Online utility for use with card based TTRPG

January 24, 2023 1:01 PM

I want to run a specific TTRPG for a geographically distributed group of friends online. I'm looking for a tool that will let me add digital assets to create decks that can be shuffled and shared digitally.

I've looked at various VTTs and they're either way more than I want to bother with or they require each and every user to purchase them, and I don't want to put that on my players.

I am open to using a VTT that the game I want to run (Red Carnations on a Black Grave) has already been configured for, but I have not seen any sign of that.

posted by ursus_comiter to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (5 answers total)

I haven't fired it up recently(three years or so), but OCTGN was great for this sort of thing. YMMV
posted by schyler523 at 1:10 PM on January 24, 2023

It's a bit of a stretch, but this sounds very much like Cockatrice. Now, that's more geared for Magic: the Gathering; but it does offer custom decks with custom images. And it doesn't do rules-engine simulation, so you could shuffle & share them alright.

I'm guessing that in practice it might be more of a conversion than you'd want to deal with, but it might also help guide searches towards something that would be a closer fit.
posted by CrystalDave at 3:07 PM on January 24, 2023

If it's card-driven, I wonder if Tabletop Simulator would work, or if someone has already built it. It's not free and doesn't work on mobile but it's the first one that came to mind that might have it already built.
posted by fiercekitten at 5:03 PM on January 24, 2023

Roll20 will do this and it's free at the starting tier (which is all I think you'd need). I know it looks like a lot, but you don't need to mess with most of the settings on the site to do what you're intending. Here's a tutorial on how to create custom card decks, including a how-to video.
posted by ourobouros at 5:44 AM on January 25, 2023

I've found playingcards.io useful for making card games around custom decks. You can create decks using your own images or custom text. The interface can be a little clunky, in my opinion, but I've gotten used to it. The site is entirely free. It's entirely online in a web browser (no software to download). Anyone with a room link can join that room.
posted by Lirp at 9:16 PM on January 29, 2023