Back From the Dead - as it were...

[Netjera]

Hi everyone!

I haven't gamed in a VERY long time, due to location. Bringing games online, is just what I needed to be able to hook up with friends who roleplay. I purchased FG full, and am working my way slowly through everything. Because it's been over 10 years since I last gamed, I'm really out-of-the-loop regarding rule systems, and what's-what, so I hope y'all don't mind answering a few questions.

I purchased FG because it comes with 3.5E included, so I can start with something I know really well, and then add in game systems as I become more comfortable with the program. All of my favored systems are older, and unless they're out of license because of age, will require me to actually put them into the program. (Cyberpunk, Stormbringer, Powers and Perils, Traveler, Vampire, anyone?)

I've noticed (after taking a while to figure out how to load 3.5E modules) that only 2 are available: the core rulebook and the book of spells. I don't seem to have a Monster Manual anywhere. Am I missing it? If not, do I have to enter them manually, and are there directions anywhere on how to compile a supplement, like a monster list?

Also, I've noticed that while Wizards can have familiars, there is no place to record them. The character sheet doesn't have the room, and I can't seem to find any "support" sheets to use. Are there any included?

What do people recommend that I need, if anything, from the store in order to have everything I need to run a 3.5E game? I've noticed some mention of "d20" stuff, but that's not the same as D&D, is it?

Thanks a LOT! I'm so excited to be able to roleplay again, that I can barely stand it, lol. I want to be done getting stuff entered so I can gather up my players. =D

[Leonal]

Hi,

There should be four modules: rules, spells, monsters & items. (The latter two only appear when you host a game as a GM).
Check the modules folder in the Application Data folder (accessible through the FG group in your start menu) to make sure they're all there.

Familiars and animal companions generally don't require much stats and can be easily recorded in the notes tab. If you prefer you can use a second character sheet to record their stats. You can open them both during play.

The 3.5 ruleset is in the process of being upgraded and is currently under testing (See the Laboratory for more info). I don't think you need anything else than what is provided, though the store has some more modules in terms of adventures, tokens, and so on.

Talk of d20 may be due to the ruleset named d20_JPG which IMO is better than the current 3.5E ruleset (but will be superseded again by the upgraded 3.5E).

[Netjera]

Hi,

There should be four modules: rules, spells, monsters & items. (The latter two only appear when you host a game as a GM).
Check the modules folder in the Application Data folder (accessible through the FG group in your start menu) to make sure they're all there.

Ah.. I'm unable to host a game, at present, because I can't port forward for security reasons. >.< Meanwhile, I'm putting a campaign together, so it's ready to play when/if I can. Is there any way to make the books accessible when I'm putting the campaign together? It doesn't do me much good to cobble together things if I can't reference monster information.


Familiars and animal companions generally don't require much stats and can be easily recorded in the notes tab. If you prefer you can use a second character sheet to record their stats. You can open them both during play.

Thanks. I'm out of room on the character's sheet, unless I want to scroll all the time, so I guess I'll use method B. :square:


The 3.5 ruleset is in the process of being upgraded and is currently under testing (See the Laboratory for more info). I don't think you need anything else than what is provided, though the store has some more modules in terms of adventures, tokens, and so on.

Oh good. :) Thanks for telling me. I was looking at some sort of d20 monster compendium. While it might be nice to have, if it's the same as what's included, it doesn't do me much good. :>


Talk of d20 may be due to the ruleset named d20_JPG which IMO is better than the current 3.5E ruleset (but will be superseded again by the upgraded 3.5E).

Maybe. Is d20 another form of D&D? I remember they were just starting to come out when I stopped playing, and I never got the chance to find out if it was a company, another set of rules, what game it was, or anything.

Thanks for being patient with me!

[Leonal]

d20 used to be and 3.5E is what it's often called it when you're not licensed to use the D&D name and logo. Before the current 3.5E ruleset was included in FG, the one labeled "d20" in the downloads section was the one that shipped.

There shouldn't be any difference between setting up the the campaign and actually running it, when it comes to modules (saying hosting earlier wasn't 100% correct). Are you perchance using the "manage characters" to set up your character? Because there you will only see the spells and basic rules. You also won't be able to use any monsters and such there.

