Content generator 2020!

[JimSocks]

Introducing Content Generator 2020!

I have now made TWO VERSIONS of this mod: A version for 5e, as well as a version labeled "Any" that should work with most rulesets, as the 5e links have been removed!
If your formatting is screwy, I apologize, but this was built in 5e with no UI mods active. The functionality for other rulesets is "as-is", but I hope it works for everyone!

"What's in the box? WHAT'S IN THE BOX!?"

1. Campaign Generator:

Discover The Fate of a Previous Adventuring Party
Rescue a Captive
Destroy a Magical Threat
Retrieve a Stolen Item
more to come! These are hard to make!


2. City Generator:

The mother of all City Generators. Bask in it's glory.


3. Town Generators:

Human Town Generator
Dwarf Town Generator
Elf Town Generator


4. Village Generators:

Human Village Generator
Dwarf Village Generator
Elf Village Generator


5. Big City Random Shops!:

d100 Random shops to encounter in a big city. Super fun!


6. Merchant Generators:

Tiny Poor Merchant
Tiny Rich Merchant
Medium Poor Merchant
Medium Rich Merchant
Large Rich Merchant
USE THESE ALONGSIDE THE "SHOPS" EXTENSION BY MATTEKURE FOR ULTIMATE AWESOMENESS!
Find it here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?59581-Shops

7. Tavern Generators:

Small Seedy Tavern
Small Upscale Tavern
Large Seedy Tavern
Large Upscale Tavern


8. Stand-Alone Tavern Menu Generator:

Result Shareable!


9. Brothel Generator:

Includes brothel-specific workers (with nicknames!) and rumors.


10. Church Generator:

Dedicated Clergy Generators
Clergy-specific Rumors
Deity information


11. Guild Generators:

Adventurers Guild
Alchemists Guild
Assassins Guild
Bankers Guild
Fighters Guild
Merchants Guild
Performers Guild
Stonemasons Guild
Thieves Guild


12. Secret Society Generator:

Vastly improved naming tables
Origins, Secret Symbols and Alignments
Headquarters
Society Leader
2nd & 3rd in command, a strategist, messenger, and defector


13. Dungeon Generator:

Makes a dungeon as you walk through it


14. Side Quest Generator:

General Plot
Questgiver
Antagonist
Quest Location
Baddguys Encountered Along The Way


15. Weather Generators:

Includes changing weather narratives and links
Separate Winter Weather Generator also (BONUS!)


16. Travel Generators:

Desert
Forest
Mountain
Plains
Non-specific Terrain


17. NPC Generators:

Ultimate NPC Generator
Casual NPC Generator
Detailed NPC Generator


This mod was designed to be used from your Tables window, under the "01 Content Generator 2020" group. This table group is a one-stop-shop for everything this mod has to offer. There is another table category named "X Content Generators Back End" which has the tables that do all the heavy lifting behind the scenes (you shouldn't need to mess with those ever unless you wanted to tinker around.)

See this image for what I mean: 32135 ...That's where your journey begins!

The posts that follow will be a deeper dive into each area of this mod for those that are interested.



DOWNLOAD LINKS:

DOWNLOAD FOR 5E (https://www.dropbox.com/s/wqczyrxera5a8fm/Content%20Generator%202020%205e.mod?dl=0)

-OR-

DOWNLOAD FOR ANY RULESET (https://www.dropbox.com/s/vg2oslqq83kl9c5/Content%20Generator%202020%20Any%20Ruleset.mod?dl= 0)

*Note: This is not a small mod! While I could have separated the images into a separate package, I am choosing for now to make it an all-in-one. Maybe in the future I'll revisit that.

[JimSocks]

1. CAMPAIGN GENERATOR:

My hope is you can spin the wheel on this and run a game with what it gives you. Right now, there are four plots centered around two premises. It's not very diverse, but these take ages to think up and it seems like a pretty good start!

Make sure you read the entire campaign before you start- there is A TON of information and being prepared will set you up for success!

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generators"):

Inside the table "02 - City Generator" is where this puppy lives. It contains:

A complete plot to start your campaign!
Pre-made chat bubbles to paint the world to your players
Plot hooks, double-crosses, and a clever BBEG to deal with!
A complete city setting! Enough data here for anybody, ever.
Conniving secret societies plotting your demise!
Weather
Economy and Regional City Relations
Interesting Facts
Interesting Events
Religions and Gods
Government Officials and Royal Drama
Historical Periods
City Building Generators
Inner-City Travel Descriptions
Some generic city zoomed-in travel maps
Useless Citizen descriptions

[JimSocks]

2. CITY GENERATORS:

Creates a whole city for you, complete with history, an entire royal family, royal court, street names with travel descriptions around town, and even maps that match the landscape descriptions!!!

