While not an essential aspect of the game, the tabletop setting has long been important to the core ofDungeons and Dragons. Gathering alongside friends, strategizing with miniatures, and rolling that game-changing attack in front of a live audience helps to not only build tension but community as well. With the game’s player base expanding drastically in recent years, players from around the globe are now playing with each other. This means that — while the accessibility ofDungeons and Dragonsis at an all-time high — that idyllic tableau of a tabletop adventure has become either impossible or infrequent for many players.
Sites like Roll20 have given players the opportunity to create interactive online maps forDungeons and Dragonsto varying levels of success. Wizards of the Coast has yet to release a first-party alternative besides the D&D Beyond Maps feature, which is currently in alpha testing. However, alongside a wave ofnew books forD&D, WOTC is steadily working on a new virtual tabletop option for players that could revolutionize remoteD&Dgames.
What Project Sigil Plans to Bring to Dungeons and Dragons
While it has yet to receive an official title, this virtual tabletop is currently codenamed Project Sigil. First announced in 2022, Project Sigil has been touted as “the Minecraft ofD&D, orRobloxfor tabletop gaming” by WOTC’s Chris Cao in aninterview with GamesRadar+. The platform will offer users an entirely 3D sandbox within which they can craft digital terrain, populate it with interactive miniatures, and host games for other players.
Crafting a Personalized Tabletop for D&D
The amount of customizable content housed within Project Sigil goes far beyond that of an average virtual tabletop. ADungeon Masterwill have access to prefabricated locations like towns, graveyards, caverns, and more, but there are also building blocks that will allow users to create their very own scenery for games. A variety of premade walls, floors, and other terrain pieces can be snapped together to create a personalized dungeon filled with traps, props, and miniatures.
This same level of customization also extends to the miniatures. Not only will DMs be able to fill their maps with figurines from Project Sigil’s extensive library — which include miniatures ofBaldur’s Gate 3characterslike Astarion and Karlach — but they’ll have the ability to make figurines of their own. This means that the visual components of a Project Sigil game can be tailored to encapsulate both the PCs and NPCs of any adventure. On top of that, every asset in the adventure will be rendered using AAA graphics in Unreal Engine, meaning that each adventurer and monster will be presented with video game-level visuals.
Playing in Project Sigil
The platform won’t just be a way to create a virtual representation of players' game boards; it will be directly integrated with D&D Beyond. Players can import their character sheets from D&D Beyond and view all of their abilities, spells, and equipment inside of Project Sigil. Any dice rolls made using Project Sigil’s 3D dice will incorporate the stats provided by the character sheet, and a player can even choose to have their gear be represented on their character’s miniature.
Project Sigil won’t just operate likeBaldur’s Gate 3, however. While the platform will incorporateD&Dmechanics into its gameplay and display, it will still defer to the Dungeon Master as the ultimate authority within a given game, allowing for the inclusion of both official andhomebrewD&Drules. Project Sigil is supposedly so flexible with its game system that, as was stated in the 2024 D&D Direct, “You don’t even have to play Dungeons and Dragons necessarily… If you want to throw in your own custom rule set or another game… Go crazy.”
The Release Date and Cost
A specific price point for Project Sigil has yet to be confirmed by Wizards of the Coast. It is currently expected to be free — or “free” with a D&D Beyond subscription — but with additional priced tiers that would net users extra features and exclusive content. Though Project Sigil’s official release date hasn’t been announced, a closed beta will be occurring later this fall.
Dungeons and Dragons
Created by Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop game in which players craft their own worlds and band together to take on adventures through mysterious realms outlined in companion materials. One of the best role-playing games ever made, it has been adapted into a variety of video games and other media.
