EPIC VTT Development Update

August 29, 2026

Since our last update, most of our time has gone into improving systems that were already built, connecting pieces that were still separated, and dealing with some of the heavier performance problems we found during testing.

We aren't going to go back through every feature EPIC VTT already has in this update. Instead, we want to focus on what has actually changed and what we're working on right now.

Compendium Loading Has Been Reworked

One of the biggest changes has been how EPIC VTT handles large game-system compendiums.

In our previous update, we talked about the problems we found when the browser tried to process an enormous compendium all at once. We have taken that further.

The compendium can now remain essentially dormant while it is closed instead of trying to prepare thousands of entries that the GM isn't even looking at.

When the compendium is opened, we can load what is actually needed instead of immediately throwing the entire library at the browser.

We have also been moving toward a folder-first approach. The idea is that if you open Monsters, Spells, Equipment, or another category, EPIC VTT shouldn't need to load every other piece of game information just to show you what is inside that section.

For smaller systems this may not seem like a huge deal, but Pathfinder 2e alone has tens of thousands of files available to work with. Changes like this make a major difference once the library gets that large.

This has been one of the less flashy updates, but it is also one of the more important ones for long-term stability.

Pathfinder 2e Compendium Cleanup

We also completed a large cleanup pass on our Pathfinder 2e data.

More than 28,000 files were checked during this process, including over 6,000 creature and NPC records.

We removed a large amount of information we don't need inside EPIC VTT, including old artwork references and unnecessary descriptive information, while keeping the game mechanics we actually need to run those creatures.

The next part of that work is presentation.

Pathfinder's source material can be divided across a huge number of folders, and we don't want a GM opening the compendium and having to dig through an unnecessarily complicated folder structure just to find a monster.

We're working toward making that much cleaner inside EPIC VTT.

Creatures Are Becoming Much More Connected to the Tabletop

This has been another major area of work.

The creature system is being connected directly to the compendium, tabletop, token system, Creature Library, and NPC sheets.

The workflow we're building is simple from the GM's side:

Find a creature in the compendium, drag it onto the map, and EPIC VTT handles the rest.

When that creature is placed onto the Token Layer, the system can create a usable token and build the creature's NPC sheet using the information from the compendium.

That includes information such as:

• HP

• Armor Class

• Movement

• Creature statistics

• System-specific information

• Token artwork when available

If artwork isn't available, the creature can still be created and the GM can replace the image later.

This is a big improvement over requiring the GM to create a creature manually and then copy information over one field at a time.

Compendium Creatures Become Their Own Creatures

We also made an important decision about how imported creatures work after they enter a campaign.

Once a creature is pulled from the compendium and added to your campaign, that creature becomes independent.

That means you can change it.

Rename it. Change its HP. Adjust its abilities. Replace its token. Modify its equipment. Turn a normal monster into a boss.

Those changes belong to that creature in your campaign and don't change the original compendium entry.

If you drag another copy of that monster from the compendium later, you get a fresh creature based on the original information again.

This gives the GM much more freedom to customize encounters without worrying about accidentally changing the main game library.

NPC and Creature Sheets Are Being Connected

Our previous update mentioned that NPC sheets existed but monsters and creatures were not yet fully connected to them.

That connection is now one of the major systems actively being put together.

Different RPGs obviously don't use the same NPC statistics, so the creature needs to create the correct sheet for the game system being used by that campaign.

D&D should create a D&D creature.

Pathfinder should create a Pathfinder creature.

Daggerheart should follow Daggerheart's structure.

Starfinder should use its own information.

We're continuing to expand that system instead of trying to force every RPG into one generic NPC sheet.

Multiplayer Is Being Made Lighter for Players

We have also been changing how much campaign information a player actually receives.

A GM might eventually have a campaign with dozens of maps and a huge amount of information behind the scenes.

The player doesn't need all of that.

If the party is currently exploring one dungeon, their browser doesn't need information for a city map, another continent, the GM's hidden encounter maps, and every other backboard in the campaign.

We're working so the player primarily receives the active backboard they are currently playing on and the information they are allowed to access there.

When the GM moves the party somewhere else, the player can receive the information needed for that location.

