But what about Roll20? Here's a video with a bit of comparison and explanation of why I like Owlbear Rodeo MORE. ua-cam.com/video/Scp-bFy4AqE/v-deo.html
Thanks for the great video Nate :) One thing I'd like to clear up as I see a few people commenting here is that data in Owlbear Rodeo is stored in local database with the persistant storage option enabed so data is only deleted if manually selected by the user. No need to worry about losing your data if you clear your cache.
Do you have an export function?? I plan on one machine and DM on a different one. So excited to use this but worried about having to set up right before the game if I can't export?
@@aneremmers Yes you can now export your data by heading to the settings screen and clicking the import/exoprt button. At the moment we don't check if you've already imported a map/token so you may end up with duplicates working like this but we plan to address this in the next update.
First time playing as a DM in D&D (after playing 1 and a half games a player). This thing is awesome. It's so simple and intuitive. I tried playing (as a player) in discord(using avrae) and Roll20, nothing against those, I'm sure lots if not most D&D players use them online, but as a D&D noob, I felt overwhelmed, I couldn't enjoy the game. But this... this is simply amazing AND IT'S FREE! Damn, you guys are awesome! Keep it up!
One thing I forgot to show - THE DICE ROLLER. It does have that and it works well. Actually looks like real dice being rolled in a tray! Also, thanks for the suggestions about this vs. Roll20. I don't have much experience with Roll20, but a comparison video could be cool, so that might happen.
You should try MapTool by RPTools. It has movement and vision blocking that can clear fog based on the token's line of sight and vision type and it will show the measurement of movement for the token as you move the token as well as a measurement tool. You can import any map that you want to use and make custom tokens with TokenTool (also by RPTools) that can be customized in MapTool with visibility, health bars, displayed stats, and more. It also works as an local as well as online VTT where in online you can have tokens owned by their respective users so that they can't move tokens that aren't theirs and you can customize what stats on non-owned tokens are visible. It also has an initiative tracker, dice roller, and is scriptable so you can add new functionality to it. It's also free.
This tool looks like exactly what I'm looking for. I don't need the fluff and graphics that take hours to set up, load, and cost a bunch of extra money. I'm not trying to build a whole computer game, I just want to play D&D!
I have used it for three weeks after learning about it from Sly Flourish’s channel. I use it with a top down projection system between two computers. One computer for the dm with a total view and one computer to run the projector with only the revealed fog of war map. It is VERY user friendly and a big improvement over using GIMP.
My favorite part is actually the audio sharing that you didn't show much of. I can just stream Spotify or any other audio apps to all my players with ease, and I have a lot of dnd themed playlists there so it makes for an easier music time then I have with roll20 or any other site using music. Wish other sites did this.
@@V1ctoria00 yeah, its working beautifully. But call me stupid but if theres a save map progress button i cant find it. So every session i have to remake and place the player tokens in their exact last position and redraw the fog of war then uncover it tbe way it last was xD
THANK YOU!!! I just checked it out and am really excited! I started a dungeons and Dragons club and it’s kinda overwhelming, especially teaching new Dms. Roll20 is very clunky to me, so I can’t even tell you how helpful this is!
Man, this video was randomly recommended to me as I was discussing options to use grid or tools to improve map exploration with my friends; you really just saved me and my group from hours of trying to learn and implement others tools like roll20 and such. They’re amazing tools, but just too much headache from trying to use it, especially if you can only use a mobile like me. Thanks a lot
OMG thank you! I've been messing with it the moment you mentioned it and this is such an improvement. I've also bounced around between online document programs (OneNote, Google Docs, Etc) because I don't need anything complex. This exactly serves my needs.
I'm about to host my very first DM session, and I wasn't too thrilled with having to learn Roll20 and all its intricacies. Owlbear Rodeo definitely looks more my speed. My first couple of sessions probably will be full theatre of mind, but I'm definitely gonna try Owlbear Rodeo down the line. Sidenote: I like how Owlbear Rodeo abbreviates to OR (as in Online Roleplaying....) :D
This isn't any simpler than Roll20. Roll20 actually works exactly like this and is consistent across all computers so no risk of losing your data if you switch browsers.
@@MeemBeen from the way it handles and from a User Experience point of view, I will say that Owlbear wins. It does what Roll20 does, but in a simpler way and way less clunky than Roll20. If you're used to Roll20, then use it, but for most people its important to remember how a user reacts to a product/application. If one gets frustrated or can't figure out what to do with your app, then you've done a terrible job at user experience. Now Roll20 does have a few things more than Owlbear Rodeo, but I think OR has most of what people really need. I personally use neither and use Tabletop Simulator, but eh that's my piece on User Experience. If you're curious, I highly recommend looking up stuff about UX/UI its really interesting. I feel like some of those theories can also be applied when making a DnD game or something
@@nyx0103 yea I guess that's the thing; for me. im not seeing the clunkiness. And part of my original point is that a lot of the way things are laid out in owlbear are laid out the exact same way in Roll20. So Roll20 is simultaneously clunky but laid out roughly the same way OB is. Like maybe you're making the argument that the layout is more visually appealing? But as far as where the buttons are and their functions, they're basically the same....but Roll20 will save your map and data.
