This section covers what Foundry is and what you need to do to have it run on Gameboard.

What is Foundry Virtual Tabletop?

Foundry Virtual Tabletop (Foundry VTT or "FVTT" for short) is an application built specifically for experiencing multiplayer tabletop role-playing games with your friends and party members over the internet. Foundry VTT works using modern web technologies where one player (the host) runs an application which hosts the game server and other players can connect using a web browser. As a "virtual tabletop", the software provides a set of digital tools which are designed to imitate and expand upon the experience of playing a game in-person with your friends. Support for character sheets, rolling dice, exploring battle maps, and moving heroic tokens are just a few of the many features which enable this experience. Foundry Virtual Tabletop goes well beyond the basic feature set, however, with rich dynamic lighting, fog of war, audio playlists, video chat using webcams, and way more. Foundry VTT gives you everything you need (and then some) to forge thrilling and memorable moments with your gaming group!

How do I play Foundry Virtual Tabletop?

Foundry Virtual Tabletop is a platform for playing role-playing games online. To play on Foundry VTT, you will need to do the following:

1. Set up a Foundry VTT server: You can either host your own server or use a hosting service.
2. Create a game world: Using the Foundry VTT software, create a game world by importing or creating maps, placing tokens, and creating non-player characters (NPCs).
3. Invite players: Once your game world is set up, invite players to join your game. Each player will need to have the Foundry VTT client installed on their computer.
4. Start the game: Once all players have joined, you can start the game. The game master (GM) controls the game world and NPCs, while players control their own characters.
5. Use the in-game tools: Foundry VTT includes a variety of tools for players and the GM to use during the game, such as dice rolling, character sheets, and a chat system.
6. Have fun! It's important to note that you need to have a paid license to use Foundry VTT, but you can try it out in a free trial mode.

How do I buy Foundry Virtual Tabletop?

To purchase the software, follow these steps:

1. Register a user account on this website. You can (optionally) link your account with Patreon at the time of registration.
2. Go to the Purchase page. Foundry Virtual Tabletop individual licenses cost $50 (plus tax). If you have access to a Discount Code (if you were a Patreon supporter during Beta) you should apply it before purchasing. More details on that below.
3. Agree to the terms and conditions and provide your payment information. Payment is handled by Stripe which is a trusted platform for secure online payments. They accept all manner of credit and bank cards including most foreign cards. Unfortunately no other payment methods are supported at this time.
4. Once you purchase, after waiting a few seconds you will be redirected to your User Profile page where your newly issued software license will be available to use along with download links to the software.

How do I activate and install premium purchased content?

Premium Content will come with an accompanying content activation key. Using this key, go to your User Profile on the Foundry Virtual Tabletop website by logging in and clicking your name in the top-right corner. On your user profile, click the Premium Content button to go to the content management and activation page. On this page you can enter your purchased content key in the form at the top of the page. Content that you have successfully activated will be displayed below. Once content is activated, you will be able to install it from within the Foundry Virtual Tabletop application using the System, Module, or World Installation tools in your Setup and Configuration menu.

What is the recommended map size for Foundry VTT on Gameboard?

The current maximum resolution for a map in Foundry VTT on Gameboard is 4096x4096. Since Foundry's minimum pixels per inch is 50 that means you could fit an 81x81 square scene on Gameboard if you're willing to move the map to see different areas. If you'd like to have a 1 inch grid on Gameboard with no panning of the map (if you're using minis for example) you'll want to make your maps 17x17 squares to fill the entire Gameboard screen which could be up to 240 pixels per inch if using the full 4096x4096 resolution but smaller values will lead to better performance.

What modules do you recommend?

The most important module to add is the Gameboard Support module which also includes the TouchVTT module that adds improved support for touch devices. Other than that, you can add any modules that fit your playstyle and game system because Foundry VTT on Gameboard provides access to the same API and features as Foundry on the desktop!

What is the recommended setup?

Since the Gameboard is a mobile gaming setup we would recommend the Gamemaster run Foundry VTT on their laptop and have the Gameboard connect to it using the ‘Local Network' invitation link. Players can also use their own laptops to connect to Foundry in the same way to have private access to their character sheets and notes if desired. If anyone is looking for guides on how to get started with Foundry in general you can check out Part 1 of our Gamemaster Tutorial, Player Orientation, or the Encounter Library series on Foundry Basics in both written and video form.

This support module is needed to pair tokens and run Foundry on your Gameboard.

1. Navigate to you Foundry Server's Configuration and Setup > Add-on Modules and click Install Module.

2. Search for Gameboard and install the module called Gameboard Support.

3. Now navigate to Game Worlds and open up the world you would like to add Gameboard support to. From there, go to the Game Settings and click Manage Modules.

4. From Module Management, make sure to activate Gameboard Support and TouchVTT and Save Module Settings. Now you should be able to access this game from the Foundry Player Client and pair tokens!

To join a game through the Foundry Player Client on the Gameboard, you need to enter in the url that a player would normally enter to join the game from another laptop.

If you are hosting from a laptop on the same network, simply take the game invitation link from Game Access > Invitation Links > Local Network and use that link in the Foundry Player Client. Make sure to include the port shown (:30000 in this example).

Hosting Options

Foundry has a few other hosting options if you don't want to self host and have your laptop running while connected on Gameboard. You can see some of those options in the Hosting Options Guide.

Troubleshooting

If you are having trouble getting to the Join Game Session screen from the Foundry Player Client, test the URL on a laptop or phone. If you are unable to connect, there may be an issue with the hosting, like your firewall may be blocking the connection.

If you are able to connect through your laptop or phone and having trouble on the client, check if the url redirected you to another url, and try to use the new url in the client.