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

Inside the table "02 - City Generator" is where this puppy lives. It contains:

City Origin
Landscape descriptions that match the maps!
Maps!
Weather
Economy and Regional City Relations
Interesting Facts
Interesting Events
Religions and Gods
Government Officials and Royal Drama
Historical Periods
City Building Generators
Inner-City Travel Descriptions
Some generic city zoomed-in travel maps
Useless Citizen descriptions


NOTE:
The maps were generated via an opensource online tool made by watabou. The licence for them is Public Domain, or CC0.
The generated text descriptions of the city containing rivers, waterfront, or lack thereof matches the map generated for you- nifty eh!?

[JimSocks]

3. TOWN GENERATORS:

Creates a whole large town for you, complete with history, a map that matches the generated landscape narrative, an entire government, town secrets and drama, areas of interest with generator links, and even useless citizens!

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):


Inside the table "03 - Town Generators" is where this lives. It contains:
Human, Elf, and Dwarf town generators
Separate generators for Human, Dwarf, and Elf Towns
Town Origin and Government Type
Landscape descriptions that match the maps!
Maps!
Weather
Economy
Town Secret
Interesting Events
Town Drama
Government Officials
Area of Interest Building Generators
Useless Citizen descriptions

[JimSocks]

4. VILLAGE GENERATORS:

Creates a small village for you, complete with history, a map that matches the generated landscape narrative, an entire government, small town secrets and drama, areas of interest with generator links, and even useless citizens!

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

Inside the table "04 - Village Generators" is where this lives. It contains:

Separate generators for Human, Dwarf, and Elf Villages
Village Origin and Government Type
Landscape descriptions that match the maps!
Maps!
Weather
Economy
Village Secret
Interesting Events
Small Town Drama
Government Officials
Area of Interest Building Generators
Useless Citizen descriptions

[JimSocks]

5. BIG CITY RANDOM SHOPS!

A d100 "05 - Big City Random Shops!" table, which is designed to help bring some fun and levity to a metropolis business district scene.

I adapted this from a redditor named JustaFleshW0und, and it's really fun. Unlike the rest of the generators which output to new story entries, this defaults to chat output so as not to cram your story windows with random junk as your PCs wander around the city.

[JimSocks]

6. MERCHANT GENERATORS:

My PCs rarely encounter merchants, but when they do I like to make it an experience and not just a flavorless stop- these make that a whole lot easier!

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

Inside the table "06 - Merchant Generator" you'll find a handy list of Story templates that generate:

Shops
Shopkeepers
Chat bubbles for your PCs to read
Inventories
and Price data that differs between poor and rich shops, as well as between tiny, medium, and large shops.

USE THIS ALONGSIDE THE "SHOPS" EXTENSION BY MATTEKURE FOR ULTIMATE AWESOMENESS!
Find it here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?59581-Shops

[JimSocks]

7. TAVERN GENERATORS:

Ah the staple of many a campaign: the beloved tavern! Get ready to have an awesome tavern fleshed out for you in no time flat.

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

Inside the table "07 - Tavern Generator Templates" you'll find a handy list of all the story templates which will generate a tavern:

Tavern name
Building Description
Reputation
Money on hand
Price markups and Haggling
A (very!) detailed description of the head Barkeep
Patrons
Rumors making the rounds currently (including one about the barkeep!)
Rooms currently available (if any)
And a full menu that changes in size/quality if the tavern is small or large, and seedy or upscale!

[JimSocks]

8. TAVERN MENU GENERATOR:

A "08 Tavern Menu Generator (Result Shareable!)" Table which contains the story template to create a stand-alone tavern menu.

This allows you to instantly whip up a menu even if you don't want to generate a full tavern, but it also makes the menu easily shareable to PCs without giving away any "GM only" info about a tavern!

Please Note: This generated menu will not be tailored to the size and reputation of a tavern, while the menus generated by the full Tavern Generator Templates detailed above are tailored to match (large, upscale taverns have a greater variety and selection than small seedy taverns).

Additionally, the full tavern generators specify if the tavern has any vacant rooms for rent currently, and this does not: it is ONLY a food and drinks menu.

[JimSocks]

9. BROTHEL GENERATOR:

This will give you a complete brothel. It will generate the building, a very detailed owner, several notable prostitutes, and brothel-specific rumors.

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

Inside the table "09 - Brothel Generator" you'll find a handy Story template that generates all kinds of shady buildings.

Prostitutes all have nicknames!
Each prostitute will give you a unique experience
Brothel Rumors!

[JimSocks]

10. CHURCH GENERATOR:

This will give you a complete religious building (not necessarily a "church". It will generate the building, a very detailed clergy, the deity they worship and service frequency, notable patrons, and church rumors.

