Table question - outputting a story, chat and parcel from same die roll

[Myrdin Potter]

I received "The Mother of all Treasure Tables" by FGG/Necromancer Games. It has 10 tables of 100 entries each with each table going higher and higher in value.

I would like to make a table and output a story, chat and parcel from each row.

Each entry looks something like this (wording changed from book):

"Opening the old leather purse [2 sp] [or pouch] you find many silver pieces [24 sp], the severed foot of a small animal [rat’s foot, 1 cp], and a tiny silver shaker. The shaker is half full of a black substance that you assume is pepper. [It is indeed ordinary pepper; shaker 4 gp.] [Total 6.61 gp]"

Obviously I could output that to a story entry so I have the DM notes, but I would love to make a chat entry and a parcel that looks like this:

chat

"Opening the old leather purse you find many silver pieces , the severed foot of a small animal, and a tiny silver shaker. The shaker is half full of a black substance that you assume is pepper."

parcel

leather purse
rat foot
shaker, pepper
24 sp

If I wanted to get really fancy, I would want to toggle between purse or pouch in the resulting chat, but that is not 100% needed.

I think every table can only output to one thing (chat, parcel or story), so I would need to make 3 tables (not one table with 3 columns each outputting to something different).

How can I make one die roll result carry across three tables? So i roll once, I get the chat output for the players, the story entry pops up for me as a GM and a parcel is created as well?

[Andraax]

Well, you could get the story entry with a chat bubble, then you just have to click the bubble to have it dumped out to chat.

[Zacchaeus]

Not easily would be the answer I think.

As you say a table can have only one output either to chat, story or parcel. If your first table calls another table then the output will be to whatever the table is set to. So if table one is set to Story and calls table 2 which is set to parcel; the output will all go to Story.

And that is where your problem lies because in order to do what you need the tables need to be linked in some way. You can't make one dice roll apply across multiple tables.

[Myrdin Potter]

I don't think I can make a story entry with a chat bubble in the field in a table.

Can I drag a result from one table to another? Roll on the master table, get the story result and then drag from chat the number to two other tables to force the same number results?

I can always make the story look like the chat result I want with the DM information separate and cut and paste into chat, but would be easier on the DM if all three could happen.

[Myrdin Potter]

I am wondering if this is a more elegant solution.

Create a story entry for each table result.

In the story, have the DM text, the chat box text and the parcel.

For the table, output to story with a link to the master story entry in each cell corresponding to the potential die roll that you already created.

Then the DM just needs to click on the link, open the story entry associated with the treasure, and click the chat box if wanted and give the parcel if wanted.

Does that make sense vs. creating three trables and trying to drag die results to the right table?

or ....

It is outputting to story now.

Include a link to another story entry that is a chat box format so the DM can click and post it.

And a link to the parcel so once the story result opens, the parcel link is there.

Is there a way to code a result in a table so the text that is put into a story appear formatted at Chat in the resulting story? Trying to make the smallest number of clicks by the DM possible.

[Zacchaeus]

I don't think I can make a story entry with a chat bubble in the field in a table.

Can I drag a result from one table to another? Roll on the master table, get the story result and then drag from chat the number to two other tables to force the same number results?

I can always make the story look like the chat result I want with the DM information separate and cut and paste into chat, but would be easier on the DM if all three could happen.

No, you can't. There are two ways to roll on a table; the first is to click the dice button on the table and the other is to call the table from another table or a template.

[Zacchaeus]

I am wondering if this is a more elegant solution.

Create a story entry for each table result.

In the story, have the DM text, the chat box text and the parcel.

For the table, output to story with a link to the master story entry in each cell corresponding to the potential die roll that you already created.

Then the DM just needs to click on the link, open the story entry associated with the treasure, and click the chat box if wanted and give the parcel if wanted.

Does that make sense vs. creating three trables and trying to drag die results to the right table?

or ....

It is outputting to story now.

Include a link to another story entry that is a chat box format so the DM can click and post it.

And a link to the parcel so once the story result opens, the parcel link is there.

Is there a way to code a result in a table so the text that is put into a story appear formatted at Chat in the resulting story? Trying to make the smallest number of clicks by the DM possible.

You can certainly include links in a table and if you output to a story (or chat) the link will be pasted into the story (or chat).

[Trenloe]

There are two ways to roll on a table; the first is to click the dice button on the table and the other is to call the table from another table or a template.
3) The /rollon chat command. https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/Chat_Commands

[Zacchaeus]

3) The /rollon chat command. https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/Chat_Commands

This sounds like a Monty Python, Spanish Inquisition sketch :D

[Myrdin Potter]

Ok, since the [] also don't work and I would have to edit all of those as well and somehow keep the DM information that it in them, a table that outputs a link to a story that has the original text, a chat frame to show the players and a parcel it will be.

Thanks for the advice and help.

[Myrdin Potter]

And since I output to story, and new result creates a new, permanent story entry. A feature at first as you have a record of what rolled, but you will eventually want to get rid of all the extra story entries that clutter up your campaign.

