General Questions about Fantasy Grounds

[KILLGORE]

Hello I want to introduce myself and ask a couple questions about the interface.

First off I am a middle aged dude and I work in IT. So I am a geek by default! I own every TSR/WotC sourcebook, module, adventure, supplement, and novel printed for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd edition in D&D core, Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Ravenloft, Dragonlance, Spelljammer, Darksun, and Eberron. Not to mention D20, miniatures, Star Wars RPG, and computer games! I also have every 4th edition and 5th edition to date in .Pdf format. I have a huge collection of stuff!!! Not to float my boat in anyone's waters here but my real question is I have made and investment in the tens of thousands of dollars in these items since 1985. I also spent 2 years copying all the game information into .pdf format to be more portable for gaming rather than lugging books around if I was playing to DM'ing a game or going to GenCon or another convention. So I have over 170GB of info on my computer and can be put on my tablet if I need to DM or play somewhere else...

SO...come 2016 I am looking to start DM'ing a large campaign in the old school post "time of troubles" Forgotten Realms and hope to find a group willing and able to play for a year or two and move slowly into the 5th Edition content and post Spellplague era of the realms. My problem in the past, and currently thinking it will come up again once I am ready to start playing my material is finding people in the local area that want to play a 30 year old game on an extended period. Travel time, gas money, time off from work, family engagements, etc always hamper the events. Figuring its been long enough for the internet to take over most of our lives I was hoping to find a comprehensive "virtual tabletop" for gaming. And as we all know most in this industry back some software for a few years and then dump it once they realize it wont be as big a Nikki Minajs' butt!

I am interested in buying the Ultimate for the one time purchase. I know I can just buy a month for $10 and see if I like it which is what I will likely do before purchasing anyway. But please answer me these few questions;

1) I have LOADS of material as you can see from above... If I want to use a 3.5e or 4e Prestige class from the Forgotten Realms which is not part of the core ruleset, can I import this or enter the data into a blank prestige class template that FG will understand during play?

2) FG says it includes all core rulesets from 3.5e, 4e, 5e and a fan made 2e... Why do they then sell plug-ins for the DMG, PHB, charecter classes etc? Are these for the people that dont buy the full key and want use of the material when their DM is not online and not sharing the info?

3) If this includes all 3.5e, 4e, 5e material and all the materials included such as the book of vile darkness, draconomicon, tome of blood, psionic handbook and the many others like these? Or is it just the core PHB, DMG, MM's?

4) if these are not included can I add them into my own database using the program?

5) I also own all the Profantasy software for mapping. I am imagining I can make high quality maps and import them into this program using tools like Adobe photoshop or the like. Am I correct?

You must imagine I am seriously interested in Fantasy Grounds but this would be a large data entry project for me to bring the Forgotten Realms to life if this material is not already in there, easily imported, or available to be imported at all. This is kind of a deal breaker for me as I love the Realms enough to do it the old school way if I need to and just have people get together...which I rather would do here...

[damned]

hi KILLGORE and welcome.

First up - it is important you understand the difference between game mechanics and game content.
Game mechanics cannot be copyrighted. Game content can be. Fantasy Grounds has built wonderfully powerful game engines that understand the D&D 3.5E, 4E and 5E systems. Really powerful. These are included with all licenses.
The Wizards released a bunch of content for 3.5E SRD under an OGL which allowed a certain degree of re-use and duplication even for commercial purposes. A bunch of that 3.5e SRD stuff is included when you download Fantasy Grounds. The Wizards have not licensed any other 3.5E material or the 4E material to any 3rd parties. This there is only the SRD 3.5 content available in ready to use format for 3.5E and no ready to go content for 4E - although if you have an active paid DDI subscription there is a great tool to download and convert big chunks of 4E data into Fantasy Grounds. You cannot however start a new subscription if you dont already have one.
Now on to 5e. Fantasy Grounds is the only company to get a digital License for 5E from the Wizards. This means that the Players Handbook, Monster Manual and Dungeon Masters Guide are all available for sale from the Fantasy Grounds store in Fantasy Grounds format. This makes running 5e so bloody good on Fantasy Grounds. No other virtual table top comes close. PLUS mid last year teh Wizards and Fantasy Grounds bundled the 5E Basic Rules into the Fantasy Grounds product with all Licenses. PLUS late last year the Wizards released their 5E OGL/SRD license and on the very next day Fantasy Grounds bundled all that into the Fantasy Grounds product with all Licenses. So you get a tonne of 5E material - but certainly nowhere near all - included with all licenses. Plus you have the option to buy the full versions in FG format.
You can also buy all the big 5E adventures that have been released so far - LMoP, HotDQ, OOTA etc. These are all ready to run.

