is awesome, and the bookkeeping is much easier. My main point of detraction for online is just the time it takes to set up these cool moments, these things are creatively difficult and putting all of your prep into a VTT is such a chore (gotta find a good picture for all of these monsters I might be using next time, gotta set up line of sight, etc). If I could make a career out of running games for my friends, boy oh boy... Anyway, I think you gave me some great points for online though! Wireless headphones, side-chatter channels, 4th wall breaking, with this and actually interesting dungeon crawling and combat I think I wouldn't be so put-off by the next online game that comes up. Thanks for another great video!

[@Criskato1780]

So many times people who don't have ADHD try to give advice and it never works but this is stuff I actually do and it really helps! Also, the Ginni hat is so cute!!

[@trijacz9814]

OMG thank you for the maps! This video came out in the right time, I was just doing research last week on how to spice up my upcoming online game. Its hard for me sometimes to make sense of what I want to say so one big plus is that I can write it in a chat. And one more thing - private messages to DM and players. Anything you are plotting can go unnoticed. PS: the visuals for this video are👌👌👌

[@lucasruault666]

I’ve been a DM for the same online campaign for 4.5 years now, and can definitely notice the difference that all of these things being to the table for my players, ESPECIALLY when players are able to set up a space to get themselves immersed and loosened up. Streaming BGM and SFX is also so much fun!! Sure it can be a bit of work to prepare, but it’s fun to prepare! Great video, just like all your videos.

[@Cw-xu3gz]

The sound thing is literally one of the main reasons I hate playing online. Most VOIP programs suck ass for having multiple conversations at once, playing DnD in real life gives people the ability to have side conversations or side RP really easily without having to worry about drowning out the DM by just moving away from the table a little until the DM calls for them again. Sure, you could just DM to the other player you want to talk to but that's kind of cumbersome sometimes and if you have fun acting and doing the funny voices you don't get to do them over text.

[@Cw-xu3gz]

Actually literally every "pro" of playing online in this video is why I don't like it, minus the travel time stuff. I still play online because that's my only option right now, but I would drop every single online game I'm in to play in person with friends again.

[@ThePixelPear]

I wouldn't not say one is "better" than the other, they both have pros and cons. I have completely given up on online games having two straight years of nothing but bad experiences and not for lack of trying to find a good group. I agree that its easier with time, and comfort online. But finding a group is somehow the hardest part. I am now trying to get involved at my local game store and that isn't easy either, but we shall see how it turns out

[@ThePixelPear]

Just so people aren't super confused in the comments the video originally had a very different name.

[@disactivated]

These are really good tips thank you! It makes running things a little less daunting when I need to transition to doing digital. Love the idea of the ritual at the start. And having things affect the physical reality thanks!

[@gothicshark]

best ad for Heroforge ever!!! Also as a life long DM, I find IRL games to be easier to avoid burnout, because the pace of game is slower. I can have a years worth of material ready faster than a months worth on Discord. My 1st burnout came from an online game. I'm now just using premade content, because homebrew settings are less fun online for me. (also due to autism, audio processing is an issue for me. Using headphones for sound means no music. But IRL I can place a boombox in the room at a low volume and have ambient music that doesn't react to my autism. Overall I prefer IRL games, and every point for online you make is a point that IRL does better, buuuut finding players for IRL has become harder ever since the virus and well general global issues people are less willing to travel to Northridge (in Los Angeles) than to do Discord. So it's discord, DnDB, Roll20, and Heroforge. (mostly because I collect minis)

[@Lady_Amax]

I’m convinced and I’ve watched 31 seconds

[@zibbitybibbitybop]

Seeing as RPing in the same room as my friends is my favorite thing about tabletop RPGs, it's impossible for online play to ever measure up. VTTs do offer a lot of conveniences, but cameras and mics are just no substitute for live interaction.