If you have the modules and create a new campaign using either 3.5E, d20 or d20_JPG (all different takes of presenting 3.5 d&d in FG), you should definitely be able to open all four modules. If not I suppose there's something wrong.

[Netjera]

d20 used to be and 3.5E is what it's often called it when you're not licensed to use the D&D name and logo. Before the current 3.5E ruleset was included in FG, the one labeled "d20" in the downloads section was the one that shipped.

Oh confusing, lol. So it's the same ruleset, just under a generic name versus a licensed name? What hoops people go through to covet IP. rofl So essentially, then, anything for d20, like modules or supplements, should be usable without modification with the current ruleset?


There shouldn't be any difference between setting up the the campaign and actually running it, when it comes to modules (saying hosting earlier wasn't 100% correct). Are you perchance using the "manage characters" to set up your character? Because there you will only see the spells and basic rules. You also won't be able to use any monsters and such there.

If you have the modules and create a new campaign using either 3.5E, d20 or d20_JPG (all different takes of presenting 3.5 d&d in FG), you should definitely be able to open all four modules. If not I suppose there's something wrong.

I *am* using "Manage Characters" because I couldn't figure out how to create characters from the Create Campaign screen. There was no characters button that I could find.

Thanks again. (PS, I'll check the modules folder and the program again, to see if the modules are there and can be activated.)

[Leonal]

You're welcome. Happy to help. :)

This might be wrong as I'm only guessing/trying to remember old posts, but I believe FG previously used the d20 license (or whatever it was called), but when Wizards pulled the license one couldn't call the product d20 any longer and could only rely on the OGL (which is a brilliant license), thus the name change from d20 to 3.5E

Any purchase which says d20 should be compatible with all of the available rulesets for 3.5 d&d, yes.

After you create a campaign click on the button which has the silhouettes of three people in the upper right corner. There you can right click and then select the bottom selection "create new." This will allow you to create a character tied to that campaign. When a played connects they can select any of the characters that are not bound by another login name yet.

I'd also recommend you to look at the library link at the top. It explains most of what you need to know in the 3.5E ruleset.

[Netjera]

You're welcome. Happy to help. :)

This might be wrong as I'm only guessing/trying to remember old posts, but I believe FG previously used the d20 license (or whatever it was called), but when Wizards pulled the license one couldn't call the product d20 any longer and could only rely on the OGL (which is a brilliant license), thus the name change from d20 to 3.5E

Any purchase which says d20 should be compatible with all of the available rulesets for 3.5 d&d, yes.

After you create a campaign click on the button which has the silhouettes of three people in the upper right corner. There you can right click and then select the bottom selection "create new." This will allow you to create a character tied to that campaign. When a played connects they can select any of the characters that are not bound by another login name yet.

I'd also recommend you to look at the library link at the top. It explains most of what you need to know in the 3.5E ruleset.

Thanks a lot! THAT'S what was throwing me! Under Manage Characters, it has an "Add Character" button, but there's no button in the Character pane when you're creating a campaign.

Incidentally, if I've created a character in Manage Characters, I can still somehow get it into the campaign, can't I?

I'm slowly working my way through the library. Next order of business, find a way to get my alchemy changes into the ruleset.

Btw - is there a way to save the position of stuff from campaign to campaign? For example, I have certain pages open and minimized, and I keep having to reopen/reminimize them whenever I restart FG.

Thanks again!

[Leonal]

Yes, all characters you create in manage characters will show up as "local" characters when you join a campaign with a ruleset with the same name. (i.e. they will not show for you if you later create a campaign as a GM, but if you connect to your own campaign though a second instance of FG, or connect to another GMs campaign. A 3.5E character won't show up if you connect to a 4E game and so on.)

IIRC open windows will save their location between sessions, they will have to be opened again. Minimized windows will not open as minimized.

[Netjera]

Ah that explains a lot. I've almost got this, I think, and am probably down to my last couple of questions (till next week, anyways, lol).

In the guide it mentions a "Notes" section. Is that only available for players? I don't seem to have a Notes icon in GM mode?

Thanks again!

[Leonal]

The notes depend on how the ruleset was built, as such not all have them available.
The notes in the current 3.5E may not be visible for the GM, but the upgraded one and also d20_JPG has them viewable and editable by the GM too.

If you need to make any notes in the current 3.5E, just use a story sheet.

