[D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Framework(s) for D&D 4e, including Veggiesama's.

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Blakey
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[D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Blakey »

Latest Edit: 13th July 2011. v1.17.
Download: http://www.rodinia.info/downloads.php - select "Blakey Framework<version>.zip" and download the package.

Blakey's Framework

This is a simple framework for 4E D&D. It works hand in hand with, and in fact pretty much requires, my TokenMaker program to create tokens for it. The latest version of TokenMaker is included in the download.

The idea is that every token, both PC and NPC, has a character sheet associated with it. Mousing over the token pops up a dockable frame with the character sheet in it. This character sheet is covered with clickable links which fire off macros enabling that token to do things. Most should be fairly self explanatory. For example, clicking the "Initiative" link rolls initiative for the token. Clicking "HP" allows you to heal the token. Clicking "Bloodied" allows you to damage the token.

The name of each power the token has is a link, which when clicked pops up a separate dockable frame which details what the power does. For example if the token is a PC cleric they will have the Healing Word power. Clicking the Healing Word link will pop up a frame with the description of Healing Word, right out of the compendium, so you can see exactly what that power does. Neatly this is instantaneous as the compendium is searched for this data when the token is built, so it doesn't require a connection at the time of running MapTool.

Under each power is a list of the weapons the PC has equipped and clicking on any of the weapons will make an attack with that weapon. At this stage the framework assumes that you have one or more targets selected in MapTool and it will apply that attack against each target you have selected. It will tell you if you have hit or missed, based on the default values it knows about. There are no situational modifiers applied. At the same time it will roll the damage for your attack and display it. It will also tell you how much you would have done were that attack a crit (helpful in coup de grace situations for example). No damage is applied automatically. This is intentional as I want the Framework to remain light and flexible as possible.

Note that as this FW requires you to target NPCs by selecting them you need v1.3b70 or later of MapTool to make it work.

Likewise you won't find this framework popping up dialog boxes when you make attacks. In order to keep it simple, select your targets, press one link and everything fires off. You might have to make some mental adjustments to take combat advantage, cover, etc into consideration but I'm happy to do that.

When you want to end your turn simply click your name at the top of your character sheet. That means "end my turn". Saves can be made.

Clicking on the "Skills" link at the bottom of the character sheet will let you make a skill check. Likewise the "Str" link allows you to make an ability check (not just Strength).

For monsters with recharge powers, when you use them they become white. However, if they are rechargable on a dice roll, click the "recharge" link on that power and it will roll a dice for you and recharge them if it rolls high enough. Also this roll is made automatically for the monster when its turn comes up.

The zip file includes Lib:Blakey which is required for any campaigns of your own to work.

To Make Your Own Campaign

1. Start MapTool.
2. Import BlakeyProperties into Campaign Properties.
3. Put Lib:Blakey onto one of your maps.
4. That's it!

You'll need to use TokenMaker to make the tokens to use with it.

TokenMaker
Included in the download are PCMaker.jar and NPCMaker.jar. Both are really required to make tokens for this framework. They both require a DDi subscription to work. The first time you run either they will prompt you for your DDi username and password. These are then stored on the filesystem for later re-use. I guess you have to trust me that I'm not stealing your account details. :D.

PCMaker is used to make PC tokens. Start it up, click "Load" and select a DDi save file to load. If it works (!!) click Save and pick a save file name and location. You'll then get a RPTOK file for your PC. Saving takes a while, about 1 second per character level, give or take, as the program is going off to the compendium to get the details of all the powers your PC has so they can be stored on the token for instant access at game time. So this will need a live internet connection and DDi account.

However if you are using the online CB and doing an Export, these export files now have enough data in them that PCMaker can build a token without needing to go to the Compendium so it is lightning fast.

NPCMaker provides you with a little search facility to find NPCs. It gives you back a list from the compendium of any matches and then you can either double click an entry or press the Build button and it will go off and grab that monster from the Compendium. This takes a couple of seconds and will need a live internet connection and DDi account. You'll get a little representation of it in a frame and then you need to pick a portrait for it. Any graphics file will do. Once done, press Save, give it a name and location and it will make an RPTOK file for you. This is pretty much instant as there is nothing more to get from the compendium at this stage. Select and build more monsters if you want.

The code for TokenMaker is out there on the net in Google Code so if you don't trust me not to be stealing your passwords, go and download the code, check it over and build your own copy. I'm totally fine with that.