@@MeemBeen I signed up for Roll20 in 2016 and never got around to using it. I have a spare 70" monitor that I want to use as a live map as some of my players are moving interstate. Owlbear allows my local users to move their own tokens etc from phone or tablet on any part of the map they are on. And roll their own die with the score shown on every screen. The interstate players can do exactly the same from their home PC and use discord as a live chat. My players are known for getting into trouble by checking rooms on their own looking for treasure, then getting instantly into trouble with a Treeant or a wight. As DM I can see everyone on the map at anytime. Each player can see their own map and move their own token from phone or tablet. The big screen is an overall battle map for planning strategy but I control the zoom level and fog of war. This program is 90% of what I want in a VTT. The only thing I would have written in to the code is a language translator. This way any character that understands the dialect can read it on their personal device and any who can't will have to rely on the others to communicate. Just to more realistically incorporate language into the adventures. I can do this with paper notes locally but will have to manage another app for long distance players.
YES! I was psyched to see you choose Owlbear. I'm new to being a DM so I've been desperate for a tool. You've also been the best D&D youtuber for my ongoing education and I often defer to your guides. Your endorsement makes me confident that the hours I spent last weekend to prepare for the next session was a wise time invetment. This is by far the simplest and most versatile to use. I love that you can import your own graphics, handy if you like to make or refine your own artwork. The FOW tool is fantastic. I was using Photoshop, but yeah you really need a DM side and PC side to the tool. I wish the UX were a little less clumbsy, but it's a small toolbox and I can live with some of the akwardness. Keep making videos!
Great sugestion, Nate! As someone who felt Roll20 was more akin to learning an entirely new language, this is the perfect solution. The fact that it’s completely free is even better! This could also be great for solo RPG play.
Looks like a really nice tool! Few notes about the tool: 1. If it isn't already possible, let players import their own tokens to add to the map, as that can be really helpful (Mainly for when you have to port your in person game to online). 2. Let the maps (with the setups) be downloaded/uploaded IF THE DM WANTS! 3. You mentioned the measure & move option which I agree with. 4. Potentially toying a little with the way 'hidden' items are showed to the DM, as they seem to be a bit difficult to look at. Another really good tool I HIGHLY recommend: Legendkeeper Legendkeeper lets you basically write out a wiki for your world with maps, links and much more AND you can share said wiki with the players and control what they can and can't see! It helps a lot with parties that aren't great at keeping records.
Thanks so much for introducing me to this! Much like you, this is EXACTLY what I needed! No premium, simple to use, mobile AND computer friendly, and a way to support them! Definitely going to use this for my next campaign!
Just an update from my last comment and our first game using this program. It way better than expected. So easy to use and all my players felt more engaged to. Moving thier own character, able to keep track of the environment. They can even put thier own notes down to. Thanks again for showing the community this program!
I'm doing solo campaign with my gf(she never ever played) and this is exactly what I need. Itwill be great help for her to visualize the world and her movements. Thank you for sharing this!
Thanks for the in-depth perspective. My group uses gTove by IlluminantGames and it is similar in ease but allows 3D vs top down and shows token movement in distance, and more! One thing I appreciate, is the use of Google Drive, for storage and flexibility as to where you use it.
Thanks so much for showing this. I have been looking for something to run a 1 on 1 game and do not want to pay for foundry or roll 20. I was using stuff in GIMP, but this is so much more fluent and the fog is fantastic. Thank you so much again!
@@williamhoover6902 I am currently coverting all my gimp stuff to this and see how it runs. So much easier than screen sharing through discord and being in charge of everything.
I've used it a few times. It's really good, considering that it's new and in beta. We've had some minor glitches with people disconnecting or losing their ability to move their token. Also, at the start of every game, so players have no control over their token from last session, and it's no longer on their list of tokens. No big deal, as it's quick to reload them. Overall, using this is a LOT more like sitting at the table with friends. Fantasy Grounds controls everything, usually to the extent that it gets in the way. We'll spend more timing managing Fantasy Grounds during a game than we do looking up stuff on our sheets when playing at a table or using Owlbear Rodeo. From my experience, roll20 sits in the middle ground. It doesn't micromanage you like FG does, but offers more management of things than Owlbear or pen and paper. For those who haven't use it, I suggest giving Owlbear a try. It's frees, simple, and quick. The learning curve is really flat, so even a new DM can start putting in maps and managing fog of war (if they want) within minutes.
Also with owlbear I noticed you can click on a token which will highlight it and you can then press backspace which will delete it as well. Hope this helps!!
Not sure if you knew of this, but something you missed in the video is that up in the top left corner, next to the "Party" name is a little box. You can click on it to open a dice tray, and be able to create some 3D dice that you can toss around. They have physics to them, so you still get that satisfaction of throwing a die and watching to see what number it lands on. You can even customize it to have different style dice, and even have it where other players can see you roll, or have it where only you can see. Awesome video though, and really glad to have found this!
My group has been using it since we’ve been playing virtually during the pandemic, and it’s a very nice lightweight, easy to grasp tool, and completely free! Before it, we used shmeppy, which is handy for building really simple maps, though OwlBearRodeo I think is preferable if you have your own maps already
I just started a game where we play in person with the map shown via projector and screen, and this is PERFECT. No other site or tool makes it so quick and easy to control the map and what the players can see. This is a godsend
Great video. My group LOVES owlbear because of what it does NOT do. We don't need a rules set, or character stats or anything like that (we have that in other tools etc) especially when we run games with heavy house rules. It is simple and fast - which is why we love it. For initiative - we just use the note. For hit points we put them in the text of the token example " Evan 45/60" - means that token is Evvandur the Great, and he is at 45 of 60 hits. aslo, EXACTLY as the video points out - don't want another roll20 (if we wanted roll20, we would be using roll20) -keep it simple.