[Netjera]

I've noticed that many of the things I see - such as the Weapons list - have a pushpin next to them. I thought this would allow me to drag the weapons to the character sheet, perhaps, but that didn't work. Also, I see pushpins when I create story elements, and I was hoping that dragging them to the chat window would allow them to be seen, but nothing happens.

I can't seem to find any indication in the library reference of what these pushpins are actually for and how to use them. Would you mind explaining? Thanks!

[Leonal]

They're links. I'd recommend viewing the videos on the top right of the download section https://www.fantasygrounds.com/downloads/

Some rulesets allow you to drag items to the inventory for example, but not all.

[Moon Wizard]

The current 3.5E ruleset does not. The new 3.5E ruleset currently in testing and the existing 4E ruleset do allow drag and drop items.

Regards,
JPG

[Netjera]

Oh THAT will be awesome! I love the drag-n-drop spellbook, but dragging and dropping feats and equipment doesn't work. =/

Is that upgrade a standard upgrade, or a paid upgrade? =D I can't wait!

[Leonal]

I haven't ever seen a paid upgrade for FG or any of its products. And the 3.5 in currently in testing looks very nice.

[Netjera]

I haven't ever seen a paid upgrade for FG or any of its products. And the 3.5 in currently in testing looks very nice.

Now you guys have me really excited! I was just putting together characters, trying to drop feats to the feat list, trying to drop items to the inventory list, and trying to drop stuff to notes, and of course, that stuff isn't working yet. (At least I'm not quite as dumb as I thought, lol.)

I looked at three or four other "tabletops" before I chose this, and none of them had half the functionality already included here. Now they're making my day and adding more! =D I have to say, I think my two favorite features are link-back (how when you put something with a link on the character sheet, you can push the push-pin and it opens the sub-information) and chat boxes in the story panels. I love being able to just drop those to the chat window and BAM! instant text. No slow typing.

I did notice that I can drag and drop links to the chat window, but I can't tell what they're doing. Sometimes I get nothing, sometimes it shows the name of what I linked in bold and sometimes, it just drops into chat so I can say the name.

I'm also so glad they didn't give up on 3.5E. I'm not sure I want to upgrade to 4th Edition, although I'm sort of intrigued with Pathfinder. (All these sudden "versions" of D&d are really confusing me. o.O )

[Leonal]

Yes depending on what the link is referring to, dropping to the chat window will have varying results. I mainly like it for referencing feats and spells, but in the new 3.5 I can see bigger use of items too.

I only play Pathfinder when it comes to d20/d&dish games, but it plays very similarly to 3.5, which I played before the release of PF. And it gets new and great products released monthly! (Not that there isn't a lot of material for 3.5 already, or that one can play PF adventures without too much work in 3.5)

[Netjera]

Yes depending on what the link is referring to, dropping to the chat window will have varying results. I mainly like it for referencing feats and spells, but in the new 3.5 I can see bigger use of items too.

I only play Pathfinder when it comes to d20/d&dish games, but it plays very similarly to 3.5, which I played before the release of PF. And it gets new and great products released monthly! (Not that there isn't a lot of material for 3.5 already, or that one can play PF adventures without too much work in 3.5)

Sounds awesome! I've got them on my wishlist from my birthday and a family member sent me some birthday money, so I'm thinking of picking up the PF core rulebook. Now, if I can just get the server to work so I can actually run games, life will be perfect. =D

[Netjera]

I noticed that the 3E SRD for sale has some modules that I don't (Divine, Epic, Psionic). Am I supposed to have all of those modules already? The modules included with my version are Core Rulebook, Spell, Monsters, Magic Item, Letter Tokens and Well Met in Kith'takharos.

[Leonal]

The one for sale does have a few more modules included, true. So if you need modules for psionics, epic play or the rules on divine rank and such I'd recommend it, but otherwise I don't see it as that important.

[Netjera]

I'm trying to test my connection. Can I have someone who has the demo try to connect to me to see if it works? I'm a bit confused by where it says, "Demo is incompatible with the retail version." How do I know if my connection is working or not?

[Leonal]

At the moment it means that a demo version can only connect to a demo version of FG (this is changing in the next update for FG). One can have both the demo and a retail version of FG installed at the same time.

If you set up a demo-game PM me the IP (since the demo doesn't support alias) I can try to connect if you'd like.
If you want to test with the retail version I can try that too.

