How to Use Animated WebM Tokens in Roll20 and Foundry VTT

Animated Tokens on VTT Platforms: What You Need to Know

Animated tokens add life to your virtual tabletop watching a portal shimmer or a magic missile streak across the grid transforms a flat map into an immersive scene. This guide covers everything you need to get animated WebM tokens working in Roll20 and Foundry VTT: the right file format, upload steps, common display fixes, and performance tips.

Format Reference

Not all token formats are equal across platforms. Use this table before you buy or upload.

Platform Supported animated format Recommended resolution Max file size (practical) Transparency support
Roll20 WebM (VP8/VP9) 280 × 280 px per grid square ~5 MB per token Yes (VP8 alpha channel)
Foundry VTT WebM (VP8/VP9), MP4 (H.264) 256 × 256 px or 512 × 512 px ~10 MB per token (client-side) Yes (WebM with alpha)

Key point: Wild Magic Surge animated tokens are delivered as WebM files with alpha transparency, which means the background is invisible the animation sits cleanly on your map without a black or white box behind it.

Step 1 Download Your Token Files

  1. Complete your purchase and open the download link from your order confirmation email (or your account order history).
  2. Download the ZIP archive and extract it to a local folder. Inside you will find one or more .webm files named by token variant.
  3. Keep the files organized for example, /VTT-Tokens/Portals/ so they are easy to find when uploading.
  4. Do not rename the files unless necessary; some platforms cache by filename.

Tip: If you purchased a bundle, each token will be a separate WebM. Upload only the ones you plan to use in a session to save on storage.

Using Animated Tokens in Roll20

Upload the token

  1. Open your campaign and click the Art Library icon (the image stack) in the right sidebar.
  2. Select Upload and choose your .webm file.
  3. Wait for processing Roll20 re-encodes uploaded video. This may take 30–90 seconds for larger files.
  4. Once processed, the token thumbnail appears in your library. Drag it onto the map.

Configure the token

  1. Double-click the placed token to open Token Settings.
  2. Under Token Image, confirm the source shows your WebM file.
  3. Set Width and Height to match your grid typically 70 px per grid square (Roll20 default grid square = 70 px).
  4. For a 1×1 token, use 70 × 70. For a 2×2 token (Large creature), use 140 × 140.
  5. Check Represents Character if you want to link it to a character sheet.
  6. Click Save Changes.

Adding a border (optional)

Roll20 does not apply a border natively to video tokens. If you want a decorative ring, use a token with a border baked into the WebM, or layer a static PNG ring using the Token Marker feature.

Using Animated Tokens in Foundry VTT

Upload the token

  1. In your world, open the File Picker by clicking any image field (such as the actor portrait) and clicking the folder icon.
  2. Navigate to your desired directory (e.g., Data/tokens/animated/).
  3. Click Upload File and select your .webm file. Foundry stores it in your user data folder.
  4. Once uploaded, the file appears in the directory listing.

Assign the token to an actor

  1. Open the actor sheet and click the Prototype Token button (the token icon at the top of the sheet).
  2. In the Token Configuration window, go to the Image tab.
  3. Click the image field and browse to your uploaded WebM via the File Picker.
  4. Set Width and Height in grid squares 1 for Medium, 2 for Large, etc.
  5. Click Update Token to save. Place the actor on the scene and the animation plays automatically.

Borders and display behavior

Foundry VTT v10+ supports Token Ring (dynamic ring) natively for supported system modules. For animated tokens from Wild Magic Surge:

  • If your token WebM already includes a decorative border, disable the system's token ring to avoid double-borders.
  • If your token is borderless, enable Token Ring or use a module such as Token Magic FX to add a ring overlay.
  • Animation loops automatically no additional configuration required.

Troubleshooting

Static first frame animation not playing

  • Roll20: The file is still processing. Wait 1–2 minutes and refresh the Art Library. If the thumbnail is a still image, Roll20 has not finished encoding. Try re-uploading if it remains static after 5 minutes.
  • Foundry VTT: Check your browser. Firefox and Chrome support WebM playback; Safari has limited WebM support. Use Chrome or Firefox for the GM client when running animated tokens.
  • Both platforms: Confirm the file is a genuine .webm container (not an MP4 renamed to .webm). Open it in VLC to verify playback locally before uploading.

Black box or white background visible

  • This means the alpha channel is not being read. In Roll20, ensure the file was uploaded as WebM (not converted to MP4 by a third-party tool). In Foundry, this is rare with VP8/VP9 WebM double-check the file was not accidentally converted.
  • Wild Magic Surge tokens are tested with alpha transparency intact. If you see a background, re-download the original file from your order.

Animation stutters or lags

  • Reduce the number of animated tokens visible on screen simultaneously. Each active WebM streams from storage and decodes in the browser six or more simultaneous tokens can tax lower-spec machines.
  • In Foundry, place high-token scenes on a dedicated scene separate from combat maps to reduce render load.
  • Prefer tokens at 256 × 256 px or 512 × 512 px over larger sizes unless your map resolution requires it.

Token disappears when moved to another layer

  • Roll20: Video tokens must stay on the Token layer. Moving a WebM to the Map or GM layer can cause it to render as blank. Move it back to the Token layer.
  • Foundry VTT: Animated tokens on the Tiles layer behave differently from actor tokens. If you are using a WebM as a tile (not an actor), enable Loop and Autoplay in the Tile Configuration.

Performance Tips

  • Limit simultaneous animations: 3–5 animated tokens on screen is a safe target for most systems. Beyond that, pre-warn players about potential frame drops on integrated graphics.
  • Use static tokens for background NPCs: Reserve animated tokens for PCs and major encounter creatures. Minor NPCs can use static PNG tokens without losing immersion.
  • Preload assets in Foundry: Use Scene > Preload Scene before revealing a map so tokens cache on player clients before they enter the scene.
  • Keep file sizes lean: Wild Magic Surge tokens are optimized for VTT delivery. Avoid re-encoding them conversion tools often increase file size or strip the alpha channel.

Recommended Products

Ready to add animated tokens to your next session? These Wild Magic Surge sets are fully compatible with the steps above.

  • Animated Portal Tokens - One Shimmering, looping portal animations with alpha transparency. Ideal for planar travel encounters, dungeon entrances, and boss chambers.
  • Magic Missile  Animated spell effect token for magic missile strikes. Drop it on the token layer to visualize hits in real time.

Questions not covered here? Check our FAQ page or reach out through the store contact form. We test every token set on both Roll20 and Foundry VTT before release.

Back to blog