Player Effect Removal Extension

[Trenloe]

This extension has been compiled from the REMOVE effect code in Nikademus's excellent Expanded Effects Tags extension, that is no longer supported in FG 3.0.6+ Details of that extension here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...ed-Effect-Tags

Thanks so much to Nickademus for creating the original extension and giving me permission to extract the code for this extension.

Version 1.1.5 of this extension is NOT compatible with FG 3.3.2.

See here for v2.x which is compatible with FG v3.3.x: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...oval-Extension

Note: v3.3.2 of Fantasy Grounds now includes the ability for players to remove effects in the combat tracker.

Version: 1.1.5 Updated 14th April, 2017 to be compatible with FG 3.3.0.
Compatibility: FG II v. 3.3.0
Rulesets: 3.5E & PFRPG
Description: Via the use of a single effect tag REMOVE: this extension allows players to remove effects that have been applied by them to either their own PC or other creatures (friendly, neutral or hostile). If the player has applied the effect, they can remove that effect through the use of this extension.

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Modification Specifics
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Added:
remove_effect_tag.lua

Modified:
manager_effect.lua
spell_action_mini.lua

-- Remove Effect Tag --
How to Use
To remove an effect from yourself or another creature in the combat tracker, simply make an effect with the tag 'REMOVE: ' followed by the full name of the effect to be removed. For instance, to remove the 'Sneak Attack; DMG: 1d6' effect, you would make an effect called 'REMOVE: Sneak Attack; DMG: 1d6'. Then you just apply the removal effect to the target. A special button represents the removal effect and will appear once you have typed REMOVE. The effect is case sensitive so make sure the REMOVE: entry matches the effect application entry exactly - the best way to do this is to copy the effect line and paste into the REMOVE: entry.

NOTE: The creature with the effect must be targeted to remove it. If you are using effects with a target of "SELF" then the removal effect must also be set to "SELF".

How Does It Work
The removal tag searches the target for an effect with the name indicated after the 'REMOVE:' and removes it.

The following screenshots show examples of how this is setup in the charsheet Actions tab and how the chat display shows the removal of the effect.

Attachment 14817

Attachment 14819

The Extension (previous downloads 235):

[Trenloe]

Gotchas

1. Don't use the & character in your effect name. FG strips this during the base effect parsing code used by this extension. I would imagine this is the case for other uncommon characters too.

[sofakingwetatdid]

How do you add effects for yourself like that in the first place? the flatfooted button I mean.

[Trenloe]

How do you add effects for yourself like that in the first place? the flatfooted button I mean.

1. See the fist screenshot in post #1 above - I have created a "Spell Class" in the "Actions" tab of the PC (this can be done in the "Spells" tab of an NPC too)
2. put at least a "1" in the spells per level list (you may need to press the magnifying glass icon to the far right of the spell class header (after the CC button) to see the spells per level entries. This will create a "Level" header in the main body of the spell class - this is shown as "Level 0 Prepared: 0/5" in the above screenshot.
3. Right-click on the level header and select "Add Spell".
4. Give the "spell" a name - you can see the 2 examples above - one is called "Flatfooted" and the other is called "Rapid Shot".
5. Right-click on the "spell" name and select "Add Spell Action" -> "Add Effect"
6. Type in your effect code in the effect entry that appears.

[Carthar]

Thanks this is a great extension, it is one of the ones I truly missed with the update.

Out of curiosity why do we need to use the spell system to handle effects? Is there a design reason that players are not allowed to create/modify effects directly like the host can? It certainly would be useful if they could.

Sorry if this is a bit off topic.

Carth

[Trenloe]

Out of curiosity why do we need to use the spell system to handle effects? Is there a design reason that players are not allowed to create/modify effects directly like the host can? It certainly would be useful if they could.

Effects are fairly new functionality (relatively) and that's how they were originally created - with a library that only the GM could control as either everyone or just the GM can see specific effects and so it would soon get to be a very big list if everyone would throw effects in there. Then spells can have effects added to cater for effects related to spells.

I just think it is the way people have been using the effects in spells to give players more control over the effects relating to their own abilities, tactics, etc. - it's just the way that has evolved.

To be honest, don't think of the spell classes that you use for effects as a "spell" class - make a new "effects" class just for abilities, tactics etc. and then you can have full control of your own effects. The GM can do the same for NPCs. When I'm running a game I rarely use the campaign effects list, I just use effects on the PC/NPC "effects class" I've created - they're on the actions tab where my attacks, spells, etc. are so they're all in the same place.

For example:

[Willot]

Effects are fairly new functionality (relatively) and that's how they were originally created ...

Yeah, would be nice to see some sort of separation of spell effect and user feat/abilitiy created effects
Not a biggies tho

[Trenloe]

Yeah, would be nice to see some sort of separation of spell effect and user feat/abilitiy created effects
Not a biggies tho

There is - see my screenshot above, there are 2 classes there, one for effects and one for ranger spells with the effects specific to the spells in that spells section. In use the "effects" class doesn't look like spells; it's a list of effects to apply and a button that applies it.

When I was typing my response on post #6 above I was thinking would a want a different way of using effects and I decided no I wouldn't. As mentioned above, it's keeping everything on the same "Actions" tab - weapons, spells and effects so it's easy to use all of them; it's pretty free form so if you want to create a trip combat maneuver, for example, you can have the CMB roll and a trip effect to apply if the maneuver was successful all in the same entry.

The only thing that is making people think this is specific to spells is that there is a "Spells" heading at the top and the right click menu says "add spell class" and "add spell". OK, so it might be ascetically pleasing to have yet more labels saying effects instead of spells, but it wouldn't change the functionality of how to use it.

[Carthar]

I was actually thinking about the combat tracker.

It is so easy for a GM to add or turn off or on an effect there. I was wondering why players don't have the same functionality/permission.

Each player could setup/drag over the standard effects they use, charge, rage, sneak attack, flanking. Then just click on/off when needed.

Anyways it works as is. I just was wondering why it was designed in that way. Thanks for answering the question.

Carth

[Trenloe]

I was actually thinking about the combat tracker.

It is so easy for a GM to add or turn off or on an effect there. I was wondering why players don't have the same functionality/permission.

Each player could setup/drag over the standard effects they use, charge, rage, sneak attack, flanking. Then just click on/off when needed.

Anyways it works as is. I just was wondering why it was designed in that way. Thanks for answering the question.

The combat tracker is really a GM tool not a player tool. It is informational only as far as players are concerned. The entries in the combat tracker are owned by the GM (in terms of FG database entries) - they are not the same records as the PCs that the player controls (they are copies specific to the combat tracker). Adding in effect control for the players would make the combat tracker very complex (its already pretty complex now) and full of what is known as OOB messaging (players initiating a request that the GM has to fulfil) that has an overhead as well as complexity.

There is also a design philosophy to not over burden the combat tracker with lots of extra information. If a player has 20 effects added to their character in the combat tracker but only 2 active, you'd still see 20 lines of effects when the player or the GM opens the effects section for that PC in the combat tracker - this would pretty much fill up the whole of the combat tracker. This might be OK for some people, but probably only those with a nice big screen!

I don't know what the plans are for effects in the future - perhaps there will be more direct player control. At the moment, this extension gives you the equivalent of turning on/off effects in the form of applying/removing - it's still one button press...