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

Inside the table "10 - Church Generator" you'll find a handy list of Story templates that generate all kinds of religious buildings.

Sometimes the church has nefarious relations with secret societies or brothels! O.o
It's easy to get a side quest from the clergy!

[JimSocks]

11. GUILD GENERATORS:

These will give you a complete guild. It will generate a headquarters building, what this guild might be known for aside from it's main focus, a very detailed guildmaster, several notable members, and guild news and rumors.

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

Inside the table "11 - City Guild Generator" you'll find a handy list of Story templates that generate the following guilds:

Adventurers Guild
Alchemists Guild
Assassins Guild
Bankers Guild
Fighters Guild
Merchants Guild
Performers Guild
Stonemasons Guild
Thieves Guild.

[JimSocks]

12. SECRET SOCIETY GENERATOR:

Does what you'd think.

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

Inside the table "12 - Secret Society generator" you'll find a template that will give you the society's origins, Secret Symbols and Alignments, a Headquarters, the Society Leader, a 2nd & 3rd in command, a strategist, messenger, and a defector.

The naming tables for this have been VASTLY improved!
The symbols have improved too!
There is a chance they have a shady deal going on with the local brothel or church!

[JimSocks]

13. DUNGEON GENERATOR:

This is a series of templates that link to each other.

THIS IS FOR 5E ONLY and will just be completely removed for the version of the mod that is for all the other systems, as these lean heavily on the tables from the DMG. Honestly, I made these a LONG time ago and completely forgot about them until JUST before release, so maybe in a future release I'll spiffy them up better.

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generators"):

Inside the table "13 - Dungeon Generator" you'll find an interesting "procedural" tool to build a dungeon on the fly:

Starting area template gets you moving
Passage template gives you ways to get places
Door template keeps you from seeing what's inside
Chamber template makes interesting places to see!

[JimSocks]

14. SIDE QUEST GENERATOR:

Need a quick idea for a fun side quest? I have just the thing!

What's included (you'll find this listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

A table called "14 - Side Quest Generator" houses a story template that will hand you:

A plot overview
a plot twist (or as I call it, a "catch")
a detailed questgiver description
a detailed main villain description
a location description for the plot's climax
a main type of monster likely to be encountered by the party along the way
and even handy-dandy pre-built random encounters of said bad guys! **FOR 5e ONLY**

This doesn't generate Shakespearian epic tales, and quite often it spits out something hilarious to be honest with you but I think that makes it even better ("quest objective: steal a child before they all die" lol). You have to use a little "creative interpretation" at times to get to where you want to be with it, which is part of the fun of it really. The above example could even work: "A child possessing the magic to cure our plague is being held captive, and must be stolen back before we all die from this terrible affliction!"

NOTE:
The encounters are built using NPCs from the 5e Monster Manual, so you'll need to have that loaded to make use of them. These will be removed for any versions of this mod not designed for 5e.

[JimSocks]

15. WEATHER GENERATORS:

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

Inside the table "15 - Weather Generators" you'll find a robust weather generation template list.

The weather can get better or worse in the description, and it will give you a link to a changing weather template!
Winter weather too!!!

[JimSocks]

16. TRAVEL GENERATORS:

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

Inside the table "16 - Travel Generators" you'll find templates that make travel great again! ;)

Desert Travel
Forest Travel
Mountain Travel
Plains Travel
Non-Specific Terrain Travel
These describe the day's weather, the days travel route, and any interesting events and combat encounters that may happen during day or night travel.
There are also level-tailored battle tables filled with terrain-specific baddies.
Many other generator links are in these for quick reference. You never know what you'll come across on the road!
At the bottom are general travel considerations* for each terrain type.

*These general travel considerations have been adapted under the Open Game Licence, which requires that I include the following Copyright Notice:
Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

[JimSocks]

17. NPC GENERATORS:

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

Inside the table "17 - NPC Generators" table you'll find the following three NPC Generators:

ULTIMATE NPC GENERATOR:

Oh man, get ready for the awesomesauce! This generator gives you EVERYTHING
and the kitchen sink!

What are they like?
What's their secret?
What's in their pocket?
What do they want- better yet, what do they fear!?
What is their background?
How do they react when the PCs talk to them?
What rumors do they know?
What is their motivation in life right now?
What locations are they likely to mention?
"Can I have a NPC template to populate?" Why YES you CAN!

Detailed NPC generator:

For NPCs that only have small walk-on roles. Swiftly generates an NPC with:

A class
background
personality traits
flaws
bonds
etc.

It's very handy for NPCs that might end up in a little deeper role-play.

Casual NPC Generator:

For NPCs that are basically background extras.

Quickly gives some NPC overview details.
It outputs to story and ends up a bit disjointed, but it's easy enough to quickly follow.