Wow, I had no clue this was out there, was trying to justify the learning curve for more intense tools but this does what I need and I was using it in just a few minutes (impressive for an old #$%^ like me) As you recorded this 8 months ago I see they've made a ton of improvements, file exporting and dice in their own trays? Bonus!
I've been making an Android app as a hobby for my in-person games that was a sort of Paint tool with extra D&D features like tokens and distance measuring. The idea was to eventually get it to cast the map to my TV so I can draw on my tablet and have everyone else see it on the big screen. I might as well drop that project now because by using a blank map with drawing blending disabled in Owlbear Rodeo I get pretty much the same thing, and if I use Chrome I can cast a player view on the TV while controlling the DM view on my tablet. Such a great find!
Thanks for this video. As a DM after Astral was closed I didn't know what to do but thanks to your video now we can play without any payment and stuff.
I run an in-person game and through this tool think I've now found a great way to track dungeon progress without having to draw everything out on a grid. Love it!
Cool! Will definitely check it out. I'm into technology but just find the amount of setup in Roll20 or FantasyGrounds too much around my work and personal life so keen to see how Owlbear Rodeo performs. Thanks!
This looks incredible! I've always been strongly opposed to online games, but that is mainly because I didnt feel like it translated well. This is hands down the best tool I have seen so far. Great video.
if it had character sheet integration, I'd switch my campaign from Roll20 right now. My players are lazy, though, and they love just clicking buttons on their character sheets and not tracking anything
I do appreciate the simplicity. A key component for us a year ago, though, was virtual dice. We ended up using Fantasy Grounds because it had the fogging feature, and ease of map importing, and simple grid matching and overlay, along with the virtual dice rolling. That's really all the features we use. The only aspect of Fantasy Grounds that's a bit annoying is the map panning and resize UI.
This has ALL the features that I need. I've been surviving this far by smashing all kinds of shitty software together which makes it really complicated and wierd to run a single encounter. This program is an absolute lifesaver. I'm gonna have good news for my players this session.
Nat, a good friend introduced me to Owlbear a few weeks back and I also was blown away at the features and simplicity. I agree with you 100% here. I'm not sure you're aware but it also has a built-in dice roller in the program. Rolls can be hidden or seen by the entire group based on another setting.
I know I'm late here but I'm a new dm and this looks like the exact resource I was looking for and couldn't find anywhere thanks so much for making this video it's such a good overview of this resource and I'm glad this is now something I can use to make my long distance online games better!
I've been using Owlbear Rodeo for a few months now, and it's been wonderful! I also really wanted something light and easy to use, but so much just felt...bloated before I found Owlbear
I love it, a lot of the VTT with more automated features seem to come with a pretty steep learning curve (or price !), while you can almost use Owlbear Rodeo immediately. Awesome !
Since hiding notes with the eyeball tool makes them harder to read for the DM, might it be more useful to have notes in the borders of the map that are covered with fog that you have not (and will not) show to the players?
This looks great, and also appears to be system agnostic, which is great for me as I run games that use my own system, and I can't easily use roll 20 or others. And this looks like it would work better than photoshop that I'm currently using.
I have subscribed to your channel thanks to this video. I was searching for something easy to use when playing online with my group (we use Skype and are kind of old school) and Owlbear Rodeo really hit the sweet spot. We've tried it yesterday and both me and my players really enjoyed it. Now I'm taking a look at your other video, the one where you explain where to find maps. Thanks a lot ^^.
I Like the simplicity of this tool, but it seems like it does not do anything that roll20 doesn't do. And roll20 has a lot of extra features that often come in handy. Will try it though, as simplicity and ease is also nice.
Yeah, I was wondering if you might do a bit on this, Nate. I kinda love how totally simple this tool is. I grabbed a key for Foundry, which seems to be able to do everything, but for whatever reason I get burned out just trying to learn how to get stuff setup. I just want to post a drawing, some characters, and be good to go. Owlbear seems like it excels there.
Well it seems pretty good BUT rol20 let me do the same and i can roll dice, track HP, put auras, and have múltiple games prepared un my account. But i think its fine, i like this owlbear too~
One word, simplicity. Everything is just so easy to do. Getting the best out of Roll20 takes a lot of time learning and managing. With this, you can throw out a one-shot in few minutes. And dynamic lighting is not free.
I used Roll20 for an short Adventure. The amount of prep for using it is way over the top. And I had a lot conversations where the main reason for players not wanting to use these tools is the complexity. I think this application is just the right thing for a quick and simple evening of fun.
Free and simple! I've been put off roll20 after playing a few sessions (as a PC) because it's so complex and I think it loses some of the simplicity of a ttrpg. Too much gets automated for my liking. This looks like a simple digital version of having a hand drawn map and minis.
It is simpler for the dm, but harder for the players. In FoundryVTT my players do not need to know their modifiers on their rolls, can place templates with their spells etc. And lighting is free in FoundryVTT and way better :p
Sorry for self promoting but I’m really trying to get more people aware of my content. I try really hard on these videos and I want people to appreciate them.
I can't wait to try this, this is exactly what I've been working for. I've been trying to start up a DND campaign for my friends but we've never been able to start correctly due to these exact problems. Sure I've found some that were somewhat easy to make maps, but they had stuff that I couldn't use and needed me to buy some premium or "pro" for. Thank you.
