Official D&D 5E Modules are now Available

[ddavison]

See this link for more information on the packs that are available.
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/buyFG/DungeonsAndDragons.html

[Trenloe]

Awesome!

[OTG_Wraith]

Great news Doug!

After all these years this really is a special day for the Fantasy Grounds brand!

[GunnarGreybeard]

That link makes it much more clear. Here's hoping it will help with the obvious confusion for some that this is some sort of online character builder. I sure am glad I didn't spend the last 5 months pulling my hair out trying to parse the scanned books.

[jshauber]

That link makes it much more clear. Here's hoping it will help with the obvious confusion for some that this is some sort of online character builder. I sure am glad I didn't spend the last 5 months pulling my hair out trying to parse the scanned books.

AMEN to that!!!

I worked the booth at GenCon with the guys so knew they really wanted 5e and it was only a matter of time until they worked it out with WotC. Money well spent and worth the wait.

[FSHSchmo]

Purchased all the material released and can't wait to get home and try it out tonight when we build a character for HoTDQ.

[Puck]

Immediately buying an Ultimate license and the 2 Complete 5e modules.

Obvious next question: do we have a vague timeline on PoTA release? I've been reading through the book for the past few weeks and am itching to run it!

[ddavison]

I'm about 40% of the way through it now. I would guess that it might land sometime near the end of the month or by mid-May at the latest. That's shooting from the hip.

[JohnD]

Immediately buying an Ultimate license and the 2 Complete 5e modules.

Obvious next question: do we have a vague timeline on PoTA release? I've been reading through the book for the past few weeks and am itching to run it!
Excellent decision! :)

[Puck]

I'm about 40% of the way through it now. I would guess that it might land sometime near the end of the month or by mid-May at the latest. That's shooting from the hip.

That's hot

[Baron28]

How about the Dungeon Master's Guide? ETA on its release date?

[FSHSchmo]

I'm about 40% of the way through it now. I would guess that it might land sometime near the end of the month or by mid-May at the latest. That's shooting from the hip.

Any plans for Rise of Tiamat or Hoard of the Dragon Queen?

[Talen]

Any plans for Rise of Tiamat or Hoard of the Dragon Queen?

They have said both are submitted and waiting for WOTC approval.

[Talen]

...and maybe this one has been posted somewhere, but are Effects going to be included in a separate module or are they merely parsed with spells and combat abilities?

[damned]

Well done SmiteWorks!
I see this as a very public recognition of the amazing effort you guys have put into this product and its flagship rulesets!



https://www.fg-con.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/fg-con-6-150-14.jpg (https://www.fg-con.com/events/)
FG Con 6 – April 17-19th 2015 - register at www.fg-con.com (https://www.fg-con.com/) for all the latest info.

[Zeus]

They have said both are submitted and waiting for WOTC approval.

Thats correct, both are in the process of being submitted through our approvals process. We are currently working on PotA.


...and maybe this one has been posted somewhere, but are Effects going to be included in a separate module or are they merely parsed with spells and combat abilities?

Effects parsing functionality is delivered from the 5E ruleset and works with the format used in the official D&D 5E rulebooks and adventures, as such as the official modules mirror the official content, all supported spell effects and combat effects will be available.

[Talen]

Thats correct, both are in the process of being submitted through our approvals process. We are currently working on PotA.



Effects parsing functionality is delivered from the 5E ruleset and works with the format used in the official D&D 5E rulebooks and adventures, as such as the official modules mirror the official content, all supported spell effects and combat effects will be available.

Thanks Zeus - I have a specific question then - are channel divinity features - in this case turn undead - parsed so that I can drop the feature and apply the effect similar to say casting sleep and applying unconsciousness? I'm assuming its in here somewhere, but haven't found it yet......And NM - found it.....needed to drop channel divinity in the powers section of the abilities tab.

[Treegreen]

What resolution are the player maps in the adventure packs? For example, Lost Mines of Phandelver. I ask because the high-resolution VTT maps from the cartographers cost any where from $15-20 to buy the whole set. Lost Mines at $20 is a steal just for the maps alone.

[ddavison]

For most of the maps, we re-scaled these down to lower res versions (in most cases) so that they would be 50 pixels per square or 35 pixels per square. There are several maps that are 10' per square, so 50 pixels or 35 pixels is for the upper quadrant of that same size square.

[Treegreen]

One final question, is there any plan to implement stuff from the unearthed arcana articles? If it's already there, awesome, but I'm curious what the word is on adding in things as WoTC releases them. For example, they just recently created two subclass choices in the latest article: A spell-less ranger and the favored soul (sorcerer).

[ddavison]

That's a good question. I'll add that to my list to discuss with Wizards when I talk to them next.

[jledsome]

I just purchased the Basic Rules set and LMoP. I'm tinkering with the program and getting used to all the options. So far I really like what I see.

[ddavison]

I just pushed a fix for this a few minutes ago. Re-run an update and they should show up. Once they show up, you can drag them and the classes to the character sheet.

[ddavison]

I just pushed a fix that Zeus loaded up for the Complete Core Class Pack. We will roll these into the sub packs at some point afterward.


