Adding Variant Rules

[dancingrabbitz]

Hello,

My friends and I recently decided to buy Fantasy Grounds in order to play online while we go to different colleges. Although we are new to the program and have only just started exploring the kinks in it, we are not new to DnD 3.5 and we wanted to try adding variant rules to the system like we do in our regular tabletop games. As I've been selected to be the DM, I have the task of researching how to incorporate these rules into the program, but the steep learning curve of XML programming and everything in the underbelly of the program files is rather intimidating to me, as I have never coded a day in my life. I'd like to ask for some guidance on where to start looking in order to learn how to alter specific aspects of the ruleset.

Mainly, I'd like to learn how to do the following:
-Alter the default character sheet (I want to add the Unearthed Arcana rule for Vitality and Wound points, so I want to change the hp slots that show up in character entries)
-Create new modules in the library (A number of the rules I want to write down in an official resource like the Basic Rules, Spells, Monsters, and Magic Item modules. However, these modules are MPEGs in the actual folder and I have no idea how to create new ones or how to edit existing ones)

I realize how complicated editing the actual ruleset for 3.5 is, so I want to leave that as a last resort. If there are any ways for me to accomplish the above without messing around with too much code, please let me know. Otherwise, I guess you can tell me to give up and just play with the default rules until I become more familiar with how to code in Fantasy Grounds if you think the learning curve for all these tasks are too high for me.

PS: I'm new to these forums, so I apologize if I am not posting in the right place or my question and situation are reported incorrectly or some other issue. I am not familiar with all of this forum's etiquette yet.

[RTFallen]

Welcome dancingrabbiz!

I'm not be able to help with altering the ruleset, but may be able to help you with the library module. Do the books you are wanting to create into library modules fall under the OGL? If so send me a PM and I can see what I can do about creating some library modules for you. :)

Resire

[damned]

Welcome again dancingrabbiz

If you want any sort of Automation for what you want to add you *have* to learn XML and LUA.
If you just want to add fields to the character sheet and track manually you can do with XML only.

As there really isnt much room on that character sheet that isnt already used you would probably be looking at creating an extension to add a new Tab and add all your custom stuff there.
Without any coding at all... you would just use the Notes section to track this...

If you want to create some modules of additional content you should not share these if they are not under OGL.
Go into the %appdata%\fantasy grounds\modules folder on your computer and you will see a bunch of .mod files. these are not MPEGs - they are just zip files. Open one up with 7zip or rename the file with a .zip extension. Inside you will typically see:
client.xml
definition.xml
thumbnail.png
You will need to copy these into another location and using something like notepad++ edit the files.
Keep it simple - grab only one item - a spell or monster or whatever and practice editing it and find out what you need to do.
To load the new data in FG you will need to zip up your three new files, rename as unearthed.mod and then in Library > Modules you can activate/open the new module...

Good luck!

[dulux-oz]

As my learned colleagues have already said - Welcome!

Damned is right - if you want to do anything that is "fancy" then you are going to have to learn XML and/or LUA - and you are going to have to learn to program ie be a coder. If you wave looked thorough any of these forums you may have stumbled upon various threads where this type of thing has been discussed - and the answer in all of them is, basically, if you want to do anything other than record information manually in something like the "Notes" section of the Character Sheet then you are going to have to learn to be a programmer - sorry, but that's the answer.

On a related note, have you and your buddies seen the excellent Tutorial Videos available on the Wiki? Damned has done quite a few good ones for Castles and Crusades and people seem to like the foundationally ones I've done for the CorRPG Ruleset, which forms the basis of the DnD Rulesets. I encourage you, if you haven't, to have a watch to learn how to run the program really well, especially if you're going to be the GM. You buddies should watch them as well, so as to take some of the pressure off you.

Anyway, you'll find we're a friendly bunch here, so never be afraid to ask questions

Cheers

[dancingrabbitz]

Welcome dancingrabbiz!

I'm not be able to help with altering the ruleset, but may be able to help you with the library module. Do the books you are wanting to create into library modules fall under the OGL? If so send me a PM and I can see what I can do about creating some library modules for you. :)

Resire

Thanks for your generous offer, and I do believe most of our variant rules come from Unearthed Arcana, which should be under the OGL as I have found the rules online in an SRD. However, I also have a few homebrew rules I want to write down for my friends as well, so I want to see if I can learn how to make custom modules myself first. I would welcome any advice you have on how to make them though.


Welcome again dancingrabbiz

If you want any sort of Automation for what you want to add you *have* to learn XML and LUA.
If you just want to add fields to the character sheet and track manually you can do with XML only.

As there really isnt much room on that character sheet that isnt already used you would probably be looking at creating an extension to add a new Tab and add all your custom stuff there.
Without any coding at all... you would just use the Notes section to track this...

If you want to create some modules of additional content you should not share these if they are not under OGL.
Go into the %appdata%\fantasy grounds\modules folder on your computer and you will see a bunch of .mod files. these are not MPEGs - they are just zip files. Open one up with 7zip or rename the file with a .zip extension. Inside you will typically see:
client.xml
definition.xml
thumbnail.png
You will need to copy these into another location and using something like notepad++ edit the files.
Keep it simple - grab only one item - a spell or monster or whatever and practice editing it and find out what you need to do.
To load the new data in FG you will need to zip up your three new files, rename as unearthed.mod and then in Library > Modules you can activate/open the new module...

Good luck!

Thanks for the instructions! I'll try out editing the modules and see if it works out.
I want to replace the hp slot on the character sheet with vitality points and the temporary and subdual slots with wound points. It's not technically adding anything, just replacing the names and how they work. I'll keep asking around to see if it can be done.
I sort of expected the inevitability of needing to code something. I guess I'll start trying to teach myself. I'll ask my friends if they know any coding too to see if they can help me out.


As my learned colleagues have already said - Welcome!

Damned is right - if you want to do anything that is "fancy" then you are going to have to learn XML and/or LUA - and you are going to have to learn to program ie be a coder. If you wave looked thorough any of these forums you may have stumbled upon various threads where this type of thing has been discussed - and the answer in all of them is, basically, if you want to do anything other than record information manually in something like the "Notes" section of the Character Sheet then you are going to have to learn to be a programmer - sorry, but that's the answer.

On a related note, have you and your buddies seen the excellent Tutorial Videos available on the Wiki? Damned has done quite a few good ones for Castles and Crusades and people seem to like the foundationally ones I've done for the CorRPG Ruleset, which forms the basis of the DnD Rulesets. I encourage you, if you haven't, to have a watch to learn how to run the program really well, especially if you're going to be the GM. You buddies should watch them as well, so as to take some of the pressure off you.

Anyway, you'll find we're a friendly bunch here, so never be afraid to ask questions

Cheers

I'll probably end up using the Notes section a lot then for anything I can't figure out how to code. Oh well. :(
I've seen some tutorial videos, so I know about some of the functionality of the program interface but I have not yet taken the time to watch through all of them. I guess I'll have to make some time to do that before we have our first session.

Thanks for all the welcomes, guys! I'll start looking into the modules thing first, as I get the impression it will be the simpler thing to do. After that, I guess I'll start learning to code the character sheets. Thanks for all your help and I hope I can continue to use this thread to ask about any questions that come up.

[darrenan]

I also think most of this still applies: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1502&d=1281910885

But the best thing to do is to crack open an existing module that does something similar to what you're trying to do and see how they do it.

[Callum]

I've just added an updated guide to creating a new spells module here:

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?21762-Creating-a-new-spells-module