Player's Tips for Using Token Properties (MapTool 1.2.b32)

[Artok]

This post is intended to help people learn how to use all the different token properties as a player. I also intend to post something for DMs as a supplement to this information. Feel free to use this post to build some formal user documentation for MapTool.
NOTE: I am a D&D player, so please forgive the d20 bias.

Basics
Notes Text area to describe anything you wish. The Notes section is the only section visible to all players.
Properties Standard list of ability scores, HP, AC, Defense, Movement, and Elevation.
State Used to indicate the state of your character, such as dead, disabled, hidden, prone, or other.
Macros In my opinion this is the most important part of the token properties. Allows you to predefine macros assigned to your token.
Speech This can also be used to predefine macros.
Ownership Allows you to let other players have control over your token.
Config Set shape, size, and snap to grid.

Notes
The Notes tab is simple. It is a text area where you can enter anything you wish. If you have anything you want to keep track of that won't go anywhere else put it here. You may want to use this section for your equipment, or a list of feats or skills. You may want to list your known spells. If you use the new d20 stat sheet you can simply cut and paste your stat sheet into this section.

The GM also has a text entry field in the Notes section. It is only visible to the GM, so you won't be able to use the GM Notes even on your own character.

Properties
This is a basic entry field for your character's ability scores and other character information. You can enter your Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. You can also enter your hit points (HP), Armor Class (AC), Defense (I use this area for saves), Movement (Speed), and Elevation.

In the 1.2 version these token property names are standard and can't be changed, but in the 1.3 version you can edit the list of properties you want to use in your campaign, and there is some discussion of being able to reference these properties in your macros.

State
This area is used to set basic indicators of your token state. A list of the standard token states and how they look are below:
Dead: Large red X over your token
Disabled: Large grey X over your token
Hidden: Entire token dims
Prone: Blue circle around token
Incapacitated: Red circle around token
Other: Small red dot in lower right corner of token

In general, your GM should let you know how he plans to use these token states, if at all. It is probably more common that you will see them on monster tokens than on player tokens.

Macros
In my opinion, this is the most important section on your token. You can preconfigure any macros you wish, and then when you right-click your token they are available for you to run immediately. Since this section is so important I will be making a separate post just for this topic.

Speech
This section is labeled Speech, and so I initially thought it was only for things that you want to say, but it actually can be used in the same was as the Macros section. So you can not only post your battle-cries here, but you can use it as an overflow section for any macros that you want to list separately from your other macros.

Ownership
The only thing I can think of to say about this section is that it is useful if you want someone else to help you configure your token or to run it while you are away from the game. You can assign any other player to your token to give them the same control over your token that you would normally have. The GM always has total control over your token.

Config
This is where you set the way your token interacts with the MapTool program. Shape can be set to Circle, Square, or Top-Down. Size will let you set your token size to one of the standard d20 sizes, or even free-size if you wish. Properties has only one setting: Basic. Snap To Grid lets you turn move freely if you turn it off. Lastly is Visible to players, which is really a GM-only option to let the GM make tokens invisible until he or she is ready to reveal them.

Those are the basics. I'll be posting more on macros soon. In the meantime, feel free to post any comments or questions you may have about this information.

[Artok]

Macros
First, I would like to cover some basics. Remember that you have to hit Tab or Enter between lines when adding your macros or they won't save properly.

You can edit your macros by hitting F2 in the macro field, or by double-clicking on the macro you wish to edit.

There is an implied "/s" at the start of each macro, so you don't have to type it in if you are doing a simple roll or speech macro. You will, however, have to enter other macro commands to use them, such as /rsec or /w.

Remember, if you prefer "Role-playing" to "Roll-playing", use descriptive text in your macros.

Remember to update your macros whenever your bonuses change, such as when you reach a new character level.

Organization
The macro list is sorted alphabetically. This can be used to organize your macros into categories. For example, you can preface all your attack rolls with "Attack:", all your damage rolls with "Damage:", all your saves with "Save:", etc. Hopefully a future version of MapTool will allow users to implement these categories using submenus.

In my D&D campaign, I use the following categories: Attack (or Full Attack), Damage, Crit, Save, Skill, Spell (or Spell-Like Ability), and Item. I also use uncategorized macros for Initiative, Action Points, and Special Attacks.