You can absolutely enter your own content in as required or in advance. Time consuming but not too difficult.

You can import high quality maps into FG but Id highly recommend using low quality ones to make things run faster and more smoothly.

Fantasy Grounds is about 12 or 13 years old. Its not about to disappear any time soon.

I hope that answers some of your questions.

Oh - and the 5e materials are not legally available on PDF....

[KILLGORE]

So what your saying is that the mechanics are available but the content it not? So when you speak about 5e being "This means that the Players Handbook, Monster Manual and Dungeon Masters Guide are all available for sale from the Fantasy Grounds store in Fantasy Grounds format. This makes running 5e so bloody good on Fantasy Grounds. No other virtual table top comes close. PLUS mid last year teh Wizards and Fantasy Grounds bundled the 5E Basic Rules into the Fantasy Grounds product with all Licenses." as you say is just "the basic rules that they made available for free to everyone? SOOO, when FG says it includes 5E, this is that "basic rules" set? What I would be getting is the charts and mechanics, not the literature of the issues with the Ultimate. If I wanted a FG version of the PHB, I would still have to buy it as a plug in? AM I correct?

Well to be honest, I am not a fan yet of 5e. I am more interested in 3.5 and the Forgotten Realms...and getting that information into FG. Can you help me there? Is it again just the basics? I am reading from you post that it was a limited amount of "mechanics" released for 3.5 and 4e, not everything. This is why I am cautious... When FG states that as a buyer of Ultimate, the 3.5, 4, and 5th edition D&D rulesets are included... It should say then "THE CORE of these versions is only available". Am I right? SO things like the mechanics of 3.5 products, Psionics handbook, manual of the planes, book of vile darkness, whatever was included in these books like spells, abilites, prestige classes etc are not part of what your getting with Ultimate?

I guess I need to interpret this as a lawyer because it sounds as if I need to read into it more.

I am walking down the street and see a sign in a restaurant that says "All meals are included for one low price!" The I go in and pay the one low price and they offer me only 4 things off a menu of hundreds of meals.... Is that what this is?

Oh yes, thank you for letting me, and anyone else reading this post know that 5e content in not available legally. For some reason this made me feel like you were giving me "the wink". So I am going to give you the wink back, I live in a country where the way mine were obtained was perfectly legal copied from purchased printed paper books. Thanks for letting me know on that point...in case you were worried.

[dulux-oz]

Hi Killgore,

No, what damned means is that the actual mechanics of the game (ie the "roll a d20 and get above the target's ac and you hit" part is coded into the system (as is a whole bunch of other stuff) but the descriptive part of the "rules" and not included). Thus, FG knows what a 3.5E Fighter is and that it takes x amount of XP to be y Level, but all the "fluff" isn't there - and that would include the Forgotten Realms descriptive parts.

However, getting that stuff into the system isn't hard (but can be tedious) but there are plenty of tools around to help you do it - OR - you can pay for it on the FG Store by somebody who has already spent all the time and effort.

Its a bit of cop-out, but the best way to actually get an idea as to what's included or not is to sit in on a game - there's plenty of GMs on the boards who don't mind you doing that if you ask nicely.

This article here (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/Development_Overview) from the FG Wiki might also help, especially as you're an IT guy.

Think of it like the difference between the database engine and the database's data - in our case the engine is free but you've got to pay for or enter the data yourself - but you're going to get that with any VTT.

Cheers

[damned]

Hi Killgore. There is no deception going on. No one has a license to do anything with the 3.5E or 4E game content other than the SRD content that was released for 3.5E.
No where does it say you get extra content with the Ultimate License. The only thing that the Ultimate License lets you do over the Full license is have unlicensed players in your game - eg players without their own copy of Fantasy Grounds. Fantasy Grounds cannot give away other peoples IP. If all the 3.5E and 4E materials you mention were bundled in with Fantasy Grounds the product would costs many hundreds of dollars, possibly thousands.
Download a demo and see what is and isnt included for 3.5E. It is the SRD material only - none of the prestige classes or additional monster sourcebooks etc. The Demo wont save anything you put in it and it doesnt ship with the 5E content but does still have the 5E ruleset.

