Dusty Tavern Work In Progress
A Virtual Tabletop
May 2025 – Personal Project
UX Design, UI Design, User Research, Web Design
The Project
For a personal project I wanted to explore the creation of a virtual tabletop (VTT) for tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPG). As a VTT user, I found that some are lacking in vital features locked behind subscriptions, have overbearing gimmicks, or simply do not provide enough. With my firsthand experience and gathering information from communities and friends, I wanted to address these painpoints.
What is a Virtual Tabletop?
To expand on that, a virtual tabletop is a tool for tabletop roleplaying game used by the players. This allows players to manage, organize, and connect with other players online, or in-person as a tool. The market for VTT is competitive at the moment with the rise and popularity of Dungeons & Dragons recently, so it is a massive task to create a version that keeps up.
The market for VTT is competitive at the moment with the rise and popularity of Dungeons & Dragons recently, so it is a massive task to create a version that keeps up.
The Problem
The problem I want to address in short is accessibility and intuitiveness which some VTT seem to lack. It is worth to note that not a single VTT is for everyone, that is why there is such a diverse market with ‘Foundry VTT’, ‘D&D Beyond’, ‘Multiverse’, ‘Roll20’, each of these having their own strengths and weaknesses. What I am looking for and some others in the D&D community is something that is easy to pick up, makes game sessions easier, and has what is necessary.
The Game Explained: Dungeons & Dragons
To narrow down the needs and focus of this project, I will be focusing on the TTRPG Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). The players of this game fit easily into two user personas, a player and a dungeon master. D&D it is a fantasy themed tabletop roleplaying game that takes place in a world of magic, mystical beasts, and brave adventurers. Groups of friends are required to play together, similar to a board game, and one player is designated as the dungeon master. The role of the dungeon master is to create, improvise, guide the story with the assistance of purchased campaign books and act as every non player character. The players take on the role of an adventurer, playing a single person who fits into the narrative and take on quests,
The user personas below help outline what this VTT needs, a separate experience for the dungeon master (DM) and players. The DM who will prepare, organize, import maps, handle multiple characters and rolls.
Initial Research
Requiring more than just my friends and my opinions, I compiled questions and asked Reddit communities related to the game topic of VTT. Below are the questions I asked the community.
-What Virtual Tabletop (VTT) Do you use?
– What is it about the VTT you use that you love the most?
– Biggest complaint or pain points in the VTT you use?
– If you do in-person sessions, do you use a VTT to aid in organization or for playing D&D at all?
– Would a mobile-accessible VTT or mobile D&D aid be something you would use?
Competitor Research
Design System
Pages of the design system will be typography, colors, components, buttons, grids, and navigation. Below are finished pages of the design system in Figma.
Gomez Design 