How do I make a custom character token for Roll20?
When playing Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPGs) like D&D online, players need digital “tokens” to represent their characters on the virtual map. A standard token is a circular portrait with a decorative border around the edge, exported as a transparent PNG so it doesn’t have an ugly white box around it. Our D&D Virtual Token Maker allows you to upload any character art, drag it to center the face, select a procedural border like “Gilded Gold” or “Obsidian Stone,” and export a perfect 512×512 resolution token that looks incredible on Roll20, Foundry, and Fantasy Grounds.
🐉 D&D Virtual Token Maker
Create flawless character tokens for Roll20, Foundry, and Fantasy Grounds. Crop your portraits into perfect circles with decorative metallic borders and export as transparent PNGs.
How to Forge Your Virtual Token
Stop uploading messy square images to your Dungeon Master’s carefully crafted maps:
- Upload Character Art: Drag and drop your character portrait, a cool monster you found online, or a commission piece into the Token Forge.
- Pan and Zoom: The engine automatically creates a circular clipping mask. Click and drag the portrait to center your character’s face or weapon inside the circle. Use the Zoom slider to get the crop exactly right.
- Select a Material Ring: By default, your token will have a shiny “Gilded Gold” ring around it, perfect for Clerics or Paladins. You can use the drop-down menu to match your character’s class by selecting “Obsidian Stone” for Barbarians, “Arcane Iron” for Wizards, or “Crimson Blood” for Warlocks.
- Download VTT Asset: Click the export button. The tool will process your canvas mathematics and download a flawless 512×512 transparent PNG file that is instantly ready to be dropped onto the battlefield grid.
Why Use Our Token Maker?
Based on feedback from Dungeon Masters and VTT players, we designed this tool to solve the specific formatting requirements of modern digital tabletops.
1. The Transparent PNG Advantage
If you use the basic “crop to circle” feature on your phone to make a token, your phone will save the image as a JPG with a solid white square behind the circle. When you place that token on a beautiful digital dungeon map, that white box covers up the terrain! Our HTML5 Canvas engine explicitly preserves the alpha channel, exporting a true transparent PNG so only the token is visible on the grid.
2. The 512×512 Sweet Spot
Virtual tabletops are very picky about resolution. If you upload a massive 4K portrait as your token, it will severely lag the game for players with slower internet connections. If you upload a tiny 100-pixel icon, it will look incredibly blurry when the Dungeon Master zooms in. 512×512 pixels is the industry-standard “sweet spot” for VTTs, offering crystal-clear detail while maintaining a highly optimized file size.
3. Procedural 3D Borders
Most token makers just stamp a flat, boring colored ring around your image. We engineered our borders using procedural HTML5 Canvas math. Whether you choose Gold, Iron, or Stone, the engine draws simulated 3D drop-shadows and metallic highlights directly into the exported image, making your token “pop” off the flat digital map.
4. Complete Client-Side Privacy
If you are playing a secret campaign or using paid commission art, you don’t want those files saved to a public server. All image cropping, masking, and exporting happens strictly inside your local web browser’s memory. Your character art is completely private and is never uploaded anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Do these tokens work on all Virtual Tabletops?
A: Yes! Transparent PNGs are the universal standard. Tokens generated by this tool will work flawlessly on Roll20, Foundry VTT, Fantasy Grounds, Owlbear Rodeo, and even simple Google Drawing grids.
Q: Why does the gold border look shiny?
A: The “Gilded Gold” border is generated using a mathematical linear gradient. The engine seamlessly blends multiple shades of yellow, brown, and pure white to simulate the reflection of light bouncing off a metallic ring.
Q: Can I make monster tokens with this?
A: Absolutely! Dungeon Masters can use this tool to quickly crank out dozens of goblin, dragon, or NPC tokens for their upcoming sessions without needing to open Photoshop.
Q: What if I don’t want a border?
A: Simply select “No Border (Raw Cutout)” from the dropdown menu. The engine will apply the circular transparency mask and export the pure portrait without any decorative rings.