Custom character sheets should be free to build.

Custom character sheets & their custom roll templates should be 100% free to build and share with the community. It should definitely NOT require the highest tier subscription level! These kind developers are working to improve the Roll20 site and they absolutely should not be charged for creating their little masterpieces! New TTRPGs are released all the time, and GMs/players are drawn specifically to VTTs that have custom sheets already prepared for them. Roll20 only BENEFITS from these custom sheets because they bring in new customers! Without these sheets, they continue to LOSE customers to VTTs like Foundry which costs a one-time fee of $50 versus $144/year (may be a currency conversion ) and it has all the sheets you could ever want. No developer wants to pay a monthly fee for the privilege of doing free work that financially benefits a for-profit company that is not their own! Note: I am not a programmer. Not even close. But I just found a cute new game with a couple thousand online players already, with no sheet on Roll20, and the developer told me directly that he has no plans to put one on Roll20 because of their fees. So instead, he built an awesome one on Foundry and now every online GM for the game is signing up for Foundry. All of them! A huge loss for Roll20. And this is not the first time I've seen this happen with indie games.

Hi NN,  I have to ask, did the Developer contact Roll20 asking if they would comp them the ability to create a sheet for publication? It may just be that Roll20 wasn't asked.  Also, they wouldn't need to spend $144/year. It is either $99.99 for an entire year or $9.99 for a month.  If someone wanted to make a sheet for Roll20's public sheets it would probably take 1-2 months, so $10-$20. 

Gauss said: Hi NN,  I have to ask, did the Developer contact Roll20 asking if they would comp them the ability to create a sheet for publication? It may just be that Roll20 wasn't asked.  Also, they wouldn't need to spend $144/year. It is either $99.99 for an entire year or $9.99 for a month.  If someone wanted to make a sheet for Roll20's public sheets it would probably take 1-2 months, so $10-$20.  Has Roll20 comped developers in the past? Is this a common thing? The price may have been a different $ currency or conversion issue. I believe they were under the impression that they have to pay continuously to keep the sheet active and public - is that not the case? Thanks!

I do not know if Roll20 has comped developers. Whenever dealing with any company it is worth talking to the company to see what arrangements can be made. I never assume the "sticker price" is the final word. Always negotiate if you have the possibility to do so. I figure developers have the possibility compared to normal users.  No, they do not need to pay to keep the sheet in the public sheet dropdown. That would be terrible. Imagine some sheet creator from 8 years ago stops using Roll20. The sheet vanishes for everyone using it? No, that is not how Roll20 works. You don't even need to pay continuously to use the sheet as a custom sheet. Only when creating the game. 

Honestly I very much agree with this.  I also feel like it would encourage more developers to create new custom sheets not just for new systems but also to upgrade and refine stuff for older systems.  Like you said many people are leaving for other VTTs that support customization far better (not just with sheets) and the customization options are many of my personal grievances with Roll20.  I know a lot of coders and devs and even artists (myself included in all three categories) who would love to make stuff to support TTRPGs in general but can't reasonably afford to do so.  Especially when it comes to indie and small scale new games.  Keeping older TTRPG content alive is also very important and many of the devs for the various sheets have long since abandoned Roll20.  And that's not even counting the obscure free use microsystems that pop up from time to time like pathFinalFantasy or Princess the Hopeful or something.

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