Welcome back, Forge community, to Part 2 of our special edition of Stars of the VTT Galaxy, featuring none other than Youness Alaoui—KaKaRoTo himself!
In Part 1, we explored KaKaRoTo’s journey into software development, the early foundations of The Forge, and his impact on the VTT space. Now, we dive even deeper, not just into his tools and vision, but into the values and reflections that continue to guide him.
From his deep love of open source to the ups and downs of running The Forge, KaKaRoTo shares not just what he’s built, but what he’s learned along the way. In this part of the interview, he speaks from the heart to the TTRPG and VTT community, offering insights, encouragement, and honest reflections for anyone who’s ever built tools, launched ideas, or led a community with heart and determination... It’s about people, principles, and what it means to build something meaningful.
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to balance community, creativity, and compassion, you won’t want to miss this part of the conversation with one of the digital tabletop’s most influential voices.
Our sky consists of many stars. Each of them illuminating our planet. As you can guess, the stars are you. Yes, it's you, the great content creators who, in your own unique way, shine on our worlds. Thank you for being part of our heavenly sky and weaving the fabric of our Community.
Let's meet today's star.
Foundry VTT & Module Development
You’ve created some of the most well-known and widely used Foundry VTT modules: The Furnace, Permission Viewer, Let Me Roll That For You, Polyglot, PopOut!, Trigger Happy, and many others! Many Foundry users swear by your modules, calling them essential. But out of all of them, which one are you the proudest of, and why?
KaKaRoTo: That’s a tough one, I have so many modules that I loved doing, and I have good reasons for choosing each one as my favorite… But since the question is “proudest”, I will say “Permission Viewer” (now called “Ownership Viewer”). Simply because when I developed that module (as a fresh convert from Roll20 to Foundry), it was the first time I wrote something in JavaScript in my life (all I knew of JS at that point was Wat). It ended up being much easier than I expected, and it opened the door for all the rest.
Polyglot adds an immersive language system to Foundry. Where did the idea come from, and did you expect it to become such a must-have for so many GMs? On the other hand, Trigger Happy is a brilliant automation tool. What inspired you to create it, and do you see automation playing a bigger role in the future of VTTs?
KaKaRoTo: Polyglot was a fun module! If I remember correctly, the idea came from someone on the Foundry Discord who asked if it was possible and how hard it would be to make a module for it, and I wonder “Yeah... How hard could it be?”, and I gave it a try, and had a ton of fun with it.
As for Trigger Happy, it was created for The Forge, as we wanted to make a “tutorial demo” for how to use Foundry very early on and we wanted it to work without a DM (changing scenes, giving prompts when you reach a specific spot, etc…), and so Trigger Happy was born! I made it very simply, where you just use a journal entry with “Trigger Happy” as the title and put your triggers in it, because I didn’t want to build a UI for that.
Seeing as it would have been useful to the larger community, we released it open source (just like we later did with VuePort and dlopen). The reaction and popularity of the module were much bigger than anticipated! People really wanted triggers and automation!
Eventually, other modules added similar functionality, alongside an actual UI, and they replaced Trigger Happy.
Beyond that, do you have a personal favorite module - not just from the ones you created, but across all Foundry VTT? One that makes you think, “I wish I had made that”?
KaKaRoTo: I’m sure tomorrow I’ll think of many modules and wonder which is my favorite, but I think Dice So Nice deserves to be named here. It’s an awesome module that brings a much-needed functionality to Foundry and does it brilliantly! I wish I had made that! 😀
If you had unlimited time and resources, what’s a dream module you would love to create for Foundry VTT?
KaKaRoTo: Oh no, unlimited time and resources?! 😱 Does energy and mental fortitude count as resources? Cause if I had unlimited time, I’d spend more of it sleeping, that’s for sure! Lol
In terms of a module... I’m not sure, honestly, I think what I did when I built The Forge itself is likely the dream “functionality” I would have spent unlimited time and resources on, and I’m happy to say that the work we’ve done already on The Forge’s platform does fulfill that dream!
For a more hypothetical response, I’d say that I’m not sure what the module would do exactly, but I really wanted to explore the VR environment a couple of years ago, but due to a lack of time and resources, busy with The Forge’s work, I couldn’t.
So yeah, that’d be my response, exploring VR and making something cool with it!
If you could add one magical feature to Foundry VTT overnight, what would it be?