Attacks
When you name your Attack macros, keep it simple. Just use the name of the weapon you are using. For example:
Attack: Greatsword
Attack: Crossbow
Full Attack: Claw/Claw/Bite
Full Attack: Flurry of Blows

When you enter your macro, use descriptive text to give it more flavor for a better role-playing experience. For example:
"I swing my greatsword at my foe, hitting AC [1d20+5]"
"I pull the trigger on my crossbow, and my bolt flies to the target, hitting AC [1d20+4] (19-20 crit range)"
Note that I added the crit range to the macro, as a reminder that if the d20 roll was a 19 or 20 I should roll again to confirm a possible critical hit.

For Full Attack actions, you may want to break up the attack into separate lines. This can be done using the html tag <br>, as in:
"My warhammer thunders through the air as I attack in earnest:<br>Hitting AC [1d20+17]<br>Hitting AC [1d20+12]<br>Hitting AC [1d20+7]"

Damage
Damage macros should include the name of the attack, such as:
Damage: Greatsword
Damage: Crossbow
Damage: Unarmed Strike
Damage: Dagger (Sneak Attack)

You shouldn't roll more than one damage at a time, even for a full-attack action, simply because even though you can attack more than once you aren't necessarily going to hit more than once.

Note that I included an item for a dagger sneak attack. This is worth mentioning because if you have a character with a special attack option like sneak attack you may want to set up two damage macros, one with sneak attack damage and one without. Or you could set up one standard sneak attack macro that you would roll along with your regular damage roll to indicate only your sneak attack damage. However, you would have to add the two results together.

The macros should include some descriptive text, at least to name the weapon used, for example:
"Longsword [1d8] damage"
"Greatsword [2d6+4] damage"
"Dagger sneak attack [1d4+1+3d6] damage"

Optional: You may want to write a macro to roll your attack and damage together. This is OK but it will also result in having damage rolls when the attack actually misses, or having to add damage rolls together when you have a possible critical hit. See the example below:
"I throw my spear, hitting AC [1d20+3] for [1d8+2] points of damage."

Crit
Use the Crit category to roll your critical hit damage. As with the Damage rolls, make sure you name the macro appropriately. For example:
Crit: Longsword
Crit: Shortbow
"Longsword crit [2d8] damage"
"Shortbow crit [3d6] damage"

Save
Your saves are pretty simple. Use the "Save:" preface with the type of save: "Save: Fort", "Save: Ref", "Save: Will"
Some races may have special saving throw adjustments, such as the elves +2 bonus against enchantment spells or effects. These may require an additional entry, such as "Save: Will (enchantment)"

As for the actual macro, these can be simple, or you can make the more fun by being descriptive:
"Fort save [1d20+3]"
"With a great effort of will, I fight off the effects of the spell, achieving DC [1d20+3]"
"My instincts kick in, and I reflexively throw myself out of danger, achieving DC [1d20+6]"

Skill
You can enter a skill macro for each skill you can use, or you can keep it simple and only enter macros for the skills you use most often, such as Search, Listen, and Spot. A rogue may want to add "Skill: Open Lock" or "Skill: Disable Device", a spellcaster may want to add "Skill: Spellcraft". Examples of typical macros are below:
"I listen intently, achieving DC [1d20+3]"
"Ever vigilant, I try to spot danger, achieving DC [1d20+6]"
"I wipe the sweat off my palms and calm my nerves, then attempt to disable the device, achieving DC [1d20+7]"
"With a grin at the audience I sing of great heroes of the past, achieving a perform DC of [1d20+12]"

Spell
Name the spell being used. You may also want to note the spell level, or you can include a note with the spell level in the macro instead.
Spell: Fireball
Spell: Cure light wounds

For the macro itself, name the spell again. You can use the <i></i> html tags to italicize the spell name. Also, if there is a saving throw indicate the save DC, and whether or not spell resistance applies. You could also indicate the caster level. For example:
"I cast <i>fireball</i> for [6d6] points of fire damage (Ref DC 16 half, SR)."
"I cast <i>cure light wounds</i> for [1d8+3] points of healing (Will DC 14 half, SR, CL 3)."