Thank you for the Video. This comment is probably a little late but I was just getting to this issue, with covid and the cold of winter coming along. Plus my group just got separated between multiple countries. I messed around with some vtts, going as far as paying for some just to test them out, but this is by far the best option. Especially given that we use our own homebrew system, having all this automation in the way is just annoying at this point. I tried owlbear thanks to this video and I really can't thank you enough.
Wow, thanks. I wasn't aware this excisted but really don't want my players to have to sign up for lots of stuff. this is great, and it's always nice with a little intro on how to use it :) I'll be trying out Owlbear rodeo next session
We've been using Owlbear Rodeo for our campaign for a few months. It has just enough features to make it useful without getting in the way. It also looks great. I've found the maps exported from Dungeon Scrawl work perfectly in Owlbear Rodeo.
I heard about this tool on the heroes rise d&d podcast. I have been using it almost weekly for our DoIP after we went online mode. We have used it for a 3-4 months for 14+ sessions. I have only had a few issues. I like it quite a bit. They recently changed the fog tool, that confused me quite a bit last session.
This was SO helpful. Thank you so much. Appreciate you showing how the fog of war feature works toward the players. Too many inku show the DMs side, making it look useless to me. Obviously I haven't tried any VTTs yet.
UA-cam is scary sometimes. I'm next session gonna first use a TV screen as table and needed a software solution. Just out of nothing, this video comes into my timeline. 😁 Well thank you Nate and thank you OwlbearRodeo!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I started with roll20 but I'm running a module I own the hardback of so it's kinda hard to use. I watched your video and nearly immediately got on the site to check it out. It's easy to use and learn, they have a dice roller feature in the top left corner with some good lookin dice, started on my first map on there and I'm so happy I learned about it.
I discovered this a few months back after becoming frustrated with Roll20 and other interfaces. Its what I've always wanted from a VTT. Its made my ability to run our newbie game so much better. I've even signed up for their patreon because I feel like I needed to contribute. If they did come up with a subscription, I'd pay it.
This was a really nice video on this program. You did a great job explaining the features and showing how to do them. I use FGU but there are some features here not in FGU which are very nice. Particularly LOS player vision instead of using two instances to see it instantaneously and the pointer tool is a nice touch. Thanks for the review.
roll 20 literally has the fog of war built in and even has a dynamic lighting option, if you prefer that (where the players can only see what their characters can see)
But what about Roll20? Here's a video with a bit of comparison and explanation of why I like Owlbear Rodeo MORE. ua-cam.com/video/Scp-bFy4AqE/v-deo.html
Nice of you to come back to this and continue your point! Thanks!
Oh uh no sarcasm fyi. I meant that litteraly thanks man.
I have a question! I need to know how to put a circle around pictures, like make them circle not square, or can you not do that?
@@ArcticWinterr I use an external tool called token stamp editor. Just google it and you'll be on your way to creating circular tokens of any image.
@@WASD20 Thanks!
Thanks for the great video Nate :) One thing I'd like to clear up as I see a few people commenting here is that data in Owlbear Rodeo is stored in local database with the persistant storage option enabed so data is only deleted if manually selected by the user. No need to worry about losing your data if you clear your cache.
Thank you so much Owlbear Rodeo for creating this awesome software for dnd!
Do you have an export function?? I plan on one machine and DM on a different one. So excited to use this but worried about having to set up right before the game if I can't export?
@@aneremmers Yes you can now export your data by heading to the settings screen and clicking the import/exoprt button. At the moment we don't check if you've already imported a map/token so you may end up with duplicates working like this but we plan to address this in the next update.
First time playing as a DM in D&D (after playing 1 and a half games a player). This thing is awesome. It's so simple and intuitive. I tried playing (as a player) in discord(using avrae) and Roll20, nothing against those, I'm sure lots if not most D&D players use them online, but as a D&D noob, I felt overwhelmed, I couldn't enjoy the game. But this... this is simply amazing
AND IT'S FREE! Damn, you guys are awesome! Keep it up!
I love you Owlbear
"Totally free"
Awesome! I'd pay twice that!
Kristen Solindas I’d pay 100 times that! Free x 100 is still free 😂
@@plasmapig1356 same dude
@@plasmapig1356 wow, almost like that's the joke
@@plasmapig1356 r/whoooosh
One thing I forgot to show - THE DICE ROLLER. It does have that and it works well. Actually looks like real dice being rolled in a tray!
Also, thanks for the suggestions about this vs. Roll20. I don't have much experience with Roll20, but a comparison video could be cool, so that might happen.
I have to mention tableplop. Works like a charm and is super easy
Trying to find the dice roller...where is it?
@@kendric2000-q3d Up in the left, where the little 'picture in picture' button thing is, just to the right of the party.
You should try MapTool by RPTools. It has movement and vision blocking that can clear fog based on the token's line of sight and vision type and it will show the measurement of movement for the token as you move the token as well as a measurement tool. You can import any map that you want to use and make custom tokens with TokenTool (also by RPTools) that can be customized in MapTool with visibility, health bars, displayed stats, and more. It also works as an local as well as online VTT where in online you can have tokens owned by their respective users so that they can't move tokens that aren't theirs and you can customize what stats on non-owned tokens are visible. It also has an initiative tracker, dice roller, and is scriptable so you can add new functionality to it. It's also free.
Roll20 hates white people, so the choice is pretty clear to me.
"...it's completely free"
And I'm already in love.
This tool looks like exactly what I'm looking for. I don't need the fluff and graphics that take hours to set up, load, and cost a bunch of extra money. I'm not trying to build a whole computer game, I just want to play D&D!