NOTE:
These generators use background and other data from the 5e PHB. This means for versions of this mod that are designed to run on other game systems, I'll have to remove those references. Hopefully it's a small price to pay for being able to use this on multiple platforms.

[JimSocks]

Final Notes:

A. I designed the Merchant and Tavern Generators with the plan to use it alongside Dulux-Oz's "DOE: Locations" extension. It's a shame those extensions are kaput, but maybe someone can ressurect the idea. The generators stand on their own without that functionality, but man they sure worked great alongside those extensions. In that way I could generate a store or tavern, NPC Shopkeeper or NPC Barkeep that is deep and interesting, and a full inventory or menu which could be dropped into the extension for shopping by my PCs. It was glorious... oh well.

B. I went to great pains to make the NPC names gender and race-appropriate, but this also meant I couldn't link the names anywhere else in the template (link referencing child and grandchild tables only works one way, and it's the wrong direction for this purpose). If this ever changes, I will re-visit to make the Shopkeeper/Barkeep names appear in some of the Shop/Tavern Names (like "Greg's Supply"), as well as make the shopkeeper/barkeep names more prominent in the template result, as it is only in one easy-to-miss line right now out of necessity. If you like my work, stop on by the following three links and give them a vote! I could do so much more with the functionality they describe:

Vote HERE (https://fg2app.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=109436)

and HERE (https://fg2app.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=109437)

and HERE too! (https://fg2app.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=109434)

C. I know there is a LOT of information spit out for the main NPCs for each generator, but I really like it like that. I can take what I like and leave what I don't, and swiftly flesh out a deep, believable, or sometimes funny shopkeeper/barkeep/etc even on-the-fly. Sometimes I just use the top brief description, sometimes I toss in the additional deeper details, and I always keep the "wants" and "fears" in my head in case the PCs trigger something!

D. This completely replaces my previous extension entitled "Content Generator 2020" (this one's file adds a "5e" or "Any Ruleset" tag on the end.) Trash that one- as I have improved greatly upon many, many tables and templates in this version. There's gotta be like, 1,000 more entries across hundreds of new tables. I am totally wagging that number, but seriously this represents a mountain of work.

E. If you encounter errors, let me know! I can incorporate fixes into a future release. I am NOT the best speller or typist... so bear with me on spelling/grammatical errors...

F. The licence for this work is: CC-BY-NC-ND. That means share it all you like, but only in it's entirety, not for commercial use/monetary gain, and give proper credit for it.

[daddyogreman]

Go JimSocks Go!

[Beemanpat]

Oh snap that is super awesome.

Just downloaded to 5e version cant wait try out. Sure do appreciate the work. And it would great if another DOE locations would come along and play nice with this.

[Samzagas]

How does the module works for the non-D&D systems?
I can't see any "Content Generator 2020" group or anything similar. Do I have to enter the info manually? If so, then could you please tell me how that works.

[mrrockitt]

Excellent work Jim!

[JimSocks]

A couple of awesome folks mentioned they wanted to send me actual, real money for my efforts and... that's AMAZING! A huge thank you to daddyogreman for already doing so- that's really incredible of you.

So, I didn't think of that beforehand (which means I was unprepared for the questions!) but I logged into my paypal and there is a cool "Donate Button" feature.

I'm not selling anything, but if you wanted to donate- I certainly won't stop you! Many, many beers are harmed in the making of these products- so the stock can never be full enough :)

DONATE LINK (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=PJ6SCC66E6UVN&item_name=I+create+TTRPG+tools+to+make+a+GM%27s+jo b+easier%21&currency_code=USD&source=url)

[Asterionaisien]

Hello, I've tried to load the universal version it in core RPG and in MoreCore 1.54, but it doesnt seems to work...the module isnt shown on the module list of those rulesets. The universal version works perfectly in 5ed ruleset though.
It is really a splendid work!

[Willot]

Yeah he forgot to take out the ruleset type in the definition xml

[JimSocks]

I didn’t forget- I changed the ruleset type to “Any”

I tried loading it in PFRPG and it worked like a charm? I will check again today and make sure something isn’t rotten in Denmark

EDIT: AH-HA! I figured out the issue- my own dumb brain! I DID update the definition.xml to "Any", and then I tested it in PFRPG and it worked great! THEN... I noticed something I needed to change. So I (in a big hurry) changed it in FG and re-exported it... and like an idiot forgot to do the xml file edit again!

Bear with me... I am fixing it now and re-uploading the new version with the proper xml edit. This takes a bit. The "Any Ruleset" version's link will be inop while I do so.

Edit 2: FIXED!

