Setting Up Character Cards in TokForge

What are Character Cards?

Character cards are the foundation of your roleplay experience in TokForge. They define the personality, behavior, and identity of your AI companions. Think of a character card as a detailed profile that tells TokForge exactly who your character is, how they should behave, and what they know about the world.

Each character card contains:

• Name and avatar — Visual identity for your character
• Description — Personality traits, background, and defining characteristics
• Greeting message — How the character introduces themselves in new conversations
• World lore (Character Book) — Context about the setting, other characters, and special knowledge
• Personality traits — Speech patterns, quirks, and behavioral guidelines

TokForge supports the TavernAI V2 character card format, which uses PNG files with embedded JSON data. This format is widely used across the AI roleplay community, meaning you can import thousands of community-created characters or export your own for use elsewhere.

Built-in Characters

TokForge ships with four carefully crafted bundled characters to help you get started right away. Each has a unique personality, custom avatar, and specialized knowledge:

Each character is pre-configured with optimal settings, including personality descriptions and first messages. They're ready to use immediately—just select one and start chatting.

TokForge ships with four built-in characters

Importing Character Cards

One of TokForge's superpowers is the ability to import character cards created by the community. Thousands of high-quality characters are available on platforms like Chub.ai, CharacterHub, and other repositories.

Step-by-Step Import Guide

Using the API

If you're building an integration or automation, you can also import characters programmatically:

POST /characters/import
Content-Type: multipart/form-data

{
  "file": [PNG file with embedded character data]
}

Per-Character Settings

Each character in TokForge can have completely independent configurations. This means you can optimize different characters for different purposes without affecting others.

Edit any character's description, personality, and settings

• Model choice — Different characters can use different AI models. Use a larger model (13B+) for nuanced, complex characters and smaller models (8B) for faster, lighter interactions.
• Memory settings — Configure how much context the character remembers about previous conversations, your preferences, and details you've shared.
• Inference presets — Choose from pre-tuned settings like "Creative" (higher temperature, more unpredictable responses), "Balanced" (moderate creativity and consistency), or "Precise" (lower temperature, more focused responses).
• System prompt additions — Customize system-level instructions for each character without modifying the base character definition.

This flexibility ensures that each character feels authentic and performs optimally for their intended use.

Persistent Memory

One of TokForge's standout features is persistent memory. Each character remembers important facts about your conversations over time, making interactions feel increasingly natural and personalized.

How Memory Works

TokForge automatically identifies and stores key facts from your conversations:

• Your name, preferences, and personal details
• Recurring topics and interests you discuss
• Context from previous conversations
• Important events or milestones you mention
• Character-specific knowledge (Marcus remembers your philosophical questions; Rex remembers your tech stack)

Memory is Per-Character

This is crucial: each character maintains separate memory. Rex will remember that you're a Python developer, while Luna remembers you're working on a sci-fi novel. This separation allows each character to develop a unique understanding of you and your context.

Memory makes characters feel more real over time as they build on previous interactions, creating continuity across multiple conversations.

Creating Your Own Character Cards

While importing existing cards is easy, creating your own allows you to build completely custom characters that match your vision exactly.

Create custom characters with full TavernAI V2 field support

New Conversation Setup — choose memory and thinking mode

Tips for Great Roleplay

Character Card Format Details

TavernAI V2 JSON Structure

TokForge uses the TavernAI V2 format, which embeds JSON metadata inside a PNG image. The basic structure includes:

{
  "name": "Character Name",
  "description": "Full character description...",
  "personality": "Key personality traits...",
  "scenario": "Opening scenario context...",
  "first_mes": "First message the character sends",
  "mes_example": "Example interaction...",
  "creator_notes": "Notes about the character",
  "system_prompt": "Custom system instructions",
  "post_history_instructions": "How to handle conversation history",
  "tags": ["tag1", "tag2"],
  "avatar": "url_or_base64_encoded_image"
}

Creating from Scratch

To create a character card:

1. Write a detailed description of your character (background, personality, motivations)
2. Craft a compelling opening message
3. Define personality traits and speech patterns
4. Create or find an avatar image (PNG, JPG, or GIF)
5. Use a character card creation tool or editor to bundle these elements into a PNG
6. Import the PNG into TokForge

Popular tools for creating character cards include web-based editors and Python scripts available in the community. Check the TokForge documentation or community forums for current recommendations.