Getting Started with Foundry VTT: A Beginner's Guide (2026)

Just picked up Foundry Virtual Tabletop and not sure where to start? This guide walks you through everything from the setup screen to running your first combat encounter. It's the written companion to our Foundry Basics video — watch it alongside, or use the timestamps to jump straight to what you need.

Note: Recorded in January 2026 on Foundry v13. Foundry v14 is now stable; the setup flow and basics are the same, and v14 adds features like core Scene Levels — see our v14 Levels guide.

▶ Watch this part: “Introduction and What We'll Cover” (0:00)

Before you begin

• We start at the setup screen, so Foundry should already be installed (or hosted) and your license key entered.
• This isn't a guide to everything in Foundry. It covers the essentials, and links out when you're ready to go deeper — including the full Foundry Basics playlist, the official Knowledge Base, and the community wiki.
• Examples use the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition system. The principles are the same in every system; some UI may look a little different depending on the system's styling.

Use the built-in Tours

▶ Watch this part: “A Note on Tours” (2:16)

On the setup screen's Game Systems tab you'll see an orange "Show me how" link with a little hiker icon. That launches a Tour — an interactive tutorial that hops around the interface explaining features. You can step through it or close it at any time. Later, in a world, Settings → Tour Management shows which tours you've started or completed, lets you start any tour, and lets you reset tour progress to replay them.

The Foundry setup screen

▶ Watch this part: “Setup Page Layout” (3:15)

The main window has three tabs:

• Game Worlds — your worlds (unavailable until you install a system).
• Game Systems — rulesets such as Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, DC20.
• Add-on Modules — extra features or content.

Beside it are the News panel (opens items in your browser) and Featured Content (a module or premium product Foundry is highlighting). Top-right buttons:

• Warnings — issues with modules or systems, e.g. a package not compatible with your Foundry version, or strange files in your data directories.
• Configure Settings — see below.
• Update — check for updates on the stable, testing, or development channel. This handles minor versions (builds, like "build 351"). Major versions (e.g., v13 → v14) usually require downloading a fresh installer and doing a full install — you keep your data, but it's a different process. See our Foundry Basics video on major version updates.
• Manage Backups — back up worlds, modules, and systems, or take a snapshot of everything together. Use these before updates.

Configure Settings: set an administrator password

The most important setting: if your Foundry install will ever be connected to the internet, set an administrator password. Without one, anyone can log into your setup with no restriction and remove your modules, worlds, and more. Here you can also change the user data path, default world, language, themes, connection options (ports and certificates, which allow players to use Foundry's built-in audio/video), data-usage options, migrating old database files, and reloading packages.

Installing game systems

▶ Watch this part: “Installing Game Systems” (7:21)

Click Install System. Each package shows a description, links to its website (usually GitHub, or a store like DriveThru for purchased content), the author, and the version; you can also open its Foundry package page. Browse categories or search (e.g., "DnD"), then click Install. Install as many or as few as you like.

Manifest URL: at the bottom is a field for a manual link to a system.json. You won't usually need it for systems, but it may come up for modules — and it's how you install a specific previous version instead of the latest. The packages tab also has Update All and view options (gallery, tiles, details).

Installing add-on modules

▶ Watch this part: “Installing Add On Modules” (9:33)

Install Module works the same way. In the video we install Baileywiki Mass Edit.

Dependencies: modules and systems can declare required dependencies and recommended ones. Mass Edit requires libWrapper, so Foundry offers Install dependency automatically (recommended) or manually.

Tip: install as many modules as you like, but try to keep to a number where you know what everything does. For our picks of essential modules that work in any system, see our Top 5 Must-Have Modules for 2026 video — or install them all at once with the Top 5 Must-Have Modules for 2026 loadout.

▶ Go deeper on Mass Edit: “Mass Edit Overview” (2025 deep dive) · “Baileywiki Mass Edit” in Top 5 for 2026 (16:30)

Creating a game world

▶ Watch this part: “Creating a Game World” (10:58)

Go to Game Worlds → Create World (skip "Install World" — prebuilt worlds, a feature that may not be around forever). Fill in:

• World Title — how it appears in your menu.
• Data Path — always inside Data/worlds/; if you leave the last part blank, Foundry uses the title in lowercase with hyphens.
• Game System — required (we use D&D 5e).
• Background Image and join theme — optional; many systems supply a default background.
• Next Session — schedule your next game with the calendar widget.
• World Description.

