The Polygon reaction round-up this week made clear that 6th Edition is where World of Darkness fans stop coasting. Chronicle rules, hunger mechanics, and a rewritten Discipline system change enough that a 5E sheet in a PDF viewer stops being enough. Groups who ran the last edition on paper are now shopping for a companion that actually handles the new dice math and keeps the Storyteller’s notes together with the party’s sheets.
We tested 7 desktop apps that already had 6E character sheets, hunger-aware dice rolls, or clean support for the classic Vampire chronicle format at the time of writing. Every one below runs on Windows, macOS, or Linux, and every one keeps chronicle notes out of a random shared Google Doc.
What to look for
- 6th Edition character sheets. A 5E sheet with a couple of extra fields is not the same as a proper 6E sheet.
- Hunger-aware dice pools. Rolls need to distinguish hunger dice, count messy criticals, and mark bestial failures without a spreadsheet.
- Storyteller layer. Private notes, secret rolls, and a way to run the coterie’s sheets alongside NPC sheets.
- Voice-friendly setup. Voice happens on Discord for most groups; the app should not fight it.
- Live tokens or theatre-of-the-mind. Some tables use maps, some do not. Both should be supported.
- Chronicle continuity. A campaign that runs for months needs saved state that survives an app update.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundry VTT | Deep VTT with community 6E sheets in the pipeline | Windows, macOS, Linux | One-time licence | Modules for hunger dice, disciplines, and Storyteller screens |
| Roll20 | Web-first VTT with an official Vampire ruleset | Windows, macOS, Linux (web) | Yes | Character sheets and dice math built in |
| Fantasy Grounds | Windows-native VTT with strong ruleset automation | Windows, macOS (via Wine), Linux (via Wine) | Yes (Unity demo) | Fully automated rulesets when they exist for a system |
| World of Darkness Companion | Official Renegade Game Studios companion | Windows, macOS, Linux (web) | Yes | The reference for rules, updated with 6E |
| Rolisteam | Open-source VTT with a clean chronicle mode | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes (open source) | Storyteller mode with secret rolls and shared notes |
| Obsidian | The chronicle log that outlives any VTT | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | Community plugins for character sheets and session notes |
| Discord with dice bots | The voice + dice combo most groups already use | Windows, macOS, Linux (web + native) | Yes | Voice, chat, and rollable dice bots for hunger-aware pools |
The 7 best apps for Vampire: The Masquerade 6th Edition companion
1. Foundry VTT — best deep VTT with 6E-ready community sheets
Foundry VTT carries the deepest module ecosystem for World of Darkness games. Community-maintained system packages already added 6E character sheets shortly after release, with hunger dice, discipline automation, and Storyteller-only fields on the same sheet. Voice belongs on Discord; Foundry handles the rest.
Where it falls short: The one-time licence is per-Storyteller, so the Storyteller is the buyer. First-time setup is a self-hosted server or a paid host; neither takes long, but neither is one click.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: one-time host licence
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: foundryvtt.com
Bottom line: Pick Foundry if the group runs long chronicles and the Storyteller wants tool depth on par with the rules system.
2. Roll20 — best web-first VTT with an official ruleset
Roll20 was the mainstream VTT that first shipped a Vampire ruleset, and the platform continues to update the character sheet as the community fills in 6E gaps. The web-first experience means no install and no host management; players just open a URL. Dice roll macros handle hunger dice with a small setup pass.
Where it falls short: The dice engine is less flexible than Foundry’s, and dynamic lighting and other polish features live behind paid tiers.
Pricing:
- Free: base app
- Paid: Plus and Pro tiers for extra features
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (web)
Download: roll20.net
Bottom line: Pick Roll20 for the fastest path to a Vampire chronicle running with less than an hour of setup.
3. Fantasy Grounds — best when full ruleset automation matters
Fantasy Grounds built a reputation on doing the rules for you. When the Vampire 6E ruleset lands on the platform, expect hunger, disciplines, and clan abilities to be fully automated on the sheet, so the Storyteller can focus on the story rather than the math.
Where it falls short: UI dates itself even in the Unity build. Non-Windows users depend on Wine, which mostly works but is not first-class.