[@joshualeejensen]

Yes totally agree

[@TaylorBissett2]

I'd love to have a short video talking about how to pick music for D&D. Whenever I've done music in my campaigns I either find it kind of distracting or I tune it out and find the tavern music is just still playing over the demon boss fight. Great video as always though! I'm running the Fey Wild one shot for the first time this weekend and this video gave me some ideas.

[@ILoveJamesFelt]

Hey, I wasn't personally asked, but I thought I'd reply with what helps me to do this. Firstly, when I'm listening to lyricless music (whether it's from an old Final Fantasy game, or anything else that sets a mood) and it triggers an emotion in me, I try to make a note of it. When I'm looking for music to throw into my game, I go to that bank and find one that I think works. Sometimes I'll hear a song and it'll help me to come up with something in my game! Always be mentally taking notes when music gives you the feels. There are also a ton of Spotify channels made precisely for dungeon masters. Some even give you hints as to what they can be used for with tags like suspense, or emotion, or battle. When I'm having trouble coming up with something I seek these out. It takes a lot of time, but often it's worth it. You can also take notes on the ones that work well (or don't) and use them for other situations. Since my game is a homebrew, I usually try to let the music inspire me for new situations. Hope this helps!

[@yipyippo]

Thank you for the maps! I love your stuff! I play both online(as dm) and in person(as a player), and your videos have helped me prepped to be in a d&d mood.

[@deepseastonecore3017]

Why doesn't a witch wear a flat hat? Because there's no point to it.

[@DataNotLost]

I'm curious as to what voice changer was Pointy Hat using because those voice changes are of exquisite qualities

[@DickyDeck-zi1uz]

I'd like to know aswell! And if anyone else has recommendations.

[@redundanttrees]

Same! I've been googling, but nothing great is coming up! At least for free.

[@DataNotLost]

@@redundanttrees Yeah, same. Can't really find any tbh, those that I've found are quite disappointing ngl.

[@mcrafterpro563]

if anyone finds it please tell me

[@DataNotLost]

@@mcrafterpro563 Sadly no luck, I've given up pretty much

[@ryancowell9382]

This video totally reinspired and reminded me how much fun online play can be, THANK YOU! Also?!?! THE CAMEO!?!?!? Screaming, crying, throwing up

[@LeeTheDM]

I run D&D games online for my job. I run 11 games a week, using discord and roll20. My 30+ customers really enjoy my stuff. So I’m glad you finally made a video about it.

[@raak1010]

I like playing online well enough. But my main issues are that 1) It's easier for the players just tune out and 2) they use the benefits of having automated die rolls as a crutch, so the games come to a halt when they have to do something that's not scripted.

[@dziooooo]

Huh, I've had the opposite experience, on both counts. About 1 - I play with some ADHD folks and it's so much easier for them to find the mindless activity that doesn't disrupt others when we're online. As in, they just open some mindless little game, instead of stacking dice that clatter loudly all over the table, or humming to themselves when we're playing in person. And it's easier for the GM to introduce cool bells and whistles that keep players more engaged - audio changes, handouts, dynamic maps etc. Plus, GM can easily give something to one player only, which lets you keep things secret and reveal them in a satisfying way (without everyone having to pretend they don't know Bob was given two scraps of paper). Or you can have the player explain something, instead of GM doing all the narration - this is much more engaging and keeps everyone in-character. And about 2 - wouldn't they be halting the game much more often if they didn't have these online tools at all? Right now your players get stuck for a bit on the non-standard situations where they have to check and calculate everything themselves. Wouldn't it be even slower if they had to do that for EVERY roll? Or do you think 3h of D&D once every 1-2 weeks is enough to vastly improve someone's arithmetic skills and they would just Git Gud? Plus, most tables I've been at still use online tools like DnDBeyond, even when we're at the table in person.

[@MarcioLiao]

I DM TTRPG since i was 11, and only after the covid pandemic i started playing online. I must say, there is some things that i miss from in person play, but online is faaaar superior experience.