KaKaRoTo: A magical feature? The ability to open a portal and enter the map in our physical forms! 😁
More seriously, though, something that’s within the realm of possibilities (but still pretty magical), I think having an AI assistant that listens in on the session and proposes ideas/solutions/reminds me of my own prep notes, during the game, would be amazing. I always used to prep for hours and take a lot of notes, but during the game, I would forget everything I had prepared, so something that actively monitors the game and reminds me of what I wanted to do next (or helps with ideas for the new direction to take when players inevitably go off script) would be an amazing magical feature!
Beyond20 & Open Source Development
Beyond20 is a beloved tool for a lot of D&D players. Did you ever expect it to become as big as it is? What was the biggest technical hurdle in making it work seamlessly across platforms like Foundry VTT and Roll20?
KaKaRoTo: Of course, I never expected it to become as big as that! Originally, I wrote it for my table, and I just expected a few of my players to use it. When it got like 20 users, I thought that was pretty cool already! 🤣
It wasn’t really a big issue to make it work seamlessly across FVTT and Roll20, but I think the biggest technical hurdle I had was the fact that I didn’t know JavaScript back then and I didn’t want to learn it (see previous response about the Wat video), and because I couldn’t do what I wanted without it being a browser extension, and only JavaScript was supported for extensions, I ended up finding a python to JavaScript transpiler. So, Beyond20 for its first couple of years (I think?) was written in Python and was transpiled into JavaScript.
The issue with that method is that debugging was hard because you end up debugging transpiled JavaScript code, and it made external contributions very hard.
So with a fairly mature code and large user base, I made the decision to convert the project to real JavaScript... Which involved writing a little program that uses regular expressions to change the code from Python syntax to JS syntax.. And then I had to go through the entire codebase to fix anything that was broken, and it required a lot of testing… But we’re much better for it now!
If Wizards of the Coast were to ever approach you about officially integrating Beyond20 into D&D Beyond, would you consider it?
KaKaRoTo: Of course! I did have conversations in the past with D&D Beyond, and they had shown interest in maybe endorsing it officially. I think whatever has a benefit for the users and community at large, I’m all for it!
I doubt it would ever happen, though. But if it does, we’ll see by the time they approach me, how bad WotC is, and whether I still feel OK working with them, from an ethical perspective. (If they had gone ahead with their OGL nonsense, I would likely have decided to boycott them forever).
What’s a piece of open-source software (outside of your own projects) that you think more people should know about?
KaKaRoTo: Oh, that’s such a great question! I think answering “Linux” would be cheating. 🤣
I use so many different open source software that it’s hard to see if any one of them is of particular interest, especially as they’re all unique in what they do. There’s Shotcut, which is a really great video editing software, or Manuskrit, which is a tool for authors to help them with writing books, Orcaslicer for 3d printing, VeraCrypt for disk encryption, KeePassXC as a password manager, etc…
But I think for our users, one that would be of more interest might be Obsidian, which is an open-source note-taking app that can be really helpful for prepping your games.
Many developers struggle with burnout, especially when maintaining open-source projects. How do you keep yourself motivated, and have there been moments when you considered stepping away?
KaKaRoTo: Honestly, I consider stepping away every day. I am definitely deeply burnt out, but I do what I can when I can, and I managed to basically hold off any feelings of anxiety and external pressure, so I stopped worrying too much about it. If I was still constantly worrying about frequently releasing new updates, I would probably not last long because I have already pushed myself well beyond my limits.
What does keep me motivated and keeps me coming back to my projects, though, is the expectations of my users, whom I never want to disappoint. Especially when you consider that many are giving me financial support via my Patreon, I have a moral and ethical duty to keep supporting the software I’ve released for their sake.
I do have to say however that most of the work on Beyond20 in the last couple of years has been done by the community, and my job is mostly to review their contributions, brainstorm ideas and implementations and merge it all and make the releases, so I want to give a huge shoutout to all of the contributors who have helped keep the project going and helped me keep my sanity. Chief among them are Aeristoka, who helped a ton with many contributions throughout the years, and Gothyl, who has kept the project alive in recent years.
TTRPGs, Game Mastering & Playstyles
Do you have the opportunity/time to play games by yourself? As someone who loves solving complex challenges, do you gravitate toward certain game mechanics or systems?
KaKaRoTo: I don’t really have the time or the opportunity, or even the mental capacity to play games anymore, unfortunately. When it comes to video games, I quickly get bored, and I tend to gravitate towards short games, because if I can’t finish a game in one setting, then I know I won’t get back to it. By the time I have time to play again, it’d be so long that it’s like discovering the game anew, and I would have forgotten the story, etc…
The kind of games that I love are usually story-based games (The Last of Us is a good example of a perfect game for me), something that makes you connect emotionally to the characters and makes you want to know more about what will happen to them. I do love puzzles and challenging games (Hollow Knight was great because it was challenging and not boring, and had a story).