Pricing:
- Free: Unity demo
- Paid: subscription tiers or one-time licence
Platforms: Windows; macOS and Linux via Wine
Download: fantasygrounds.com
Bottom line: Pick Fantasy Grounds if the group values automation over aesthetics.
4. World of Darkness Companion — best official rules source
The World of Darkness Companion is Renegade’s official app. It gives a working character-creator, discipline lookups, and rules references that follow the 6E updates as they publish. It is not a VTT; it is the reference source of truth.
Where it falls short: Session play still needs a VTT or a shared table. Storyteller tools are limited by design.
Pricing:
- Free: base access
- Paid: none for reference use
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (web)
Download: worldofdarkness.com
Bottom line: Install the official companion as the tiebreaker when a rule question comes up mid-session.
5. Rolisteam — best open-source VTT with a chronicle mode
Rolisteam is the open-source VTT that keeps the Storyteller mode as a first-class feature. Secret rolls, shared and private notes, image sharing, and a clean map layer come without a licence fee. Community system files include Vampire in some form; the Storyteller may hand-roll the 6E sheet.
Where it falls short: No official Vampire ruleset yet; expect DIY sheet building. Smaller module library than Foundry.
Pricing:
- Free: open source under GPLv3
- Paid: none
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: rolisteam.org
Bottom line: Pick Rolisteam if the group values open source and is comfortable building the character sheet the first time.
6. Obsidian — best chronicle log that outlives the VTT
Obsidian is where the story survives when the campaign switches tools. Session notes, NPC dossiers, timeline logs, and character sheets live as Markdown, so a group can move from Roll20 to Foundry without losing anything but tokens. Community plugins like Fantasy Statblocks handle mechanical stat blocks; Dataview turns notes into browsable player and NPC directories.
Where it falls short: Live play needs a VTT or a table. Obsidian is the persistent memory, not the game surface.
Pricing:
- Free: full local app
- Paid: optional Obsidian Sync
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: obsidian.md
Bottom line: Pick Obsidian for the chronicle log that survives every future tool change.
7. Discord with dice bots — best voice-plus-dice combo most groups already run
Most Vampire tables are already on Discord for voice. Adding a dice bot (Sidekick, Avrae, or Dicecord) turns the same channel into the dice surface. A shared server also carries chronicle channels, session recaps, and NPC voice pins.
Where it falls short: No character sheet layer beyond what a bot’s slash commands offer. Player-secret rolls are supported by some bots but not all.
Pricing:
- Free: full app plus most dice bots
- Paid: optional Nitro for higher upload limits
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (web and native)
Download: discord.com
Bottom line: Pick Discord plus a dice bot as the minimum viable setup for a chronicle that gathers weekly on voice.
How to pick
If the Storyteller wants a deep VTT with community-built 6E sheets, run Foundry VTT on a paid host.
If the goal is the fastest path to a playable table, use Roll20 and its ruleset.
If full automation matters more than looks, buy into Fantasy Grounds.
For the reference rules and the official character-creator, install the World of Darkness Companion.
If open source is a hard requirement, run Rolisteam and build the sheet once.
For a chronicle log that outlives the game surface, keep Obsidian as the campaign archive.
For the minimum-viable setup around a voice call, Discord plus a dice bot is enough to start.
FAQ
Are 5th Edition character sheets compatible with 6E?
Not directly. Hunger, Willpower, and several disciplines changed enough that a straight import will misfire on rolls. Rebuild the sheet from a 6E template on your chosen VTT and treat the 5E sheet as a reference.
Do I need dynamic lighting for a Vampire chronicle?
No. Vampire runs well as theatre-of-the-mind with a token map, and most tables never turn on line-of-sight. If the chronicle leans into modern city crawls with specific building layouts, dynamic lighting starts to pay off.
Can I run a Vampire chronicle without paying for a VTT?
Yes. Roll20’s free tier plus Discord voice and the official Companion for reference is a working setup. Add Obsidian for chronicle notes and the total spend is zero.
How do the new hunger rules affect dice tooling?
6E hunger dice are still a subset of the dice pool that count criticals and failures differently. A Foundry or Roll20 macro that separates hunger dice from regular dice, and highlights messy criticals and bestial failures, is the difference between fluent play and a spreadsheet at the table.