A Thanks to Veggie
I have been using Veggie's framework for as long as it's been around now and it was mainly due to him I decided to write my own. But as I don't believe in re-inventing the wheel I stole as much as I could from him. As such many of the lower level macros in this framework were originially his. Many have been tweaked to work with this new framework but a lot of the effort here is his. Hat's off to him and a big thanks!

We have been using this in my home game for about a year now and it's fine for us. YMMV of course.

Requirements
After some testing it's been found that 2Mb stack size is not big enough. I usually stick mine at 8mb but don't actually know what is the minimum required to make this work.

Have fun and good luck!

Cheers
Blakey
Last edited by Blakey on Wed Jul 13, 2011 4:18 am, edited 8 times in total.
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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Rumble »

Whoa, infinite loop error on first mouseover - it's a Java error.

Note: Stack size must DEFINITELY BE HIGHER THAN 2.

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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Blakey »

Morning!

Was that just using the test Campaign as is? I have had mine set to 8Mb since I can remember as I used Veggie's framework previously so I guess I hadn't considered that.
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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Rumble »

Blakey wrote:Morning!

Was that just using the test Campaign as is? I have had mine set to 8Mb since I can remember as I used Veggie's framework previously so I guess I hadn't considered that.
Yeah, I just opened it and hovered over a token and the wheels came off and Maptool went into the weeds. :)

I had a stack size of 2 - that's what my framework uses - and that was insufficient. My assumption is that the HTML is relatively extensive to generate the sheet (it seems unusual that it would need a high stack size, though; unless it's simply so many characters or a lot of looping?)

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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Rumble »

Quick follow up - I think the problem is that a PC character sheet is something like 18,000 characters, which is far more than MT can really handle (I remember reading about a limit of 8,000 characters, though I think with stack sizes defaulting to 2 now it's higher than that). Monster sheets seem to be significantly less, of course - no issues there, probably, until you get to stuff like Tiamat or whatever.

So, to experiment a bit, I opened the campaign with a 2M stack, and disabled the mouseover launch. What I've found is that if you even hover over the macro button for on of the PC's character sheets, it will throw a stack overflow (that is, if you hover over the button and it highlights the token that has that button? that is enough to trigger a stack fault).

Unfortunately, there's no simple way to fix it except by drastically slimming down the HTML.

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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Blakey »

Well, to be fair, this framework was always designed to work for me and my group and it works fine with 8Mb stack size - which we needed to use for Veggie's FW anyway - so it's not a big deal for us. I guess anyone wanting to try this FW out needs to be aware that the HTML nature of the FW is going to need an 8Mb stack size. So be it.

Thanks for checking it out anyway. :)
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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Blakey »

Rumble wrote:What I've found is that if you even hover over the macro button for on of the PC's character sheets, it will throw a stack overflow (that is, if you hover over the button and it highlights the token that has that button? that is enough to trigger a stack fault).
The reason for that is that I put the HTML for a given power and for the character sheet as a tool tip on the buttons. I think that needs taking off. :D I'll do that.

Cheers!
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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Rumble »

It's fine however you want to use it; just include a note that the stack should be 8 or more and you're good to go.

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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Blakey »

New versions of Campaign.cmpgn and the two zip files added.

All these changes are really to do with improving how Critical damage is handled by the TokenMaker and framework. Oh, and the framework attacks got a makeover to make them look a little easier on the eye.

I think I'd like to add some neat ToolTips to the attack and damage rolls like Rumble has but need to look into how to do that.
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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Blakey »

I just posted an update to the sample campaign and TokenMaker files today. Version v1.09.

There are shed loads of changes in this release, including the fact that every feat, ritual and equipped piece of gear you have is now a link which will pop up a description of that item taken directly from the compendium. As usual, these items are generated when the token is made so all the info is on the token itself, meaning there is zero time to get the info during the game. Not sure what your feat or ritual does? Just click the link and the info is there for you.

