Roll20 is the largest online Dungeons and Dragons community, hosting millions of Dungeon Masters (DMs) and players, and featuring over 80 licensed titles on the Roll20 Marketplace, plus 37,000 third-party titles available between DMsGuild and DriveThruRPG.
The Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG) is one of three core rulebooks for Dungeon Masters, the “creative force behind a D&D game.” The other two core books are the Player’s Handbook and the Monster Manual, both available on Roll20. In this blog, we’ll check out how Roll20 integrates the DMG seamlessly into your online play!
The DMG offers guidance to ignite your creativity and craft immersive realms and adventures for your players to explore! Contained within are world and campaign crafting tips and tricks, additional game rules, iconic D&D magic items, and much more!
Book Overview
The original Dungeon Masters Guide – yes, the apostrophe was purposefully omitted! – was published in 1979, completing the ruleset for AD&D (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons). It contained all the rules for playing the game outside of character creation. The fifth edition version released in 2014 and is broken down into three parts as follows:
- Master of Worlds – advice on building worlds of your own alongside a breakdown of the current D&D multiverse
- Master of Adventures – guidance on ways to craft adventures for your table including components such as NPCs, dungeons, and treasure
- Master of Rules – tips for how to make rulings at the table and optional rules to incorporate
As you explore the DMG, remember all rules in D&D are subject to what’s fun for you as DM and for your players. Keep in mind that adjusting rules to suit your table is a valid option!
Playing on Roll20
The Dungeon Master’s Guide has been fully converted to the Roll20 Tabletop to aid in your in-person and online games, and is designed to make your D&D journey as accessible and customizable as possible! While there are Free Basic Rules available on Roll20, purchasing the DMG unlocks 400 magic items, subclasses like the Oathbreaker Paladin, lore for the various planes of existence, and rules options for poisons, explosives, and more!
The in-game Compendium allows you to search and drag and drop directly into your games and onto your Character Sheets:
- Magic items can instantly populate Character Sheets with relevant information
- Rules pages can be dragged and dropped in-game to your Journal section for easy reference during play
- Subclasses can be selected in the Character Builder
You can access everything from the Dungeon Master’s Guide outside of the virtual tabletop, too, via the web compendium!
Your purchase also includes an Art Pack containing illustrated tokens and portraits. There is also a Game Addon with sample maps complete with Dynamic Lighting (for Plus and Pro users) and Rollable Loot Tables!
Check out our Dungeons & Dragons Hub to learn more about playing D&D on Roll20!
You Might Also Like
The other two core Dungeons & Dragons rulebooks that best supplement the Dungeon Master’s Guide are the Player’s Handbook and Monster Manual. You can purchase both, along with the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Essentials Kit in Roll20’s D&D DM Starter Bundle to save 15%.
- The Player’s Handbook serves as an essential resource for both beginners and experienced players, providing comprehensive guidance on character creation, game mechanics, and spellcasting.
- The Monster Manual presents a horde of classic D&D creatures—a monstrous feast for Dungeon Masters ready to challenge their players and populate their adventures.
In Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, encounter dozens of new spells along with additional feats and a randomized backstory system!
In Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, you will find more rules options and subclasses as well as a dash of added artifacts, spells, magical tattoos, group patrons, and more!
Devious DMsGuild Creations
📝 Xanathar’s Lost Notes to Everything Else – new player options (including subclasses for every class), backgrounds, items, and rules options
❓ Puzzles, Predicaments, and Perplexities – a collection of puzzles designed to be easily placed into any adventure
🎲 The Solo Adventurer’s Toolbox – for the forever DMs who crave a chance to play!
Robust Roll20 Items
⚔ Weapons of Legend – magical weapons, including progression rules
🌕 Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt Package – A grimdark setting, a completely revamped madness system, and horrific new player options
🔥 Campfire – An Elegant Travel System for 5e – an elegant travel system created for D&D Fifth Edition. It provides a middle-ground between simply montaging travel and rolling for encounters on a table
👛 Loot Found on the Dungeon Floor – trove containing 200 meticulously designed magic items
👹 Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting – Full Package – Rules for harvesting, crafting items, and tracking, along with new magic items and more!
📕 Tome of Heroes – a variety of options to create unique characters plus new optional rules for downtime activities
Conclusion
The Dungeon Master’s Guide stands as an indispensable cornerstone of the Dungeons and Dragons experience. It empowers Dungeon Masters to weave intricate narratives and build captivating worlds for players to explore. With its seamless integration into Roll20’s platform, the DMG becomes more accessible and adaptable than ever, offering a wealth of resources to enhance gameplay.
If you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to sign up for a FREE Roll20 account and experience the ultimate platform for online tabletop gaming:
- Roll20 runs in your browser, eliminating the need to run a server
- Inviting your friends to play is only a click away
- Play D&D anywhere! Access your rules, character sheets, and one-click rolls online and in person
- Build and manage unlimited D&D characters on Roll20 Characters
Keep your eyes peeled for future posts in this series by following us on Twitter. Your next adventure awaits!