[@DonsArtnGames]

OMG! I love the Pointy Di! Two too adorables! Oh and the tips are pretty good... Seriously though, my main group and I use a combination of IRL and online interfaces to play. We use a TV table with the maps done on roll20. For inventories and party shared things, we use google sheets that everyone can update as needed (as well as make a basic log) and it allows for those of us who cannot make it IRL due to work or illness, they can still join remotely. I fully appreciate PH's notes here. Thank you. The voice changer is new and one I'll definitely be adding to the immersion of my games.

[@joaopedroferreirabeirigo456]

Talking about Bleed, i didn't really heard this term before and it instantly reminded me of something. I don't know if this is negative bleed, but i think it is. For context, one time, at a very long table, my PC and another ended up in a relationship, got engaged, married, had 3 children. During one of the ending arcs of the table my PC's wife ended up dying and the ressurection spell went wrong cause some demon had taken hold on her soul. So, like a good husband my PC literally jumped to hell and started a fight to release her soul, after literally releasing her soul from her shackles (It was like a Astral Projection, she could fight in soul form) and a grueling fight her soul got shattered, and she died permanently. I managed to finish the fight on my own but when the adrenaline went away i simply crumbled, in-game and in real life. I spent like, 10-15 minutes balling my eyes out. After that i retired my PC to take care of our children while they still had one of their parents. Anyway, just wanted to share this, don't know if it was "good Bleed" or "Bad Bleed" but, i think i was a little too attached to both PC's, and their relationship.

[@Kr1s_o7]

Already disagree, but I’ll keep a open mind

[@Pyranders]

The mind flayers will appreciate that.

[@freakyfro99]

Honestly same. Everything said in the video is true but online just didn't work for my group. We need to do it in person to be able to cut the DM off when he goes on waaaaay too long either describing things or acting conversations between NPCs. Since this is the internet and I need to cover all my bases otherwise someone will come in and twist things, both of these are great things and I love them it's just that he will literally go on for 10-15 minutes setting one scene or having one conversation between two NPCs if we don't cut him off. Trust me, we let him go on once lol. On the flip side, he also finds it harder to cut *us* off when we go on too long deliberating about something and he wants us to just make a decision. It just doesn't work for us. I wish it did though. So many little things were better online. Map making is my DMs passion and we got to interact with them so much more online .

[@tony_baloney6763]

@@freakyfro99 It requires a bit from the players, but my group meets in person with laptops and we use roll20 in person, so I still get to use inkarnate, but we still get face to face roleplay

[@Yessiree3]

So you want to fight huh?

[@zibbitybibbitybop]

Agreed. I've played online before, and it's simply lacking that human touch for me, even when everyone is on camera, enough that all the upsides of online play aren't enough to balance it out.

[@ShockedTaiLung]

YOU MAKE VIDEO GAMES WHAT?!

[@xander9460]

Top notch editing on this vid x) For the lack of a better term, the visual jokes had me laughing! I'm setting up online DnD for a bunch of friends of mine =) It's been years since we've been able to play DnD and other TTRPGs. But online makes it possible!

[@ChurroPole]

I’m a strong believer in in-person dnd, but I have played some online sessions with a group across the country. These tips really helped, and I absolutely see what you mean when you say you prefer online. I think it definitely has its charm, and I appreciate the tips!

[@EHMAV]

HOW DARE MY TWO DND TIPS KZbinRS MAKE A COLLAB!! I AM UPAULED (idk how to spell) DO YOU KNOW THE STARS THAT HAD TO ALIGN? THE DESTINIES INTERTWINED? THE RELATABLITLY (again, no spelling)? THE PERSONALITY? I JUST CANT HANDLE HOW COOL THIS IS! Please do more in the future :)

[@LightsOnTrees]

See told you! I tried to tell them in court that sending a creepy letter in the post to their actual house inviting them to a vampire gala was normal, but everyone was like, "I've never met you", "Where did you get my address from?", "Where are my children?"

