What this is
Layforge is a Master/Slave chat-based virtual tabletop: one person (the Host) runs a small server called Master, an LLM narrates and referees the session through a real rules engine (dice, checks, spellcasting, turn order — all computed server-side, never left to the model to guess), and players connect from an ordinary web browser. Every host runs their own Master — there is no central Layforge server your game depends on.
Source, the design document, and build instructions live on GitHub:
- github.com/jamesplotts/layforge — Master, the reference web client, and the protocol
- github.com/jamesplotts/opencombatengine — the open-source SRD 5e-compatible rules engine Master talks to
No prebuilt downloads yet — build from source: clone the repo, then
go build ./... from its master/ directory
(requires Go 1.24+). See the repo's own README for the full setup,
including the optional System Engine sidecar.
Campaign Pack Library
A curated set of ready-to-run campaign packs — original, SRD 5.1-legal adventures across a range of levels and tones. Drop them onto your own Master and bind one from the admin panel, or hand the whole shelf to Master at once: Campaign tab → Install the campaign pack library from layforge.org.
These packs are written for the OpenCombatEngine rules engine (D&D SRD 5.1) — their stat-block references, encounters, and level ranges assume it. The prose runs on any system engine; the mechanics need this one.
Download the pack library (.zip) Download the blank template (.zip) Authoring guide
Want to write your own? The template is a commented, ready-to-copy
skeleton — unzip it, rename the folder, and follow the authoring
guide. See downloads/ in the repo for what's in each
zip and how the library was built.
Open Games
Self-hosted campaigns whose Host has chosen to list them here. A listing tells you what you need to join from your own Layforge web client — it does not create an account or connect you to anything automatically. Listings disappear on their own if a Host's Master stops checking in.
| Adventure | Level Range | Players | Join |
|---|
No open games listed right now.