Ruleset reference

[mcwright]

Morning All,

I've just recently purchased the Ultimate license and I must say this is a great piece of software you guys have developed here definitely worth the money!

However, despite the great community that seems to have grown up around the game I'm still rather confused around details such as rule sets and the differences between some of them. For example there is the 3.5e, the D20 and the D20_JPG is there a page that I'm just not seeing which expands on the available rule sets, their features?

~Mark

[Griogre]

The D&D 3.5 rulesets have evolved over time. The original ruleset was created by Smiteworks and is the d20 ruleset. This is a very good and functional ruleset and one of the very few rulesets you can make local characters with the lite version of Fantasy Grounds. The internals of this ruleset are still a part of most commercial and non commercial rulesets today. In a sense it is the Grandfather of just about every current ruleset.

However, in keeping with the original Fantasy Grounds vision of simulating the table top at a face to face game the d20 ruleset had almost zero automation.

Enter the d20_JPG ruleset. JPG is moon_wizard on these boards and now a member of the Smiteworks team. He created this ruleset as a fan. In his version of the ruleset there was a great deal more automation of features. In particulate the combat tracker features were greatly expanded and players could see a version of the combat tracker also. Even better the d20_JPG would use all library data created for the d20 ruleset. Because of its features and ability to use items created for the original d20 ruleset almost everyone uses this ruleset who still plays D&D 3.5.

So what is the 3.5E ruleset? This was to be a co-operative effort upgrade of the aging d20 ruleset, an effort to update the official ruleset released by Smiteworks to use some of the latest features of the rulesets of the time. This ruleset is effectively not complete - in particular - the combat tracker of this ruleset is not functional. With the release of D&D 4E, the sale of Smiteworks, and JPG joining Smiteworks this ruleset will never be finished.

The release of D&D 4E cause a shift in interest by JPG into 4E and he began development of the 4E ruleset that is distributed by Smiteworks today. The 4E ruleset used as its base the d20_JPG. As JPG developed new things for the 4E ruleset he also incorporated the changes and upgrades into the d20_JPG ruleset. Once JPG is statisfied with the 4E ruleset he plans to roll all the new features developed into the d20_JPG and that will replace the current 3.5E ruleset.

So that's the history and differences. So for now, if you want to play 3.5 you should use the d20_JPG ruleset. Once the 3.5E ruleset is is replaced / upgraded with the 4E ruleset's features you will want to use that one. One important thing to note is that data for the d20, 3.5E and d20_JPG is largely all compatible so it's easy to convert campaign data from one ruleset to the others.

[Xorn]

In that history Griogre forgot to mention that he was all "bah-humbug" about 4E D&D at first. :D

Great explanation otherwise!

[Griogre]

Yes, yes. The question was about 3.5, though. :p ;) I only mentioned the 4E ruleset because eventually those features will migrate to the "official" 3.5 one.

I be the first to admit I *was* deeply skeptical of 4E. I did feel I had to give it a fair chance and played in one of Xorn's early demo games, which I enjoyed greatly (and not just because Xorn is a fun DM). That's where I found out 4E plays far better than it reads.

Xorn, I'm been messing around a bit with the LiveStream site and I have to say it's pretty impressive.

[Callum]

So for now, if you want to play 3.5 you should use the d20_JPG ruleset. Once the 3.5E ruleset is is replaced / upgraded with the 4E ruleset's features you will want to use that one.
I'm interested that you recommend using the d20_JPG ruleset, Griogre. I'd have thought the default would be to use the current official d20 release, which is still being updated regularly. Although the d20_JPG ruleset has a lot of great features, it's still a fan creation and not fully documented or supported, right? That will happen once it's folded into the 3.5E ruleset, as I understand it...

[mcwright]

Thanks!

That's a great answer to my question Griogre! I really appreciate it.

~Mark

[drahkar]

I'm interested that you recommend using the d20_JPG ruleset, Griogre. I'd have thought the default would be to use the current official d20 release, which is still being updated regularly. Although the d20_JPG ruleset has a lot of great features, it's still a fan creation and not fully documented or supported, right? That will happen once it's folded into the 3.5E ruleset, as I understand it...

D20_JPG was made by JPG aka moon_wizard who now works for smiteworks. They are merging the codebases. So the default codebase will have all of those features. :)

[Griogre]

Like drahkar says JPG is now part of Smiteworks. I view the d20_JPG as a stepping stone towards the eventual upgrade of the 3.5 ruleset.

[Xorn]

Yes, yes. The question was about 3.5, though. :p ;) I only mentioned the 4E ruleset because eventually those features will migrate to the "official" 3.5 one.

I be the first to admit I *was* deeply skeptical of 4E. I did feel I had to give it a fair chance and played in one of Xorn's early demo games, which I enjoyed greatly (and not just because Xorn is a fun DM). That's where I found out 4E plays far better than it reads.

Xorn, I'm been messing around a bit with the LiveStream site and I have to say it's pretty impressive.

Isn't it though!? I was up all night last night recording revised tutorials with Procaster (not live, recording locally) and they turned out AMAZING. I fired up my video editor and got ready to splice the pieces together and discovered to my dismay that I couldn't open the FLV files for editting! My options are to either convert them all to AVIs then work with them, or just break out Camtasia Studio and re-record them. I'm going with the latter I guess. AVS Video Editor can work with them in FLV format, but I'm not wild about it and only have a demo.

Back on topic, um... FG2 owns!

PS - Firefox + AdBlock Plus = No ads on Livestream. :D

[Stitched]

Since JPG's code is getting integrated into the base package, would it better to use that for generating new rulesets? I'm finding all sorts of omissions and bugs in the latest Base Ruleset (icons for Modifier calling up Items, etc. I'm guessing it hasn't been updated to reflect the new changes in 2.6.5 / 2.7.0

[Moon Wizard]

You can use any of them that you like. Both 3.5E and d20_JPG were spawned from the d20 ruleset and share the same DB structure. I plan to provide upgrade paths for all 3 when I release the new ruleset.

Cheers,
JPG

[Phystus]

With that said, D20_JPG is far, far superior to the other two options with respect to features.

~P