Classes: Updated all spellcasting class with direct links to spells
Class: Fixed Paladin Sacred Oath Oath Spell ability features
Class: Fixed Battlemaster Fighter archetype maneuvers list
Background: added Urchin
Correct veracious typos and cleaned up text

[Zacchaeus]

Gee Whiz this is super news. Well done everyone who must have really worked hard for this.

[Zacchaeus]

One question. My players have level 5 characters at the moment. If I buy the new stuff will they be able to use that when they next level up? Or would it make more sense to remake the characters from the ground up. Also the module that I am half way through can I just start adding monsters etc from the new stuff or again would it make more sense to start a new module with only the new stuff?

[Valhingen]

That was my one complaint when getting FG...that I have to (for the time being) type in all Monsters and Spells. Luckily this came out before I spent too much time into it..instant buy :) *happy*

[demonsbane]

That's a good question. I'll add that to my list to discuss with Wizards when I talk to them next.

I also think that implementing the diverse Unearthed Arcana options would be great.

[hereander]

Hey, I started comparing what i got from the basic set purchase with my own (half-finished) par5ed PHB and I found the first "glitch" in the officiel module (#i;Bruennor Battl... in the Dwarf description) ;) Is there any special place we can report stuff like that, so that you can fix it?

Also, would it be possible to add an alphabetic index to the spells in parallel to the class spell-list so that I can quickly look through them (i know that i can filter and then get a reduction to all spellists a spell is in)?

[dberkompas]

hereander,

We've been putting 5E specific things here for now, not entirely sure it's the correct place:

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?23647-5E-PHB-Deluxe-is-great-just-a-few-things-I-noticed


BoomerET

[xKrisx]

Now if only they did 2nd Edition stuff.. ;)

[vegaserik]

So if I buy the Core Class Pack and the Core Monster Pack - that's all the rules, everything but the adventure correct?

[ddavison]

One question. My players have level 5 characters at the moment. If I buy the new stuff will they be able to use that when they next level up? Or would it make more sense to remake the characters from the ground up. Also the module that I am half way through can I just start adding monsters etc from the new stuff or again would it make more sense to start a new module with only the new stuff?

That is a good question and one I hadn't thought of. I think it would probably be best to rebuild them. When you drag the new class over, it will think it is a brand new class and will start over at level 1. We still need to work on the multi-classing as well.

[ddavison]

So if I buy the Core Class Pack and the Core Monster Pack - that's all the rules, everything but the adventure correct?

That is correct -- well, except for the DMG rules. Those aren't ready yet.

[vegaserik]

That is correct -- well, except for the DMG rules. Those aren't ready yet.

Cool. That's what I thought but I wanted to make sure before I bought.

[qwortec]

So I've been wanting to try out 5e for a while now. Was thinking of getting the physical books to play pen and paper but I'd maybe like to try it out in FG as well. Does this mean I need to buy $100 worth of modules (char creator and monster manual) on top of my $150 ultimate license to do so with the same sort of functionality that I play Pathfinder with right now? That seems a wee bit over the top. If this is the case, do I blame WotC?

[Treegreen]

So I've been wanting to try out 5e for a while now. Was thinking of getting the physical books to play pen and paper but I'd maybe like to try it out in FG as well. Does this mean I need to buy $100 worth of modules (char creator and monster manual) on top of my $150 ultimate license to do so with the same sort of functionality that I play Pathfinder with right now? That seems a wee bit over the top. If this is the case, do I blame WotC?

You can do $10/mo instead of $150 if you'd like, or you can have players each buy the $30 option. The 2 x $50 gets you the Player's Handbook and the Monster Manual. I'm honestly not sure why they don't just call those two options by their actual names - seems like it'd reduce some of the confusion. That's more or less the same price you'd pay if you walked into a local game shop and picked up the physical books, but you'd lose out on all the functionality that FG brings with it hence the FG cost. You could also just buy FG and then use PAR5E to create the modules w/o buying them, but you'd need to pick up the books, scan and OCR them, and then do a lot of formatting. Frankly, I think the cost is more than fair considering how long it took me to PAR5E my PHB and Monster Manual.

[Griogre]

Usually pricing is determined by the owner of the license. So yes you could blame WotC for the prices of the Player Pack and Monster Pack.

However, if you really just want to *try* 5E then you could just buy the 3 dollar Basic rules that have the 4 base character, 4 base races and 2/3rds of the MM monsters. Thus the try buy in is just $3.

[qwortec]

You can do $10/mo instead of $150 if you'd like, or you can have players each buy the $30 option. The 2 x $50 gets you the Player's Handbook and the Monster Manual. I'm honestly not sure why they don't just call those two options by their actual names - seems like it'd reduce some of the confusion. That's more or less the same price you'd pay if you walked into a local game shop and picked up the physical books, but you'd lose out on all the functionality that FG brings with it hence the FG cost. You could also just buy FG and then use PAR5E to create the modules w/o buying them, but you'd need to pick up the books, scan and OCR them, and then do a lot of formatting. Frankly, I think the cost is more than fair considering how long it took me to PAR5E my PHB and Monster Manual.

