There are many digital versions of tabletop RPGs available for players to try, such as Pathfinder and Call of Cthulhu. However, with so much choice, it can be hard to figure out which is the best. Although the term digital tabletop might seem like an oxymoron, it is a growing area for pen and paper roleplaying fans.
Whether a person wants to play on Roll20 or Fantasy Grounds, there are many ways to play tabletop RPGs online with friends or strangers. Games that are decades old are finding new audiences alongside new releases. As the available software improves, tabletop RPGs move away from the table to the computer screen.
Whatever genre or play style, there is a tabletop RPG for everyone. The obvious choice for many is Dungeons & Dragons, but there are many other options out there for RPG fans. Here is a look at some alternatives to D&D that can be played online, which are some of the best out there.
A Different Kind Of Online RPG – Blades In The Dark
Released by Evil Hat Productions in 2017, Blades in the Dark is an unusual take on the traditional RPG. Set in the 19th century in an alternative universe where the sun has disappeared, plunging the world into darkness, the game has players acting like bad guys. Players roleplay a ‘scoundrel’ and attempt heists while dealing with ghosts and other supernatural threats.
Players take on the role of members of a crime gang and adopt positions within the crew using character archetypes. The Cutter, the Leech, or the Whisper are some of the roles available, and there are rules for each to guide the players through their parts in the organization. Blades in the Dark is like Peaky Blinders crossed with Ocean’s Eleven as players have fun committing crime after crime.
Blades in the Dark has rules and mechanics to cover anything players could think up as they climb up the ladder of the criminal underworld. There are rules for building a crew, gadget making, and even rules for all the weird occult powers available to players. Players can even use a unique flashback mechanic to fill in ‘planning’ when pulling heist or job as the game encourages faster gameplay.
Blades in the Dark is stupidly fun if a little weighed down by its own cumbersome rules. Where most RPG games discourage players from being murderous, Blades in the Dark does the exact opposite. Players can use their imagination more when roleplaying, which adds to the appeal.
Pathfinder Is A Classic RPG That Can Be Played Online
It is impossible to talk about digital tabletop RPGs and not mention Pathfinder, one of the most famous examples in the genre players can now access online. Pathfinder is often compared to Dungeons & Dragons and is based on the 3.5 edition, which earned Pathfinder the nickname D&D 3.75. Released in 2009 by Paizo, the second edition was released ten years later in 2019.
Set in a world called Golarion, Pathfinder changed many game elements from its inspiration to make an overall balanced game. Pathfinder‘s rules change how combat systems work, making it more tactical and interesting. There are more options for classes and their roles within an adventuring party.
Pathfinder has a lot to offer anyone looking for a digital tabletop RPG, although players coming from D&D may find it challenging to get used to some of the changes. The world of Golarion is brilliantly diverse with settlings to suit any campaign from traditional high fantasy resembling Middle Earth to pirate-themed and even areas filled with zombies. Pathfinder is a good choice for players who enjoy optimizing their characters and those looking for options outside of the limited class selection of other RPGs.
Starfinder is A Space-Themed Digital RPG
From the makers of Pathfinder, Starfinder takes place in the same universe, although far in the future. Golarion, the world of Pathfinder’s setting, has mysteriously disappeared in an event called ‘The Gap’ which neatly prevents players from altering the Pathfinder timeline, which serves as the basis for Starfinder’s own space opera RPG timeline. As the two games share a common history, players can also encounter all races and monsters found in Pathfinder in Starfinder.
As the setting is futuristic and spacefaring, there are battle mechanics in place for space combat, and as the party progresses, they can gain their own starship, which acts as a headquarters as well as transport. Even though it is set in space, Starfinder still has magic as part of its world similar to Star Wars, with the mechanics for its use adjusted for the setting and often combined with the new high-level technology.
Seven character classes have been added to the ones already present in Pathfinder, and players can customize each of those. Starfinder has excellent world-building, taking the rich world of Pathfinder and adding new alien races and planets, such as the lizard-like vesk and ratfolk ysoki. Starfinder’s strength lies in its character creation options, and with so many races, feats, and even Cyberpunk-style body augmentations to choose from, players will have fun just creating characters.
90s Nostalgia Fans Will Enjoy Monster Of The Week
Initially released in 2012 by Evil Hat Productions, Monster of the Week is a fun action-horror RPG. Players take on the role of monster hunters and can live out adventures similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mulder and Scully, or the Winchester brothers. The game uses a system based on the Apocalypse World RPG, making it easy for new players to pick up.
Monster of the Week is designed to be played in episode-style sessions, which is excellent for one-shots or shorter campaigns. Before each game, the Keeper, the person running the game, and the players decide what type of game they will be playing; for example, a secret government agency or high schoolers battling creatures after classes. After that, the players can go through a series of questions to set up their group, and the game can begin.
Monster of the Week is a tabletop RPG that’s quick and easy to pick up and get into and perfect for players who love to roleplay. It’s chock full of sci-fi and 90s nostalgia with a little of something of everything for fans of The X-Files or Supernatural. Monster of the Week is a good choice for those who like the weird and are looking for short-term campaigns.
Descend Into Paranoia With Online RPG Call Of Cthulhu
First released in 1981 by Chaosium, Call of Cthulhu is currently on its seventh edition. The game is a horror RPG based on the Cthulhu Mythos and H.P. Lovecraft story of the same name. Several different supplements are available, each set during different time periods from the 1920s, 1890, 1980s, and even ancient Rome.
Tabletop horror RPG Call of Cthulhu uses a skill-based system, where players get better at their chosen skills by succeeding at skill checks. The players can choose from a range of roles to play, such as scholars, detectives, and soldiers, and so long as the character remains sane, the adventure continues. Sanity Points are lost each time the character learns more about the mystic horror of the setting, and as such, it is pretty common for a player’s character to go mad and die horribly.
Call of Cthulhu use of a simple system means the game can be set in any world GM chooses. Call of Cthulhu is weird, unpredictable, and unique where the player’s victory is not guaranteed. It is an obvious choice for Halloween one-shots as well as all-year-round creepiness.
