Character Import

Phase 3B: Core Character Import

Import your existing player characters from D&D Beyond or Roll20 directly into CritForge. Preserve your character sheets, ability scores, and backstories without manual re-entry.

Supported Import Formats

Roll20 JSON Export

File Format: .json
Maximum File Size: 1 MB
Extraction Confidence: 95%+
Best For: Complete character data with all attributes

D&D Beyond PDF Export

File Format: .pdf
Maximum File Size: 5 MB
Extraction Confidence: 70-90%
Best For: Official D&D Beyond character sheets
Note: PDF parsing is less reliable than JSON; expect some warnings

How to Import Characters

Step 1: Export Your Character

From Roll20:

Open your Roll20 campaign
Go to the Character Sheet tab
Click "Export" or use the browser console to export character data as JSON
Save the .json file to your computer

From D&D Beyond:

Open your character on D&D Beyond
Click the character name to view the full sheet
Use your browser's "Print to PDF" function
Save the PDF to your computer

Step 2: Navigate to Import Page

For Campaign Characters:

Go to your campaign's Characters page
Click the "Import Character" button

For Standalone Characters:

Go to "My Characters" from the main menu
Click the "Import Character" button

Step 3: Select Import Format

Choose the format matching your exported file:

Roll20 JSON - For JSON files exported from Roll20
D&D Beyond PDF - For PDF exports from D&D Beyond

Click "Next" or "Continue"

Step 4: Upload Your File

Click "Choose File" or drag-and-drop your file
Wait for file validation (usually under 2 seconds for JSON, 2-5 seconds for PDF)
If there's an error, you'll see a message explaining the issue

Common Upload Errors:

"Invalid file format" - You selected Roll20 JSON but uploaded a PDF (or vice versa)
"File too large" - Your file exceeds the size limit (1MB for JSON, 5MB for PDF)
"Malformed JSON" - The JSON file has syntax errors
"Cannot parse PDF" - The PDF structure is unreadable

Step 5: Review Preview

After validation, you'll see a preview of your character including:

Character Information:

Name, class, level, race, background
Ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, etc.)
Combat stats (HP, AC, proficiency bonus)
Skills, proficiencies, and features

Warnings Section: Warnings highlight potential issues but do not block import:

🟡 Medium Severity (Yellow) - Unusual values that may need verification
- Example: "Ability score Strength (14) is slightly below expected for level 8 Barbarian"
🔴 High Severity (Red) - Values outside normal ranges or compliance issues
- Example: "Trademarked content detected and replaced: 'Drow' → 'Dark Elf'"

Homebrew Detection: If your character uses non-SRD content, you'll see:

Class/Race Homebrew - Non-standard classes or races (e.g., Blood Hunter, Genasi)
Third-Party Content - Content from Critical Role, Matt Mercer, etc.
Note: Homebrew content is allowed but will be flagged for transparency

Step 6: Confirm Import

Review the preview carefully
Check that ability scores and combat stats are correct
Click "Confirm Import" or "Import Character"
Your character will be created in your campaign or character list

Note: Import is final once confirmed. You can edit the character afterward, but cannot re-import the same file.

Understanding Warnings

SRD Compliance Warnings

CritForge automatically filters trademarked D&D terms to comply with SRD 5.2:

Original Term	Replaced With	Why
Drow	Dark Elf	Trademarked race
Beholder	Eye Tyrant	Trademarked creature
Mind Flayer	Illithid	Trademarked creature
Forgotten Realms	[Removed]	Trademarked setting

Important: These replacements happen automatically during preview. Your imported character will use SRD-compliant terms.

Extraction Confidence Warnings

PDF imports may have low confidence (< 80%) for certain fields:

Ability Scores - May not parse correctly from PDF layout
Skills - Checkboxes may not be detected accurately
Features - Text extraction can miss complex formatting

Tip: For PDF imports, double-check ability scores and skills after import.

Data Validation Warnings

Out-of-Range Values - Ability scores outside 1-30 range
Level Mismatch - Proficiency bonus doesn't match level
Impossible Stats - AC above 30, HP below 1, etc.

Homebrew Content Handling

What is Homebrew?

Homebrew refers to:

Non-SRD Classes - Blood Hunter, Gunslinger, etc.
Non-SRD Races - Genasi, Warforged, etc.
Third-Party Content - Matt Mercer's homebrew, Griffon's Saddlebag items, etc.

Import Policy

✅ Homebrew is allowed - CritForge does not block homebrew content

⚠️ Flagged for transparency - You'll see a badge indicating homebrew content

🛡️ SRD terms enforced - Trademarked terms are auto-replaced with SRD equivalents

Known Third-Party Sources

Critical Role - Blood Hunter, Gunslinger, Echo Knight
Matt Mercer - Cobalt Soul, Chronurgy Magic
Homebrew Communities - r/UnearthedArcana, D&D Beyond homebrew

Note: If your character uses homebrew, it will still import successfully. The homebrew detection is informational only.

Guest Characters

What are Guest Characters?

Guest characters are temporary party members who:

Belong to another player's campaign
Join for a single session or story arc
Are marked with a "Guest" badge

Importing Guest Characters

Select "Import as Guest Character" during preview
Guest characters appear in the campaign's character list
GMs can remove guest characters at any time

Use Cases:

One-shot adventures with borrowed characters
Cross-campaign guest appearances
NPC allies temporarily joining the party

Troubleshooting

"Rate limit exceeded" Error

You can import 5 characters per hour. If you exceed this limit, wait 1 hour or upgrade to premium for higher limits.

"Campaign access denied" Error

You don't have permission to add characters to this campaign. Options:

Import as standalone character instead
Ask the GM to add you as a campaign member
Contact support if you believe this is an error

"File validation failed" Error

Common causes:

Wrong format selected - Check that you selected the correct format (Roll20 JSON vs. D&D Beyond PDF)
Corrupted file - Re-export your character and try again
Unsupported format - Only Roll20 JSON and D&D Beyond PDF are supported in Phase 3B

"Parsing failed" Error

For PDF imports:

Ensure you exported from D&D Beyond (not other character sheet tools)
Check that the PDF is not password-protected
Try exporting again with a different browser

For JSON imports:

Validate your JSON file using a JSON validator (jsonlint.com)
Ensure the file structure matches Roll20's export schema
Check for special characters or encoding issues

Low Extraction Confidence (under 70%)

If extraction confidence is below 70%, the import may contain errors:

Review all fields carefully - Especially ability scores and skills
Edit after import - You can manually correct any mistakes
Consider manual entry - For very low confidence, manual entry may be faster

Foundry VTT JSON support
Generic JSON import - Import from any platform using a standard schema
Bulk import - Import multiple characters at once
Equipment & spells - Full item and spell import
Character portraits - Import profile images from D&D Beyond

Need Help?

Documentation:

API Documentation - For developers integrating import
Architecture Guide - Technical details

Support:

GitHub Issues: github.com/critforge/critforge/issues
Email: [email protected]

Last Updated: 2026-01-22 Phase: 3B - Core Character Import