Click Create World, then Launch. On the join screen, Gamemaster is your only user at first (no password). Game Details shows the next session and how many players are logged in. Note: Return to Setup from the join screen only works if you've set an admin password; otherwise do it from inside the game.

Finding your way around the game UI

▶ Watch this part: “Game UI” (13:29) · What changed in v14: Select and Palette Tools: “Select and Palette Tools” (1:23)

Tools / Controls (top left)

▶ Watch this part: “UI: Tools/Controls” (13:52)

These manipulate everything on a scene. The left column is the category (e.g., Token Controls); the right column shows that category's sub-tools (e.g., Select Tokens). The active tool has an orange box; toggles light up purple/blue. Hover any tool for a built-in mini tutorial of its controls.

Scene Navigation (top)

▶ Watch this part: “UI: Navigation” (15:08)

Shows the scenes you can move between. A circle with a dot marks the scene you're viewing; a star marks the active scene; an eye with a slash means GM-only. Colored initials show where each user is (G in green = Gamemaster).

Players list (bottom left)

Shows latency, FPS, and logged-in users. Right-click your name → User Configuration to change your name, avatar (used in chat and A/V), color, pronouns, and assigned player character.

Directories / Sidebar (right)

▶ Watch this part: “UI: Directories and the Settings Panel” (16:31)

Collapsed by default — use the arrow at the bottom, or click any icon, to expand.

Settings you should know

▶ Watch this part: “Configuring Game Settings” (17:15)

• Configure Settings — system, core, and module settings. The search box matches setting names, not modules or categories, so searching a module's name won't take you to its settings.
• Configure Controls — keybindings for core keyboard and mouse controls, your system, and some modules. (▶ Configure Keybinds and Controls)
• Manage Modules — installed isn't enough: activate modules here (and any required dependencies), then Save Module Settings for it to take effect. (▶ Activating and Deactivating Modules)
• Edit World — everything from setup except data path and system. (▶ Edit World Description, Image, Session Time, etc.)
• User Management — add players and passwords. Roles: Player, Trusted Player, Assistant GM, Gamemaster. Assistant GMs see nearly everything but can't override the GM. Configure Permissions (also under Core settings) shows and changes what each role can do — e.g., letting Trusted Players create and delete tokens while regular Players can't. (▶ Creating Users and Configuring Permissions)
• Tour Management, Support & Issues (bug reports), View Documentation, and community wiki links. (▶ Sending Bug Reports and Help Documentation)
• Invitation Links — the Local Network link only works for people on your Wi-Fi/modem; the Internet link needs port forwarding (a red X means it isn't set up). Click a link to copy it. (▶ Inviting Players, Logging Out, and Returning to Setup)
• Log Out and Return to Setup.

Directory basics

▶ Watch this part: “Basic Directory/Panel Functions” (24:04)

Apart from Chat and Combat Encounters, each directory holds one document type: Scenes, Actors, Items, Journal Entries, Rollable Tables, Card Stacks, Macros, Playlists, plus Compendium Packs for deep storage. All share the same basics: search, sort manually or alphabetically, collapse all folders, and create folders (name, color, sort mode). "Create in folder" just pre-fills the folder.

Creating a battlemap scene

▶ Watch this part: “Creating a Battlemap: Scene Configuration” (25:43) · “Creating a Battlemap: Viewing the Scene” (28:08) · Go deeper: “Scene Grid Configuration Tool” in More Than Just Levels! (9:14)

Click Create Scene to open the scene configuration.

1. Background image: use the file picker; Foundry creates an assets folder you can organize with subfolders. "Choose File" uploads; the path on the bottom line is what's actually selected.
2. Grid: choose square/other types and set grid size (default 100 px; if your map was made at 70 px per square, use 70).
3. Scene dimensions: leave them alone — on save, Foundry sizes the scene to your background image.
4. Save Changes.

Viewing vs. activating: left-click a scene in the directory to configure it; right-click → View to look at it. In Navigation, a scene can be GM-only or visible to all players. Everyone on a scene can see its navigation name, so rename "Sample Battle Map" to something spoiler-free if needed. Activate a scene to move everyone to it; the active scene is always available to everyone in navigation.

Pausing

▶ Watch this part: “Pausing and Unpausing” (29:22)

Press Spacebar to pause/unpause. While paused, players can't move or take certain actions.

