Wizards of the Coast is working on an elaborate virtual tabletop system for Dungeons and Dragons.
All of this started with a survey circulated by Wizards of the Coast. It seemed like straightforward survey asking your age, your country of origin, and your overall familiarity with Dungeons and Dragons. Which editions of the game you have played? How often do you DM? Your overall thoughts on the various races, classes, and monsters available in the current edition. But then the survey had certain people agree to a non-disclosure agreement before showing them a video about a potential new product that seemed to be hinting at a new online tabletop program for the popular TRPG.
Almost immediately this information circulated throughout the internet. This is mostly due to the survey itself not being especially well made with pages not loading properly and the NDA sometimes not even working. It wasn't long until the official Dungeons and Dragons Facebook page was filled with comments about the video itself.
In short, the video appears to be a virtual tabletop program with integrated rules for Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons. The video included digital toolsets and 3D graphics, including isometric maps and customizable miniature figures. It was compared to the grid system used in Roll20 combined with the convenience of D&D Beyond. Finally, it seemed that character sheets will be handled on players' smart phones and tablet devices and would be connected to the program somehow.
If this is true, it would give more players variety for how they choose to play Dungeons and Dragons. The only concern however is how it will be made available. There is speculation that this will be a subscription-based service, much like D&D Beyond, and there are ongoing concerns about how well it will implemented compared to other virtual tabletop programs on the market already like Talespire, Tabletop Simulator, and Roll 20. Famously, Wizards of the Coast had a Virtual Tabletop in the works throughout 4th edition that was never released as promised.
The survey was made worst by the fact that it appeared to break for many people. Answers wouldn't appear, they wouldn't be selectable, a video wouldn't play, or the video was the end of the survey with 20% to go, among other errors that have all been repeatedly reported.
Only time will tell with how Wizards of the Coast will proceed.