If the spell requires a touch attack, indicate the attack roll too:
"I cast <i>scorching ray</i> (2 rays, SR, CL7).<br>Hitting touch AC [1d20+4] for [4d6] points of fire damage.<br>Hitting touch AC [1d20+4] for [4d6] points of fire damage."

Item
Use this for items that you may use in combat, such as a potion of cure light wounds, a wand of magic missile, or a flask of alchemists fire. As with spells, name the item you are using and in the macro use <i></i> tags to indicate magic items. For example:
"I drink a <i>potion of cure light wounds</i> and receive [1d8+1] points of healing."
"I use a charge from my <i>wand of magic missiles</i> and hit my target for [1d4+1] points of damage."
"I throw a flask of alchemist's fire, hitting AC [1d20+2] for [1d6] points of fire damage to my target and 1 point of splash damage to everyone within 5 feet. The target also takes an additional [1d6] points of damage the following round unless he puts out the fire (full-round action, Ref DC 15, +2 bonus for rolling on the ground)."

Other Useful Macros
Initiative
"I prepare myself for battle, acting on initiative [1d20+2]"

Action Points (for Eberron campaign setting)
"I make a heroic effort to overcome my obstacles (Used 1 action point, rolling [1d6])

Turn Undead
"By Pelor's light, begone! I turn the undead, turn check [1d20+3], turning damage [2d6+7]"

Spell Resistance (caster level check)
"My spell breaks through up to SR [1d20+5]"

[Hawke]

Nice!

[snikle]

Yes, very nice, I learned a few things myself!

[trevor]

Wow, great write up Artok, thanks for doing that !

[RPMiller]

That should probably get dropped into the Documentation for MapTool.

[LordShard]

In the "For DMs" section of macros there is something I like to do.

Example
Mwk Dagger | /think Mwk Dagger[1d20+2] Damage[1d4+1] Crit 19-20/×2
Fort Save | /think Fort[1d20+2]

etc. This keeps players who memorized the books from knowing exactly how many hitdie and what abilities the creatures you are using have. It also allows the DM to use the fudge factor. After all a 1st level kobold warrior who criticals the 1st level wizard with his pick needs to be fudged just a little bit. ^^

[Artok]

I agree. I originally had my NPC tokens set up to use /rme to allow me to fudge die rolls. But then I asked my PCs to use /rsec to make secret Search, Listen, and Spot rolls, and they had a fit!

I figured that making secret rolls for things like that would make for a better role-playing experience. They didn't care. They wanted to make the rolls public. In the end, I made all my rolls public too. I figured if it mattered that much to them then it serves them right when a kobold crits their wizard for an instant death.

[Full Bleed]

I think the Macros part of this post should have its own thread.

[Cweord]

This answers some of the question I asked in dorponds dice rolling thread.

Is there anywhere I can find a list of the commands available for Macros. I seem to have most of the rest of the tools worked out.

Any extra help would be apreciated.

[trevor]

This answers some of the question I asked in dorponds dice rolling thread.

Is there anywhere I can find a list of the commands available for Macros. I seem to have most of the rest of the tools worked out.

Any extra help would be apreciated.

There's the /help command, gives a short description of each command

[Cweord]

Doh, should have thought of that [goes and sit's in the corner with a Dunce cap on]

[Ajax]

Is it possible to predefine several NPCs to use over and over, in different games (same game system of course), and then save them individually.

For example I want to Create several orc types, each one slightly different from the rest. I.E. an Orc Berserker, Orc Warrior, Orc Druid, etc. I would then want to save them and be able to grab them as needed during game play by simply grabbing their token.....is this possible?

I see there is a Save option on the token pop up, does this save everything associated with that token? Duh! I guess I can check that myself *slaps himself in the forehead*

Ajax

[RPMiller]

As you discovered the answer is yes to everything.

Have you PM'ed dorpond yet about running a demo for you?

[Ajax]

I found that everything worked, *thumbs up*.

As soon as I familiarize myself with the program a little bit, I'll PM dorpond for a Demo. Then it will enter the toughest phase.....finding players

Ajax