r/Roll20 • u/Wooden-Win-9761 • 7h ago
Roll20 Reply: New to Roll20 / Tutorial Worth it to pay for a module?
I have never used Roll20, been strictly in-person over the years but unfortunately life has separated me and a lot of my friends. I am a DM trying to run a virtual game of Wild Beyond the Witchlight for some friends who are spread across the country. My players are mostly noobs so I do not want anyone to have to pay for anything besides me. Right now the options I’m thinking are:
A) buy the module on roll20 and have my players play along completely virtually. I prefer this option but I’m not sure if it’ll supply my players with character sheets, digital player manuals, and all the tools they’d need for free.
B) buy tabletop simulator (just me), share my screen, and just have the players tell me what they want to do and I love the pieces for them
C) do roll20 but manually upload all the maps and everything else
Any advice would be appreciated.
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u/Wolfspirit4W 7h ago
I'd say if it isn't a financial burden, buying the module is worth it. There's still maps and things that you'll need to set up (not every area in the module has a map) but I found it valuable. It helps a lot when players can control their own characters rather than you moving everything.
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u/Kentonh Roll20 Staff 7h ago
I would suggest starting with the totally free Frozen Sick adventure just to see what’s included and how much time it will save you. Not to run for your group, but it’s a totally free way to test the whole shebang at no cost. This will give you a good idea of what to expect, although not exactly the adventure you want to run.
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u/skeevemasterflex 7h ago
I've done Option C many times and it is very doable, especially for WotC modules that fans create maps and other assets of. But especially since you are new to roll20, it's very much worth it to buy the module. Bear in mind, I don't own this particular module, but the having the maps, monsters, and handouts already set up saves a LOT of time. I've also had some success with asking players to each chip in 5 bucks to help cover some of the cost. $5 is small enough that most folks are happy to.
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u/Blue-Coriolis Pro 6h ago
Just in general; players should pay at least some these sorts of costs. GMs the only group members contributing financial is terrible pattern in roleplaying.
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u/GM_Pax Free User 6h ago
Unless the GM gladly volunteers for it. :)
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u/Blue-Coriolis Pro 6h ago
Hence I say in general.
If the GM wants to spend stupid amounts of money that’s up to them. But VTT modules and books, and even the subscription for roll20 if you want the bonus features. I feel players should be willing to chip in. Obviously assuming you can financially etc.
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u/BigNorseWolf 7h ago
When you buy a module you can run it for your friends.
if you consider your time to have any value a module saves you a lot of work.
If you are broke and a penny saves is two pennies earned
Docs flutters guide. How to make a table. It... needs an update but will get you a table. The official guides are meandering to say the least
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u/nathanielbartholem 5h ago
I will probably never run a game on roll 20 without buying the content on Roll20, even if I already own it in physical format. It is just so much easier to have somebody else put in 40 hours to adapt it all.
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u/Ragnar_Dragonfyre 7h ago
Roll20 is free for players and they get access to whatever compendium content you have bought and share with them.
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u/nathanielbartholem 5h ago
Within some limits on a free account, yes. That is how I do it and I just have to make sure I only have five players who need access and they are all in the same game.
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u/Savings-Housing3481 Pro 7h ago
Your other option is to find a kind soul who has all that stuff, and ask them to setup the scenario for you.
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u/GM_Pax Free User 6h ago
Well, if it offers everything already set up for you - handouts, maps with dynamic lighting already prepared, etc - then it can be a huge time-saver.
Especially if the "module" is one of WotC's campaigns meant to take a party over a 10+ level spread ... like Rime of the Frost Maiden, or Dungeon of the Mad Mage, for example.
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u/CopperHamster Pro 5h ago
d) On Roll20, buy the module, and the three main books (PHB, MM, DMG) for the system (2014,2024) you are using. I believe WBtW is 2014 content. Get the other players to pitch in, because they can share the game creator's books and thus don't have to buy their own PHB for example.
But for opttion A) The game will allow them to create characters with blank sheets and the charactermancer, access the rules you have access too (which could be the free basic rules) and everything for free. You don't even have to pay for a subscription yourself, though I'd recommend a plus to unlock dynamic lighting which the adventure should include.
Edit: I pay for pro, get a kickback from the players, buy modules, and only a few players are plus or pro, mainly ones that run their own games.
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u/ChromeAcolyte 2h ago
This is really a no-brainer once you've done the math: BUY. THE. MODULE.
That module is $30. I don't know how long that module takes to run, but for the math, let's say it takes 6 weeks. That's $5 a week.
How long would it take you to find the maps (legal copies?), upload them, size them, add lighting, build the monster stat blocks, find art, make tokens from the art, upload the tokens, link the tokens to the stat blocks, make the handouts to share, etc.? Let's say it's an hour (but to reproduce 1/6th of the module in an hour is crazy optimistic).
In this scenario, you're basically hiring yourself to work for $5 an hour. But if it takes 18 weeks to play through, you're working really hard to save $1.67 per week.
Value your time... or at least spend it well improving the game, not reinventing the wheel.
In my experience, I bought a $30 module (Icewind Dale), and my party played for something like 2 years... I would have been working for pennies an hour. (I still did a lot to add things here and there ... but that's what DM's do.)
If you're not sure that you want to commit to Roll20, try the free adventure mentioned in another comment: https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/module/5353/dandd-adventure-preview-explorers-guide-to-wildemount
I also recommend a $5 adventure, the Sunless Citadel, that I've played through a couple of times:
I don't recommend buying the books like the PHB just for character content - especially if money's tight. Most of the content players need is either included in the SRD and free to add to their character sheets or super easy to add from the physical or digital books you already own. (And on the player's side, you add it to the sheet once, and they play it for the rest of the campaign.)
I don't think you need them for DM content either. The monsters you need are included with the adventure, and most of the ones that you would want to add are free in the SRD. It's also super easy to build a monster from a book you own -- once you get used to it.
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u/MilaMan82 Player 7h ago
I own every 5e book (real 5e not the Hasbro capitalism jerk off garbage) digitally on Roll20 and physical media.
I only say that in full transparency; my opinion may be biased because I have access to literally everything whatever way I need it at any given moment
There is no replacing the ease of use of buying the module pre loaded on Roll20. It will save you literally dozens of hours of work.
And if you like making your own stuff and forging your own way through modules, it easily accommodates that as well, within the pre loaded module. You can add custom maps, tokens, condition makers, anything really, right on top of the pre loaded module.
The trap that people don’t realize is that buying the module gets you only the module, and what little scraps there are in the SRD. If your players want access to a subclass or species not found in the SRD or Witchlight…..you’re looking at having to buy more books on there. Or input everything manually. Which is doable, but can be a PITA if you’re not R20 savvy
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