[Netjera]

Thanks for the offer! If my friend isn't available later today, I'm probably going to have to take you up on that.

Incidentally, I had something odd happen, and I can't tell what I did to cause it. All of my "pushpin" icons in my newest campaign that I created, have turned into boxes. Even though I created the campaign in exactly the same way as all the others. Any idea what I did and/or how to get the pushpins back? They're still there in the other campaigns. (Whoops, ignore this question. I figured it out, lol. When I looked again, I noticed paper and background and everything were different. I forgot to load the extension. Well, now I know what it does, rofl.)

Also, how do I delete a campaign? I made a test campaign and now can't get rid of it, lol. Thanks for remaining patient with me. You're awesome. :D

[Leonal]

Happy to help. :)
Go to your Fantasy Grounds application data folder (accessible through the start menu) and you'll see a folder named "campaigns." In there you can delete any campaign you don't need any more. I also tend to frequently back up my campaigns from there should anything happen.

[Netjera]

One thing I've noticed, that may or may not be unusual, is that when I connect to myself as a player, and I then select a portrait for a local character, the DM screen has no portrait. The portrait is visible on the player client, but not on the DM client. Am I doing something wrong?

1) I connect using local host.
2) I select a pre-made character from those offered.
3) I select a character portrait and drag it to the empty bubble above the character name.
4) I switch back to the DM window, and I see the character name, but no portrait. Not even an empty bubble, like the player has before adding one. Just nothing. Although if i click in the nothing, it acts like the portrait is there.

Looks like my server is NOT up. We're having massive problems because my father works from home, so the security on our router has certain requirements from his company. We've been trying to get it fixed for days now, but whenever I test the connection from the program it says "FAILED". :(

[Leonal]

Depending on the security requirements you might be able to run the game using a VPN like Hamachi.

Not sure about the portrait, but I've seen the same thing when connecting locally too.

[Netjera]

Depending on the security requirements you might be able to run the game using a VPN like Hamachi.

Not sure about the portrait, but I've seen the same thing when connecting locally too.

A friend of mine suggested Hamachi and I installed it. It was either stupidly simple to set up, or I did something really wrong, because I was done before I knew it. lol It didn't seem to work either, tho. =/

I'm glad I'm not the only one having the portrait problem. I thought maybe it was something I'd done now. I'm having a blast figuring this out. Now, if I could just get Dundjinni to be as friendly, so I can get my map in it.

[Blackfoot]

Looks like my server is NOT up. We're having massive problems because my father works from home, so the security on our router has certain requirements from his company. We've been trying to get it fixed for days now, but whenever I test the connection from the program it says "FAILED". :(You need to set up port forwarding on your router. Get the IP number from FG then log into your router and set the port forwarding for port 1802 to that IP.

[Netjera]

You need to set up port forwarding on your router. Get the IP number from FG then log into your router and set the port forwarding for port 1802 to that IP.

Thanks, that's what I've been trying to do. Unfortunately, because my father works from home and VPN's into his company, they have all sorts of security set up on the router. My Dad has a tech-head working on it. He had to set me up with a static IP, and it looks like I've got one now, but the program is still giving me a FAILED, so I'm waiting to find out what the story is. =/

[Netjera]

Btw - two dumb token-related questions, lol:

1) If I have something in the shared folder AND in the host folder, it will show up twice, because shared is shared with both of us, and not just sent to the players?

2) Is there a way to rename a bag you make in the token box?

Thanks!

[Blackfoot]

Btw - two dumb token-related questions, lol:

1) If I have something in the shared folder AND in the host folder, it will show up twice, because shared is shared with both of us, and not just sent to the players?

2) Is there a way to rename a bag you make in the token box?

Thanks!I'm pretty sure you can drag a name onto the bag from the chat window.

[Netjera]

I'm pretty sure you can drag a name onto the bag from the chat window.

I tried that and couldn't make it work, for some reason. That's what I expected, after figuring out how many other things I could rename that way. Maybe I'm not dragging it onto the right spot?

[Moon Wizard]

Currently, there is no way to name custom bags. Added to wish list.

Regards,
JPG

[Netjera]

Currently, there is no way to name custom bags. Added to wish list.

Regards,
JPG

Sweet! Thanks! :D