Astral is the recently refreshed virtual tabletop and alternative to Roll20. It runs in your web browser without you needing to install any software.
Animated Tokens on Astral
Tokens are used to decorate the maps that are the central feature of any virtual tabletop. Astral has added animated tokens so you can have campfires that flicker, dangerous portals that swirl or ghouls that shuffle along.
If you’re an Astral customer, you should find you now have 20 animated tokens already gifted to your account when you log in next.
Astral worked with freelance designer and illustrator Devin Night on these tokens. If you’re a fan of his work then you can buy more from his site or from Astral partner, DriveThruRPG, where companies like Rite Publishing and Battleground Games have Devin Night tokens as products.
Animated Maps
Sometimes the animation you want on a map is larger than a mere token can manage. For example, perhaps you want the sea under your boat in a Ghosts of Saltmarsh D&D game to be rippling like waves.
I’ve looked in my standard Astral account and see free animated maps too. The list includes
- Pirate Ship Docked
- Subway
- Crypt Interior
- Farm Interior
Astral worked with TPK3D, a Patreon creator who specialises in 3d gaming maps and scenes, on this project.
Do you use Astral? Will the animated tokens and maps upgrade your gaming experience?
Equally, if you’re not yet an Astral user but sign up, it would be nice to know whether only current customers got these animated perks or whether they’re standard in all accounts now.