I have used it for three weeks after learning about it from Sly Flourish’s channel. I use it with a top down projection system between two computers. One computer for the dm with a total view and one computer to run the projector with only the revealed fog of war map. It is VERY user friendly and a big improvement over using GIMP.
My favorite part is actually the audio sharing that you didn't show much of. I can just stream Spotify or any other audio apps to all my players with ease, and I have a lot of dnd themed playlists there so it makes for an easier music time then I have with roll20 or any other site using music. Wish other sites did this.
As a guy who struggles wirh technology....this is exactly what i needed.
Same
Owlbear is gonna need some better servers, 'cause here comes the horde!
Lmao
Thankfully the server side code is very light
I'm currently running a nighthaze game with 27 players xD
@@kethtemplar8989 how is that going? Does this platform work for you?
@@V1ctoria00 yeah, its working beautifully. But call me stupid but if theres a save map progress button i cant find it. So every session i have to remake and place the player tokens in their exact last position and redraw the fog of war then uncover it tbe way it last was xD
THANK YOU!!! I just checked it out and am really excited! I started a dungeons and Dragons club and it’s kinda overwhelming, especially teaching new Dms. Roll20 is very clunky to me, so I can’t even tell you how helpful this is!
Man, this video was randomly recommended to me as I was discussing options to use grid or tools to improve map exploration with my friends; you really just saved me and my group from hours of trying to learn and implement others tools like roll20 and such. They’re amazing tools, but just too much headache from trying to use it, especially if you can only use a mobile like me. Thanks a lot
I’ve just heard of this! Thanks for the tutorial Nate! And it’s great to see your Icewind Dale stuff in there :)
Definately trying this for our next DnD session!!
OMG thank you! I've been messing with it the moment you mentioned it and this is such an improvement. I've also bounced around between online document programs (OneNote, Google Docs, Etc) because I don't need anything complex. This exactly serves my needs.
I'm about to host my very first DM session, and I wasn't too thrilled with having to learn Roll20 and all its intricacies. Owlbear Rodeo definitely looks more my speed. My first couple of sessions probably will be full theatre of mind, but I'm definitely gonna try Owlbear Rodeo down the line.
Sidenote: I like how Owlbear Rodeo abbreviates to OR (as in Online Roleplaying....) :D
This isn't any simpler than Roll20. Roll20 actually works exactly like this and is consistent across all computers so no risk of losing your data if you switch browsers.
@@MeemBeen from the way it handles and from a User Experience point of view, I will say that Owlbear wins. It does what Roll20 does, but in a simpler way and way less clunky than Roll20. If you're used to Roll20, then use it, but for most people its important to remember how a user reacts to a product/application. If one gets frustrated or can't figure out what to do with your app, then you've done a terrible job at user experience.
Now Roll20 does have a few things more than Owlbear Rodeo, but I think OR has most of what people really need. I personally use neither and use Tabletop Simulator, but eh that's my piece on User Experience. If you're curious, I highly recommend looking up stuff about UX/UI its really interesting. I feel like some of those theories can also be applied when making a DnD game or something
@@nyx0103 yea I guess that's the thing; for me. im not seeing the clunkiness. And part of my original point is that a lot of the way things are laid out in owlbear are laid out the exact same way in Roll20. So Roll20 is simultaneously clunky but laid out roughly the same way OB is. Like maybe you're making the argument that the layout is more visually appealing? But as far as where the buttons are and their functions, they're basically the same....but Roll20 will save your map and data.
@@MeemBeen I signed up for Roll20 in 2016 and never got around to using it. I have a spare 70" monitor that I want to use as a live map as some of my players are moving interstate.
Owlbear allows my local users to move their own tokens etc from phone or tablet on any part of the map they are on. And roll their own die with the score shown on every screen.
The interstate players can do exactly the same from their home PC and use discord as a live chat.
My players are known for getting into trouble by checking rooms on their own looking for treasure, then getting instantly into trouble with a Treeant or a wight. As DM I can see everyone on the map at anytime. Each player can see their own map and move their own token from phone or tablet. The big screen is an overall battle map for planning strategy but I control the zoom level and fog of war.
This program is 90% of what I want in a VTT.
The only thing I would have written in to the code is a language translator. This way any character that understands the dialect can read it on their personal device and any who can't will have to rely on the others to communicate. Just to more realistically incorporate language into the adventures. I can do this with paper notes locally but will have to manage another app for long distance players.
YES! I was psyched to see you choose Owlbear. I'm new to being a DM so I've been desperate for a tool. You've also been the best D&D youtuber for my ongoing education and I often defer to your guides. Your endorsement makes me confident that the hours I spent last weekend to prepare for the next session was a wise time invetment.
This is by far the simplest and most versatile to use. I love that you can import your own graphics, handy if you like to make or refine your own artwork. The FOW tool is fantastic. I was using Photoshop, but yeah you really need a DM side and PC side to the tool. I wish the UX were a little less clumbsy, but it's a small toolbox and I can live with some of the akwardness.
Keep making videos!
Great sugestion, Nate!
As someone who felt Roll20 was more akin to learning an entirely new language, this is the perfect solution. The fact that it’s completely free is even better!
This could also be great for solo RPG play.
Looks like a really nice tool!
Few notes about the tool:
1. If it isn't already possible, let players import their own tokens to add to the map, as that can be really helpful (Mainly for when you have to port your in person game to online).
