WIREDInsider

June 21st, 2012

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HIT IT WITH YOUR BATTLE AX WITH ROLL20.NET

Video via Roll20

In the nerd continuum, some nerds have a bit more cred than others. At the top of the nerd pile are RPG enthusiast, those resilient dreamers who gather around kitchen tables and in the mother’s basement to craft tales of wizards and wenches. At the key of any good RPG session is the story. The Game Master (the guy who leads the story) and the players work together to suspend disbelief and craft an entirely new world. It’s this crucial element that causes most digitally-based RPGs to flounder. Sure, there’s nice graphics in a videogame, but who cares when your imagination is totally hemmed in?

Enter Roll20, a new RPG system that has, at its geeky core, an emphasis on storytelling. Essentially, Roll20 is an online RPG platform. But unlike say, World of Warcraft, Roll20 merely provides the tools to create and build a world. The real strength of Roll20 is in recognizing that the players, real humans who are making decisions on the fly, will have infinitely more creativity than a pre-created world. The Game Master has complete control over mapping, placing tokens (creatures), creating NPCs, and organizing players. The platform allows for copious, easy exchanges between players via chat or video, and has a built-in dice rolling feature.

Strangely simple, but with the potential for incredible storytelling. So, GMs, what do you think?