Create the Template Game for your Module/Addon

October 08, 2024 09:18

Create a New Game on Roll20

Creating a Module or Addon for sale on the Roll20 Marketplace follows the same process a GM would normally go through to create their own game for players. The Roll20 Game you create will become the template for your Marketplace product.

The Roll20 Account connected to your Marketplace Publisher Profile Page should be the account you create the game template on!

Click on the CREATE NEW GAME button on the Home Page. This will take you to the Game Creation Page.
Name your Game
- Whatever you use as the game’s name will not be used on the eventual Marketplace listing, so you don’t have to fuss with your naming conventions at this stage.
Do NOT choose a Module or Addon to be added to this Game
- Including a Module or an Addon from the Marketplace in the game that will be used to house your Game Content will cause errors in Customers' games. Use a fresh game.
- Do NOT copy a game you have used as the base campaign for another Roll20 Marketplace item!
Choose your game system’s Character Sheet
- When possible, we recommend using either the “Publisher Supported” or “Made by Roll20” sheets. This ensures that your sheets will always be up to date.
- Note: If you are the Publisher of a TTRPG, we highly recommend that you internally build an official character sheet for your system. Even if a community-created sheet for your system already exists, you will want to have full control of a version of your sheet to ensure that your system and any updates you make to it are always supported.
Click on I'm ready, Create Game! This will direct you to the Game Details Page of your newly created Game.

Adding Collaborators to your Game

The Roll20 account that creates the game will automatically have full control over the game’s Game Details Page and its settings, the addition and management of Players, and all permissions within the game. That being said, the game creator can invite as many Collaborators as needed to help assemble the product. This is accomplished by inviting them as Players initially and then promoting them to GM status after they join the game.

On the Game Details Page under the CREATED BY section where your account info is listed is the PLAYERS section. There is a button here to Invite Players. Click this button to bring up a dialog box for sending out invitations to the game.
You can send invites manually by adding their email address in the provided field and clicking on the Send Invite button. You can also copy the game’s unique Join Link at the bottom of the dialog box and share it with the people you want to be added to the game.
Your Collaborators must first click on the game invitation and log into the game by clicking on the LAUNCH GAME button from the Game Details Page before their accounts will show up under the PLAYERS section.
Once your Collaborators are present under the PLAYERS section, hover over their portrait icons on the Game Details Page. Click on the Promote to GM link to elevate their role to GM of the game (you can have as many GMs as required in a Game)

Any Promoted GM has all the same privileges and editing permissions that the Game Creator has with these exceptions:

Changes to anything on the Game Details Page (including the Settings dropdown to adjust Compendium and Character Sheet changes, copying or deleting the game, etc.)
Creating a Marketplace Listing for the Game
Removing nor demoting the Game Creator from the game (but they can invite/promote/kick out anyone else)
Adding Dynamic Lighting if the Game Creator does not have a Plus or Pro account

This is a landscape-oriented banner image that is displayed on the Game Details Page. The space is ideal for a landscape version of your product's cover image including its Title and Branding. This image will also be used as the banner of the Customer’s game when they first create a game with it.

Image Dimensions: 750 pixels wide by 350 pixels high
Image Resolution: between 72-150 PPI
File Type: JPG, PNG, Static GIF

Warning: Do Not Add Addons to your Game!

Special 5th Edition and DMsGuild Adventure Building Instructions

When selecting the official “D&D by Roll20” Character Sheet, any D&D Compendium purchases on your account will automatically be available for drag-and-drop capability in-game. Depending on what you’re building, you are limited to what you can legally use from the Compendium in your final products.

Disable all compendiums in your Game Settings to limit access to the D&D SRD!

DMsGuild and Pathfinder Infinite Adventure Creators

Artwork that is pulled in from the Compendium for characters, monsters, items, and other rule handouts cannot be published in your adventure. This includes any token art! These graphics are not part of the licensed image content that Wizards of the Coast or Paizo has made available for Community Content Program Creators. You will need to remove any Compendium graphics from your DMsGuild Adventure before publishing your Roll20 conversion.

You can use any of the DMsGuild Creator Resource art packs provided by Wizards of the Coast and create tokens from that artwork.

You can use any of the Pathfinder Infinite Creator Resource art packs provided by Paizo and create tokens from that artwork.

You can purchase this commercial license pack to use the Roll20 Monster Tokens from Brass Badger Workshop - this art is already included on SRD Character sheets!

5th Edition OGL Adventure Creators

You are limited to Compendium content that comes from the 5E OGL SRD. Certain Wizards of the Coast IP monsters and rule sets are not available for use in your publications. If you have purchased any 5E products linked to your Marketplace account, we recommend making the following changes to your Game Settings to avoid infringing on copyrighted/non-SRD material when building your adventure.

As the Game Creator, navigate to your game’s Game Details Page
Click on the Settings drop-down menu and select Game Settings to bring up the Game Settings Page
Go to the Content Sharing section and unroll it to reveal its settings.
Under the Compendium Selection, click deselect all.
Save your changes before leaving the Game Settings Page