I've got my UL already but we just play PF with the lovely modules/extensions that the folks here have made from the OGL content. I'm just wondering if I'd need to spend $100 for character sheets and a beastiary since they're official WotC content and not OGL, which essentially means to start from scratch it would cost me $250 to play a game of DnD 5e on FG. That's a huge barrier to entry and it's the main gripe I see against FG in places like /r/DnD.

[Treegreen]

I've got my UL already but we just play PF with the lovely modules/extensions that the folks here have made from the OGL content. I'm just wondering if I'd need to spend $100 for character sheets and a beastiary since they're official WotC content and not OGL, which essentially means to start from scratch it would cost me $250 to play a game of DnD 5e on FG. That's a huge barrier to entry and it's the main gripe I see against FG in places like /r/DnD.

OK, but if people are upset by the fact that they can't get the new edition for free then why switch from 3.5? I get the impression the problem people on /r/DnD have is they want a digital version for free. That never seemed like a realistic possibility, but some people seem to think they are owed that and have taken to venting their frustration out on SmiteWorks instead of WoTC. Regardless of what VTT you use you still have to buy a copy of the PHB and Monster Manual. You can either do that in a physical version or you can more or less pay the same thing for a ready to rumble version in FG. If you've already bought your physical copies you can enter the information yourself on practically any VTT so I don't get the problem there.

[Nylanfs]

Umm, if you have the ultimate license you don't need anything other than the two complete packs

[qwortec]

OK, but if people are upset by the fact that they can't get the new edition for free then why switch from 3.5? I get the impression the problem people on /r/DnD have is they want a digital version for free. That never seemed like a realistic possibility, but some people seem to think they are owed that and have taken to venting their frustration out on SmiteWorks instead of WoTC. Regardless of what VTT you use you still have to buy a copy of the PHB and Monster Manual. You can either do that in a physical version or you can more or less pay the same thing for a ready to rumble version in FG. If you've already bought your physical copies you can enter the information yourself on practically any VTT so I don't get the problem there.

I'm not really in disagreement with you, paying for the extra content is totally fair. My problem is that it's just too high of a price. PHB and MM for $50 a pop for what are for most people going to be duplicate purchases is a hard pill to swallow, especially when you can get the hard copy books for less that (Amazon has the PHB for $36 and the MM for $33.50). You could argue that they are getting the material with extra functionality but I'd say that's what they paid $150 for to get the software in the first place.

[Trenloe]

Hey, remember that Fantasy Grounds comes with the 5E ruleset (included for all licenses) - the framework to allow you to play 5E in a VTT, including blank character sheets, blank NPC records, initiative tracker (Combat Tracker), etc.. If you already have the 5E books you can completely play a game with the base 5E ruleset (no need to purchase anything else). You just have to enter everything manually - you don't need to spend hours using PAR5E, the interface is there to allow you to enter NPCs, PCs, etc. - you just have to enter them yourself.

Then you have the decision to make - is my free time that I use to enter the data I need to play worth more or less than the cost to buy the official D&D 5E Fantasy Grounds material? Or do I want to spend hours entering data in PAR5E to make my own modules? It's entirely up to you - there is nothing stopping you from playing 5E in Fantasy Grounds as is, without purchasing any additional material; you will just spend more time entering the PC details, spells/powers and the NPC details manually.

[leozelig]

I'm not really in disagreement with you, paying for the extra content is totally fair. My problem is that it's just too high of a price. PHB and MM for $50 a pop for what are for most people going to be duplicate purchases is a hard pill to swallow, especially when you can get the hard copy books for less that (Amazon has the PHB for $36 and the MM for $33.50). You could argue that they are getting the material with extra functionality but I'd say that's what they paid $150 for to get the software in the first place.

I must admit, my gut reaction was the same regarding the price. I am not trying to argue that the price is unfair, and I am sure long hours were required to create the modules, which are a huge convenience. But... if I was going to host a 5E game, I would want the PHB and MM, a combined cost of $100, more if you want an adventure module. It gets pricey fast :)

On the whole, I am very happy that FG has the 5E license. They have done a great job with the D&D rulesets, and this is long overdue.

[damned]

I'm not really in disagreement with you, paying for the extra content is totally fair. My problem is that it's just too high of a price. PHB and MM for $50 a pop for what are for most people going to be duplicate purchases is a hard pill to swallow, especially when you can get the hard copy books for less that (Amazon has the PHB for $36 and the MM for $33.50). You could argue that they are getting the material with extra functionality but I'd say that's what they paid $150 for to get the software in the first place.

Amazon buy truckloads of books so they get a price break and then their business model sees them make only $2 a book which is how they can sell a $50 book for $35. No one else can or does do this. In the real world a $50 book sells for $50. Actually in Aus we pay $60-65. And no such thing as free shipping. Shipping from Amazon is $20 minimum from Amazon. Its a license product so Wizards are getting paid first and then SmiteWorks. Unless this sells many, many thousands you are not likely to see a price reduction on its RRP.

