How Alpha-5 Works
Complete step-by-step guide to setting up and using Alpha-5 with your Foundry VTT server
Why Alpha-5?
Created by a Game Master who faced the real challenges of managing multiple worlds and players.
Built by GMs, for GMs
"As a GM on StartPlaying, I constantly face the challenge of managing many worlds and welcoming new players. Manually adding each player to worlds and ensuring the correct world is active when they want to work on character sheets became a time-consuming hassle that took away from actual game preparation."
Alpha-5 was born from these real frustrations and designed to solve actual problems that Game Masters face when running multiple campaigns and oneshots with rotating player groups. It's the tool I wish I had when I started running games for multiple groups.
The Challenge
Multiple active worlds to manage across different campaigns and oneshots
Constant stream of new players from StartPlaying
Manual player creation for each world was time-consuming
Players needed access to their correct world to work on their character sheets
The Solution
Players can check active worlds easily from Discord
Automated player creation for access to game worlds
Smart world switching when worlds are unpopulated
Start by adding the Alpha-5 bot to your Discord server. You'll need administrator permissions to invite the bot and set up the initial configuration.
Required Permissions
Alpha-5 needs these permissions to function properly:
- Send Messages - To respond to commands and provide game information
- Use Slash Commands - To register interactive commands like /setup and /help
- Embed Links - To display formatted status updates and game information
Steps to add the bot:
- Click the "Add to Discord" button
- Select your Discord server from the dropdown (you must have administrator permissions)
- Review and authorize the required permissions listed above
- Confirm the bot has been added successfully
Visual Guide:
Begin by accessing the Alpha-5 dashboard
Use the /setup command to configure your Foundry VTT server connection.
Configuration Process:
- Run
/setupin your Discord server - Click the provided dashboard link
- Enter your Foundry server URL (all users)
- Add credentials for advanced features (premium only)
- Test the connection to verify setup
Visual Guide:
Ensure the bot has all required permissions for your server
Set up automated responses that trigger when users send messages containing specific keywords or phrases.
Setup Steps:
- Access your server dashboard via
/setupcommand - Navigate to the "Auto Responses" section
- Review and enable/disable global responses that suit your server
- Click "Create New Response" to add custom auto responses
- Configure trigger phrases (e.g., "how to access", "active world", "login help")
- Set your response message or choose command execution
- Choose smart or exact matching and configure settings
- Save and enable the response
Visual Guide:
Access auto responses through the server dashboard
The companion module lets you view and manage API-registered players from within Foundry VTT.
Installation Steps:
- Open Foundry VTT as an administrator
- Navigate to "Add-on Modules" in the setup screen
- Search for "Alpha-5" in the module browser OR use the manifest URL below
- Install and activate the module
Direct Installation
You can also install using our direct manifest URL:
https://gitlab.futurehax.com/foundryvtt/alpha-5-module/-/raw/main/foundry_vtt/module.jsonConfiguration Steps:
- Go to your server dashboard via
/setupcommand - Copy the API key from the module configuration section
- Open Foundry VTT and go to Module Settings
- Find Alpha-5 module and paste the API key
- Save settings and test the connection
Note
The module only displays your API players list. Player creation is handled automatically by the Alpha-5 service - no module required for that functionality.
Visual Guide:
Navigate to Add-on Modules in Foundry VTT setup screen
Create a dedicated Game Master user named "Alpha-5" in your Foundry worlds. This is required for automated player creation - Alpha-5 logs in as this user to create player accounts directly in Foundry.
Setup Steps:
- Log into Foundry VTT as an administrator
- Launch your world
- Navigate to Settings → User Management
- Click "Create Additional User"
- Enter
Alpha-5as the username (exact spelling required) - Set a password (must match the one in server dashboard)
- Set the role to Game Master
- Save the user
- Repeat for each world you want to manage with Alpha-5
Visual Guide:
Visual Guide: Creating Alpha-5 GM User
Screenshots showing the user creation process will be available soon
Give your players the power to join games and switch between worlds seamlessly through Discord commands.
Player Creation:
- Share Discord server invite with your players
- Players use
/create-my-playercommand (professional/premium) - Alpha-5 automatically creates the player account and character sheet directly in Foundry
- Players receive their login credentials via Discord DM
- Players can check world status with
/get-active-world(free)
World Switching:
- Use
/switch-worldcommand in Discord (premium) - Select target world from the dropdown menu
- Alpha-5 checks if current world is empty (no active players)
- If players are active, admins can use override option to force the switch
- Notifies Discord channel of the world change
Visual Guide:
Players use the /create-my-player command in Discord to start the character creation process
Ready to Get Started?
Join thousands of Game Masters who are using Alpha-5 to monitor their Foundry VTT worlds through Discord, with premium features for enhanced automation and management.
Questions? Check out our FAQ or contact support.