Let me know if it still doesn't work for some reason... because it should! :)

[Beemanpat]

Hey Jimsocks have you heard anything on another similiar locations extension? It would be great if someone is working on one.

[JimSocks]

Unfortunately, no.

:(

For now I just move the items over to a note, and share it with the players. Then they can browse, and I just move the item to them when they buy one.

If you generate the shop ahead of time, you can create the note, add it right to the generated shop story entry, and then during play you are ready to rock. The only thing this process misses out on is the “buy” button that added the item to and subtracted the money from the player’s inventory. Well, and it live-updated the shop’s stock too... I miss it.

Honestly though the note way is perfectly fine once you get the hang of it.

[Beemanpat]

This is an interesting thread I just found.
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?47586-5e-SRD-Working-Shop

[LordEntrails]

Also check out the Player Agency extension as it has 'World Builder' functionality that is a little similar.
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?54284-Player-Agency-Extension

[ironsplitter]

Hi, Thanks for the mod. This is all really cool.

I'm on unity, using the 5e version of your mod, and there appears to be a few bugs or perhaps I'm missing something. I've tried out both the Merchant and Tavern Generators and they both have similar problems. After clicking 'Generate' on one of the templates, the generated story does not substitute several variables. For instance, in the case of merchant, it doesn't substitute:
Shop Type
Shop Description
Merchant Name
Merchant Traits

The rest of the generated story seems on point. The inventory is there and the Economics section is populated. Also, the Title Header is oddly correct, in that it correctly substitutes the shop's name and description (though these aren't substituted correctly in the chat bubbles or in the Quick Merchant Info section.

Thanks!

[damned]

There are some issues recently reported with story templates in FGU.

[Stuggesjoerd]

Hi mate, I would like to thank you for your awesome work! I have already used it several times in my past 2 sessions. It helps creating my oneshot world aswell! So much appreciated.

One thing i noticed was that the dungeon generator tables arent functioning properly. Same goes for Dungeon Passage, Dungeon Door and the Dungeon Chamber. For example, if you generate the table the format goes from [Random Dungeon - Beyond a Door] to "Random Dungeon - Beyond a Door" without the brackets. This is tested in FG Classic.

[JimSocks]

Awesome to hear! Thanks for the feedback! :)

As for the dungeon generator, it was something I made years ago and forgot about until JUST before publishing, so it’s highly possible it’s got a bug or two. It leans heavily on the tables in the 5e DMG tables, so that has to be loaded for it to work at all.

I’ll take a look and see what’s up!

[Stuggesjoerd]

Awesome to hear! Thanks for the feedback! :)

As for the dungeon generator, it was something I made years ago and forgot about until JUST before publishing, so it’s highly possible it’s got a bug or two. It leans heavily on the tables in the 5e DMG tables, so that has to be loaded for it to work at all.

I’ll take a look and see what’s up!

That probadly is the cause. DMG wasnt loaded in. I will check it later today! Thanks!

[ItsCliffGaming]

I assume there is some back end programming that makes the generated NPC be able to bounce out to an NPC template? I would love to be able to build my own tables that generate NPC templates for Savage Worlds, but not sure if there is a "built-in" way to do that.

[LordEntrails]

I assume there is some back end programming that makes the generated NPC be able to bounce out to an NPC template? I would love to be able to build my own tables that generate NPC templates for Savage Worlds, but not sure if there is a "built-in" way to do that.
I believe Jim is just using CoreRPG functionality. That may or may not be available in SW, you would have to ask the dev for the ruleset.

[JimSocks]

I think he’s wondering if my story templates can be used to auto-populate an actual NPC record.

As far as I know- only with some kind of fancy extension. I’m no code jockey, so that’s above my pay grade I’m afraid :(

[Three of Swords]

I finally started messing around w/ this. Wow. I'm impressed.

A few questions/comments.


Out of curiosity, why are there so many race tables? I was hoping there was just one so I could easily weight the races based on my world's demographics.
The Brothel 'The next morning...' table is hilarious. In my gaming group, PCs haven't visited one in years. Now I want to promote the practice for a campaign just to see the results!
Since this is for 5e, your tavern prices seem high. It looks like you based them roughly off the PHB values. But those values are per day. Not a single course of a single meal. I'm nitpicking, I know. Just thought I'd point it out.

[Three of Swords]

Note: This generator made me realize that Roll20's table system is better. Rather than ranges, they use weights. So it's much easier to edit a table after it's created to increase or decrease the frequency of an existing entry. If you're not sure what I mean, I created an example below.

Example Table


Weight
Entry


1
Result #1


1
Result #2


1
Result #3


2
Result #4


4
Result #5



So in this case, it would roll 1d9 since there is 9 total weight, and on a 1 get Result #1, a 2 would get #2, a three would get #3, a 4-5 would get #4, and 6-9 would get #5. Then if you increased the Weight of Result #1, you wouldn't need to go through and change all the other ranges as well.

