DD4e, Rumble framework

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Longshot
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DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by Longshot »

I don't want to be one of those people who start off with an apology, so I am sorry for what follows. I read forums way more than I post, so for now, I won't be having much in the way of links, or cools tags, etc. After having used map tools for the last 6+ months, I find I want to contribute to this fine community and so I am starting small, here.

FYI: This post is about what I have achieved with Maptools to run DD4e games.
For those who don’t want to read all this, a summary:
With Maptools, I have been able to get many resources together, and have learned to take advantage of the flexibility to the point where I can mostly DM on the fly.

Moving on.

Current MT build: 1.3.b84
Framework: Rumble's v5.1.1
Play setup:
6-7 players at a friend's house every Sat (12pm to 1-3am. Or 5am.).
The players view Maptools on a giant flatscreen. It is fed by a laptop connected wirelessly as a Player to the server I run in the room with them. 99 percent of the time they do not interact directly with the laptop except to move the map around.

Having DM'd since the 80's, mostly with a make-it-up-on-the-fly style I am accustomed to, I have finally achieved a peaceful reconciliation with the new game-style I needed to work with map tools. These new sessions with MT are our new golden age of D&D (so thanks to Rumble and all within the MapTool universe)

Games:
We have played "Keep On the Shadow Fell", and are now doing "Thunderspire Mountain"

Feedback or What I've Learned So Far (and this is mostly aimed at using Rumble's framework):

For anyone that wants to try more freestyle DMing with maptools, but still run a module, let me say I've found a trade off between time to prep and how much you can do. It’s counter intuitive: The more you prep, the less you can do. If you try to build a world with a lot of places on the off-chance a player might want to visit a castle, forest, Keep, shore, or finally, thank goodness, someplace actually in the module, you'll either need a ton of free time or you'll be stuck with a lot of pre-made choices but nothing much in them. Here’s how I get around that.

1) I make the NPCs first. Trust me, get good at this. I make the ones in the module, and then I make 10-12 or so more for random encounters. I use whatever encounter builders I can find. There is one on DDI, but you can find them elsewhere.

2) I make the module maps. I copy a map image into MT then trace it. There's a lot more to it than that, and I do this in more than one way, but I am sharing the process I use for using MT, not making a tutorial. Bottom line is I learned tracing techniques to get a map created real fast. If I have more time than usual, I chuck in note icons for things like secret door DCs, Treasure chest contents, etc.

Now let me pause here and say that my players throw black oil on stairs, prop up beds and use them as tower shields, and Map Tools has let me keep up with representing this type of playing on the fly.

3) I shamelessly load all the free maps out there into my resource library. I organize by Outdoors, Caverns, dungeons, interiors, etc. Same is said for small miniature images of people, things, items, etc. You really only need to mass download this stuff once.


Playtime:

If the players go to a module map, great. Monsters are sitting on the welcome wagon, and hopefully stuff I don't want to look up is noted in the map on the hidden layer. But if I improvise and they hear that the Inn of the Happy Nymph was named after a local Nymph known to be in the woods, then they suddenly want to go see her, I tend not to say stuff like, "Oh, She got married and moved. And changed her last name. And doesn't look like she used to because, um kids. Yeah." Old school pen and paper D&D had no problem with me riffing in that direction, and put in hooks for the adventure along the way. Back then, making the scene was like writing a book (just type, "and so you walk in an enchanted forest and, oh look, a bunny"). But now, it’s like making a movie: I would need to get a Location with Grotto, hire a Nymph, and bring in a stunt coordinator if there is going to be a fight.

What I've learned to do is grab an outdoor image that matches the site closely. I spend time with my maps so I know what I have. More grottos out there than you'd think.
Then I grab a female image. Most looks like Nymphs. Rumble's pack lets me make a token out of it quickly, and all I need to do is chuck on some hitpoints.

Here is the key part: if the players go off script like this, I find they can wait a bit as long as I create content IN FRONT OF THEM. Yeah. I drag in a map so they can see it brought on. I draw a pool where it looks good, and say what I am doing as I go ("okay, you move through a forest where the trees are turning orange. Up here in the right, you see this pool of water. Ok, wait, a smaller pool than that, there. No Nymph to be found, she might be hiding.")
It's no different than when we drew on a grid for miniatures, except Maptools is light-years beyond that. No Vision Blocking (tm) done at all. Don't need it; -I save that for module maps. If a creature is hidden, I just use the Not Visible option, and make it visible when they find her. IF I DO need vision blocking, I just block where they are, and add more as they go.

Players talk a lot, so there can be time to create things off screen before they get to it.