[@marilou1068]

So glad to hear about the breaking g the forth wall part, with my co-dm we've been building up packages to send to our players for the first time and it's a lot of work, I'm glad to hear that it does make a difference from an experienced GM

[@kenashworth7672]

I started playing DnD in the late 70's when I was in 3rd grade. I have played on and off since then - and in the last few years, I've been thinking about trying out playing online, after not playing for the last 16 years. I think this is my new favorite PH video yet. Thank you for making it. I had not heard of "bleed" by that term, but I know the phenomenon in the game. And I'm privileged to have made many gamer friends with ADHD, so I think you are missing out if not open to that.

[@thelastspartanS117]

one thing i will say about audio... a ton of my players (10 of them of the 40 i play with) have audio sensory issues and often DESPISE having audio playing... WHICH IS WHY I LOVE USING KZbin PLAYLISTS. No one has to listen if they dont want or literally cant because sensitivity reasons, but man is an awesome tool to have.

[@egomane3]

What a fantastic video! I've been playing the TTRPG "Star Trek Adventures" with four people purely via Discord for two years now and it's by far the most stable and best game I've had so far. And yet, as a game master, you have given me some really good ideas with this video to further improve our experience! Awesome! We only learned while playing that it's really useful for people with ADHD to do something on the side that they don't have to think about! The two of them KNIT! Like in your video! OMG! I would like to say that as a game master, it is quite important to me, at least most of the time, to see my fellow players. On the one hand, I want to see and interpret the reactions and facial expressions of my fellow players and sometimes it's just good to know whether the person is speechless or simply hasn't listened or is absent! :D

[@Alex-wo1bs]

I was introduced to D&D almost 3 years ago, back on 2021, while living on the other side of my country to some highschool friends, we played digitally over discord and since our little group thrived, I ran a 2 year long campaign, our group of players grew from 6 to about 15 counting newcomers we invited and I find it funny to see how every single thing on the video is something we all figured out on our own, its been a great experience in my opinion, cannot say cuz ive just tried DMing irl for my siblings a few weeks ago, but I think both cam be really enjoyeable

[@meatchuck6984]

I'm going to fight you on the Audio being easier online. Because the volume levels are trickier (especially through OBS), and if you're streaming it, it gets VERY limited to non-copyright music that you have to hope is -actually- non copyright so KZbin/Twitch don't yell at you. Also, in person, you can also use.. smells. I did scented character sheets once to REALLY immerse my players. Also, theater of the mind. You don't need scenery or miniatures at all. In fact when I was running my game on Twitch, we didn't even use a VTT for anything but easy-access character sheets.

[@Marcela84br]

you make me want to get back to dming soooo bad (well, as much as i can "get back" to something I've only done once) my biggest issue rn is prep time though... I have very low energy left after everyday stuff so I rarely know if I will even have the energy to run a session, let alone prepare for it. There are pre-written campaigns, yes, I know, but you still need to prepare for them as well. Anyways, love your channel and your ideas! I can't wait for the day I finally manage to get over this issue and use your materials for a game!

[@Kyeto13X]

I have used the changing map thing a few times in season ending boss fights. Once, I had a train that was barreling through time, and I swapped out the background map and changes the environment as the train and the players stayed in the same spot. The next one I had this star system oscillate between past, present, and future, with different environmental effects and obstacles in each time period. The future had the star replaced with a black hole! I also require to have music and sound effects to stay engaged with a game. I can also run longer games as I am able to get up and move around and go to the bathroom while the players discuss their next move.

[@Lithlius]

I got SO excited over that tiny Collab with Ginny D! Also I just started DMing for the first time ever 2 sessions ago. I gathered some Childhood friends online that are now all across the US and we are loving it. I’d say without even knowing we are doing half of these already . Even the ADHD part. One of my players assembles Legos while playing . It’s been real fun so far . Plus it’s great to be able to connect with friends from afar more regularly.

[@theslenderbacon7261]

As a DM, music is the one thing I allocate to my players 😂. We all play in person, but our table takes turns being the notetaker/ DJ.

[@Seraphzero0]

Thanks for doing this video! Fantastic work as always! Not sure if you are in to VR but you should try DND Full Dive. I think it would make an incredible video series for a content creator!

