How do you create character on roll20?

I am new to roll20 and online D&D so my question is....must I first join a group before creating a character or a token?

This is one route you can go. You can also create a character in a game you create yourself. This can be a private game, if you don't send out an invite, no one will even be aware it exists. If your GM has a plus or pro level subscription, or is running a full Marketplace module (not just an add-on) you can use the Character Vault to move your character into their game. It will come in complete with your token. Otherwise, the GM should create a character in their game for you to fill out.

well, that was just full of helpful info, thank you very much. I do have one more question....Discord, is that a second program I have to download?

Discord is a chat program with audio and video capabilities. Some people prefer it to Skype, or Roll20's built-in WebRTC Video & Voice Chat . You can run it as a standalone app, or in your browser.

hey, thanks for the help.