Roll20.

• Author: Shackford, Scott
• Position: GAMING PLATFORM - Brief article

Named after the ubiquitous 20-sided die used in tabletop adventure games such as Dungeons & Dragons, Roll20 is a complicated beast. The online platform combines video chat, social networking, and numerous mapmaking and planning tools to help organize adventures for all kinds of role-playing games. Roll20 makes it possible for several people to participate in fantasy and science fiction gaming without being in the same place or owning a real-world copy of any books or charts or maps--or even those famous dice. With its group-finding system, it can even help players find new friends to game with.

Translating tabletop games to online systems is nothing new. These days nobody has to lug a stack of manuals to a buddy's basement for a fantasy adventure. What makes the Roll20 system special is that it's...