Walls and doors

▶ Watch this part: “Walls and Doors Basics” (30:55) · Go deeper: “UI and First Looks” in Supercharge Your Walls - Monk's Wall Enhancement #Foun… (1:07) · Go deeper: “Demo of Animated Doors” in Add new animated doors in any battlemap in #foundryvtt… (0:00)

Open Wall Controls. The wall types are presets — you can change any wall after drawing it. Double-click a wall to configure restriction direction, and whether it blocks movement, light, sight, and sound (with options like limited, proximity, reverse proximity, and thresholds).

• Chain walls: hold Ctrl over an endpoint and drag; keep holding Ctrl to continue drawing from that point. Right-click to cancel the current point; release Ctrl before the last click to finish.
• Adjust: drag endpoints to reposition (you can't drag a whole wall; it grabs the nearest endpoint).
• Doors: use Draw Doors or change a wall's door setting to Door or Secret Door, with state open/closed/locked and door sounds. In Token Controls, click the door icon to open/close; right-click to lock (as GM). Secret doors are visible only to the GM/Assistant GM.
• Door animations: choose an animation (e.g., swing) and assign an image; our door art comes from the Baileywiki Nuts and Bolts module. The open state is visual only — vision still uses the original wall line.

Lights

▶ Watch this part: “Lights” (36:27)

Draw Light Source: left-click to set the origin, drag to set the radius. Hold Shift while dragging anything on the canvas to bypass grid snapping for precise placement. Double-click a light to set dim and bright radius (e.g., 40 and 20), color and intensity, Advanced options (attenuation, saturation, contrast, shadows, luminosity), and animations (e.g., Flickering Light, with speed and intensity — great for a large fire). Click Update Ambient Light to save — closing the window discards your changes. Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V copies and pastes lights (and most canvas objects).

Scene darkness

▶ Watch this part: “Scene Darkness” (40:28)

Use Transition to Daylight / Darkness to preview, or set Darkness Level in the scene's Lighting tab: 0 = brightest, 1 = darkest.

Ambient sounds

▶ Watch this part: “Ambient Locational Sounds” (42:31) · Go deeper: “Ambient Sounds” in #FoundryVTT Basics - Playlists and Ambient Sounds (24:42)

Like lights: click for the origin, drag for the radius, then pick the sound file, maximum volume, volume easing (louder toward the center), whether it's constrained by walls, and optional wall-based effects. Toggle Preview Ambient Sounds (headphones icon) to hear sounds as you move around without a token.

Theatre of the mind scenes

▶ Watch this part: “Creating a Theatre of the Mind Scene” (45:20)

Create a scene and: set the background color to black, set grid opacity to 0 (keep it square rather than gridless — easier to work with), turn off Token Vision and turn on Global Illumination so players see everything without owning a token. Set the Initial View Position with the capture button so everyone starts on the shot you framed.

Creating items

▶ Watch this part: “Creating Items” (47:52)

Items are anything that goes on a character sheet: classes, backgrounds, feats, features, weapons, spells, and more (exact types vary by system). Create Item, name it, and choose a type — you can't change an item's type later. Fill in the description (D&D 5e also has unidentified and chat descriptions), details such as damage formulas, and (in D&D 5e) activities and Active Effects — powerful for automation, but not needed for your first game.

Creating actors and characters

▶ Watch this part: “Creating Actors/Characters” (50:56)

Create Actor, name it, choose a type (e.g., Player Character). Use the sheet's edit toggle to change the name and portrait, and set up the prototype token (how it looks when dropped on a scene). Drag items onto the sheet or use +. Items on a sheet are copies — editing the sheet's sword doesn't change the sidebar sword, and vice versa. Many systems (D&D, Pathfinder, Shadowdark, DC20) offer guided character-creation widgets.

Journal entries

▶ Watch this part: “Journal Entries” (53:43) · Go deeper: “About Journals and the Journals Directory” in Foundry Basics: What You Need to Know About Journal En… (1:22)

A journal entry is a book of pages (page types vary by system). The editor is a familiar WYSIWYG: styles, block quotes, and secrets (visible only to the GM or owners). Ctrl+Z undoes. Drag actors, items, or other journals into the text to create links that open them.

Rollable tables, card stacks, macros, and playlists

▶ Watch this part: “Other Directories: Roll tables, Card Stacks, Macros, and Playlists” (55:27) · Go deeper: “Basic Rollable Table Functions” in #FoundryVTT Basics - Rollable Tables Demystified (1:10) · Go deeper: “Card Stack Basics and Types” in #FoundryVTT Basics - Card Stacks (1:34) · Go deeper: “Playlists” in #FoundryVTT Basics - Playlists and Ambient Sounds (6:41)

• Rollable Tables — results you roll on.
• Card Stacks — decks, hands, even full card games (Savage Worlds uses cards for initiative).
• Macros — chat or script macros, written in JavaScript.
• Playlists — music and sounds, played sequentially, shuffled, or as a soundboard, on the Music, Environment, or Interface volume channels (ambient sounds use Environment).

