Foundry VTT is a fantastic virtual table-top system, able to help gaming groups get together from across the globe and explore the rich worlds created by enterprising DMs. Its ability to be used for a wide variety of game systems—and its extreme extensibility through add-on modules and powerful macros—provides enormous customization, but also necessitates some small introduction and useful tips for players to get the most out of the system. The lead programmer covers its look, feel, and capabilities in in this overview video (7 minutes).
Specific to the player experience, the YouTube channel Encounter Library has created a fantastic (and very detailed), player-centric introduction guide (20 minutes) for FoundryVTT which, while a few versions behind, is still well worth a watch. Additional tips, tricks, best practices, and suggestions follow on this page, and Poetics is always available to help you get the most out of our game environment!
Note that there is no cost, charge, or fee for the players of this chronicle; Poetics has his own FoundryVTT license and owns the server used to host it, making the campaign free to all players.
Configuring Settings
While Poetics has configured most behind-the-scenes and global settings, there are some options which can be set on a per-player basis. Click on the Settings menu in the upper-right and then Game Settings button. In addition to adjusting visuals to account for computer performance, here are some settings Poetics recommends exploring, to suit your own preferences.
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Core Settings
- “Left Click to Release Object”: This is a simple quality of life change that makes it easy to de-select a token by left-clicking an unused area of the map
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System Settings
- “Collapse Item Cards in Chat”: Helps to remove clutter in the chat/message box from item descriptions and effects. Individual messages can still be clicked to expand them if desired.
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Module-specific Settings
- “Dice So Nice”: Here’s where players can change the color and style of the 3D dice that get rolled on-screen
- “Zoom/Pan Options”: For those using a laptop, setting the mode to ‘Touchpad’ may make navigating the maps easier
- “Dynamic Effects”: Display results of inline rolls (used for some of the behind-the-scenes automation)
- “Simple Calendar”: Open on load (Generally not useful for players)
Movement
Dragging your token will show how far you can get using your regular movement (green) and with a Dash action (yellow). You can set waypoints to help plan more complex routes by using the spacebar, with a right-click to undo. Release your mouse to move your token. You can see an example of this movement here.
If you want to measure the range to something without actually moving your token, there is a ruler tool available as well.
The QuickBar
You can drag almost anything from your character sheet or side menu to the QuickBar, including items, class abilities, individual skill checks, journal articles, and more, so you have handy access to them without needing to click through your sheet or menus.
It’s very common to put a character’s most common attacks and cantrips, as well as player notes on the QuickBar. Clicking an icon will immediately roll the relevant check or open the respective journal page.
Chat
There are a wide number of chat commands available, of which we will be using just a few. By default, anything you type into the box will be sent as “in-character” speech, as if your character were speaking or writing. You are able to select which language you’re using with the corresponding drop-down. Characters who cannot understand the language will see only strange glyphs. Poetics will at times make use of this feature to display messages that are only visible to characters familiar with a particular language.
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/w: “Whispering” someone allows you to send a private message to another player or to Poetics -
/roll: If you are asked to make a roll that doesn’t have a handy click-button interface, you can use the “/roll XdY” syntax to roll X number of Y-sided dice (e.g. “/roll 1d20” rolls a single 20-sided die while “/roll 5d6” rolls five 6-sided dice, outputing them to chat) -
/ooc: Prefix a message with this to ensure it is displayed as coming from you the player, not your character -
/ic: This prefix will ensure a chat message displays as coming from your character in the chosen language
Double-Clicking
You can open your own character sheet by double-clicking your battle token. Double-clicking any other token will reveal some limited information, if available, about the entity in question, normally biographical information.
Double right-clicking a token will “mark” or “target” that token, as a way of pointing to or distinguishing them. Marking targets is key to many of the automations set up in the system, including hit detection, spell effects, and healing, so please remember to mark the target of your action (including yourself, if applicable) before rolling!
Alternatively you can also use the “Select Targets” tool in the left-hand menu to mark multiple targets at once.
Journal Entries
There is a huge amount of IC and OOC source material available to players as journals within the Foundry interface, and the built-in editor means players can keep their own notes and details all within the software.
It is highly encouraged for players to make themselves familiar with the various campaign articles available, and to keep their own notes up to date as the game progresses, tracking the quest as a whole as well as important or favorite NPCs, locations, and story elements.