? about server characters in different games

[antiduke]

Some friends and I are starting up a new D&D campaign and we are wanting to have different DMs from week to week, with one continuous story. Therefore, we need to find out how to take a server character from one game and load him into another game.

I realize we could just copy everything to our "local" characters each time, but that would be very tedious and generally a headache.

Is there an easy way to do this? We have a drop box set up so we can share files easily. Can the host simply share some character files to the other DMs or something?

[damned]

i would zip up the whole campaign folder and send it off to the next gm via dropbox each week... each gm will know the other gm's secrets though...

[Leonal]

If you share the same base campaign files (db.xml within the campaign folder or the whole thing) between the weeks then that's the most effortless method IMO.

edit: ninjaed, and yeah packing them is a good thing.

[antiduke]

Hmm.. that could work but I am concerned that we wouldn't be able to do our own campaign things separately then. For instance if I want to prepare some maps before we are done with someone else's "week" I wouldn't have any of that available if I copied their campaign folder over right?

[Leonal]

If you just copy the db.xml file you'll leave any images intact (you can always choose not to overwrite the files you don't want overwritten, should you copy the whole folder), and unless you share the same maps you can just skip sending them to save space/time.

Also, don't forget to make backups should something go wrong.

edit: I'd also recommend exporting to modules if you want to prepare NPCs or other entries in advance when you're not GMing, as that won't affect the master campaign file(s).

[Griogre]

As Leonal, says if each DM keeps his adventures in separate modules and you just keep the characters in the main campaign the drop box thing will work great and you will be able to develop your adventure modules with stepping on each others toes or even seeing what the other DM is doing.

[antiduke]

I guess I'm confused by "exporting to modules." What exactly does this mean?

[Valarian]

Use of /export to export Story, NPC, Images, etc. as a module that can be opened up in another campaign of the same ruleset. You can create the module in a work campaign and then use it in the game campaign when you get the campaign file back.

[Griogre]

To be more specific, you start a new campaign with the same ruleset. This new campaign will hold your adventure. You enter your maps/images and npcs into needed for your adventure. You can also enter items, story entrys and whatever else you need/want. Once you have your adventure input, in the chat line at the bottom type /export and hit enter.

This will bring up the export pop up. Fill in the Name - this is what will show up in your Module list. File name: the actual modules file name with a .mod extention. Author: This in the second line in the modules list. For D&D adventure modules, I usually just put the level(s) of the module ie Level 14 to 16 or whatever. If you don't know what the index group or merge ID are, then leave them blank. Thumbnail is the graphic that will appear in the module list. The path is a relative path from FG's data app folder. Any graphics you use will be resized to like 60 pixels on the larger side. I know it takes pngs and I expect it takes jpegs as well.

I'd suggest you try a small sample adventure module to see how it works, IE just input one encounter with monsters, map, and an encounter then export it and open the module list and open it up in your main campaign. Let us know if you have other questions.

[antiduke]

OK, I have exported to a module. It has a map, an encounter and a couple story entries. It is saved to my "modules" folder.

Let me see if I have the next part(s) right now.

DM sends me his "db.xml" file and I put it in my campaign folder, choosing to overwrite it. I then host my campaign. How do I now access the module that I created? Do I need to put that in my "moduledb" folder?

Sorry for all the noob questions and thanks in advance!

[Leonal]

You open the module "manager" from one of the buttons (design varying with ruleset) in the top right corner and drag the "book" in your module open (towards the left).

You images/story entries and such will then show in their respective places as new flags/tabs.