[LordEntrails]

Go back to the though about content vs mechanics. When FG says it includes the rulesets, this means the mechanics. i.e. FG knows how a PC with such and such an attack bonus with a weapon that does xdx damage attacks a creature with an AC of y you roll a d20 and FG does the math and FG then says you hit. Another way to think of the ruleset is that the character sheets are all there and FG knows how to use the fields in combat (I assume you've watched some of the videos?) to help resolve actions etc.

But, content - the tables, the written text, the pictures etc, is not included in a ruleset. Now, material that has been released under an OGL or similar (i.e. the various SRDs published by Wizards) are included. So, for example some of the monsters, some of the classes, etc with the text as found in the associated SRD (not the same as the text found in the PHB or MM for that edition) are included.

So, how combat and skill checks are handled and how they interact, that's included. But all the races, classes etc, are not (only the ones that have been released via an SRD). If you have the sources, all of that can be added. Their is a bulk conversion tool called PAR5E, but I'm pretty sure it only creates FG objects (xml format) for 5E object types. I suspect it could be converted or used to create a 3.5 tool, but I will leave that to others to address.

I'd suggest you install the demo, it has all the SRD type of content. So you can see what's included and what's not.

Also, be aware that the Ultimate license does not include any DLC or additional content. It is a license for hosting games with an unlimited number of client connections. There are 3 main license types, 1) Free/demo - you can explore the tool and you can play in a game hosted by someone with an Ultimate license. 2)Standard/player - you can host a game as long as all the players either have a standard or ultimate license & 3) you can host a game with an unlimited number of demo or standard license players, you can connect to any standard license hosted game.

[damned]

I'd suggest you install the demo, it has all the SRD type of content. So you can see what's included and what's not.

The demo doesnt include the 5e SRD content.... it does include 3.5E and Pathfinder SRD content.

[Trenloe]

I am walking down the street and see a sign in a restaurant that says "All meals are included for one low price!" The I go in and pay the one low price and they offer me only 4 things off a menu of hundreds of meals.... Is that what this is?
No, not at all. It's the FG terminology that is getting you. A "ruleset" is the framework to play a specific RPG - taking the 5E ruleset as an example: it has a player character sheet, and NPC sheet, an item sheet, underlying rules automation, combat tracker (initiative, damage, active effects, etc.) - this is the FG powerhouse allowing you to play the specific RPG. Think of it like the RPG rulebook cut right back to purely the character sheets, NPC sheets, numbers and logic. No "fluff". But, like a lot of commercial RPGs - if you want more details (classes, creatures, scenarios, etc.) that is an additional commercial product and needs to be purchased, or you manually enter the data yourself.

A great way to see this is to watch this 9 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-POluSDHAc It shows the base 5E ruleset, and shows how a NPC data is entered into the NPC sheet - and a little on how the attacks and damage work at the end. This shows a small section of the "ruleset", but it gives an idea that the places to enter data are all there, and once data is entered The FG ruleset has rules and logic that apply to the RPG in question.

Now, if you don't want to enter all of those NPCs manually, you can use a library module. There is the D&D Basic rules (https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules?x=dnd/basicrules)included as a library module with the base ruleset (no additional cost) as well as a library module for the 5E SRD data, again at no additional cost. And this will give you a lot of "stuff" to get going with. However, if you want the full Monster Manual (and associated artwork) in FG and you don't want to enter it all manually, then you'll need to purchase the Monster Manual product.

A good example of the add-on material is shown in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nurEMR4JJeU This shows a PC being created using a paid add-on class pack from the PHB. See how quickly a PC can be put together with the licensed material? Do you *have* to buy the material - no, you can always enter all of the data manually. If you play a lot will you want to buy the material? Yes, as it will save you so much time and effort. But, it's your choice.

I recommend you get a free trial for a month, load up the rulesets you're interested in and see the framework for the included rulesets (no data, but the framework is there). If you look at 3.5E it comes with the a subset of the d20 SRD data, effectively the "Core Rules" section from here: https://www.d20srd.org/ If you look at Pathfinder it has the base framework (ruleset) and also some base SRD/OGL data - plus, as Pathfinder is released under the OGL, there are a lot of community library modules created: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?16074-List-of-Modules

[ddavison]

If you start a trial, you get 30 days to try out the full version of the software, including everything that comes with the standard or Ultimate license. No need to try to figure out what it does and doesn't include when you can just download it and check it out.