[@cardinal8200]

As someone who has been doing online dnd for the past 4 years I do nearly all the same things, roll20 has our side convos, we have a discord bot to add music, cams on, one of the players draws our characters while we place cause of adhd, only thing that’s really different is the ritual of doing something like lighting a candle which I might bring up. I am very excited to use your maps!!

[@noahblack914]

Lots of things here I hadn't considered for playing online. I definitely need to do it more. Still can't replace one (for me) pretty important part of IRL though: the literally being together IRL. I'm always going to prefer hanging out with my friends in person rather than over a video call.

[@manmadethings6986]

I've been playing DnD with my friends online for a while now. Some personal favorite parts: -Twitch Chat: We mess around in the chat all the time, making references and destroying the lore by replacing parts of the world with similar objects, most recently a veiled hat became a sombrero with the little red dangly bits -Camera: getting in character is super important, and personally I like opening up OBS and creating a little background for the character. Barbarian gets a big greatsword, wizard gets a cat, hat and staff, etc. -Maps: we use google slides as our maps and that allows us to import images, so we mess with the terrain all the time. Not in ways that would destroy the map, just little things, like making a crucible of molten metal into a bowl of stew and renaming enemies and stuff along those lines

[@RONdomTheology]

I literally had my first online session yesterday and then this is recommended! This great!

[@l33tninja1]

Online has it's place when you can't meet irl but irl will always be better and more fun when possible.

[@jasonreed7522]

Online's biggest advantages are probably the removal of travel letting scattered friend groups play, and the ease of scene/map changes by either moving the players between maps in roll 20, or clicking send to back to cycle maps. In person has the advantage of greatly improved communication from body language and making weird/quite noises that discord noise gates/filters remove. I think that fundamentally many people play D&D primarily to hang out with their friends, and its always nicer to hang out in person than online.

[@ferramos7135]

Gran video y buenisima la colaboración con Ginni DI (la sigo tambien desde hace tiempo y me encantan sus videos!) La próxima con XP To Level 3 o con la gente de One Shot Questers jajajajaj 🥰. Un abrazoo y que sigas dandole durooo🦾

[@artistpoet5253]

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!! GINNY DI SUPERIOR FORM!!! And thanks for this video. I'm not too comfortable with online, live interaction. It took me months to get up the courage to enter PS4 chat to play Destiny raids and nightfalls but once I did, it was great. My big hold back would be camera. I would not want me or my environment on display however, it wouldn't take much to have the camera pointed at my character sheet, miniature or just some cool artwork.

[@Xecroy]

My biggest hesitation to trying things like Roll20 is WHO you find. I remember my old MMO days trying to find Dungeon/Raid groups and sometimes getting stuck with horrendous/toxic people. Now I'll grant you MMOs and D&D are vastly different. But I also watch D&D Horror Stories at Crispy's Tavern and sometimes the online interactions sound scarier because the weirdos out there think they can get away with it. I don't want to be stuck on the DM's forever airship or get stuck with the tight knit group that try to force me into a certain character/class/race because it's what THEY want. I probably will try online at some point but the hesitation is still strong.

[@TaggedByTim]

Just try it. If you don't like it you can just leave and find a new group, or if you're the dm kick the problem player(s) and find someone to replace them.

[@PSIworld13]

If you already got friends online, any risk of inviting strangers should just evaporate. You can probably just invite your other online friends and maybe some IRL friends and have a go at roll20 with people you know! And heck, these KZbinrs also do PLENTY of IRL-DnD horror stories 😅

[@xander9460]

It takes a little effort to learn, but my god, Foundry VTT? AMAZING! You can keep it simple or make incredibly awesome stuff!

[@torunsmok5890]

Finally content discussing how online is better! I exclusively play online bc it enables scheduling so much better and things like easy tokens and battle maps, digital character sheets that expand to fit whatever you need so you don't need to manage infinite pages of paper, etc

[@VanHold]

As someone who is forever DMing online, i am once again greatful for your Video and especially the map pack!

