Dungeons and Dragons: Pixels Wireless Dice May Indicate the Future of Online Tabletop Accessories
More and more players are using virtual tabletops, or VTTs, to play Dungeons and Dragons and other tabletop RPGs online. Platforms like Roll20 were already popular for players who were unable to find others to fill out an adventuring party in their own town. But in the wake of Covid-19 and quarantine restrictions, VTTs exploded in popularity. Allowing players across the world to share a virtual Dungeons and Dragons experience has a plethora of benefits but some players miss the more tactile experience of playing in person. These new wireless, Bluetooth-enabled dice are looking to bring at least the satisfaction of real rolls back to VTTs.
Virtual tabletops had a big year last year and that momentum is likely to continue. The tools provided by services like Roll20 and DnD Beyond have made it easier for DMs and players alike to meet and adventure together despite distance or Covid restrictions. VTTs include a digital map and tools like integrated dice rollers. While many find these tools perfectly useful, many others prefer a more tactile experience when they are making attack rolls or saving throws. A new Kickstarter is aiming to assuage those players with a set of wireless dice that can transmit a physical roll directly to Roll20.
Players that want to bring physical rolls into their digital games will soon be able to make that a reality. The Pixels Dice are currently in a crowdfunding phase through Systemic Games, and enthusiasts can contribute to the creation of these wireless dice. The dice feature a companion app that will allow for the Bluetooth-enabled dice to connect to any services players are using like DnD Beyond or Roll20. The dice will let players roll their dice in real life and the app will ping the results into whatever VTT or dice roller they are using, giving players the best of both worlds.
The Pixels Dice feature full RGB customization, also through the companion app, and players can set up custom effects for things like rolling a critical success or failure. This is likely one of the more attractive features to many that have already backed the Kickstarter campaign. Bringing in an element so common in PC gaming into tabletop gaming shows a lot about just how popular the genre has become. While DnD Beyond doesn't have a full VTT yet, the Pixels Dice will function in the dice roller that is part of its player companion app. Systemic Games has stated that the dice will function with all of the major services including Roll20, FoundryVTT, and DnD Beyond.
This functionality is looking like a very interesting way to satisfy something that many VTT players have wanted for a while. VTTs can be a great way to play DnD or other tabletop games, but players who also enjoy in-person sessions miss out on some of the more tactile parts of the experience. As DnD continues to move forward in many ways, moving more and more into the virtual space is likely. These new dice look to help bring one of the most viscerally satisfying parts of the hobby into the digital space.
Pixels Dice are expected to release later this year, based on Kickstarter goals.
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April 21, 2021
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