So, all in all, I have had about 30 games since August 2010 and have found I can quickly do more with less given how flexible Maptools is. The savvy amongst you might have put together that 30 games of 12+ hours a game means 360 hours, and only 1 and a half modules covered. They side quest ALOT. My fault. But at least I can pull it off with this stuff.
:)

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Ghiolekk
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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by Ghiolekk »

Wow that was an extensive report concerning your campaign.
Happy to see other people endeavoring that much into Rumble's FW and generally MapTools.

Longshot
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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by Longshot »

Thanks for taking the time to read it. :)
And now an update: As soon as I can figure a way to upload pictures, I am thinking of offering a tutorial for something I just figured out how to do: Add inventory to Rumbles PC/NPC tokens.

(It's not that I don't know how linking to a pic is done, I just haven't tried PhotoBucket or a free upload site yet. I'll get there.)

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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by Longshot »

Going to test whether I can upload an image in this post.
...
Sample of inventory in use
Sample of inventory in use
Sample.JPG (73.46 KiB) Viewed 12196 times
Hmm, Preview looks good, I guess I can show a sample. Looks like this update will work then.

Longshot
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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by Longshot »

I was asked about how I use built-in inventory, but I don't know where to post a tutorial on how I got it to work. So I hope it's ok to place it here.


First, you want to get your Rumble Framework ready. So:
Open Maptools.
Load the Campaign with Rumbles framework in it.

Click Edit, and select Campaign Properties
Step 1.0.JPG
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Then under the token properties tab, select Token4e (this is a required token for Rumble’s framework. If you don’t have it, you’re not Rumbling.)
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After you select it, you get the properties for a PC/NPC token. Scroll down to Equipment, right under Rings. Put the cursor after Rings, hit enter, which inserts a new line, then add your favorite word for inventory. Mine, is “Inventory”.
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If it looks like below, you’re good.
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If it looks like this:
Step 4.5.JPG
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You’re sitting too close. Back up. Calm down.
Hit Update, then Ok. Ok? Ok.

Now, we go to get the Lib:UniversalInventorySystem token here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/228507010/U ... y1_1.rptok

You can get even more details from the Universal Inventory System (API) forum entry here;
http://forums.rptools.net/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=9152

Drop the token in a folder that is part of your resource library. If you need a refresher on adding a folder, go to
File\Add resource to Library..
Browse to the folder with the token, and hit Install>>
My Lib:UniversalInventorySystem token was placed in a folder call V5_tokens
Call up your Resource Library, and drag the token to the Default Map.
Step 5.0.JPG
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Switch to the Selection window, while the token is still highlighted. Scroll down and look for “9. Returns Inventory Location”. Right-click button “location1”
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Hit “Edit”, and make sure the command looks like this:
Step 7.0.JPG
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What have we done so far? Here is the gist of it: We’ve added the lib: token that the inventory system needs to our campaign. We made a property on the player tokens to save the inventory data.

Thats all the attachments I can run at the moment, I will try more later. Hope this is a good start.

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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by Longshot »

I am going to try to continue my tutorial now:

Now we are about to run the setup for the first time.
Still under the selection panel for Lib:UniversalInventorySystem , look for the group named “Setup call (Copy to token First)” and click “Call Declare Inventory User Functions”
Step 8.0.JPG
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What did that do? Well, the Inventory token will run when you load the campaign. Great, but we loaded the campaign before the token got there. Hitting that button gets us around having to reload it. Moving on.

The next part is where I show how I chose to work with the inventory, but you might prefer to put buttons (we in the know call them “macros”) and create/use your inventories differently. We are all unique and beautiful snowflakes.

I dragged my Call Inventory Setup button to the Campaign panel.
Step 9.0.JPG
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Then drag over “Call Dialog Item Editor” from group “Z: Calling Macros (Copy to main token first)”
Step 9.5.JPG
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Then I selected a player token, Bob the Hero in this case, and hit “Call Inventory Setup” from the campaign panel.
This starts the setting up of the layout your inventory will use. I used a completely made up name for this player token, no one in my D&D group actually plays anything heroic. Moving on.

Below, I entered Bobs Stuff (avoid apostrophes, they break things)
Step 10.0.JPG
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Then add a list of things you want to keep track of on each player (note that I put backpack first, you’ll see why later):
Step 11.0.JPG
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Next enter the name of where things are going to be stored (then I ignore it, its for slots, I am not using slots).
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Check that little box.
Step 13.0.JPG
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With Bob The Hero ™ still selected, click the “Call Dialog Item Editor” button from the campaign panel.
This will pop up Bob The Hero’s ™ inventory.
Step 14.0.JPG
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Note how gold is first and backpack is nowhere to be seen. This works for me.

To be continued.

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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by Longshot »

And we're back.

