Articles ·
How to Play D&D in Your Browser: A Setup Guide
Play D&D in your browser with no downloads or server hosting. Here is what you need, how to set up a session, and how to keep an online game running smoothly.
You can play D&D in a browser tab with nothing to install: a virtual tabletop (VTT) that runs on the web, a way to talk to your group, and a character sheet that lives online. The Dungeon Master (DM) creates a campaign, players join, and everyone rolls dice and tracks their characters in the same shared space. This guide covers what you need, how to set up a first session, and how to keep an online table running well.
TL;DR
A browser game needs three things: a modern browser, a stable connection, and a voice chat tool such as Discord.
A browser-based VTT gives you a shared map, dice rolling and character sheets without installing software or hosting a server.
Test your microphone, permissions and connection before the first session, and start with a one-shot.
Smaller groups run more smoothly online, because latency makes players talk over one another.
Aeternum is a browser VTT for D&D 5e with computed sheets, live dice from the sheet and a free plan.
Table of Contents
What it means to play D&D in a browser
What you need before you start
How to set up a browser game and invite your players
Running the session: maps, sheets, dice and voice
Homebrew in the browser
Plans and pricing for your table
Start playing in your browser today
A simple first-session plan
FAQ
Sources
What it means to play D&D in a browser
Playing D&D in a browser means the whole game happens on a web page. You open a link, sign in, and land at a table where the map, the tokens, the dice and the character sheets are all there. Nothing needs to be downloaded, and the DM does not run a server on a home computer.
A VTT is the shared game space behind that page. As Runic Dice describes it, players move digital tokens, reveal areas of a map, roll dice, track initiative and manage character information on a computer or tablet.
A VTT is not strictly required. PC Gamer notes that a Discord server alone can be enough. What a VTT adds is the set of features that matter most in combat: interactive battle maps, built-in dice, easy sharing of visuals, and in some cases automated rules and interactive character sheets.
Browser play versus the other ways to play online
There are roughly three ways to play online:
| Approach | What you use | Best for |
| Voice only | Discord, video chat, physical books and dice | Theater of the mind games, tiny groups |
| Chat plus a dice bot | A Discord server with a roller in a dice channel | Light, rules-casual tables |
| Browser VTT | A web-based tabletop with maps, sheets and dice | Campaigns with combat, homebrew and regular players |
SlyFlourish points out that all you need is a tool to chat with friends, and you can keep using your physical books, sheets and dice. That works. A browser VTT is the step up when you want everyone looking at the same map and the same numbers.
What you need before you start
The checklist is short.
A computer or laptop with a current browser. Ajax DM's checklist recommends Chrome or Firefox, a quiet room, a microphone, headphones and internet access.
A voice channel. PC Gamer recommends Discord for convenience, reliability and versatility. Everyone can join voice, post images during play, and pin rules reminders and maps.
A headset if you can. GamesRadar suggests a headset for clearer audio. A webcam helps but is not essential.
A free VTT account for each person. With Aeternum, accounts are free to start.
That is all. Nobody has to buy software or rent a server.
Check your browser and connection first
A few minutes of testing prevents most first-night problems. A system check guide suggests checking your browser version, testing the microphone with a level meter, and measuring latency, jitter, download and upload speeds against a common minimum of 1.5 to 3 Mbps.
If the browser refuses microphone access, allow it from the address bar and in your system's privacy settings. If your connection struggles, the same guide suggests:
using a cable instead of Wi-Fi, or moving closer to the router
Create a Free account · View plans · All articles
More from Aeternum
- D&D Campaign Management: Keep Your Campaign in One Place (Articles): Learn how to manage a D&D campaign: what to track, how to prep without overplanning, and how to keep GM notes private while players join with no setup.
- D&D Encumbrance Rules: Carrying Capacity, Variant Limits, Attunement (Articles): D&D 5e encumbrance rules explained: the Strength × 15 carrying capacity, the variant limits, 2014 vs 2024 changes, and the three-item attunement rule.
- D&D Session Zero: How to Run One That Works (Articles): A practical D&D session zero guide: what to cover, a timed agenda, safety tools, house rules and how to run it online, with a checklist you can use tonight.
- D&D Encounter Balance: How to Set Difficulty at Your Table (Articles): Learn how to balance D&D 5e encounters with XP budgets, the 2014 and 2024 difficulty rules, worked examples and fixes you can make mid-fight.
- D&D Homebrew Classes: How to Design, Balance and Run One (Articles): Learn how to build a D&D 5e homebrew class: when to choose a class over a subclass, how to structure features, balance it, playtest it and put it on a sheet.