[Treegreen]

I must admit, my gut reaction was the same regarding the price. I am not trying to argue that the price is unfair, and I am sure long hours were required to create the modules, which are a huge convenience. But... if I was going to host a 5E game, I would want the PHB and MM, a combined cost of $100, more if you want an adventure module. It gets pricey fast :)

On the whole, I am very happy that FG has the 5E license. They have done a great job with the D&D rulesets, and this is long overdue.

Again, as many have pointed out, you certainly do not have to buy the modules to use FG (or any VTT for that matter) to play 5e. Nevertheless, the people getting sticker shock confuse me. The cost is pretty much what you'd pay to walk into a local store and purchase the books. If you haven't bought them yet, it's a great deal. If you have, you then have to decide if buying them a second time to avoid the data entry work is worth it.

[Larac]

So no Golaith or Gensia at this time correct?

[Treegreen]

So no Golaith or Gensia at this time correct?

Not without adding them yourself.

[Gadreun]

Woweee awesome news!!!!! dances around and has a nerdgasm ;) now it's shopping time!!!

[Callum]

I don't play 5E, but I still think this is great news - well done all involved!

[Xorn]

I am so happy for SmiteWorks finally getting this through!

I've already made my own modules for the PHB, DMG, MM, HotDQ, and RoT (plus about half the Expedition adventures) but I'm super excited for all the new blood this could bring in! (I'm also excited less people will ask me for my modules! :P)

I wonder if I should add a disclaimer to the PAR5E tutorials that you can just buy the damned modules if you like now!?

[demonsbane]

That is correct -- well, except for the DMG rules. Those aren't ready yet.

I'm very interested in seeing the DMG here. So there would be the three Core Books available as modules.

PS: Wondering if there will be bundles for some discounts.

[JohnD]

I'm very interested in seeing the DMG here. So there would be the three Core Books available as modules.

PS: Wondering if there will be bundles for some discounts.

Bundled discount would be nice.

[Trenloe]

Here's one example of manually creating data to play your 5E game, this is entering an NPC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-POluSDHAc

As I previously mentioned (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?23641-Official-D-amp-D-5E-Modules-are-now-Available&p=205717&viewfull=1#post205717), if you don't want to purchase the D&D content there is nothing stopping you manually entering the data you need for your game into the 5E ruleset that comes with Fantasy Grounds as standard (and which all of the 5E material uses).

[Trenloe]

Info on the Wizards website: https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/news/play-dd-fantasy-grounds-virtual-table

[Zacchaeus]

Brilliant! And this has given the forums a fair burst of activity as well :)

[leozelig]

I have been admiring the screenshots. I really like the 'Trap' and 'Hazard' tokens - very nice touch. The ruleset really looks polished... I am impressed!

I wonder if the untagged maps were provided by WotC or edited by Smiteworks. If it's the former, then that alone is a tremendous accomplishment! Many people have requested untagged maps on the D&D forums in the past with mixed (ok, mostly no) results. :D

[Zeus]

I have been admiring the screenshots. I really like the 'Trap' and 'Hazard' tokens - very nice touch. The ruleset really looks polished... I am impressed!

I wonder if the untagged maps were provided by WotC or edited by Smiteworks. If it's the former, then that alone is a tremendous accomplishment! Many people have requested untagged maps on the D&D forums in the past with mixed (ok, mostly no) results. :D


Thanks for compliments. We aim to please!

You will be delighted to know that as licensed partners we do have access to the digital assets used in the creation of the official content by Wizards and associated 3rd parties (Kobold Press etc.) , this means I am able to whip up multiple variants of images from their library for use in FG. In some cases the digital assets are layered making short work for example of creating keyless variants of maps, however its not always the case and in some cases we have had to digitally 'enhance' specific images for use with FG, examples would include artwork from the MM, and the soon to be released HotDQ and RoT adventure modules.

You will also be pleased to note that subject to approval from Wizards we are seeking to include some additional maps (made by me) for HoTDQ that are not available in the rulebook versions of the adventure modules. These maps provide tactical maps for some of the interluding episodes from the adventure and will hopefully also provide useful generic encounter maps for your other gaming needs.

[qwortec]

You will be delighted to know that as licensed partners we do have access to the digital assets used in the creation of the official content by Wizards and associated 3rd parties (Kobold Press etc.) , this means I am able to whip up multiple variants of images from their library for use in FG. In some cases the digital assets are layered making short work for example of creating keyless variants of maps, however its not always the case and in some cases we have had to digitally 'enhance' specific images for use with FG, examples would include artwork from the MM, and the soon to be released HotDQ and RoT adventure modules.


Ooooh... does this mean that all (most?) of the official modules from WotC will be converted to FG as well? That would be amazing.

[ddavison]

Ooooh... does this mean that all (most?) of the official modules from WotC will be converted to FG as well? That would be amazing.

Yes, for all 5E content.

[Treegreen]

Something JohnD brought up in another thread where I was messing with themes is the white background (or off-white) backgrounds for the theme can strain the eyes a bit after staring at them for an entire game. Having an option that darkens it up a bit might help - outside of the unofficial method of using the lighting features.