Now click Bobs Stuff.
Fill in the boxes with the real info, not what the players tell you they have:
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Hit ok. This is what we have:
Step 16.0.JPG
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Now, I could have loaded the inventory to a different token instead of Bob’s and called it “Inventory”, then added one line of stuff for each player. But I didn’t play it that way. No sir. I’m a rebel. Instead, when I was ready for the next token, I right click on Bob, and hit edit, go to the Properties Tab, find inventory, and select all, then copy:
Step 17.0.JPG
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I paste it to a new Notepad:
Step 18.0.JPG
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I perform a find replace, and change Bob to the name of the next character that will get an inventory. I call him, “Rob”. Bear in mind, if your character is named “Gol”, and you are copying to a character called, “TheDude” (it could happen), then everywhere Gold is located, it will become TheDuded, and break things. Just saying. Moving on.

I copy from Notepad and paste into Robs Properties/Inventory (best practice is to clear Inventory, then paste. Now I select Token Rob, and hit “Call Dialog Item Editor” from the campaign panel. I get this:
Step 19.0.JPG
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I click Rob, and make changes as needed. I can also add a line by clicking RobsStuff, and filling out another dialog box, like this:
Step 20.0.JPG
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and now it looks like this:
Step 21.0.JPG
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Now whenever I have a token selected, I can call up their inventory from the campaign panel. Good times.

Mind you, this isn’t quite what this was made for, but its how I plan to use it until I can figure out how do things like make adding armor change the character’s AC. Lastly, you can run the “Call Inventory Setup” again on any token, and add/remove columns so you aren’t totally stuck with what you built.

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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by Longshot »

I was asked how I do lighting, so here is another tutorial.

First, open the campaign your running in MapTools
Go into Edit\Campaign Properties. Choose the Light tab.
In mine, I added the following:

Code: Select all

Lowlight
----
Bullseye Lantern - 45: aura circle 18.5
Campfire: aura square 10.5
Bullseye Lantern - 90: aura circle 14.5
Bullseye Lantern - 180: aura circle 12.5
Sunrod: aura square 20.5
Torch: aura square 5.5
Hooded Lantern: aura square 10.5
Candle: aura square 2.5

Visible Light
----
Bullseye Lantern - 180: circle 12.5#6b5300
Burst7: aura square 7#f75d59
DarkVisionFull: square 1,000.5#6b53ff
Burst2: aura square 3#f75d59
Burst6: aura square 7#f75d59
Burst10: aura square 11#f75d59
Burst3: aura square 4#f75d59
Candle: square 2.5#f4fa58
Burst4: aura square 5#f75d59
Hooded Lantern: square 10.5#6b5300
Burst20: aura square 21#f75d59
Campfire: square 10.5#6b5300
Sunrod: square 20.5#6b5300
Burst8: aura square 9#f75d59
Burst1: aura square 2#f75d59
Burst5: aura square 6#f75d59
Torch: square 5.5#6b5300
DarkVision5: square 5.5#6b53ff
Burst9: aura square 9#f75d59
Let me explain what this is. If you don't care, just skip this paragraph. There are 2 situation I would be using light: when the Map\Vision is set to Day, and Night. I use Day vision when there is a lowlight situation, most of my player's characters have low light. For that, I just want a aura type light to show where someone with normal vision can see. The Night setting needs the Fog of War removed, so they have an extra line in the button to do that.

Here are my lighting buttons in the Campaign Properties:
Lighting_01.JPG
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The Day Vision Macro (used when low light characters see everything, but Normal vision people are limited by light range) looks like this:
Lighting_02.JPG
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The Night vision macro buttons are barely different:
Lighting_03.JPG
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The only change in the code when making a light is between the quotes. If I am making one for Sunrod, I just make sure "Sunrod" in between the quotes, and not "Torch", or some other light source.

To use them I just click on the token, then the light button (Vision - Low-Light for Day, Vision - Dark for Night) and I have the light in effect. That's really about it. Good luck.

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Ghiolekk
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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by Ghiolekk »

I dont know yet if I am going to use the inventory but I will definetely import the lighting.
Thanks a lot for the enlightnment :wink:

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jfrazierjr
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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by jfrazierjr »

My suggestion would be to spend a bit more time on the macro, and have ONE button which provides a list of light sources with checkboxes. Then set the light(s) based upon the one's checked. While it takes more time to program and a bit more time for a user to use, it is very helpful and saves lot's of time if you want to add multiple lights at a time.
I save all my Campaign Files to DropBox. Not only can I access a campaign file from pretty much any OS that will run Maptool(Win,OSX, linux), but each file is versioned, so if something goes crazy wild, I can always roll back to a previous version of the same file.

Get your Dropbox 2GB via my referral link, and as a bonus, I get an extra 250 MB of space. Even if you don't don't use my link, I still enthusiastically recommend Dropbox..