2. Let the maps (with the setups) be downloaded/uploaded IF THE DM WANTS!
3. You mentioned the measure & move option which I agree with.
4. Potentially toying a little with the way 'hidden' items are showed to the DM, as they seem to be a bit difficult to look at.
Another really good tool I HIGHLY recommend: Legendkeeper
Legendkeeper lets you basically write out a wiki for your world with maps, links and much more AND you can share said wiki with the players and control what they can and can't see! It helps a lot with parties that aren't great at keeping records.
dude, i needed this video. I was worried how i’d deal with maps when i try my own campaign eventually but now i think this is perfect!
Thanks so much for introducing me to this! Much like you, this is EXACTLY what I needed! No premium, simple to use, mobile AND computer friendly, and a way to support them! Definitely going to use this for my next campaign!
I'm starting to get into DnD and this will definitely be helpful! Thank you, so much!
Just an update from my last comment and our first game using this program. It way better than expected. So easy to use and all my players felt more engaged to. Moving thier own character, able to keep track of the environment. They can even put thier own notes down to. Thanks again for showing the community this program!
Wow, I totally thought it was going to be sponsored. I was pleasantly surprised
I'm doing solo campaign with my gf(she never ever played) and this is exactly what I need. Itwill be great help for her to visualize the world and her movements. Thank you for sharing this!
Thanks for the in-depth perspective. My group uses gTove by IlluminantGames and it is similar in ease but allows 3D vs top down and shows token movement in distance, and more! One thing I appreciate, is the use of Google Drive, for storage and flexibility as to where you use it.
My group is meeting in person again, but this site really helped us get through the bad days of the pandemic. So thank for recommending it.
It's very cool. Thanks so much for highlighting it Nate!
Thanks so much for showing this. I have been looking for something to run a 1 on 1 game and do not want to pay for foundry or roll 20. I was using stuff in GIMP, but this is so much more fluent and the fog is fantastic. Thank you so much again!
Yea I moved off gimp to this three weeks ago. So much easier
@@williamhoover6902 I am currently coverting all my gimp stuff to this and see how it runs. So much easier than screen sharing through discord and being in charge of everything.
@@nickjackson4900 I think you will find it a lot more manageable. First time I made it work I was hooked.
Did Roll20 put the fog of war behind their sub? Pretty sure it is just dynamic lighting..... otherwise.... roll20 is free to do the same things.
That looks really promising!
What an amazing tool! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.
Thanks Nate - in 13mins you’ve given a really full and fair description of it. 👍🏻
Literally started using Rodeo cause of you using it for your Icewind Dale game Nate. Thank you!! Amazingly simple and useful.
Great to hear, Tom! Thanks for tuning in. :)
I've used it a few times. It's really good, considering that it's new and in beta. We've had some minor glitches with people disconnecting or losing their ability to move their token. Also, at the start of every game, so players have no control over their token from last session, and it's no longer on their list of tokens. No big deal, as it's quick to reload them.
Overall, using this is a LOT more like sitting at the table with friends. Fantasy Grounds controls everything, usually to the extent that it gets in the way. We'll spend more timing managing Fantasy Grounds during a game than we do looking up stuff on our sheets when playing at a table or using Owlbear Rodeo. From my experience, roll20 sits in the middle ground. It doesn't micromanage you like FG does, but offers more management of things than Owlbear or pen and paper. For those who haven't use it, I suggest giving Owlbear a try. It's frees, simple, and quick. The learning curve is really flat, so even a new DM can start putting in maps and managing fog of war (if they want) within minutes.
Also with owlbear I noticed you can click on a token which will highlight it and you can then press backspace which will delete it as well. Hope this helps!!
Not sure if you knew of this, but something you missed in the video is that up in the top left corner, next to the "Party" name is a little box. You can click on it to open a dice tray, and be able to create some 3D dice that you can toss around. They have physics to them, so you still get that satisfaction of throwing a die and watching to see what number it lands on. You can even customize it to have different style dice, and even have it where other players can see you roll, or have it where only you can see. Awesome video though, and really glad to have found this!
Yeah I totally forgot to show the dice roller. Oops!
My group has been using it since we’ve been playing virtually during the pandemic, and it’s a very nice lightweight, easy to grasp tool, and completely free!
Before it, we used shmeppy, which is handy for building really simple maps, though OwlBearRodeo I think is preferable if you have your own maps already
I just started a game where we play in person with the map shown via projector and screen, and this is PERFECT. No other site or tool makes it so quick and easy to control the map and what the players can see. This is a godsend
This looks great. And I'm like you. I prefer simple and hassle-free over feature rich.
Great video.
My group LOVES owlbear because of what it does NOT do.
We don't need a rules set, or character stats or anything like that (we have that in other tools etc) especially when we run games with heavy house rules.
It is simple and fast - which is why we love it.
For initiative - we just use the note.
For hit points we put them in the text of the token example " Evan 45/60" - means that token is Evvandur the Great, and he is at 45 of 60 hits.
aslo, EXACTLY as the video points out - don't want another roll20 (if we wanted roll20, we would be using roll20) -keep it simple.
Wow, I had no clue this was out there, was trying to justify the learning curve for more intense tools but this does what I need and I was using it in just a few minutes (impressive for an old #$%^ like me) As you recorded this 8 months ago I see they've made a ton of improvements, file exporting and dice in their own trays? Bonus!
That's exactly what I was looking for! Thank you! 😊
Nice tool for fast rpg session thx !