Compendiums: Foundry's deep storage

▶ Watch this part: “Compendiums for Storing and Importing Content” (57:08) · Go deeper: “Intro to Compendiums/Directories/Scene as Freezer/Fridge/Table” in Storage and Organization in #FoundryVTT! Files, Compen… (25:23)

Think of compendium packs as the freezer: long-term storage. Each compendium holds one document type (shown by its icon). Bring an entry in by right-click → Import Entry, dragging it to the sidebar, opening it and clicking Import, or dragging it onto the canvas. Careful: dragging from a compendium onto the canvas twice creates two separate actors. Delete one and its token breaks. Import once, then place copies from the sidebar. Dragging spells/items from a compendium directly onto a sheet adds them to the sheet without cluttering your sidebar.

Ownership and permissions

▶ Watch this part: “Ownership of Actors and Other Objects” (1:00:11) · Go deeper: “Permissions” in Foundry Basics: What You Need to Know About Journal En… (30:33)

Right-click any document → Configure Ownership. Set a default for All Players and per-player levels: Limited (knows it exists, can't open details), Observer (can view, not edit), Owner (full control, including hidden info). A common setup: players have Limited on other PCs and Owner on their own. Players can then select their owned character as their Player Character in User Configuration; the player list shows who owns what — handy for some automation.

Token movement

▶ Watch this part: “Token Movement” (1:02:21)

Move with arrow keys, WASD, or the numpad (diagonals with single keys). Click-drag for simple moves; start dragging then hold Ctrl and left-click to add waypoints, release Ctrl and click to move. Use the scroll wheel to change elevation (e.g., flying). A dashed line means a wall blocks the path. As GM, the ghost toggle lets you move unconstrained.

Vision and advanced wall types

▶ Watch this part: “Vision and Additional Wall Types” (1:04:34)

By default tokens only see where there's light. (Players seeing a black screen? See Players can't see the map?.) Limited walls don't block the first time sight/light passes through, but block at the second. Proximity walls block until a token gets close enough; reverse proximity walls are transparent until you get close.

Map notes from journals

▶ Watch this part: “Adding Scene Notes with Journal Entries” (1:06:03) · Go deeper: “Scene Notes” in Foundry Basics: What You Need to Know About Journal En… (35:26)

Drag a journal (or page) onto the map to create a scene note, with icon, label, and global options. Toggle Notes Display to keep notes visible with any tool. Players only see notes for journals they have permission to see.

Creating and running encounters

▶ Watch this part: “Creating and Running Encounters” (1:07:25)

1. Drag NPCs from the Actors directory or system compendiums. Import once, then copy-paste tokens to add more — don't drag the same compendium creature in repeatedly.
2. NPC vision is usually off, so selecting monsters won't change your view.
3. Select all combatants, right-click a token → Toggle Combat State.
4. In the Combat Tracker (right-click its icon to pop it out), use Roll NPCs (rolls for anything without a player owner) or Roll All; players can roll their own initiative.
5. Begin Encounter. Turn markers and tracker settings (skip defeated, sounds) are configurable.
6. On a turn, hover an enemy and press T to target, then use items/abilities from the sheet. Chat cards offer buttons to roll saves and damage, apply damage, and refund resources (varies by system). Apply status effects from the token HUD.
7. Next Turn advances; the round advances automatically after everyone acts. Click combatants to jump to them. End Encounter when done.

Keep learning

▶ Watch this part: “Outro and Conclusion” (1:14:07)

• Foundry Basics playlist · Official KB · Community wiki
• How to use Levels in Foundry v14
• 1-on-1 coaching hours with Zephyr
• Want the maps and modular scenes from the video? They're from Baileywiki.

Related guides

• How To guides (all)
• How to use Levels in Foundry v14 · ▶ v14 Levels video
• How to upgrade to Foundry v14 safely · Foundry v14 compatible modules
• Foundry v14: new features · ▶ v14 Feature Roundup
• 1-click loadout
• Best D&D 5e modules for Foundry VTT · All D&D 5e modules
• D&D 5e quality of life modules · D&D 5e maps and scenes modules
• Troubleshooting: Players can't see the map? · Modules broke after a Foundry update?
• Browse all game systems · Browse loadouts