The Early Days — Rolling Dice Around the Kitchen Table

I’ve been running Dungeons & Dragons games for over fifteen years now, and like many Dungeon Masters, my story began around the kitchen table.
It was just me, my little brother, and a pile of dice. We were playing 4th edition — clunky, colorful, and absolutely magical. There were no virtual maps, no automation, just our imaginations and a few hastily drawn dungeons on graph paper.

When 5th edition came out, I was hooked again. I started collecting all the sourcebooks and convinced a few friends to join my campaigns. For a while, that was our tradition — snacks, laughter, dice on the table, and the occasional cat walking over the battle map.

Then, like for everyone else, COVID hit, and everything changed. Suddenly, getting together wasn’t an option. But as DMs do, I adapted.

The Leap Online — Finding Adventure in the Digital Realm

When we first moved our games online, I wasn’t sure it would work. D&D, after all, thrives on that table energy — the jokes, the eye contact, the group momentum.
But within a few weeks, something amazing happened: I realized that online D&D didn’t have to be a downgrade. It was just different — and in some ways, better.

Sure, I had to bring my own snacks, but there were clear advantages:

• My character sheet was interactive, so I didn’t have to remember which dice to roll — I just clicked a button.
• Nobody had to worry about what to wear.
• And most importantly, no one had to drive across town to play.

Soon I was joining campaigns with complete strangers — people from all over the world who shared a love for storytelling. My last major online campaign had three Americans, a German, and two Dutch players. Those sessions were some of the most creative, chaotic, and heartfelt games I’ve ever run.

It turns out, when people come together from different backgrounds and time zones, the stories you tell feel bigger — more global in scope, more colorful in tone. It was the same game I’d always loved, just on a grander stage.

Tools of the Trade — Choosing Your Virtual Tabletop

Like many players, I started out on Roll20, paired with Discord for voice and video. It worked — but it didn’t quite click for me.
I found it hard to get fully immersed; the maps felt static, the interface cluttered. I wanted something that felt more like stepping into another world.

That’s when I discovered Foundry VTT.
Moving my campaign over to Foundry was a game-changer. Suddenly, my maps came alive. Dynamic lighting, fog of war, ambient music — the immersion went through the roof. I could feel my players’ excitement again, even through a screen.

I’ve learned a few things since then about setup:

• Use your camera when you can. It helps with communication cues and emotional moments.
• Keep your maps immersive but manageable. Foundry makes it easy to go overboard, but simplicity often works best.
• Don’t install every module at once. Start small. Learn the platform, then expand as you grow comfortable.

Online D&D doesn’t need to be complicated to be fun. You can build amazing sessions even with the simplest setups.

The Human Side — Building Worlds Across Borders

There’s something deeply human about Dungeons & Dragons, no matter the format. Even behind screens, we laugh, argue, and cheer together — we just happen to do it over Discord.

That international campaign I mentioned earlier still sticks with me. Different accents, cultural references, and senses of humor all mixed together — and somehow, it worked perfectly. It reminded me that D&D’s true strength isn’t in its rules or dice mechanics. It’s in its shared imagination.

Of course, the tools help. With Foundry, I can fill a forest with glowing fireflies, play the distant crack of thunder, or dim the torchlight as danger approaches.
The right lighting or sound cue can heighten the mood more than a thousand words.

And yes — even online — you can still feel the story. The tension before a boss fight, the silence after a character’s sacrifice, the laughter when someone rolls a natural 1 on an insight check. The emotion is real, because the people are real.

The DM’s Reality — Tech, Time Zones, and Table Management

From a DM’s perspective, running games online is both easier and trickier at the same time.

Scheduling? Much easier. No one has to commute or find parking — just agree on a time and log in.
Technical setup? That’s where it can get messy.

At first, I self-hosted my Foundry VTT server. I’ve worked with servers and datacenters for years, so I figured it would be a breeze. Setting it up was straightforward enough, but then came the occasional weird issue — port forwarding quirks, browser hiccups, or players unable to connect from certain networks.

Eventually, I figured it all out, but I realized something important:

Not every DM wants to spend hours troubleshooting when they could be prepping the next encounter.

That’s exactly why we built our own Foundry hosting service — to take the tech burden off DMs who just want to play.
Our goal was to make hosting effortless: fast servers, automatic updates, and features like Idle Shutdown (which you can read more about here) that keep costs low while saving energy.

And when we talk about performance, we make sure it’s reliable too — thanks to Guaranteed CPU allocation, so your game doesn’t lag during those epic Friday night sessions (more on that here).

Online play shouldn’t mean wrestling with firewalls or random disconnects. It should mean diving into your world with confidence that your tools won’t fail you.

Finding Your Setup — My Advice for New Online DMs

If you’re thinking about starting your own online campaign, here’s the best advice I can give:

• Just start. Don’t wait for the perfect module, mic, or map. Get your players together and run something simple.
• Don’t overcomplicate it. A solid internet connection, a decent mic, and a VTT you like are all you need.
• Experiment. Maybe you love tactical combat on detailed maps. Maybe your group thrives on roleplay and doesn’t need visuals at all.
• Try a few platforms. Roll20 is beginner-friendly and browser-based. Foundry VTT is more customizable and immersive. There’s no single “best” option — just the one that fits you.
• Remember: A VTT is a tool, not a requirement. Great storytelling can happen anywhere, even on a voice call with a shared Google Doc.

The most important thing is that you and your players have fun. The rest will follow.

The Magic Remains — Why I Still Love Online D&D

Looking back, I never expected to fall in love with online D&D.
I thought I’d always miss the sound of dice hitting the table, or the smell of snacks scattered across the room. But now, I see the beauty in both worlds.

Online play has given me friendships across continents, games that would never have been possible otherwise, and stories that still give me chills when I think about them.

The heart of Dungeons & Dragons — imagination, connection, creativity — is still the same. The only thing that’s changed is how we share it.

So if you’ve been hesitant to take your campaign online, don’t wait.
Fire up your laptop, open your VTT of choice, and start rolling.
You don’t need perfection — you just need the courage to play.

Ready to Start Your Own Online Campaign?

If you’re excited to bring your world online but don’t want to stress about servers, updates, or power bills, we can help.

At myvtt.eu, we offer fast, reliable Foundry VTT hosting designed for DMs who want to focus on storytelling, not tech support.
You handle the adventure — we’ll handle the rest.

TL;DR:
Playing D&D online isn’t a compromise — it’s an opportunity. With the right tools, mindset, and a touch of creativity, you can build unforgettable worlds from anywhere in the world.