How to run D&D online in 2026
You've got a group, a campaign, and someone moved to a different city. Or the pub stopped letting you book the back room. Either way, the game is going online and you're the one who has to make it work. Here's what you need, in the order you need it.
What you need
Three things. A virtual tabletop (the shared map, tokens, dice and sheets). Voice chat (Discord, almost always). And characters in a form everyone can see.
You do not need: a webcam, a green screen, a 4K map pack, or a weekend learning a piece of software. People who tell you otherwise are usually selling one of those things.
Step 1: pick a VTT
A virtual tabletop is the table. The map, the tokens, the fog of war, the dice. There are a lot of them and the differences matter less than people online will tell you.
For a first online game you want one that runs in a browser (no installs for your players), has fog of war and lighting without a paid tier, and has D&D sheets built in so nobody is alt-tabbing to a PDF. RollQuest does all three on the free plan; so does Roll20 for everything except lighting. Owlbear Rodeo is the fastest to start but has no sheets. Foundry is the most powerful and the most work.
Pick one. Don't research for a week.
Step 2: set up Discord
Make a server, make a voice channel, send the invite. That's it. Video is optional and most long-running online groups turn it off after a month. Voice plus the shared map is the game.
Step 3: get characters in
Have players build their characters in the VTT before session one, not during it. Send the invite link a few days early with "make your character and roll something." Anyone who can't be bothered gets a pregen. In RollQuest the pregens are a click; in Roll20 you can share a blank sheet.
Step 4: prep one scene properly
For your first session, prep one map well rather than five badly. Upload it, draw the walls if your VTT has lighting, drop the tokens on, put a torch on the fighter. Ten minutes. Then test it: open the map in an incognito window as a player and check what you can see.
Step 5: run the session
Some things are different online. Say them out loud in the first ten minutes.
Talking over each other is worse on voice than at a table, so use a "hand up" emoji or just let the GM call on people during busy scenes. Dice roll in the VTT, in front of everyone; that solves the "I rolled a 17 I promise" problem and gives combat a rhythm. Combat is faster online if you use the initiative tracker and let the tool count turns. Keep sessions shorter than in-person ones: three hours online feels like four at a table.
What to skip
Ambient music synced across the group is lovely and you can add it in session three. Same for dynamic lighting on every map, a journal with handouts, and cards. Get the map and the dice working first. The rest is upgrade material once the group has settled.
Frequently asked questions
Is it expensive to play D&D online?
No. A free VTT, free Discord and free SRD rules covers everything. Paid plans exist for GM tools, not for playing.
Do players need to install anything?
Not with a browser VTT. They open a link.
Can we mix online and in-person?
Yes. A laptop connected to a TV with the VTT open works as a shared battlemap for the people in the room, and remote players join on their own screens.