If we’re talking about TTRPGs, I’ve had the opportunity to do a few games with comrades from my activism circles, which have been a lot of fun, but we’ve only played casual one-shot RPG games (Slay the Spire, For the Queen, Alice is Missing, etc…).
I plan on playing Never Alone this week, as part of a new Game Club community event on the Dreams on a Pillow discord. I figured it’d be a great way for me to remember to have some fun from time to time and play some games alongside other like-minded individuals.
By the way, if you haven’t heard of Dreams on a Pillow, check it out, it’s an amazing-looking game that’s in development and can be pre-ordered/crowdfunded over here.
Do you prefer being a player or a GM? And what’s your favorite type of character to play?
KaKaRoTo: Both have pros and cons. I prefer to be a GM because as a player with ADHD, it’s easy to get distracted and bored, whereas as a GM, I’m 100% focused the entire time. But the issue with being a GM is that it requires a lot more time commitment, and is a lot more stressful for me!
My favorite type of character would be a goofy one! Maybe a Rogue or some type of class that gives me freedom to do silly things. I always have the most fun with that kind of character.
How do you see technology shaping the future of TTRPGs? Some players fear that digital tools might take away some of the improvisational, “theater of the mind” elements of RPGs. How do you respond to that concern?
KaKaRoTo: I think technology will always keep evolving and bringing more depth to the gameplay. It will definitely have an impact on the more traditional types of play, but the beauty of it is that you don’t have to use a specific technology if it’s not something you enjoy. I think the more technology can be used to help GMs and players in their games, the more freedom it gives them to do new things and improve new ways to have fun, and eliminate the more tedious or boring aspects of gaming.
You’ve helped thousands of players migrate from Roll20 to Foundry VTT. From your perspective, what makes Foundry VTT special compared to other virtual tabletops?
KaKaRoTo: The ability to modify the software and customize it to your needs or add features to it is definitely the reason why I fell in love with Foundry VTT and why I think it’s such a successful virtual tabletop.
Community, Challenges & The Future
You’ve built a strong community around The Forge. Is there a piece of community feedback that truly surprised you or changed the way you approached development way back?
KaKaRoTo: This is another great question, Jana! It’s an easy one for me to answer, though.
There was one piece of community feedback that I still remember, which both surprised me and affected me in a significant way. I remember one of the first large outages we’ve had, which lasted several hours during which the entire website was inaccessible. I was asleep at the time, and we hadn’t yet set up a system for moderators to call and wake me up in case of an emergency.
I thought the worst-case scenario had happened, that everyone would abandon The Forge and be (understandably) angry at us. Up until that point, I had been living in a constant vortex of stress and fear, waking up multiple times every night to check that everything was still running smoothly, and I thought that a loss of service, however temporary, would be the end of everything.
After we announced to the users what happened and that we were offering a refund for the month to the users who were affected by the outage, we received an outpouring of support from our users instead. Many people emailed us to simply say, “I was affected, but I don’t need the refund, it happens, and thank you for what you do.” And the amount of love and understanding we’ve received from the community really shook me and also helped me realize that I can sometimes set unrealistic expectations of myself and forget that people are generally reasonable and understanding.
It really changed how I approached things, as it helped lower my stress levels and probably helped prevent burnout at the time.
Despite that, outages remain a very problematic issue that should never happen, and we continue to do our best to prevent, mitigate, and circumvent any such issues so that our players enjoy the best service possible.
What’s something about running The Forge that most people don’t realize? In other words, what’s the hardest part of running a business in the TTRPG/VTT space in your experience?
KaKaRoTo: I think most people don’t realize the level of complexity that is needed to get something like The Forge running smoothly. The amount of moving parts involved and also the overhead are staggering.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned as a developer, entrepreneur, and community leader that you wish more people in the TTRPG industry understood?
KaKaRoTo: It’s not a new lesson that I’ve necessarily learned recently, but it’s a lesson that I think is important to relearn and remind ourselves of every day: Capitalism is a blight on this land, because capitalism puts profit over anything else, including people.
Whether you’re a developer, an entrepreneur, or a community leader, always think of your users, employees, and community members before trying to think of how to make money off of them. If you have a good and compelling product, one that puts the user’s needs first, then it will likely be successful, but if you try to “game the system”, use aggressive marketing, or mistreat your staff, then you may come to regret it. Even if those techniques might make you rich, is it worth the eternal stain on your soul?
