Foundry Navigator

Foundry Navigator adds keyboard-first and screen-reader-friendly navigation tools to Foundry Virtual Tabletop. It is currently focused on D&D 5e character sheets and gameplay workflows on Foundry VTT v13 and v14.

The module is designed to reduce reliance on mouse-only controls, hover interactions, and visually locating controls during character-sheet navigation and combat.

Current Scope

• Foundry VTT v13 and v14
• D&D 5e system
• Default D&D 5e actor sheets
• Tidy 5e Sheets, including the modern layout

What's New in v0.14.0

• Safer default shortcuts that avoid known Chrome and Foundry conflicts
• Automatic migration of older module defaults without overwriting custom keybindings
• A more reliable C shortcut for opening the current character sheet when Foundry cannot resolve it normally
• Screen reader narration throughout target selection, attack confirmation, damage application, and focus recovery
• Optional announcements for damage, healing, temporary HP, conditions, and status-effect changes
• Dedicated Enter and Shift+Enter canvas token actions

Feature Overview

Character Sheet Keyboard Navigation

• Alt+Shift+H returns focus to the active sheet tab, including when focus is inside a sheet input
• Tab and Shift+Tab move between supported tab controls
• Enter activates tabs and common sheet actions
• Keyboard users can move into the active panel and cycle through interactive controls predictably
• Escape and Ctrl+Shift+Tab provide a clean way to leave sheet focus modes
• Spoken guidance plays when focus first enters a supported character sheet

Inventory, Spell, and Action Support

• Keyboard support for inventory rows, spell rows, and feature rows
• Support for attack, use, and roll buttons on supported sheets
• Keyboard access to Tidy 5e item context menus
• Support for Tidy 5e's combined Sheet tab as well as dedicated Inventory and Spellbook layouts
• Improved handling for attack, damage, healing, and roll configuration dialogs
• Row-centric activation logic improves reliability when focus lands on nested controls such as item images
• Focus is restored to the originating row after many attack and consumable workflows complete

Combat Tunnel and Targeting

• Keyboard-first target selection dialogs for D&D 5e attack and consumable flows
• Distance-aware target ordering
• Self-first consumable targeting when appropriate
• Hit or miss follow-up dialogs after attack rolls
• Direct damage and healing application without chasing chat card controls
• GM-mediated damage and healing application for players acting on unowned hostile tokens
• Screen reader narration from target selection through attack confirmation, damage application, and focus recovery

Screen Reader Announcements

Announcement features are configurable per player, so each user can enable the feedback that is useful to them.

• Incoming chat messages
• Roll results, with a shortcut to re-read the latest result
• Combat turn changes
• UI notifications
• Token movement
• Tokens entering or leaving the current scene
• HP, damage, healing, and temporary HP changes on owned actors
• Condition and status effect changes on owned actors
• Improved labels and spoken hints in Foundry Navigator's Configure Settings controls

Canvas Keyboard Actions

• Enter opens the actor sheet for the current keyboard token
• Shift+Enter targets the current keyboard token
• Alt+Shift+W announces the controlled token's grid position, HP, and active conditions
• C opens the controlled token's actor sheet or the current player's assigned character sheet

Helpful Keyboard Shortcuts

• Alt+Shift+H: return focus to the active sheet tab
• Alt+Shift+R: re-read the latest roll result
• C: open your current character sheet, with a module fallback when Foundry cannot resolve it
• Alt+Shift+A: open Foundry Navigator settings
• Alt+Shift+K: open Configure Controls
• Alt+Shift+W: announce the controlled token's position, HP, and conditions
• Enter: open the current keyboard token's actor sheet
• Shift+Enter: target the current keyboard token

Module shortcuts can be changed through Foundry's Configure Controls screen. Known older defaults are migrated automatically, while user-created remappings are preserved.

Installation

Install the module using the manifest URL from the latest GitHub release: https://github.com/deathstarjim/foundry-navigator/releases/latest/download/module.json

Limitations

• The most complete support is currently for D&D 5e on Foundry v13 and v14
• Default D&D 5e sheets and Tidy 5e are the primary supported sheet types
• Other systems and sheet implementations may work partially, but are not the focus of current development
• Accessibility support is still evolving, and some Foundry or third-party module workflows may require further refinement

Acknowledgments

Foundry Navigator was inspired in part by earlier Foundry accessibility work from Cora (silvative), including the Accessibility Enhancements module. Direct feedback from screen-reader and keyboard-only players continues to guide development.

Bugs and Enhancement Requests

Please report issues or request enhancements through GitHub Issues.

Helpful report details include:

• Foundry version
• D&D 5e system version
• Which sheet was in use: default D&D 5e or Tidy 5e
• Relevant supporting modules
• Clear reproduction steps

Contributing

Code contributions and real table feedback are welcome, especially feedback from players using keyboard-only or screen-reader-driven workflows.