[ShadoWWW]

PHB Ruleset error: When I click Arrows, Bow in Adventuring Gear Table, it shows Cost 1gp, and Weight 3 lb., which is wrong. Weight should be 1 lb., and for 20 arrows. BTW Is it possible to add 20 arrows to character sheet when adding this item automatically?

[Zacchaeus]

Thanks for compliments. We aim to please!

You will be delighted to know that as licensed partners we do have access to the digital assets used in the creation of the official content by Wizards and associated 3rd parties (Kobold Press etc.) , this means I am able to whip up multiple variants of images from their library for use in FG. In some cases the digital assets are layered making short work for example of creating keyless variants of maps, however its not always the case and in some cases we have had to digitally 'enhance' specific images for use with FG, examples would include artwork from the MM, and the soon to be released HotDQ and RoT adventure modules.

You will also be pleased to note that subject to approval from Wizards we are seeking to include some additional maps (made by me) for HoTDQ that are not available in the rulebook versions of the adventure modules. These maps provide tactical maps for some of the interluding episodes from the adventure and will hopefully also provide useful generic encounter maps for your other gaming needs.

This is just fantastic. I always thought you were a god, Zeus but this just confirms it :)

[Zeus]

Something JohnD brought up in another thread where I was messing with themes is the white background (or off-white) backgrounds for the theme can strain the eyes a bit after staring at them for an entire game. Having an option that darkens it up a bit might help - outside of the unofficial method of using the lighting features.

Any changes to the theme will need to be submitted to WoTC for approval first, as there are rules to using their brand assets and styles. I'll discuss with Doug and WotC marketing to see if they are open to an alternative dark themed skin. We have discussed potentially introducing additional story arc linked themes moving forward ;)

In the interim, all I can suggest as a work around is to either :



use an alternative theme
set the mood lightning in FG to lower the contrast
turn down the contrast/brightness of your display

[Zeus]

PHB Ruleset error: When I click Arrows, Bow in Adventuring Gear Table, it shows Cost 1gp, and Weight 3 lb., which is wrong. Weight should be 1 lb., and for 20 arrows. BTW Is it possible to add 20 arrows to character sheet when adding this item automatically?

Thanks for reporting, this issue has also been recently reported in another post over in the House of Healing sub forum. Its on my fix list.

[Zeus]

This is just fantastic. I always thought you were a god, Zeus but this just confirms it :)

Ha Ha. Your very welcome. For the record, its a team effort and not all down to my work, Doug has been heavily active developing some of the 5E content, RoT is all his work as well as championing the day-to-day business and the recent license negotiations with WotC :) And of course without moon_wizard we wouldn't have the FG client or the 5E ruleset.

I like to look at it this way:

- Doug opens the doors, envisions/creates and sells the opportunities - Doug's the Bard (Leader) of our group
- John implements the impossible and brings order out of the chaos - John's the Wizard (Controller) of our group
- I implement the aesthetics/innovation and provide mystical support - I'm the Monk (Sage) of our group

:)

[Zacchaeus]

Something JohnD brought up in another thread where I was messing with themes is the white background (or off-white) backgrounds for the theme can strain the eyes a bit after staring at them for an entire game. Having an option that darkens it up a bit might help - outside of the unofficial method of using the lighting features.

I too found the brightness a little ... well bright. Anyway, I presume you know that you can, via the chat window, enter a hex value for lighting; the syntax is /lighting[RGB hex value]. I find that a value of E0E0E0 takes the edge off whilst still maintaining the crispness of the display. I also found FFCC99 gives a nice warm glow and finally try also FFE5CC.

Hopefully this is of some help to you.

[Zacchaeus]

Ha Ha. Your very welcome. For the record, its a team effort and not all down to my work, Doug has been heavily active developing some of the 5E content, RoT is all his work as well as championing the day-to-day business and the recent license negotiations with WotC :) And of course without moon_wizard we wouldn't have the FG client or the 5E ruleset.

I like to look at it this way:

- Doug opens the doors, envisions/creates and sells the opportunities - Doug's the Bard (Leader) of our group
- John implements the impossible and brings order out of the chaos - John's the Wizard (Controller) of our group
- I implement the aesthetics/innovation and provide mystical support - I'm the Monk (Sage) of our group

:)

Ok, you are all Gods :)

[Dracones]

PHB and MM for $50 a pop for what are for most people going to be duplicate purchases is a hard pill to swallow, especially when you can get the hard copy books for less that (Amazon has the PHB for $36 and the MM for $33.50).

Sticker shock is very understandable, but one thing to consider is that the core rulebooks will be good for years and years. Personally I can see myself getting the core books through FG and then from then on out just buying modules through FG. I don't really see the need for physical copies of the modules if I can access everything I need through FG. Hopefully all the books and modules in FG are laid out in a way where they replace(not supplement) the need for physical books if you're just playing online.

[DNH]

Is there any indication of when we can expect to see the release of HotDQ? And what it will include - similar content to LMoP?

[ddavison]

I think you are probably looking at around 10-15 business days from now. The content will be in a similar format to LMOP, but I believe Zeus also created some additional tactical maps for a few sections that were theater of the mind only.

