What is Par5e?

[mysticknight232]

Being completely new to FG yet, I certainly see a lot of people talking about it but I haven't been able to find a thread telling me what it is (my searches just take me further down the rabbit hole). Is it just a D&D 5e thing or is this something that everybody needs to operate FG? My best guess based on discussion about it is that it is user generated content for FG but I would love a better explanation in basic terms please.

Thanks!!

Edit: I know there are tutorials in the 5e forum but I am unable to watch them at this time and would just appreciate a brief typed response to read. That's why I'm posted it as a forum thread.

[Nylanfs]

Original Post (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?18123-Project-Par5e)

A post to say that starting with the development of a new Parser tool, I have started laying down the foundation for a new module toolchain. By toolchain I mean a suite of interoperable tools that will aid in the development and conversion of RPG adventure and rule book data into FantasyGrounds II modules.

Project: Par5e

Par5e is the project name I have dubbed for the new 5E tools, starting with a new Parser. Written in Perl, the new Parser currently supports the parsing of DDN NPCs and Spells and the creation of a module ready for the new 5E ruleset, once it's written .

Why Perl? Some might say. - Well for a few reasons really, i) Its a powerful and fast scripting language which is great for text/XML file manipulation, ii) Its open-source and available on all three core FGII platforms and iii) I want to release this tool as well as the Decompiler as open-source to the FGII community in the hopes that you guys can provide additional development and testing/support and provide variants of the toolchain to support other RPG systems and rulesets.

I am writing this modularly so that its easier to adapt to other content; the current pre-alpha version provides a number of common base subroutines and separates the 5E specific logic, the intention being to make it simple to drop in new routines to deal with differing ruleset database structures and content. I am also currently considering moving this to Object Oriented Perl to make it even simpler to replace the logic by exploiting object inheritance and overriding (we will see).

Once released the tool will support all the features supported by Tenian's excellent 4EParser including support for 3.5E/4E and 5E (future) rulesets and exporting of data directly to flat file (module) or database formats (for use with Module Workshop and if/when in the future FGII supports a restful HTTP API). The only thing the tool won't have on day one is a GUI front-end, this will be pure command line only (I believe adding a GUI would only slow down development at this stage and would not really add that much additional value). When time permits and if theres enough demand I may pen a front end in the future.

Anyhow I hope to have an alpha version I can release for testing in the next two-three weeks (subject to available time really) this unless I decide to move to OOP in which case maybe a month. Given 5E will be in flux for good while yet as well as the enormity of the 3.5E/4E/5E support - I will need testers (particularly anyone who has experience of Perl) so leave a comment and I'll be sure to keep you apprised of developments.

DrZ.

Basically a tool for creating rulebooks for FG through an external tool.

[Trenloe]

It's an external text parser specifically for D&D 5E. It was released before Fantasy Grounds got official 5E support and is designed to allow people to create text files, with specific command/markup codes, that can be ran through the parser to create custom library content. It is most useful in creating reference manuals with custom spells, classes, etc.. To do so you'll need to learn the PAR5E specific codes/markup and enter the text into a number of text files.

If you plan on purchasing the official 5E Fantasy Grounds content then your need for PAR5E will be low/none unless you want to create custom classes/spells.

If you want to enter your own adventures then you can use the standard Fantasy Grounds campaign interface, there is no need for PAR5E to enter your own adventures (although it can be used in this way if you wish).

[mysticknight232]

Thanks to you both. I have purchased the core class pack and HotDQ adventure so I plan to stay on the rails as it were with official game material. It sounds like I will have little need to look into this further unless there is something that FG currently can't do with a class/spell.

Thanks for the quick responses as always!

[Trenloe]

It sounds like I will have little need to look into this further unless there is something that FG currently can't do with a class/spell.
Just to expand on this - you can always manually enter spells, classes, abilities, etc. in the character sheet - so there's no real limit there for custom classes/spells when manually entering the data directly into a character sheet.

[Xorn]

Trenloe covered things pretty thoroughly. PAR5E is great if you want to make your own library modules. Had I not already made mine though, I'd have bought the official ones, because I value my time! PAR5E can also be used to make adventure modules--but for "normal size" adventures I would typically rather just make a campaign in FG and export it. For a mega-module though (like the published stuff) PAR5E is pretty amazing for those, where you are putting 150 pages of story text in and hundreds of encounters/parcels. However PAR5E doesn't do great with magic items--though DrZ is working on that now. :)