[LordEntrails]

Note: This generator made me realize that Roll20's table system is better. Rather than ranges, they use weights. So it's much easier to edit a table after it's created to increase or decrease the frequency of an existing entry. If you're not sure what I mean, I created an example below.
Discuss or vote for the idea here; https://fg2app.idea.informer.com/proj/?ia=126836

[SixSixTrample]

NM I figured it out. Data directory is in a different place than install directory

[JimSocks]

Thanks!

1. It’s a result of 2 things: me trying to make every name gender appropriate meant the race tables had to be children of male/female tables. I mean not really- that could have been reversed, but as they were being built the structure you see now was what emerged. The second thing is sometimes a single story entry needs to reference race tables a few times over, but needs different results in order to call back to previously rolled results and not get a mish-mash of data. That means in some places I might have “Race1” “Violent Race 3” “Regular race 1” etc. You still can alter the mix for the regular NPC generators though, just go to racem and racef tables I believe and you should find what you are looking for.

2. They’ve been fun for my group for sure!

3. Actually I might have just shot from the hip on those, I’m not sure I referenced anything lol. I might take a look at that in a future revision- good eye!

[Three of Swords]

Thanks for the answers, Jim.

Regarding race, I looked a good bit, and I think it's going to be easier to use my own tables to roll race and manually change them as needed. But thanks for the suggestion.

And once again, great work!

[Gravis]

I can't seem to be able to generate Enemey NPC's. Everything else seems to work, but it seems im missing modules. Im doing testing for my GM before he uses it so i only have whats available in demo. If its because its demo, please let me know.


error im getting is: [ERROR] Link for NPC 'Yuan-ti Abomination' is not working. Make sure the correct modules have been opened in the Library.

[Three of Swords]

error im getting is: [ERROR] Link for NPC 'Yuan-ti Abomination' is not working. Make sure the correct modules have been opened in the Library.

Yuan-ti are not part of the 'free' (SRD) content that D&D released. They are only available if you have the Monster Manual. So I'm guessing this is your issue.

[JimSocks]

Yep- need the monster manual for those. If you want to use the version that doesn’t need it, download the non-5e version as it removes those links

[pollux]

I just discovered this and it's pretty amazing. Have you considered splitting the city/town generators into their own module though? It would be nice to be able to have the NPC, tavern, and other generators that drop into a town or existing setting without pulling in the 700+ MB of map images required to support the city generators.

[ironsplitter]

I just discovered this and it's pretty amazing. Have you considered splitting the city/town generators into their own module though? It would be nice to be able to have the NPC, tavern, and other generators that drop into a town or existing setting without pulling in the 700+ MB of map images required to support the city generators.

Agreed! I love the 'sharing tavern menu with players' option, but they have to have this Module loaded for that to work, and it takes a long time for this module to load for them. Unless there is a way to not have that as a requirement so players can see the menus?

[Three of Swords]

Agreed! I love the 'sharing tavern menu with players' option, but they have to have this Module loaded for that to work, and it takes a long time for this module to load for them. Unless there is a way to not have that as a requirement so players can see the menus?

The menu should become a story entry once it's generated and then you just share the story that was created with the players. Not the generator itself.

[ironsplitter]

Ah, ok. I remember trying it before with a player and they could not read the descriptions or something. I believe they just saw the title, I can't remember exactly. Perhaps there is some other table I had loaded that they did not?

[Roofy69]

I heard mention that there were issues with Unity...is this still and issue?

[NullFawkes]

Dude. You can't imagine how amazing it is, to come here after looking for something "that kinda works" on google, only to find this amazing work. Works perfeclty on the latest version of unity. Wondrers.

Thank you!

[Jiminimonka]

Looking forward to check this out. Nice one!

[JimSocks]

Hello Everybody!

First off- thanks for the positive feedback! Hearing messages like that is really motivating :)

Secondly, coronavirus ops has me SLAMMED right now work and home-life wise, so I haven't been able to get after some initiatives with the mod since earlier this year. Here's what I'll be doing once I find the bandwidth, based on feedback:
1. I'll make a "Content Generator 2020 lite" version, which will be everything except the city maps, as some of you said file size was a limiting factor for you.
2. I'll be updating and adding more table entries to lots of tables
3. Maaaybe I'll be able to write a new plotline for the campaign generator section. That would mean I would have to find a lot of bandwidth, however. So that's #3 for sure.

Also I JUST found an extension that works AMAZINGLY WELL with the Merchant generators in my mod: Shops by Mattekure. Pick it up if you like awesome things.
Find it here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?59581-Shops

Lastly, if you have any stories about how this mod made your game more immersive or fun I would LOVE to hear them!