[Baron28]

Question about the "Complete Core Monster Pack" (aka Monster Manual). How are the NPC spells setup? If they are setup for the NPC like they are in the player character sheet, then that's great! If they are just listed and not parsed with actions, damage, healing, effects, then are there any plans to make NPC spells function like they do in the player character sheet?

[ddavison]

They are presently just a list. We discussed this but didn't come up with a good way to do it initially (for all the monsters that need it at least). They are currently just a list. We just added some support for anonymous linking, however, so maybe we can revisit that and come up with a method auto-recognizes known spell names and links to them if you have any library module with a spell name entry that matches.

[jshauber]

They are presently just a list. We discussed this but didn't come up with a good way to do it initially (for all the monsters that need it at least). They are currently just a list. We just added some support for anonymous linking, however, so maybe we can revisit that and come up with a method auto-recognizes known spell names and links to them if you have any library module with a spell name entry that matches.

I know this has recently been done for the 3.5/Pathfinder monster manuals/NPC books. Seems the methodology exists not sure how easy it would be to port over to 5E.

Really makes life as GM easy when all the spell stuff is auto-populated as that was the biggest time sink at least for me.

[ddavison]

Up until recently, that method depended on knowing the name of the other library containing the spell. Since the same method built them all, they could guarantee the path. With the WoTC modules, we don't know if the DM has the D&D Basic Rules spells only, the Complete Core Class Pack or one of the Individual Packs which contain the spells.

[jshauber]

If the spell names are the same, then couldn't you list the possible options to draw from?

Not a programmer, as you know, but seems like it might be doable if the names are the same.

Just asking...

[Zacchaeus]

You can drag the actual spell from the PHB into the monsters actions tab and quite a lot of stuff will work directly from that sheet. The only thing you usually have to do is rewrite the syntax for saving throws and damage so that FG recognises them and then you can just drag the hit and damage from there. You can also drag the effects if they are recognised by FG.

[Zeus]

As Doug has said NPC Spell linking is something we have discussed, up until the recently introduced support for anonymous module data linking the issue of where to link to was a constraint. By that I mean the MM doesn't contain any spells, these are listed in the PHB but they are also available in the individual PHB spellcaster class packs. Now that we have anonymous module data linking support it means moving forward that I can code our parser to generate spell links for npcs and they will work regardless of whether you have the full PHB or the individual PHB class packs. I'm prioritising fixes for the initial data set this weekend but will be looking at this shortly thereafter.

[jshauber]

As Doug has said NPC Spell linking is something we have discussed, up until the recently introduced support for anonymous module data linking the issue of where to link to was a constraint. By that I mean the MM doesn't contain any spells, these are listed in the PHB but they are also available in the individual PHB spellcaster class packs. Now that we have anonymous module data linking support it means moving forward that I can code our parser to generate spell links for npcs and they will work regardless of whether you have the full PHB or the individual PHB class packs. I'm prioritising fixes for the initial data set this weekend but will be looking at this shortly thereafter.

Excellent!!!

You guys just keep making FG better and easier to use for us peons.

[Baron28]

Sorry to bring up an old topic that has been discussed at length on the forums. I am looking forward to the announcement of this long awaited bit of functionality to be ready.

[Trenloe]

up until the recently introduced support for anonymous module data linking the issue of where to link to was a constraint. By that I mean the MM doesn't contain any spells, these are listed in the PHB but they are also available in the individual PHB spellcaster class packs. Now that we have anonymous module data linking support it means moving forward that I can code our parser to generate spell links for npcs and they will work regardless of whether you have the full PHB or the individual PHB class packs.
Could you please explain how this works - high-level basics are OK for now, I can probably work out the rest. But very interested to know what anonymous module data linking is... Thanks!

[ddavison]

Basically, when you dragged a link to anything over, it would look something like "spells.fireball@DD PHB Module". I'm sure that is way off since I haven't looked at the actual data in a while, but you get the idea. The biggest problem was with the @{module name} portion when the same "spells.fireball" could be found in multiple modules and we didn't know which ones the customer had. With the anonymous linking, it now specifies a wildcard module name and the engine loops through all the module sections in the XML tree to find a match and returns the first hit. I don't really remember if that is how Moon_wizard implemented it, but that was the basic idea.

[Trenloe]

Basically, when you dragged a link to anything over, it would look something like "spells.fireball@DD PHB Module". I'm sure that is way off since I haven't looked at the actual data in a while, but you get the idea. The biggest problem was with the @{module name} portion when the same "spells.fireball" could be found in multiple modules and we didn't know which ones the customer had. With the anonymous linking, it now specifies a wildcard module name and the engine loops through all the module sections in the XML tree to find a match and returns the first hit. I don't really remember if that is how Moon_wizard implemented it, but that was the basic idea.
Cool, thanks.

And: you were pretty spot on with the example link above. We'll make a coder of you yet! ;)

[Zeus]

Basically, when you dragged a link to anything over, it would look something like "spells.fireball@DD PHB Module". I'm sure that is way off since I haven't looked at the actual data in a while, but you get the idea. The biggest problem was with the @{module name} portion when the same "spells.fireball" could be found in multiple modules and we didn't know which ones the customer had. With the anonymous linking, it now specifies a wildcard module name and the engine loops through all the module sections in the XML tree to find a match and returns the first hit. I don't really remember if that is how Moon_wizard implemented it, but that was the basic idea.