Basically, enjoy what you do, and do it with love, and let its success or failure be organic. Don’t abuse employees, don’t scam users, don’t falsely advertise. Eventually, people will respect you for it… And if they don’t, it doesn’t matter what they think as long as you can still sleep at night with a good conscience.
A science fiction novel! What's going on with that? And how does your experience with coding, problem-solving, and game design influence your approach to storytelling?
KaKaRoTo: Ahhh, I wish I had the time to go back to that novel and finish it! I think I got about 60% of the way, but then The Forge took over, and I have not had the time or opportunity to go back to writing that novel.
It was an idea I had once, which I thought was very compelling, and it kind of evolved into a story that I wished I could write. Then I thought, why not write it? I once saw a video/quote of Brandon Sanderson (one of my favorite authors, though his silence on the Gaza Genocide makes me re-evaluate seriously what I thought of him) saying that when people say they play basketball, we don’t ask them when they’ll enter the NBA; as long as they’re having fun and it’s good for them, we’re happy with that. But if someone wants to write something, people ask when they’d get published… That isn’t the point; the point is to do something we enjoy, and it’s good for us.
That’s how I started writing, just for myself and because I enjoyed doing it. I did approach it in a very analytical way, which I find funny, and I really enjoyed trying to piece out how to do the writing and how the story will unfold, etc... Learning about writing was quite interesting and fun.
I hope to someday get back to it and have something worth sharing. 😊
If you had infinite time and resources, what’s a dream project, gaming-related or not, that you would love to create?
KaKaRoTo: I’d love to create a comprehensive documentary or series of educational videos or other type of media that could help people better understand the Nakba, the mass killings and dispossession of Palestinian land by the European settler colonial project known as Zionism. Something to help people quickly and fully understand and absorb the information that we spend hours every day watching on our social media. Help people recognize and understand the lies and the Hasbara (Israeli Propaganda) so that everyone in the world is able to see through the lies and stop saying “I don’t known enough” or “It’s complicated”, so that we can finally stop this Genocide and stop the Apartheid and stop the Occupation, and one day see a free Palestine, from the river to the sea!
Zionism is one of the most vile ideologies in modern history, and it has created countless victims worldwide. Whether it’s the Palestinians who have been massacred, dispossessed, or living in concentration camps since 1948, or the Jews of the world who have been forcibly made complicit in some of the worst war crimes of our history, and brainwashed into thinking that Zionism is somehow linked to Judaism. One of the biggest victims of Zionism is the rules-based order and International Law, which has become exposed as an obvious tool of Colonization rather than a tool of peace.
I hope that Zionists around the world, including the Jewish population living in Occupied Palestine, can eventually see that their colonial project has no place in a modern world, and start to get informed on the history of Palestine and get deprogrammed from all the hatred and lies they’ve been fed for so long.
Jewish liberation is intrinsically linked with Palestinian liberation, and, paraphrasing Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories: One good thing that came out of this Genocide in Gaza is that it has allowed Jewish and Muslim communities to bond and fight together for the liberation of Palestine and it has allowed them to rebuild the bridges that had been burned down by the Zionists decades ago.
What advice would you give to module developers or even folks thinking about learning to code?
KaKaRoTo: The advice I always give is: “Figure it out on your own”.
I believe it’s what helped me the most… Instead of asking for help, I try to figure things out on my own, and it becomes a puzzle, with fixing the bug or finding a way to implement a specific feature bringing an incredible feeling of accomplishment. This isn’t just about the pride of doing something on your own, but it also teaches us how to think outside the box, how to learn new things, and how to fix problems. It has helped me get better and also be able to learn so many different things, and it usually gives me a unique perspective when approaching a new problem.
Where do you see yourself in, let's say, five years? What are your plans in general for the future?
KaKaRoTo: Honestly, I am waiting for the current escalation of the Palestinian Genocide to stop so I can go to Palestine and help rebuild and do some humanitarian work there. In five years? I’m hoping to still be there, and hoping to still be alive. There’s really not much else to even consider at this point.
Thank you, KaKaRoTo, for taking the time to speak with me. Beyond the incredible insights into your work, The Forge, and your many contributions to the TTRPG space, you’ve shared thoughts that reach far beyond code and campaigns, reminding us to approach this world with open minds, open hearts, and compassion.
So I’ll close this interview not just with admiration for your achievements, but with the hope that, when we speak again, the world will look a little closer to the one you wish for.
Thank you again.
KaKaRoTo: Thank you for having me. These conversations matter, and I’m glad to be part of them.
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