Help for beginners (like me)

[wyrmwood]

I downloaded this, read a bit on the forums and the meager docs and I must be thick...

What is this tool?

What is it for?

What can it do?

Is it dynamic? (ie, in game, can I apply damage, effects (like shaken..)?

Why would I want to use it?

[wacko76]

Well, as MT is a VTT (virtual tabletop) CT is a VCS (Virtual Character Sheet).

It should display your character with all important data and provide a space for editing values in-game (like when that big ogre hits you over the head with his blunt trauma instrument you need to adjust your hitpoints... and probably get cosmetic surgery).

Also, it is supposed to interface with IT and MT, so it can..., well, interface.

[UntoldGlory]

It's also brand new and not entirely functional.

[jay]

At the risk of being redundant, it shows a playable character sheet to the user. The player can change values like hit points and set conditions like shaken (Savage Worlds shaken?). If the value changed was the basis for a derived stat then the derived stat could be automatically calculated. If a condition is set that has modifiers associated with them (i.e. A wound penalty for Savage Worlds) the character sheet can apply these modifiers automatically and then recalculate everything based on the new values. The character sheet can also provide buttons to handle common actions. For example most sheets have buttons for making attacks and calculating damage. Some of them contain special buttons for handling damage & healing as well. They can change the conditions placed on a character automatically, like when a character's hit points go below zero they are dead.

CT allows you to define your own character sheets. That allows you to see a character sheet that is specific to the game your currently playing. You can also create sheets that are specific to one aspect of the game, lets say a combat view, and then quickly switch to another when combat is over. CT is very scriptable. It will let you have buttons that execute actions which follow all of the rules for the game you are playing. For example, do you need to add your ability bonus, skill ranks, armor check penalty and feat bonuses together with a die roll to make a skill check? CT can be scripted so that you just press a button and the result is displayed for you automatically.

The documentation is still pretty lame. This is an alpha release so it can be a bit buggy at times. We've just gotten started on creating detailed configuration files for all of the games, so some functionality is available on the sheets now while other functionality isn't. But we're getting there. Most of the base functionality in the tool is available, and I'm now in the process of play testing it so that we can see what else is needed and get it working solid.

[wyrmwood]

shaken (Savage Worlds shaken?). If the value changed was the basis for a derived stat then the derived stat could be automatically calculated. If a condition is set that has modifiers associated with them (i.e. A wound penalty for Savage Worlds) the character sheet can apply these modifiers automatically and then recalculate everything based on the new values.

Like 3.5 shaken (conditions) like it would give you a -2 on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.

It sounds like this "could" happen

[jay]

Like 3.5 shaken (conditions) like it would give you a -2 on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.

I'm trying to forget 3.5, good to know it's working

It sounds like this "could" happen

Yes, This is something that CT is designed to handle. It just needs to get configured into the proper game settings file.

[UntoldGlory]

I'm trying to forget 3.5, good to know it's working

It's amazing how fast the rules leak out when replaced by something better eh?

[jay]

I let them leak out for Savage Worlds. I'm not going to buy 4e books. I bought v1 & v3 & v3.5 so I'm not buying v4. I may have to play a straight up fighter until 30th level w/really crappy feats, but I'm not buying any of those books.

[wyrmwood]

Yes, This is something that CT is designed to handle. It just needs to get configured into the proper game settings file.

Is that a user or developer task?

[jay]

It is supposed to be a user task, but it is difficult to do right now because I haven't finished the editor. It also helps if you know JavaScript. You would have to do all of the work by unzipping the files and editing them by hand. If you are interested look at the 'Adopters:' threads that are in this forum for details.