I've posted a screen shot of the framework in play here: http://www.rodinia.info/image.php?key=location&id=417

Things to note:
  • The Bard PC Erik's character sheet is currently displayed on the right. There is a lot of info on there! All the underlined words are links that fire off a macro of some description.
  • I have updated it so that the macro links are more readable instead of always being blue.
  • As you can see, he has just used his "Shout of Triumph" power. As such it is now white on his character sheet to show this encounter power has been used. Also the Compendium dockable frame has automatically popped up the details of the power for ease of reference. And the chat window has rolled and displayed the results of his attack. (I just noticed there is a small bug that on a critical hit the damage type is not displayed - will go and fix that now!).
  • When the PC takes a short rest ("Take a Rest" is a macro link at the foot of the character sheet), the encounter powers used will reset to the usual colour. The same is true of daily powers and extended rests of course. In the case of monsters, if they have recharge powers, there is a link on the word "recharge" on the power and when clicked the framework will roll a recharge check for that power. Should it recharge the power will be redrawn in the usual colour showing it is ready to be re-used.
  • All the PC's skills are links. Click on the name of a skill and it will roll you a skill check for that skill. If the character is an NPC then it will pop up a box asking the DM if he wants to make the check in private.
  • You can see his HP have been updated on the character sheet - he has 17/28 left.
  • Action points and Daily Item use is now displayed on the character sheet showing how many you have currently, not your maximum. So again this is updated in real time.
  • My players are stat mad, so each PC keeps a record of his average rolls to hit. This is available on the pop up data that comes along when you mouse over a PC (not shown on the screen grab).
  • For PC's the only way to update the Character Sheet is to press F12 - this was a choice we made as we didn't want PC sheets updating on mouse over.
  • NPC character sheets update (for the DM only of course) on mouse over - I find this useful as I want to be able to see an NPC character sheet really easily.
  • If your PC is a wizard any of his powers that are in his spellbook are tagged as such.
Currently TokenMaker is coming along in leaps and bounds. The main problem with it now is that I have yet to update the Monster Maker to parse the new stat block. Fortunately Wizards have not yet updated all their monsters to the new format either, so it works great with all old school monsters. Updating it to parse the new stat block is next on my list of things to do.


Please shout if you do download this and try it out. I'd love some feedback! Also, as posted in the first post, beware Stack sizes.

Updated files back in Post 1.

Cheers!
Blakey
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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Blakey »

Been doing a little work on and off on this over the last few months but nothing too much. In fact I'm not even quite sure what changes I've made!

I've definitely fixed up NPCMaker so that it works with the new monster stat blocks now. I've added support for more striker features for PCs. The framework has been updated to v14 now - the Lib:Blakey token has notes of what was changed at each version.

Any feedback appreciated!
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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Doc_Waldo »

I would love to be able to use the token maker, but on a mac I must get a different experience. When I go to use the NPC maker, it prompts for my username and password. I put in and hit the save. At this point hitting the save does nothing. Then only way to continue is to hit the close box to the dialogue box.

After that I do get to the NPC Maker, where I can look for a creature. I enter in "wererat" and get a list. I select the first one, "Wererat (Level 3 Standard Skirmisher) and hit the build button.

I then get taken to a webpage inside the NPC Maker, it is asking me for my usernamefor the dnd insider subscription. I again type it in, username and password, and then go to hit the sign in button (again inside the NPC Maker), but nothing, the computer just "beeps" at me.

I can't do anything except close out.

Anything help would be appreciated. Thanks.
--DOC

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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Blakey »

Hey Doc,

I don't own a Mac nor have access to one so I can't debug this, sorry. But I have a way which will (I hope) fix it for you.

I don't know of the way Mac's layout their file systems, but if you can find the folder where the ".maptool" folder is located (under Windows 7 this will be "C:\Users\username\.maptool", for example), then create a folder at the same level called ".tokenmaker" (e.g. C:\Users\username\.tokenmaker on Windows7).

Inside this folder create a file called "ddi.dat". In this file put two lines and exactly two lines. Line 1 is your DDi username. Line 2 is your DDi password. I don't know anything about encryption, so these are not encrypted in the file.

This is the file which TokenMaker should create when you type them in and which it will look for when it starts up.

Let me know how that works for you and I'll see how else I can help if I can.

Cheers!
Blakey
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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Blakey »

A bit more info Doc. The program looks for an environment variable called "USERPROFILE" for where to create the .tokenmaker folder. This folder also holds status info (in a file called ".status") which basically saves all your last selected folders for where to find images, DDi save files, RPTOK save files and so on.

I wonder if "USERPROFILE" does not exist/work on the Mac? Any Mac users know?

Off to Google I go....

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Re: [D&D4E Framework] Blakey's Framework

Post by Blakey »

Okay, I did some googling and found another option to find people's home directories. It's apparently not 100% fool proof but it works on my PC (which is my most important concern) and hopefully it will fix your Mac issues too Doc.

Download the latest versions from the first post and let me know how you get on.

Cheers!
Blakey

P.S. Don't expect speedy service like this all the time - I just happened to have a free evening. :D
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