Thats pretty much spot on Doug. The new functionality allows us now to specify a database node reference using a wildcard * reference for the module name, e.g.
reference.spelldata.fireball@PHB Deluxe Pack can now be specified as reference.spelldata.fireball@*

When FG encounters the * wildcard it will attempt to match a record against all current open modules. If a match is made the link will open, if no match can be found you get the usual chat window warning message denoting the data could not be referenced from an unopened module *.

[Seraphim]

I see that in the MM some of the monsters dont have token's. (Which is understandable considering they don't have visual representation in the MM). If I created my own tokens, would I be able to add them? Or would they be overwritten anytime the module updates?

[Nylanfs]

Afiak the wotc packs are locked, you can drag them to your NPC list and attach tokens there.

[JohnD]

I too found the brightness a little ... well bright. Anyway, I presume you know that you can, via the chat window, enter a hex value for lighting; the syntax is /lighting[RGB hex value]. I find that a value of E0E0E0 takes the edge off whilst still maintaining the crispness of the display. I also found FFCC99 gives a nice warm glow and finally try also FFE5CC.

Hopefully this is of some help to you.
Thanks for that tip... the E0E0E0 is I think what I was looking for. :)

[Trenloe]

E0E0E0
That's known as the "***" colour. ;)

EDIT: Are you kidding me, the 3 letter word for a donkey gets blocked out and replaced with asterisks?!? :/

[JohnD]

That's known as the "***" colour. ;)

EDIT: Are you kidding me, the 3 letter word for a donkey gets blocked out and replaced with asterisks?!? :/

Hmm... well for me it turns the white into kind of a steel grey, similar to the buttons down the right side.

[Trenloe]

Hmm... well for me it turns the white into kind of a steel grey, similar to the buttons down the right side.
Read the colour numbers out loud!

[JohnD]

Ah... right! :)

[edmaster530]

Oh man, have we heard anything new about the HotDQ or RoT release date? I believe they were already sent to WotC for review?

[Vellun]

I'm also looking forward to that. Just finished running the LMoP campaign for my family and they are stoked to begin the next. I've been in the process of typing and building out manually but if it will be available within the next couple weeks I may hold off and purchase the module.

[Doc_Jones]

Oh man, have we heard anything new about the HotDQ or RoT release date? I believe they were already sent to WotC for review?

I had asked about that in another thread, and the DMG, HotDQ, and the other module (not RoT) were in the works. They are probably working on all of the content as they can get it. I'm just excited to get the DMG upgrade, less work to convert modules from pathfinder to 5E with more drag and drop options for loot and some preformatted magic items.

[JohnD]

I'm also looking forward to that. Just finished running the LMoP campaign for my family and they are stoked to begin the next. I've been in the process of typing and building out manually but if it will be available within the next couple weeks I may hold off and purchase the module.

Keep your game going; make your own mini adventure to span the end of the first module and start of the second. If the second starts in a different location, your own adventure could simply tell the story of how the group went from A to B.

[Zeus]

HotDQ and RoT will be made available shortly. We received the modules back from Wizards as part of our approvals process with some change requests that we are actioning as I type.

[Gadreun]

Awesome work guys, I cannot wait to upload the modules

[Vellun]

Keep your game going; make your own mini adventure to span the end of the first module and start of the second. If the second starts in a different location, your own adventure could simply tell the story of how the group went from A to B.
That's an excellent idea. I've been putting together my own homebrew campaign and I'm thinking of using the bridge time to sow the seeds of that adventure before they start the next. I know kind of know where they'll need to be for the next so I'll encourage travel in that direction.


HotDQ and RoT will be made available shortly. We received the modules back from Wizards as part of our approvals process with some change requests that we are actioning as I type.
Excellent news! Looking forward to it as I thought the LMoP adventure module was really nice (also helped me get ideas on how to format and build out my own adventures as I'm a new user to FG).

[chillybilly]

Cannot thank you enough for the hard work involved in getting this accomplished. Having the packages available makes playing D&D possible for some of us.

[steeldnd]

Cannot thank you enough for the hard work involved in getting this accomplished. Having the packages available makes playing D&D possible for some of us.

Ditto here, both the thanks and for making it possible for some.

[Callum]

HotDQ and RoT will be made available shortly. We received the modules back from Wizards as part of our approvals process with some change requests that we are actioning as I type.

Truly you are mighty, o Zeus, to be able to do both of these at the same time!

[Zeus]

Truly you are mighty, o Zeus, to be able to do both of these at the same time!

I did HotDQ and Doug did RoT :) We share the workload.

[manukosta]

I did HotDQ and Doug did RoT :) We share the workload.

Just a quick question, is it just you guys? Or do you have like staff members who help out?

Sometimes I wonder if FG has enough people to deal with all the massive load of rules, adventures, abilities etc coming out from all the rulesets (in this particular case D&D 5E) while still being able to maintain everything playtested. It seems like a lengthy chore!