This should reduce unnecessary loading while also keeping GM information where it belongs.

It becomes increasingly important as campaigns get larger.

New Teleport Tool

We have also added a new map tool for GMs.

The Teleport Token tool allows the GM to create two connected locations on a map.

When a token enters one teleport location, it can be moved to the connected location.

There are a lot of uses for this:

• Stairs between floors

• Ladders

• Elevators

• Portals

• Trapdoors

• Secret passages

• Large multi-level dungeons

• Magical transportation

• Moving between separated parts of the same map

The teleport locations are created as part of the GM's map setup, but they respond to tokens as the players move around the tabletop.

It's a relatively small tool compared with some of the larger systems we're building, but it can save a GM a lot of manual token movement on complicated maps.

Damage, Resistance, and Immunity

Combat connections are also still being tightened up.

We already have damage, HP, resistance, immunity, health bars, and character information working in different parts of EPIC VTT.

The work now is making sure those systems always agree with each other.

For example, if a creature sheet says that a monster is resistant or immune to a certain type of damage, applying damage through the tabletop needs to correctly recognize that information.

These are exactly the kinds of connections we're testing now.

A feature simply existing isn't enough. It needs to work correctly with the other parts of the VTT.

Daggerheart Development

Daggerheart support is also being handled a little differently as we continue reviewing what information can be included directly within EPIC VTT.

The character-sheet system itself is staying in development.

At the same time, we're being more careful with how compendium material is accessed and presented while we work through what content can appropriately be included.

We would rather temporarily limit part of a compendium than build around material we may later need to remove or completely redesign.

Interface Cleanup

We're also continuing to clean up how EPIC VTT looks and feels.

As more systems become functional, we're starting to see areas where something technically works but doesn't present information as cleanly as we want.

Recent attention has been going toward things such as:

• Compendium layout

• Information dividers

• Window spacing

• Character and creature presentation

• Buttons and controls

• Keeping related information grouped together

• Reducing unnecessary visual clutter

This part of development is going to continue for a while.

There are a lot of tools available to the GM, but that doesn't mean every tool needs to be screaming for attention on the screen at the same time.

What We're Working on Next

There are still several major areas receiving active development.

Creature automation is a big one. We want dragging a monster from the compendium onto the table to create everything it needs reliably across every supported game system.

NPC sheets still need more system-specific work, especially as the creature libraries become more closely connected to them.

Multiplayer testing remains extremely important. We're continuing to test what information is sent between the GM and players, what happens when someone reconnects, and how everything stays synchronized during a game.

Combat connections are still being tested, especially HP, damage, resistances, immunities, and the connection between sheets and tokens.

Compendium performance and organization will continue to receive attention. Loading is improving, but searching and navigating huge libraries still needs to stay fast and understandable.

Interface cleanup is continuing as we work through areas that are functional but don't yet have the presentation we want.

And finally, we need more actual campaign testing.

The platform is reaching a point where more of our work is about what happens when everything is being used together instead of testing one feature by itself.

A map might work.

Lighting might work.

A creature sheet might work.

Multiplayer might work.

The real test is what happens when several players are moving characters around a large map while lighting is running, creatures are taking damage, character sheets are changing, chat is active, and the GM is pulling information from the compendium at the same time.

That's the stage we're moving toward.

Where We Are Now

The last few days haven't been about trying to add another giant list of features just so we can say EPIC VTT has more buttons.

A lot of this work has been about making the features already there work better together.

We're reducing how much information needs to load.

We're cleaning up massive compendiums.

We're connecting monsters directly to the tabletop and their NPC sheets.

We're giving campaign creatures their own independent information.

We're reducing how much unnecessary campaign data players need to receive.

We're adding more tools for complicated maps.

And we're continuing to find and fix the problems that show up as all of these systems start interacting with each other.

There is still plenty left to do before we're ready for a larger beta, but we're getting closer to the point where EPIC VTT isn't just a collection of working features.

It's becoming one connected tabletop.

Thank you to everyone who continues to follow the project, share it, give us feedback, and support what we're building.

D20 Epic Level LLC
Developers of EPIC VTT