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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by Longshot »

For a bit of clarification, what follows is a completely new direction in things I make for myself in maptools.

So I want to import NPCs from DDI for my Rumble Framework. I am writing an importer that is nearly done, and it may be helpful to some if I report on its progress. Note: this has potential to be used in any 4E framework. I’ll explain that at the end of the post.

So here is how it is used, what it does so far, and a few samples.

How I use it:
-I pick an NPC from the DDI Compendium by right-clicking the name link, and choosing “Open Link In New Tab”
-Now at the formatted Stat sheet of the NPC, I right-rlick and choose “View page source”
-This opens a page of HTML code that created the stat sheet page. It has all the images and paragraph breaks as text, not visuals. I want that text, so I copy all.

-In Map tools, running the latest Rumble, Version 5.1.3, I toss an image for the token in.
-I select it, hit F8 which runs my import (a form pops up where I can paste the text). After I paste the text I hit save.

What it does:
It grabs everything the James Manhattan\Rumble importer did (cause, I built it off that ofcourse), but will set the vision, token size, NPC striker damage, take immunities like poison and set damage from that to x 0. It can read the dice used in a recharge. And know the basic attacks from their symbol. But the real point to it is the powers it makes.

It finds all auras, makes a power for each
It finds all Secondary (etc) attacks, makes a power for each
It finds all sentences with “If” in them, and makes a conditional power for each
It finds powers where the creature can choose to fire off different versions of the one power, and makes a separate power of each (like Beholder’s Eye Ray).

If there are a few Status Effects, it figures out which are for a hit, miss, and always. Feh, typing too much…
Anyway, it will also output everything to the chat window. If someone wants to make an importer for their own framework, they can shortcut their efforts with this. It prints out a formatted capture to chat, so anyone can copy that, and paste it to your own importer, where that can parse it from the already figured out stat info.

Right, so the output looks like this:
Spoiler
LolthboundGoblinSlave.gif
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Note the Stringing Pick (did they mean Stinging?) does not do Ongoing damage.
And it will give Allies effects like defense bonus.

See how the aura is a power...
Spoiler
ChainGolem.gif
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And how the after effect is its own power
Spoiler
YoungIronDragon.gif
YoungIronDragon.gif (47.44 KiB) Viewed 11079 times
Last edited by Longshot on Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

Longshot
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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by Longshot »

Small note: the later version won't have a Reminder for the aura, but the effect.
I am in the process of tweaking effect parsing.

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kyuss11
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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by kyuss11 »

I'm trying to follow this post and I'm confused.I have a question on the function of Rumbles's framework chat display.Will this over ride his or this just makes a one step import on creating creatures and players,so they don't have to create every power.I know the creatures work fine with the right browser but player characters only seem to import the summary and you have to copy paste each power from the compendium.If this is what I'm hoping,with that ability you have just made a very happy Dm.:)

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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by Longshot »

Ah, well it's like this:

I don't want to make NPCs, I'd rather import them, ready for use with Rumble's "fat" framework". It sets the size, vision, etc, and also tries to build all the powers like I would have (such as making a 2ndry attack with a link to be used on a hit, or turning the Aura into a power of its own).

This importer is just a basic Rumble, final version (and completely empty) campaign. I added a few macros that I wrote (read "partly stole") to the James M. library token.

I only run this campaign to make the NPC tokens and save them for later use. As each import is done (and the token is configured), the captured data is also sent to the chat window (like Name: Gold Dragon, Level: 30, etc). The point of that is to let me review what was built. But now that the information has been pulled out and organized, other people could copy and paste that chat text into a simpler importer of their own for their own framework.

I don't change my player's tokens much, so I have not written any importing to make PC tokens, or powers, weapons, etc.

If I did though, I would use the dd4e export file from the DDI character builder. Everything is in there in simple XML format.

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kyuss11
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Re: DD4e, Rumble framework

Post by kyuss11 »

Well that answered my question.Very nice work on the Npc creation.I have been using Rumble's fat version for awhile as well and its amazing the additions you put together to make things easier.I also found the need to have a inventory on my characters and I have one that's different from the one you used but it gets the job done.I mostly like the way the inventory keeps track of weight and charges or ammo,and that you can easily make a item with a description and give it to other players.With that said,that led me to make a market drop-in that would allow me to give players currency and they could load up a screen to purchase all sorts of goods and yep you guessed it,use that inventory macro to easily place it on the character token.I also modified and extended a player character sheet that works with Rumble's that shows a breakdown of all powers to make playing faster and easier for players.I put together a weather drop-in,disease tracker,well anyway its made our adventuring easier and more fun.Keep up the good work,and I can't wait for a Character DDI Importer tool. :wink:

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