Rulesets
3.5E, 4E, 5E, FATECore, PFRPG, Numenera

Data Libraries
3.5E, 5E SRD 5, D&D Basic Rules, FATECore, PFRPG

This means that it has game mechanics support for each of the rulestes. For D&D 3.5E, it includes data libraries with spells, monsters and classes that were released as open gaming content and nothing more. It's got a lot of content but no where near the full amount of content that was released for D&D 3.5E over the years. Not having the data preloaded doesn't prevent you from playing any character you want or using any monster you want to use. It just means it won't come preloaded with that data. PFRPG is similar, although there has been more content released that is marked as Open Gaming Content for Pathfinder and therefore, the community has assembled massive amounts of free modules that they share in those forum threads.

[KILLGORE]

OK thanks to everyone so far for explaining how and what comes with this software. I downloaded the demo, and I have been messing around with it for about an hour or so. I see things I definitely like. One thing I dont see so far are prestige classes. Are they in here? Any? Can they be imported and will the character interface know what to do with them like adding and subtracting different aspects of the class?

Say for instance I want to import a prestige class from the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting. For example the Archmage....
"High Arcana: The archmage learns secret lore
unknown to lesser wizards and sorcerers. She gains the
ability to select a special ability from among the following
by permanently eliminating one spell slot. For
example, a 15th-level wizard normally can cast two
7th-level spells per day (not counting bonus spells for
specialization or high Intelligence). A Wiz13/Acm2
who chooses the arcane reach ability forfeits one 7thlevel
spell, and so can only cast one 7th-level spell per
day, not counting bonus spells.
The archmage may choose to eliminate a spell slot
of a higher level than that required to acquire the
high arcana in question, if she so desires."

Then the entry goes on to explain some of the abilities added for gaining "high arcane"... which are spells.

Now my question for example would be, can I import this data manually and add this prestige class template? Will the system adjust that charecters spells per day accordingly? And finally can I add each of these special spell abilities to a database?

I dont mind putting things in a database as long as there is a way for the program to interpret it. Obviously once I do it, and keep a backup of the data files, I never have to do it again. Just wondering how in depth I can get with this program. I hate vanilla RPG's at this point in life, that why I spent years getting the other sourcebooks to add fudge on my vanilla... Im sure you guys know what I mean...

[ddavison]

Most of those things will need to be manually set on the character sheet. You should be able to adjust spells per day, DC values or damage rolls of certain spells, etc. to account for nearly any combination of classes and prestige classes. Fantasy Grounds won't really help figure out what that final combination will result in, but it will help you use those abilities in play and in combat once you load them in.

Even though you aren't playing 5E, I also recommend taking a peak at the 5E Sample Campaign. It walks you through a lot of the basic functionality that is common across most of the rulesets. Just remember that the 5E ruleset is slightly more advanced than the other rulesets since it is both the latest ruleset and it has official support from WOTC as a license.

[KILLGORE]

I found 5e to be more dumbed down tbh...

[Callum]

Now my question for example would be, can I import this data manually and add this prestige class template? Will the system adjust that charecters spells per day accordingly? And finally can I add each of these special spell abilities to a database?

Yes, you can manually add that data. FG won't adjust the PC's spells per day automatically - you'll need to do that manually, but only once for that PC. (Note that there isn't as much character-building automation in the 3.5E ruleset as there is in the 5E ruleset.) You can also add the special spell abilities into the FG library - this requires editing XML files. You can have a look at my version of a guide to doing this here (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?21762-Creating-a-new-spells-module-3-5e-PFRPG).

[Diceman]

I found 5e to be more dumbed down tbh...

You have a few choices Killgore:
1) Buy a license and you can use the 3.5 SRD as is, or enter the missing prestige classes and Forgotten Realms manually.(if you had done your research you would know about the parse project)
2) You can buy a license and use the 5E SRD, and possibly purchase the core book modules as full modules or in pieces. (see the character and monster packs) Also there is the Sword coast adventures (based in the Forgotten Realms ready to go in the 5E format.)
3) You can decide none of this is for you and go find another virtual table top.