Definitely a good shout for a quick one-shot
I've been making an Android app as a hobby for my in-person games that was a sort of Paint tool with extra D&D features like tokens and distance measuring. The idea was to eventually get it to cast the map to my TV so I can draw on my tablet and have everyone else see it on the big screen. I might as well drop that project now because by using a blank map with drawing blending disabled in Owlbear Rodeo I get pretty much the same thing, and if I use Chrome I can cast a player view on the TV while controlling the DM view on my tablet. Such a great find!
Nate, always coming through with what we need
Thanks for this video. As a DM after Astral was closed I didn't know what to do but thanks to your video now we can play without any payment and stuff.
Great job! I’ve been looking for something like this. Maybe you can do a session to show how making just simple maps works
I run an in-person game and through this tool think I've now found a great way to track dungeon progress without having to draw everything out on a grid. Love it!
Cool! Will definitely check it out. I'm into technology but just find the amount of setup in Roll20 or FantasyGrounds too much around my work and personal life so keen to see how Owlbear Rodeo performs. Thanks!
This looks incredible! I've always been strongly opposed to online games, but that is mainly because I didnt feel like it translated well. This is hands down the best tool I have seen so far. Great video.
So I just took a look at this tool. and There Is a Dice Roller integrated. Check the left side of the screen.
Yep! Forgot to mention that!
Not just A dice roller - it is a realy beautiful one
if it had character sheet integration, I'd switch my campaign from Roll20 right now. My players are lazy, though, and they love just clicking buttons on their character sheets and not tracking anything
Been using the Rodeo for about the last 6 months now. Absolutely love it.
I can see this being useful for irl games too. Just put it on your TV screen with an hdmi and everyone controls their character from their phone.
That's a great idea
I do appreciate the simplicity. A key component for us a year ago, though, was virtual dice. We ended up using Fantasy Grounds because it had the fogging feature, and ease of map importing, and simple grid matching and overlay, along with the virtual dice rolling. That's really all the features we use. The only aspect of Fantasy Grounds that's a bit annoying is the map panning and resize UI.
Exactly what I've been looking for, and trying to build on my own! This is awesome, thanks for recommending!
Thats an amazing tipp. I m playing around with this tool since 3 hours. It is so simplified and easy to use - I love it
I'm cheaply treading into online gaming. Others have suggested Owlbear but your demo is a clear display of features and how to use them. THANKS
This has ALL the features that I need. I've been surviving this far by smashing all kinds of shitty software together which makes it really complicated and wierd to run a single encounter. This program is an absolute lifesaver. I'm gonna have good news for my players this session.
Great!
Nat, a good friend introduced me to Owlbear a few weeks back and I also was blown away at the features and simplicity. I agree with you 100% here. I'm not sure you're aware but it also has a built-in dice roller in the program. Rolls can be hidden or seen by the entire group based on another setting.
You rock! I've been looking for a simple program to use alongside DND Beyond!
Thank you very much, sir.
I know I'm late here but I'm a new dm and this looks like the exact resource I was looking for and couldn't find anywhere thanks so much for making this video it's such a good overview of this resource and I'm glad this is now something I can use to make my long distance online games better!
I've been using Owlbear Rodeo for a few months now, and it's been wonderful! I also really wanted something light and easy to use, but so much just felt...bloated before I found Owlbear
I love it, a lot of the VTT with more automated features seem to come with a pretty steep learning curve (or price !), while you can almost use Owlbear Rodeo immediately. Awesome !
Since hiding notes with the eyeball tool makes them harder to read for the DM, might it be more useful to have notes in the borders of the map that are covered with fog that you have not (and will not) show to the players?
I love OBR! Like you, it’s exactly what I was looking for in a VTT. I know this video is about the older version, but version 2 is even better.
Goddamn, I've been looking for something like this for ages. Way better than the clunky mess that is roll20
Speaking to my soul with this comment
Try Foundry. If you like this, you'll love that.
If this is a car, Foundry is a Ferrari.
Roll20 is a 1980 Yugo that you need to build yourself.
@@kevindonville8185 Checked it out, and nah. It's way more than I need and really expensive
@@kolosmenus So like a Ferrari then.
this helped me so much, its easy and its free too! i looked for like 2 hours trying to find a amazing website and you showed it too me.
7:33 That's called drag'n drop.
This is amazing, I feel like this is probably the closest I've seen to what it's like to play D&D on a physical battlemap
This looks great, and also appears to be system agnostic, which is great for me as I run games that use my own system, and I can't easily use roll 20 or others. And this looks like it would work better than photoshop that I'm currently using.
I have subscribed to your channel thanks to this video. I was searching for something easy to use when playing online with my group (we use Skype and are kind of old school) and Owlbear Rodeo really hit the sweet spot. We've tried it yesterday and both me and my players really enjoyed it. Now I'm taking a look at your other video, the one where you explain where to find maps. Thanks a lot ^^.
I Like the simplicity of this tool, but it seems like it does not do anything that roll20 doesn't do. And roll20 has a lot of extra features that often come in handy. Will try it though, as simplicity and ease is also nice.
I was thinking the same thing
Yeah, I was wondering if you might do a bit on this, Nate. I kinda love how totally simple this tool is. I grabbed a key for Foundry, which seems to be able to do everything, but for whatever reason I get burned out just trying to learn how to get stuff setup. I just want to post a drawing, some characters, and be good to go. Owlbear seems like it excels there.
Well it seems pretty good BUT rol20 let me do the same and i can roll dice, track HP, put auras, and have múltiple games prepared un my account. But i think its fine, i like this owlbear too~
Roll20 also does the distance tracking while moving a token just like he said he wanted in the video lol
This information and walkthrough just made my campaign possible. Thank you SO much for letting us know about Owlbear!