[@trollsmyth]

Great video! Especially love the breaking-the-fourth-wall stuff. You tend to play with artists; I tend to play with writers. It's extremely immersive for us to play via text instead of audio chat. Instead of conversing with Mike in Texas and Amy in Kentucky, it feels more like you're having a conversation with the elven sorceress Starmantle and the holy knight Belezaurius. If your highest good is immersion, I haven't found anything better than playing via text. Bleed bonanza, baby! On the other hand, it can be slooooooow. Typing it all out takes about three times longer to do anything, even if you're using voice-to-text software (which is a great help for anyone who hasn't ruined their posture and wrists by typing at a keyboard for a living). This is because instead of just listening to what is said, you actually have to read it, and reading is slower than hearing. On the other-other hand, we have a literal written record of everything that was said "at the table," what the treasure was in last week's hoard, or the name of that NPC they talked to behind their favorite tavern four years ago. You can massage it up into short stories or songs about the PCs' heroic exploits, or just go back and re-read last week's log to get into the mood. And finally, if you've got performance anxiety when it comes to RPing, nothing banishes it more than typing instead of talking. Most folks can get self-conscious trying to talk like the elven sorceress Starmantle (especially if that someone is Mike in Texas), but everyone who graduated from Secondary Education has at least some experience writing characters or reading fiction. So it just feels more natural and "safer" to do things that way. As for combating ADHD at the table, I've found the best way to do that is to DM. My brain is never starved for things to do when I'm DMIng. ;p

[@davidjennings2179]

In person I find there is a much deeper personal connection between players. Its a social game where we might discuss the game during the week but also chat about other things and are aware of what is going on in your players' lives. You can also see people around you without having to switch between tabs or screens. If someone is uncomfortable with something or going to be uncomfortable with it I find that much easier in person than online where quite often players will play without cameras on (which I understand). Maps and things are cool but they add a lot more prep time. In person I'll draw maps out on generic dry erase backgrounds. I can add things in if players ask and they dont have to be existed before and dont have to be already on the map if they're not yet noticed by the PCs. Don't get me wrong, playing online is still fun and in super hot evenings in the summer I was glad to be able to sit in my pants (camera off) and play (not something we do in person) but in person will always be more social and collaborative for me than online ever could be.

[@joshualeejensen]

Agreed

[@christopherallison7239]

For audio, I've never scared my players more than just looping the KZbin video of the radio static from storms on Saturn. 11/10 held up my bad writing

[@noahblack914]

14:26 With so many videos about running D&D and homebrewing and how the game works, I'm surprised you don't talk about it more. I kinda wish you would, because I personally love it.

[@NiDeCo]

The biggest gripe I have with online DnD-ing is the delay in communication. Even half a second delay can make you talk over each other or get you into one of those situations where two people sort of want to talk, but keep stopping to talk because the other started to talk, but then that sort of just short-circuits the entire interaction. I hate it so much. Discord is pretty bad in that sense, since it'll often be a second or more even. There's Solocontutti which is optimized to minimize latency and in most situations will actually feel like you're in the same room with direct communication. No annoying delays in when people start talking. But it's not as feature rich as Discord. All in all, online is second-best for me, because EVERYONE needs good quality microphones AND fast internet AND using a program that doesn't add a second or more of delay to everyone's audio-stream to have a smooth conversation that isn't tiring and/or annoying.

[@ClockwerkMan]

YOU ABSOLUTE KING. I've been running campaigns on Foundry for the past 3 years, and I have a *hunger* for fresh maps :D Also, shout out for Tom Cartos! Absolute legend for VTT maps ^_^

[@xGranmargx]

I may have missed it in the video, but I like the ability to have secret convos with the DM that are part of the session. Especially if you're a rogue, you can tell the DM, "can I try slipping into the shadows as the BG monologs?" Then, you can surprise the BG AND the other players when you steal the enemy's weapon, unseen. From the DM's side, my DM private massaged a player a vision she saw when she touched a magical item, and the player herself got to describe the vision without the DM prompting her verbally out loud. Being able to private message can make for very organic situations and role play.