[SmackDaddy]

As a new FG DM, thank you so much for this!!! Keep up the awesome work!

[GhoulHunter]

Well hello there, Ive found this mod just recently and it sounds like tons of fun and an actually useful thing, but Im getting errors when I try to download. Gives me a 404, any clues, any updates? Id like to try it out with my group soon.

[viviolay]

Hello! I really appreciate your content generator, but I'm unsure if something is wrong, as when I use the story template I have a good amount of info missing from the generated story and instead the category its from listed instead. Unsure if I did something wrong?

I included a picture for a better example of what i mean.

[JimSocks]

Oh my god. You may have just uncovered something that’s been driving me absolutely NUTS all day: you are having the EXACT same issue as I am, so I am beginning to think that the latest update broke story templates!

I’ll link Moon Wizard over here to investigate!

[Aedus Amaterasu]

Absolutely amazing. This is going to be a great addition to my campaign. Also you should totally put this up on the DM's guild.

[Ozton]

Firstly, thank you JimSocks for the amazing amount of effort you put into allowing us to remain lazy DMs. I love every generator I have played with so far! Also I picked up the Shops.mod, but was hoping you might offer further clarification as to how they work together. Specifically, is there away to auto-populate shop inventory over into the shop window, or are you dragging every piece of gear over? I also so where you were using a note to show inventory. Are you dragging them over individually into that as well? I am fairly new to FG so there is a grand possibility there is a short cut I do not know about. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

[JimSocks]

Thanks everybody! It makes me happy to know that peoples gaming sessions will be enriched by my effort. :) As for DMs Guild, I thought about doing that but instead I have put the generator on my budding Patreon page, where I am continuing to make FG generators and other game content. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to link to my Patreon here in the forums?

As for the shops extension, you are correct I drag everything over. I opened a dialog with the extension’s creator to marry my work with his a bit more, and that’s still in works.

As for the note you mentioned, I might need a bit more detail as I am not quite sure which note you mean.

[Ozton]

Unfortunately, no.



For now I just move the items over to a note, and share it with the players. Then they can browse, and I just move the item to them when they buy one.

If you generate the shop ahead of time, you can create the note, add it right to the generated shop story entry, and then during play you are ready to rock. The only thing this process misses out on is the “buy” button that added the item to and subtracted the money from the player’s inventory. Well, and it live-updated the shop’s stock too... I miss it.

Honestly though the note way is perfectly fine once you get the hang of it..

If you have to move the individual items into the note then one might as well use the Shop.mod. I am just looking for the swiftist way to populate a shop and keep the game running. Thanks so much for the quick response! If you wanna DM a link to your Patreon I'd love to check it out!

[JimSocks]

Ah ok I get the “note” context now.

So, now that I have the shops extension I don’t use the note anymore, I drag it over to shops.

That way the players can buy the goodies and it charges them automatically. Easy.

The benefit of using the generator in conjunction, is that the shop inventory generated matches the size and wealth of the shop (and if you dig into the tables, is very customizable)

This way if they stumble upon a ricketty cart, the items and quantity will automatically be more appropriate than the inventory of a large marble-hewn establishment that caters to the rich.

And, as it turns out I think I can link to my Patreon. Feel free to swing by :)
Here’s the link:
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=29831728&fan_landing=true

[LordEntrails]

It's fine to link to your Patreon. If you want to detail what's available over there, then I would suggest a new thread in the Paid Creations sub :)

[JimSocks]

For those following this thread: after 323 versions and like, two months of daily trial-and-error: I have written a new extension for Story Templates that adds SIGNIFICANT functionality.

The thing is basically giving me Story Template superpowers.

Now that it’s working, I’m going to figure out how to distribute it best, and make a video detailing what it adds and how it works.

I’m just super stoked, so I wanted to tell SOMEBODY about it (cause my wife’s eyes glaze over when I try to describe my breakthroughs on the project to her lol)

[Trenloe]

For those following this thread: after 323 versions and like, two months of daily trial-and-error: I have written a new extension for Story Templates that adds SIGNIFICANT functionality.

The thing is basically giving me Story Template superpowers.

Now that it’s working, I’m going to figure out how to distribute it best, and make a video detailing what it adds and how it works.

I’m just super stoked, so I wanted to tell SOMEBODY about it (cause my wife’s eyes glaze over when I try to describe my breakthroughs on the project to her lol)
That's fantastic!

Be careful what you do with story template superpowers. They’re not to be abused! ;-)

Looking forward to seeing what can be done...

[damned]

For those following this thread: after 323 versions and like, two months of daily trial-and-error: I have written a new extension for Story Templates that adds SIGNIFICANT functionality.