Other than the drawable fog of war; i’m failing to see where this is better than Roll20, especially with dynamic lighting being available.
To me it comes down to the simplicity. Less stuff to learn and less stuff that can lag on slower computers and connections.
One word, simplicity. Everything is just so easy to do. Getting the best out of Roll20 takes a lot of time learning and managing. With this, you can throw out a one-shot in few minutes. And dynamic lighting is not free.
I used Roll20 for an short Adventure. The amount of prep for using it is way over the top. And I had a lot conversations where the main reason for players not wanting to use these tools is the complexity.
I think this application is just the right thing for a quick and simple evening of fun.
Free and simple! I've been put off roll20 after playing a few sessions (as a PC) because it's so complex and I think it loses some of the simplicity of a ttrpg. Too much gets automated for my liking.
This looks like a simple digital version of having a hand drawn map and minis.
It is simpler for the dm, but harder for the players. In FoundryVTT my players do not need to know their modifiers on their rolls, can place templates with their spells etc. And lighting is free in FoundryVTT and way better :p
Love this. Was actually considering developing something like this, so glad it already exists!
Nate great video. On my channel I’ve been doing some new stuff you might like. It’s ambience for dnd and background music.
Sorry for self promoting but I’m really trying to get more people aware of my content. I try really hard on these videos and I want people to appreciate them.
I can't wait to try this, this is exactly what I've been working for. I've been trying to start up a DND campaign for my friends but we've never been able to start correctly due to these exact problems. Sure I've found some that were somewhat easy to make maps, but they had stuff that I couldn't use and needed me to buy some premium or "pro" for. Thank you.
it's the same for this now😅
Thank you for the Video. This comment is probably a little late but I was just getting to this issue, with covid and the cold of winter coming along. Plus my group just got separated between multiple countries. I messed around with some vtts, going as far as paying for some just to test them out, but this is by far the best option. Especially given that we use our own homebrew system, having all this automation in the way is just annoying at this point. I tried owlbear thanks to this video and I really can't thank you enough.
What a great find! Thanks for posting!
Wow, thanks. I wasn't aware this excisted but really don't want my players to have to sign up for lots of stuff. this is great, and it's always nice with a little intro on how to use it :) I'll be trying out Owlbear rodeo next session
Thanks for showing this off Owlbear Rodeo looks amazing.
Thank you so much. That is so cool, I'm building a large table with a 65 in tv in it and this will work very well.
Thanks for this video, I am definitely gonna try it. Really appreciate all of the videos youndo and work you put into them. Thank you brother
We've been using Owlbear Rodeo for our campaign for a few months. It has just enough features to make it useful without getting in the way. It also looks great. I've found the maps exported from Dungeon Scrawl work perfectly in Owlbear Rodeo.
This is amazing! I'm playing DnD for the first time next weekend with some friends. I'm going to DM and this tool is going to make everything so fun.
So many people overlook D&D beyond and Above VTT, and now it's officila WOTC content. Totally worth it.
I heard about this tool on the heroes rise d&d podcast. I have been using it almost weekly for our DoIP after we went online mode. We have used it for a 3-4 months for 14+ sessions. I have only had a few issues. I like it quite a bit. They recently changed the fog tool, that confused me quite a bit last session.
Oh me too! I was caught mid-session with a couple dozen viewers watching, clueless about how to erase the fog. :D
This was SO helpful. Thank you so much. Appreciate you showing how the fog of war feature works toward the players. Too many inku show the DMs side, making it look useless to me. Obviously I haven't tried any VTTs yet.
UA-cam is scary sometimes. I'm next session gonna first use a TV screen as table and needed a software solution. Just out of nothing, this video comes into my timeline. 😁 Well thank you Nate and thank you OwlbearRodeo!
This will be perfect for my upcoming campaign! I was looking for the same things as you so I'm glad I found your vid. Tysm!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I started with roll20 but I'm running a module I own the hardback of so it's kinda hard to use. I watched your video and nearly immediately got on the site to check it out. It's easy to use and learn, they have a dice roller feature in the top left corner with some good lookin dice, started on my first map on there and I'm so happy I learned about it.
I discovered this a few months back after becoming frustrated with Roll20 and other interfaces. Its what I've always wanted from a VTT. Its made my ability to run our newbie game so much better. I've even signed up for their patreon because I feel like I needed to contribute. If they did come up with a subscription, I'd pay it.
Also want to add that it can be used to run ANY game practically. I'm currently working on making maps and tokens for Hero Quest.
Lol I still don't understand how people think roll20 is complicated.
It's hard to see once you've learned it and are comfortable with it.
This was a really nice video on this program. You did a great job explaining the features and showing how to do them. I use FGU but there are some features here not in FGU which are very nice. Particularly LOS player vision instead of using two instances to see it instantaneously and the pointer tool is a nice touch. Thanks for the review.
Found this a few months ago and I am in love. Someone with money send it to this guy.
After this review, I chose this as my new DM guide. Thanks for the awesome video! I always enjoy your content.
Literally everything I was looking for. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Thank you so much for the tool recommendation―this thing is stellar!
roll 20 literally has the fog of war built in and even has a dynamic lighting option, if you prefer that (where the players can only see what their characters can see)
yesss!! i searched for something like this for a couple of hours yesterday. didnt find this, but now i did. its perfect for my game, thank you!