Roll20 Characters (Previously known as the Character Vault) allows you to create and manage characters outside of the Virtual Tabletop. You can create and play with an unlimited amount of characters for free!
You can move characters into and out of games with Roll20 Characters providing you a unique way to play with multiple groups. Character sheets within Roll20 Characters are also fully functional with a roll log and compendium access meaning you can use it for in person play or any other methods outside of Roll20.
Roll20 Characters Functionality
Roll20 Characters allows users the ability to create characters without having to first create a game or otherwise wait on a GM. This helps users build a character that they would like to bring into a game once they are ready to seek one out, or for those who prefer to play in-person. The functionality available to you depends on your subscription.
Please note that character sheets within Roll20 Characters do NOT sync in real time, and changes made to character sheets need to be manually saved. Since these character sheets are NOT connected to a game, rolls in the roll log will not appear in-game and changes to characters currently in a game will not be reflected on the sheet within Roll20 Characters.
How to Create and Edit a Character Sheet
Once logged in, navigate to "Tools>Roll20 Characters" to get started.
If you have no characters currently available in Roll20 Characters you will see the following. Simply click the "Create a Character Now" button to proceed.
If you have created a character before or imported one from a game, you will see the following. Simply click the "+" icon next to the system you'd like to create a character for, or click the "Create" hyperlink in the section just below.
You will now be able to select what sheet you would like to use in creating your character.
Selecting the "Create Character" button will immediately load in a new character for you to edit. Click the character sheet and follow the prompts to create the character. Once done you will be redirected to your new character's sheet!
This new character sheet will behave just like a sheet from the Virtual Tabletop. You will be able to make edits and work through any prompts that may have appeared such as working through a character builder.
At the top of the page is access for the roll log, compendium, and the character's Bio & Info page. The ability to upload an avatar is also located here. In the bottom right is the dice roller which can be expanded by clicking on it or moved by dragging the 4-way arrow icon around the screen. In the top left is an upward facing arrow to collapse the top bar to make more room for the character sheet itself.
The Roll Log and Compendium
The Roll Log will allow you to make rolls directly from your character sheet or use the dice roller as you would, similar to the Virtual Tabletop. This can be helpful for troubleshooting a character and getting them ready for use in a game. It is useful for in-person games where you might use this page on your device without the need for paper or physical dice. This is entirely optional, but can be useful for complicated roll sequences.
The Compendium acts just like the compendium tab in the VTT as well, which can be useful for reference.
Remember, if you make any changes to your character sheet that you want to keep, be sure to click the "Save" button that is located at the bottom.
Adding Avatars
Click the avatar placeholder at the top and click "browse files" to select the desired avatar for the character. This will count towards your storage quota, so keep in mind the limitations in place for images uploaded to Roll20. If you need to change the avatar, simply hover over the image you used and click "Replace".
The name for the character can be updated here.
Accessing Bio & Info
Clicking the "Bio & Info" button will open up the applicable text fields for your character. Enter the information you would like others to know or that you would like to remember and save.
The name for the character can be updated here.
Returning to Roll20 Characters
Click the "Roll20 Characters" header at the top of the page to return to the home view for all of your saved characters.
Managing Characters
Within Roll20 Characters you can search, duplicate, and delete characters that you have saved. This is also where you can import and export existing characters from or into your games.
Searching will provide autocomplete options and ultimately filter the list of characters down to the single result.
Copying a character will create an exact duplicate while deleting a character will remove it from Roll20 Characters.
Beware! Deleting characters from Roll20 Characters cannot be undone at this time. To back up a character, we suggest moving that character to an empty game that you are not actively using.
How do I move a character into Roll20 Characters?
You can import to Roll20 Characters from any of your games. If you are a player in the game you must have permission to edit the character in order to be able to import them to Roll20 Characters.
Importing characters is easy:
- Click the "Import" button on the main page, found here and search for the name of the game in which the character is located.
- After you choose a Game, you will see a list of Characters that you have permission to edit. Select the character and click "Import Character" button. The process may take a few seconds to complete.
Once a character is stored, the character is saved as a "snapshot" and will not update with any future changes made within the original game. If you want an "updated" version of a Character, just delete the existing Character within Roll20 Characters, and re-import the Character from the game.