In any case, looking forward to these new modules, glad I still have an adventure before finishing lost mines, lol.

[Nylanfs]

Smiteworks is Doug, John, and now Zeus. Some of the modules are written by the users under contract though.

[damned]

Just a quick question, is it just you guys? Or do you have like staff members who help out?

Sometimes I wonder if FG has enough people to deal with all the massive load of rules, adventures, abilities etc coming out from all the rulesets (in this particular case D&D 5E) while still being able to maintain everything playtested. It seems like a lengthy chore!

In any case, looking forward to these new modules, glad I still have an adventure before finishing lost mines, lol.

There are so many things going on in the background when dealing with a big company like Wizards (Hasbro) and using their licensed products. It always takes time. Thats just how these things are. Certainly there is a big time component in converting this material to a market ready product - but that is only one side of the coin.

[ddavison]

Smiteworks is Doug, John, and now Zeus. Some of the modules are written by the users under contract though.

Yep. That's it. Then we have a tremendous amount of completely volunteer help from others in the community, such as Nylanfs, Damned, Trenloe, Mask_of_Winter, OTG_Wraith, ...

[evadgonzo]

Is it possible to modify the tokens in the official 5e modules permanently? I've been able to do it per campaign, but I'd like to add tokens to some of the generic ones and I can't figure out a way to do it.

[Trenloe]

Is it possible to modify the tokens in the official 5e modules permanently? I've been able to do it per campaign, but I'd like to add tokens to some of the generic ones and I can't figure out a way to do it.
You can add them to the <FG App Data>\tokens\host directory (for GM only tokens) or <FG App Data>\tokens\shared directory (for player accessible tokens) (create the directory if it isn't there). These tokens will be loaded with each campaign. Be careful not to have 100s of tokens in these folders, just the ones you frequently use, as each is loaded when you start up FG and takes up memory.

You could also create a tokens module (look at lettertokens.mod for an example) and then you can open/close this as and when needed).

[damned]

Is it possible to modify the tokens in the official 5e modules permanently? I've been able to do it per campaign, but I'd like to add tokens to some of the generic ones and I can't figure out a way to do it.

I think if you create a blank campaign, drag your munsters in there, unlock and update tokens and then export that as a new module, and open that in your ongoing campaign - it should work... I havent tested that on 5e specifically though...

[dj-wedge]

Thats pretty much spot on Doug. The new functionality allows us now to specify a database node reference using a wildcard * reference for the module name, e.g.
reference.spelldata.fireball@PHB Deluxe Pack can now be specified as reference.spelldata.fireball@*

When FG encounters the * wildcard it will attempt to match a record against all current open modules. If a match is made the link will open, if no match can be found you get the usual chat window warning message denoting the data could not be referenced from an unopened module *.

Will this have any bearing on the issues with having older "par5ed" copies of spells (from the PHB) on a character sheet but now you are using the new supported version purchased from you guys? My party members keep getting annoyed when they come across those errors. I guess I need to export the XML of the characters and do a search/replace to get all the references correct.

But it would be nice if things like that worked better. And for dragging classes over during level-up. :)

[evadgonzo]

You can add them to the <FG App Data>\tokens\host directory (for GM only tokens) or <FG App Data>\tokens\shared directory (for player accessible tokens) (create the directory if it isn't there). These tokens will be loaded with each campaign. Be careful not to have 100s of tokens in these folders, just the ones you frequently use, as each is loaded when you start up FG and takes up memory.

You could also create a tokens module (look at lettertokens.mod for an example) and then you can open/close this as and when needed).

Well I have all of my tokens in the shared directory. I'd like to edit the tokens attached to the npcs in the 5e monster manual module. Some have tokens, others are generic letters. I'd like to be able to add a token to the ones that are generic and have it save in the module. So when I open the module in another campaign that npc has the token I applied before.

[Trenloe]

Well I have all of my tokens in the shared directory. I'd like to edit the tokens attached to the npcs in the 5e monster manual module. Some have tokens, others are generic letters. I'd like to be able to add a token to the ones that are generic and have it save in the module. So when I open the module in another campaign that npc has the token I applied before.
Ah sorry, I misunderstood. You can't edit the base WotC module to be able to re-use it across multiple campaigns - it is stored in an encrypted store. I think you're stuck with having to make the changes in each campaign.

[Nylanfs]

No you can't do that. And changes are per that campaign only.

[Larac]

Yep Lawyers trump Fair Use once again in this case.
But WOTC is what it is.

I think FG has done a great job trying to keep it all working together.

[Griogre]

evadgonzo asked:
Is it possible to modify the tokens in the official 5e modules permanently? I've been able to do it per campaign, but I'd like to add tokens to some of the generic ones and I can't figure out a way to do it.



I think if you create a blank campaign, drag your munsters in there, unlock and update tokens and then export that as a new module, and open that in your ongoing campaign - it should work... I havent tested that on 5e specifically though...

I want to let you know Damned's advice works - I did just try it replacing the "B" for a bandit in the basic rules with a different token. Though I want to mention that it would be more efficient to make the new tokens "campaign" tokens instead of shared or host ones.