[@dontmakehaikus7540]

Hey, great video. I feel this is a great guide to "how to make dnd more immersive" and has less to do with online play. The playlist sharing, music, ritual, atmosphere (lighting and candles n such), real life mail, switching maps (equally easy irl if you have a monitor table) can all be done in real life. I felt one of the only points exclusive to online was the fourth wall break.

[@brennanalleyne8895]

Funny example of pre game ritual from my home game that has been running healthily online for 4 years; one of our players through Covid was always joining the call last and forgetting to open roll20. Another player ended up saying “well well well” every time someone joined the call after them. They committed to this bit for the whole year and when they finally were the last to the call they said it as they joined the call. We now have a recording of them saying it on a soundboard because when they can’t come to a session it feels weird and uncomfortable not hearing it before we play 😂 Dnd online honestly got most of us through quarantine as it was the most interaction some of us got and it lets us play with the people we want to rather than just playing with whoever lives nearby.

[@brennanalleyne8895]

Also safety tools are important. Have had some crazy intense moments of bleed that I love looking back on even when they were negative emotions. My DM was aware they couldn’t see my full body language so either messaged or straight up stopped the game to ask if everyone was ok to keep going.

[@DefinitivNichtSascha]

I've only played DnD online (I play with friends from Switzerland, Germany and Austria), so I wasn't aware how much commuting would affect sessions. After realising it's of course obvious how much time playing online saves in this regard. Simply the luxury of having your sheets organised and your rolls calculated for you automatically is also amazing. The ritual thing we kind of also do in the form of a session recap at the beginning. And the Twitch-Chat thing also gets used not just to joke around but also to actually have in-character conversations while something else is going on. I've been using evolving maps to some extent (for example a machine room with giant cogs that spun around as a lair action) but I feel like I really need to get myself a voice changer as well. Sounds fun.

[@emmanuelrambodossantos2914]

One of my friends sent me this video saying I was going to enjoy it, and I kinda feel like watching every and each one of your other videos right now, because I actually loved this one. "Thank you so much" is like the least I think I could say right now lol you sorta put into words lots of things I've been thinking about for some time now and that I just couldn't align or something, so yeah, thanks. Btw, I really loved that you took the time to talk about ADHD players, because I got like tons of those and I feel like I could "help" them have more fun now 😊

[@nishidohellhillsruler6731]

I did try to play D&D on Gaia twice. The first time it simply did not go well because the guild I joined was full of less than socially functional people. And the second time I couldn't really do much to get to play because I suddenly got banned from Gaia about two minutes after I said on the chatterboard that the "Q-Anon Chaman" was not going to do well in prison. So my online D&D experiences have not been excellent...

[@tyto5146]

I straight learned how to rig vtubers just so I can have my little characters hanging out. took like 3-4 weeks to learn but its so fun to *be* your little guys

[@tobyd.8064]

Always great content, so keep it up! Thank you for your service and hard work for us!

[@pgorman3874]

As an in person DM who was forced online due to the pandemic and then players moving far away, I understand all of your points and I hear them, but getting around a table and having that time with the people you’ve chosen to tell the story with is something you simply can’t get online. I can never high five another player after a nat 20. I can’t hug a player. I can’t share my snacks. We can’t drink and sing together, not without discord cutting out. Roll20 video never works, and all decent platforms and tools cost money. The equivalent in person tools cost more, but the best part about in person is you don’t need ANY tools. I think this is a great video that highlights some of the best parts of playing online. I just still prefer in person.

[@Sir_Furry_Quokkalot]

The line: "and also those people have not paid me to sponsor this video and I'm too mercenary" made me laugh IRL. You sir have won a single like and a sub from yours truly. Maybe it's a consolation prize, but nonetheless for making me laugh you have won over the judges and found to be deserving. Cheers.