The "Add to Game" functionality outlined below also offers a method by which to sync and update your characters but in real time.
How do I add a character to a game?
When you are ready to use a character in a game, click the "Add to Game" link next to the right side of the character on the main Roll20 Characters page. You will be presented with a list of eligible games to add the character to. You can only add characters to games if the following requirements are met:
- You are the game creator or you are a player in that game and the game creator has activated the "Allow Players to Import Characters" setting on the Game Settings page for that Game.
- (Free users in Limited Access games) The game has not reached its transfer limit
- The character's sheet matches the one that the game uses
If a game you want to add a character to is not showing up in the list, be sure that one of those criteria above are met, and then reload the page.
Once the character is added to the game, you can open the character. Changes you make to the character in the game will show up in Roll20 Characters. Also, changes you make to the character in Roll20 Characters will show up in the VTT.
Transfer to Game
Using this option while a character is within a game, will move that character sheet to another game. Transfering a character in this way will also remove the sheet from the game it was in previously.
Copy Character
This will make a copy of the character without being connected to a game. If you would like to use multiple copies of a character across multiple games simultaneously, we recommend making copies first then adding those copies to a game.
Remove From Game
This option will remove the character sheet from the game. However, the character will still remain available while inside Roll20 Characters.
Delete Character
This option will remove the character from Roll20 Characters and also delete the sheet from any game that the character sheet is present in.
A note about Import
When first importing a character from a game into Roll20 Characters, it is NOT connected via the "Add to Game" functionality. This means deletion of this character will not delete the original sheet from the game.
If you would like to have a character use the "Add to game" functionality to take advantage of the sync features, we suggest importing it to Roll20 Characters, then adding the character back to the game via the Roll20 Characters interface. This will create a duplicate character in the game, so we would recommend renaming the original that is not synced.
What are the access levels?
Below is a table that describes the functionality of Roll20 Characters for the various subscription tiers:
| Free | Plus | Pro |
|---|---|---|
|
Limited Access. Up to 3 |
All Access | All Access |
Limited Access - This is the default level. At this level, it means the game creator is using a Free account. Games with Limited Access will be able to accept up to 3 exports from Roll20 Characters into the game from players or GMs in that game. This is on a per game basis not per account.
Players who are subscribers and add their characters to the game will not contribute to the to the number of exports available.
There is no limit to the number of characters Free users can import from a game into Roll20 Characters.
The character export count can never go down. The number of exports used will not be reduced if you delete the character or remove the player from the game.
All Access - This is the premium level. If the game creator has a subscription, anyone can add characters into the game. This includes players and Co-GMs in the game who do not have a subscription.
There is no limit to the number of characters that can be copied into a game from Roll20 Characters.
The All Access level allows subscribers to add characters from Roll20 Characters into any games. This also applies to games which have Limited Access.
FAQ
If a non-subscriber creates a game, then makes someone who is a subscriber a GM, will that game have unlimited characters? Or vice versa?
Currently, the default transfer system is determined by the game owner not Co-GM. So if the creator does not have a subscription, it will be subject to the transfer limit. Below outlines a few cases:
- Non-subscription Game Owner and Subscriber Co-GM : Non-subscribers use the transfers for that game. Subscribers have unlimited transfer regardless of game owner subscription status.
- Subscription Game Owner + Non-subscription Co-GM: Unlimited transfers for everyone.
If a player transfers a character to a game, who is the sheet assigned control to by default?
The character will be automatically assigned to the user who transferred the character. The Game Owner and GM still "own" the character and can edit it however they choose (including removing access or deleting). The original version of the character remains in Roll20 Characters.
Why isn't the same character in the other games updating when I make changes in a game?
When you transfer a character from Roll20 Characters to a game or vice versa you are actually transferring a "snapshot" of that character. This means that any changes you make after transferring are not copied to the original or other versions in different games.
To propagate those changes will require you to re-transfer the character into the Roll20 Characters. If you want to update that character in other games, you will need to re-transfer the same character out to those games as well.
The "Add to Game" functionality improves upon this by making a connection of a sheet to a game, but this only synchronizes the data and information between a singular game. It will not propagate across other games that are not connected.