What you cannot do is suggest that the business model Smite Works is using is somehow dishonest or unreasonable. They have spent years creating and refining their software and paid lots of money for licensing rights. Yet you expect them to not only offer all of their products for nothing since you think owning printed copies of all those books entitles you to use that material in their software for free, and in addition you expect them to offer material (prestige classes, Forgotten Realms) that they have no legal right to offer.

Maybe I've misinterpreted the tone of your posts in this thread, but you have come across as hostile and dismissive to all the help the developers and community developers have tried to give you in this thread. If that is not the case then I apologize for misunderstanding your intent here.

But the people responding here have been very clear in their explanations. The website, wiki, forums, and shop all spell out how everything works very clearly.

To sum up, the only rule set that has nearly complete material and nearly complete automation is the 5E rule set. Every other rule set requires some amount of manual input. If you want material in your campaign that is copy righted you need to input that yourself as Smite Works cannot legally do so without agreements with the publishers of the material.

[KILLGORE]

You have a few choices Killgore:
1) Buy a license and you can use the 3.5 SRD as is, or enter the missing prestige classes and Forgotten Realms manually.(if you had done your research you would know about the parse project)
2) You can buy a license and use the 5E SRD, and possibly purchase the core book modules as full modules or in pieces. (see the character and monster packs) Also there is the Sword coast adventures (based in the Forgotten Realms ready to go in the 5E format.)
3) You can decide none of this is for you and go find another virtual table top.

What you cannot do is suggest that the business model Smite Works is using is somehow dishonest or unreasonable. They have spent years creating and refining their software and paid lots of money for licensing rights. Yet you expect them to not only offer all of their products for nothing since you think owning printed copies of all those books entitles you to use that material in their software for free, and in addition you expect them to offer material (prestige classes, Forgotten Realms) that they have no legal right to offer.

Maybe I've misinterpreted the tone of your posts in this thread, but you have come across as hostile and dismissive to all the help the developers and community developers have tried to give you in this thread. If that is not the case then I apologize for misunderstanding your intent here.

But the people responding here have been very clear in their explanations. The website, wiki, forums, and shop all spell out how everything works very clearly.

To sum up, the only rule set that has nearly complete material and nearly complete automation is the 5E rule set. Every other rule set requires some amount of manual input. If you want material in your campaign that is copy righted you need to input that yourself as Smite Works cannot legally do so without agreements with the publishers of the material.

I am going to reply to this answer as contrite as I can. And yes, I have every right to be derisive just as much as you! First off let me say as nice as possible I came here weeks after looking into the product, watching videos of various things, and listening to 3 people who very much so, obviously stand up for this software. What I did not expect was to be dragged through the mud for asking what it seems many of you "stupid questions". For one thing I have no f'ing idea what a SRD is until I had to search it. I asked 4 simple questions in a numbered format. None of them are clearly answered in a way someone like myself who knows little of this software could understand.

All I can say to the few people that answered a few things here for me is thank you and I will look into it more. For you and the other people that are "know it all" and cant answer a question because somehow I stepped on your epeen your not going to find many people who are going to stick around this community. Dont make it sound like you have some vested interest in this company and have that "take it or leave it" mentality. You just did them zero justice. I came in here with the intent of spending $10 for a month to try, and $150 likely after that and possibly more. Right now I am considering abandoning this account and not comming back ever because of the insolent attitude you just gave me. Who the hell wants to play with someone like you with that attitude?

If anyone from Fantasy Realms gets my point you should be very wary of people like Diceman and the other guy who told suggested my .pdf's were illegal when prospective customer comes in and asks a few questions only to be turned off by the snide defense they just put up! I am not saying I made up my mind not to come back but if I owned a business and had some creep like this guy just chase off someone who might have dropped almost or over $200 into your bank account I would ask him to leave. Bad mojo man! Could have just let this go but you had to rub me the wrong way.

You guys should have a place where only employee's answer questions, as stupid as they might sound to you. Maybe it's my fault for coming to a public forum and asking some questions before dumping over $150 to something I saw on the internet. These 2 guys? Really? Not good business. Just a suggestion...get a closed topic where only your employees can answer inquires.

Dont even bother replying Diceman, your words mean nothing to me and I will likely not return to this post anytime soon to give S&**^t what you said.

[Moon Wizard]

I'm going to go ahead and close this thread, since it seems like the questions from the OP have been answered.

Killgore, if you have further questions, and you wish to talk to SmiteWorks directly, you can contact us at [email protected]

Regards,
JPG