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Fantasy Grounds
Melbourne, Florida, United States
What it is
Fantasy Grounds is a virtual tabletop for creating and playing tabletop roleplaying-game campaigns online or in person. Its tools include dice, character sheets, campaign notes, handouts, images, tokens and maps. Rulesets automate gameplay tasks while keeping detailed rules information available in the background. The full application is free to download, with Game Master and player functionality, free rulesets, cloud connectivity and unlimited campaigns. Dynamic line of sight, lighting and vision features include darkvision support. Users can export adventure modules and create extensions or rulesets with XML and Lua. The Fantasy Grounds Forge gives creators a place to share or sell content, which users can purchase or subscribe to. A browser-based Online Reader provides access to purchased modules from any device. The application is listed for Linux, macOS, Windows and web. Fantasy Grounds works with more than 150 community developers and licensed RPG publishers. SmiteWorks says it does not store credit-card data and responds to support requests within two business days, while support excludes training, phone assistance and non-English languages.
For and against
For
- Free application includes Game Master and player features
- Unlimited campaigns and cloud connectivity
- Tools include dice, maps and character sheets
- XML and Lua support extensions and rulesets
- Online Reader opens purchased modules on any device
Against
- Support excludes training and phone assistance
- Support is limited to English
- Network setup relies on cloud connectivity
The verdict
Fantasy Grounds combines campaign play tools with customization options and a free application for both Game Masters and players. Consider its support limits and the fact that Forge content may be sold or offered by subscription.
Who it suits
Fantasy Grounds suits Game Masters and players who want a shared tabletop for campaigns, with tools for rules, maps and character information. It also suits creators who want to build and share custom modules, extensions or rulesets.
Plans and prices
Free/Demo
one demo player · limited hosting · no custom rulesets or extensions
Read 15 Oct 2026 · fantasygrounds.com
GM/Player
full player and GM tools · unlimited campaigns · custom modules · ruleset extensions
Read 15 Oct 2026 · fantasygrounds.com
GM/Player
full player and GM tools · unlimited campaigns · custom modules · ruleset extensions
Read 15 Oct 2026 · fantasygrounds.com
Ultimate
one license covers all players · unlimited free players · full GM tools
Read 15 Oct 2026 · fantasygrounds.com
Ultimate
one license covers all players · unlimited free players · full GM tools
Read 15 Oct 2026 · fantasygrounds.com
Free to Play
full Game Master and player functionality · Windows, MacOS and Linux · unlimited campaigns · cloud connectivity
Read 1 Oct 2026 · fantasygrounds.com
On the record
- 3D dice
- The product includes physics-based realistic 3D dice, which the maker describes as a long-standing differentiator.fantasygrounds.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Automation
- Official rulesets automate game mechanics and can expose features such as combat calculations, initiative handling and chained spell actions.fantasygrounds.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Community marketplace
- Fantasy Grounds Forge distributes free and paid community rulesets, extensions, adventures, maps and utilities separately from official maintained content.fantasygrounds.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company identity
- LinkedIn identifies the maker as SmiteWorks USA, LLC, a privately held entertainment provider headquartered in Melbourne, Florida.linkedin.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company reach
- LinkedIn says Fantasy Grounds is the flagship product and reports a worldwide community of more than 500,000 players.linkedin.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company size and founding
- LinkedIn lists SmiteWorks USA, LLC as founded in 2004 with 11–50 employees.linkedin.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Core tabletop tools
- It supports dice rolling, character sheets, campaign notes, handouts, images, tokens and maps.fantasygrounds.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Creator marketplace
- The Fantasy Grounds Forge lets creators share content for free or sell it, while users can purchase or subscribe to that content.fantasygrounds.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Current software price
- The October 2026 announcement says the complete Fantasy Grounds VTT software is free for Game Masters and players, removing the former software-license cost.fantasygrounds.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Custom exports
- Game Masters can export NPCs, monsters, items, maps, stories and other creations as reusable custom modules.fantasygrounds.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Users can build unlimited campaigns, export custom adventure modules and create extensions or rulesets with XML and Lua.fantasygrounds.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Developer extensibility
- Custom rulesets and extensions use XML and Lua scripting, and the developer guide documents XML and script entities.fantasygrounds.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Developer tooling
- Ruleset development requires only a text editor, with XML editors and Lua syntax-highlighting editors suggested as optional aids.fantasygrounds.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The official quick-start page links installation, basic guides, ruleset guides, a user manual and developer guides in an actively updated wiki.fantasygrounds.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Free access
- The full application is free to download and includes full Game Master and player functionality.fantasygrounds.com · read 1 Oct 2026
- Integration roadmap
- The acquisition announcement says direct Fantasy Grounds–Eldritch Foundry connection through an API is planned for a later phase; current workflows use manual character and asset exports.fantasygrounds.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Licence status
- The maker presents Fantasy Grounds as copyrighted software with all rights reserved and requires a full license for ruleset customization, so it is not open source.fantasygrounds.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: connectivity complexity
- A negative Metacritic user review complained that hosting required extensive port-opening troubleshooting before players could connect.metacritic.com · read 15 Oct 2026