This will be a pretty long process to do 1,000 entries. Chat text, DM text and parcel and each parcel needs a new item or two created. Will be a nice little tool in the end.

[Trenloe]

This sounds like a Monty Python, Spanish Inquisition sketch :D
I didn't expect that!

:o

[Zacchaeus]

I didn't expect that!

:o

No one does! :D

Sorry myrdin for derailing your thread

[Myrdin Potter]

I wouldn't complain after getting good advice.

[Myrdin Potter]

Table 1 done. 100 rows, 100 story entries with a chat and DM text, 100 parcels and almost 200 items. Answers "what is in the pocket" for pickpocket and small treasures. The items are a bonus and can be reused.

[Bidmaron]

Myrdin, I am afraid I don't understand still why you need output to all 3 locations? Can you try explaining again your project and why you need all that output?

[Myrdin Potter]

If you bought the recent Frog God Games Humble Bundle, one of the books that came with it was "The Mother of All Treasure Tables". There are 10 tables of 100 entries each. Each table has better and better treasure. Table 1 is treasures up to 10 GP that would be in pockets. The table in the book has entries that look like what I posted earlier.

When I DM, I like to drop into the chat window what normally I would read out. It keeps me from having to repeat everything over and over. I cannot just cut and paste the original text as it has DM info scattered inside of it.

So I created 100 story entries and copied the book text twice. I edited the first copy and made it a chat box. Below it is the actual text from the book with the DM info.

Since this is treasure, I created parcels for each treasure. The book has little knick-nacks, with each treasure having at least one item (it is not all coins). Some entries have 3 or 4 items. So to create the parcels that reflected the flavor text, I needed items as well. I created a parcel for each entry and populated it with the items and any coins.

So, 100 story entries (and a link to each story entry in the table that outputs to a story entry). Each story has chat box, regular descriptive text and a parcel. Each parcel has one or more items, all of which I needed to create, and maybe coins.

I now have a master table I can reuse anytime a random encounter results in pockets being picked or searched that adds little touches of flavor to the game. I also have almost 200 items I can reuse.

Make sense?

[Myrdin Potter]

I first started playing in 1980/1981 or so (13 years old) with a DM that started with the original rules and Wilderness Survival. I bought the old Blue Basic book that was later rewritten and then moved to AD&D very quickly and my original campaigns were all pure sandbox where I kept notes in notebooks of little ideas and player created details as we played. I like that free form style and I am slowly building up things like that table. I can do it off the top of my head and don't need a prepared product, but pocket picking is super common and it is nice to have the resource. I am building up a big map collection of images I buy or find (I do try and only use free ones that way) so I can have maps for any sort of random encounter that comes up.

Plus, it helps me learn the content creation for FG.

Where most DM will drop the maps and probably do the encounters and just read from the book for prepared modules not bought already converted, I try and convert it like it was a module in the store as it helps me DM.

[Bidmaron]

Ok now I get it. I am working on an improvement to the built in tables as an extension and looking for ideas. I was trying to decide if your use case was worth trying to include.
I think it is but I will have to think about how best to support it.

[Myrdin Potter]

The other issue with the particular text is that it uses [] to enclose the DM materials and that is a restricted character in the current table code used to call other tables.

To make one table with the functionality of the story entry, you would need a cell where you can tag some text to go to chat, some text to go to story and the items, including GP to go to a parcel.

[Bidmaron]

Myrdin, I would think you can find and replace the brackets.
I am not quite ready to discuss it but I visualize adding story template ability to tables.
Also, I think output should be able to also go to notes, as I prefer putting records of adventures in notes and not story entries.

[Myrdin Potter]

I can find and replace the brackets with another character. I think that Notes is a good additional choice. Sometimes you want to generate content that belongs in Story, but often Notes makes sense and may be more resilient to reverting the adventure to apply an update.

[Trenloe]

Sometimes you want to generate content that belongs in Story, but often Notes makes sense and may be more resilient to reverting the adventure to apply an update.
Can you expand on this thinking please? I don't understand the resilient comment.

Notes are primarily for player use (to allow a player to edit and then, maybe, share with everyone else).

[Bidmaron]

Trenloe, in my view story entries are for story. Having log entries (which is really what we are talking about here -- log of a treasure generated and not originally planned as part of the adventure) appear as story items seems a perversion of purpose. I realize there is no prohibition, but I use notes for my adventures to record activity. That way story entries stay related to my adventure and I don't get contamination of the story record list with journal entries.

I'm not sure that's what Myrdin was getting at though....

[Trenloe]

Perversion of purpose?!? Really?

They were made for primarily players - to create and maintain player notes. Until two years ago (Notes have limitations - you can't export them into a module, they do not have category groups, etc..) they weren't even formatted text (no links, formatting, etc.), so they certainly never originally had a "purpose" of adding in items, treasures parcels, etc.. Plus, Notes have limitations - you can't export them into a module, they do not have category groups, etc.. Sure, the GM can "use" them as well, but you might well get to a point when you wished you'd used a Story entry - just because it's called "Story" doesn't mean that you are limited to just stories.