Bazaar Creator FAQ

Documentation Bazaar Creators
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If you have a question about The Bazaar, we attempt to answer them here. If your question isn’t answered by this article or any linked article, feel free to ask in our Discord or by emailing us.

This post is part of a series of posts dedicated to explaining the Bazaar Creator process. If you are uncertain about anything else related to The Bazaar, The Forge has a series of guides meant to teach new Bazaar Creators how to get started:

Basic Questions

What is a Bazaar Creator?

We call the people who release content on our store “Bazaar Creators”. Whether you release content for The Forge for free or for sale, if you specifically control and distribute your content on The Bazaar, you are a Bazaar Creator.

How do I get started as a Bazaar Creator?

We have a guide here!

What kind of content can I sell or distribute on The Bazaar?

Just about any content that works within Foundry Virtual Tabletop! This includes map packs, image, video and sound assets, scene compendiums featuring maps that have dynamic lighting and walls already created, fully prepared campaign worlds, modules that change how Foundry works, and much, much more! We list common forms of content and what kind of content package they are on The Bazaar here.

If you still have a question about whether your content fits within the Bazaar, feel free to ask us on Discord.

Package Creation

What are/how do I set up a compendium module?

Compendium modules are basically bundles of Foundry data, like a collection of actors, items, or pre-made maps. We have a guide to setting them up here.

Why is my content package taking so long to process? Is it stuck?

Content packages take about 10 minutes to process. If it takes longer than this, there is an issue in processing it. Try the following steps:

  • Did you choose the correct package type?
  • Did you link to the correct manifest URL? (If you are using Dropbox, deleting a file and then dragging in a file with the same name will produce a new link. You either need to copy over the original file, or edit the original one in Dropbox).
  • Have you filled out every field in the manifest file appropriately? The League of Foundry Developers has an example correct manifest file here.
  • Carefully check over each field to make sure you filled it out appropriately- especially the name, manifest, and download field. Note that this file is an example of a compendium module manifest file- other packages will look slightly different.
  • If these troubleshooting steps do not fix the package, reach out for support in our Discord or by emailing us.
Why is making a package so complicated?

We hope to automate package creation in the distant future, for content creators posting on our marketplace. This will help Bazaar Creators export their content as compendium modules, which we hope will aid in the creation process. We hope to implement this feature in the distant future, as of the time of this post.

Publishing and Licensing Questions

Can I choose to take a product down from The Bazaar?

Yes! Please know that if you pull a product from the store and it has already been purchased, customers will continue to receive access to that product. We may also update a product in niche circumstances, mainly in situations where the product will need to be updated for continued functionality, and it is viable to do so.

When these situations occur, we will make a good-faith effort to reach out to the Creator in question first, for approval. Ultimately, The Forge reserves the right to edit content posted on its store.

What should I put in the licensing field while signing the Marketplace Agreement?

Mention the creators/organizations involved in your work. We want credit per license, not per asset. You do not need to individually cite each item.

For instance, if you receive a license to distribute maps from a mapmaker within your product, you only need to credit them once, by stating “(Some) Maps obtained from Example Creator, used via their commercial license.”

How do I cite a system license in the licensing field?

In general, we require a one-line citation of the license in question used in the licensing field. For example, if you are developing a D&D 5th edition product, citing “Open Gaming License Version 1.0A- Wizards of the Coast” in the licensing field is enough.

However, you are still expected to comply with other licensing demands for derivative content. Wizards of the Coast requires you to cite the entire Open Gaming License within a D&D 5th edition product, for instance. Other publishers may require a split of the revenue, along with other restrictions. When in doubt, contact the publishers in question.

Does The Forge have any arrangements with system publishers at the moment? I want to publish something outside of the licensing/distribute content without fulfilling "x" requirement in the license, etc.

The Forge does not currently have any arrangements with system publishers, as of the time of this post. If you wish to publish content for a system, you will need to remain compliant with their offered licensing.

Can I set up automatic revenue sharing between different individuals involved in creating the product?

Yes! We detail how to automatically share revenue between fellow Bazaar Creators here.

Can I, as a Bazaar Creator still sell my content elsewhere?

Yes, of course! Unless there is an exclusivity deal between you (the Creator) and The Forge, you are free to sell/distribute your content anywhere you may choose.

We simply ask that Bazaar Creators avoid sidestepping Bazaar fees. An example of this happening would be requesting products on the Bazaar to be gifted to users, but charging for them outside of The Bazaar. In this situation, we are left with the hosting fees, and no revenue to account for it.

We are fine with Creators selling/distributing the content elsewhere as long as The Forge doesn’t initially host it. In these situations, users will typically pay for hosting elsewhere, or will be paying for storage on The Forge, which helps us remain sustainable.

Nothing about this answer is intended to stop Bazaar Creators from offering their content in a giveaway, or even in making their content temporarily or permanently free on The Bazaar! By default, we allow Creators to generate five gifts a month for free, from their content. After the fifth generated gift, we begin charging a platform fee for each subsequent gift.

How do I integrate my Patreon with The Bazaar? I'd like to offer my content to my Patreon subscribers via a certain tier, etc?

Currently, The Forge does not offer Patreon integration. This was a temporary feature, when The Bazaar was intended as a solution purely for browsing modules, instead of incorporating a marketplace function. You can still offer content for Patreon’s to install- but they will have to install them manually, and it will consume their data storage.

We intend to offer Patreon integration again, in the future- but there are several complications associated with this idea. If you have further questions or ideas for this, we are taking suggestions in Discord.

Why isn't the package I submitted approved yet?

Currently, we approve two packages a day per creator, Monday-Friday. This slow rollout in releases are intended to avoid content floods, and prevent creators with a slower release schedule from being drowned out.

We also provide extra scrutiny to new Bazaar Creators, especially for adventures/worlds, given the ease with which they can violate system licensing.

Pricing and Platform Fees

How much does The Forge charge in platform fees?

It varies. By default, we charge a 25% platform fee for any singular product $3 and over in value. Within this fee, we assume the responsibilities for tax, the transaction fee, any dispute charges, and other related transaction costs. We estimate that The Forge receives an actual cut of 8-10% of the product cost.

The Creator receives the remaining 75% share. For products under $3, we charge a 50% platform fee, owing to increased costs associated with smaller transactions. We also charge more for premium modules larger than one gigabyte (1 GB), to be negotiated per-module between the creator and Foundry.

Creators may also negotiate with The Forge to create Forge-exclusive content, or other special circumstances to potentially receive a reduced platform fee per package.

Do I get to determine the pricing of my content?

Yes. However, we do charge a higher platform fee for any transaction less than $3, so please bear that in mind when determining your product’s price on The Bazaar.

Do I have to handle sales tax for my product?

The Forge charges VAT and/or other related sales tax. You do not (generally) need to pay this tax for revenue you receive from The Bazaar. Other taxes for your business may apply.

Legal Disclaimer: We are not tax experts. We recommend verifying this information with your accountant or lawyer.

How and when do I get paid as a Bazaar Creator?

We pay Bazaar Creators through PayPal- you must have an account or service capable of receiving PayPal funds. At the very latest, you be paid by the end of the last day of the following month after a product’s valid sale, to account for any transaction issues- though payment will usually be available sooner.

Other Questions

Is The Forge ever going to release a discoverability improvement, or improvements to the sorting of content?

We have a discoverability update planned in the distant future, albeit with other features planned first. This release should be expected later, rather than sooner.

How do I get my content featured during the Forge developer update streams?
  • We showcase content from creators in our developer updates via random drawing. We draw from creators who have published content since our last developer update livestream.
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