The thing is basically giving me Story Template superpowers.

Now that it’s working, I’m going to figure out how to distribute it best, and make a video detailing what it adds and how it works.

I’m just super stoked, so I wanted to tell SOMEBODY about it (cause my wife’s eyes glaze over when I try to describe my breakthroughs on the project to her lol)

Tell your wife she should appreciate you and your template wizard thingy a little bit more because other people sure do...

[Axxs]

I’m just super stoked, so I wanted to tell SOMEBODY about it (cause my wife’s eyes glaze over when I try to describe my breakthroughs on the project to her lol)

ok n00b lurker here, I'm in.

Thought I would actually post and let you know as you are super stoked :)

[Three of Swords]

As I said before, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do w/ your new template system! This content generator is already amazing. If you're stoked, I imagine it's going to be unbelievably amazing!

Just don't forget to use an import tool when you create new tables! ;)

[JimSocks]

Hello everyone! My extension is finished and up on DriveThruRPG!

It is called Story Template PRO, and it absolutely blows the ROOF off of story templates.

I put a post about it over in the paid creations section of the FG Forums, feel free to swing by and take a peek at the link below!

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?63527-Story-Template-PRO-(Extension-for-Unity)&p=555428#post555428

[Stuggesjoerd]

Hello everyone! My extension is finished and up on DriveThruRPG!

It is called Story Template PRO, and it absolutely blows the ROOF off of story templates.

I put a post about it over in the paid creations section of the FG Forums, feel free to swing by and take a peek at the link below!

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?63527-Story-Template-PRO-(Extension-for-Unity)&p=555428#post555428

Awesome! Looking forward to what can be achieved with this! Are you gonna use this for your updated original extension?

[JimSocks]

Awesome! Looking forward to what can be achieved with this! Are you gonna use this for your updated original extension?

Yes! In fact, I am thinking of doing a little Kickstarter for it, and doing a complete overhaul, as this extension opens up everything I wanted while I was making the original.

As I am working out what a kickstarter for it might look like, I am thinking it might be a product that includes the extension (possibly even 2.0 if said extension as I already dream up new ideas), a 100% overhauled Content Generator, and maybe stretch goals of Contemt Generators for other genres (modern day, sci-fi, etc)

Content Generator 2020 was a true labor of love, but it took an ungodly amount of time to create. This next venture would be no different, and would likely even be even more intensive, so I think a kickstarter might be the way to make it possible.

[Stuggesjoerd]

Well, i dont know if a kickstarter is the way to go. For what its worth i am using your generator a lot.
It helps with prepping beforehand etc.

Despite your way to go, patreon or kickstarter. You've got my vote.

[JimSocks]

Here is a video of it in use, showing cross-template referencing and column referencing in action:

Note: There are much more comprehensive videos posted on the thread for Story Template PRO, this one is just showing off two features within FGU

https://youtu.be/p122r1bSEkY

[Trenloe]

If you decide to do some formal crowd sourcing, you'll need to run it past Smiteworks as they frown on unapproved Fantasy Grounds crowd sourcing. Info here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?33913-Warning-about-Kickstarters-Claiming-to-support-Fantasy-Grounds-add-ons

[JimSocks]

If you decide to do some formal crowd sourcing, you'll need to run it past Smiteworks as they frown on unapproved Fantasy Grounds crowd sourcing. Info here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?33913-Warning-about-Kickstarters-Claiming-to-support-Fantasy-Grounds-add-ons

Thanks- I have emailed them about it! Fingers crossed!!!

[Willot]

(cause my wife’s eyes glaze over when I try to describe my breakthroughs on the project to her lol)

If only you knew someone who was good at video editing, so while watching tv that night a "news break" pops up showing scenes of different people cheering the the streets from different cities across the world; with a newscasters voice over, "Tonight, jubilation, as news that someone has finally cracked the Story Template problem in Fantasy Grounds..."

[DM Patrick]

I can't connect to the 5E download link. Is this a me issue, or a dropbox issue?

[Trenloe]

I can't connect to the 5E download link. Is this a me issue, or a dropbox issue?
Works for me. DropBox reports "MOD files can't be previewed", there is still a "Download" button to click.

[daddyogreman]

Works for me. DropBox reports "MOD files can't be previewed", there is still a "Download" button to click.

Ditto. I just downloaded both versions of this plugin yesterday.

[DM Patrick]

Alrighty bummer. Guess it's a me thing. I keep getting "Dropbox.com refused to connect"

[daddyogreman]

Alrighty bummer. Guess it's a me thing. I keep getting "Dropbox.com refused to connect"

I backup my data folder to google drive.
Just slapped a couple public links onto both versions of this if you wanna try to give that a go:
5E version:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i5gaWWQot6fPHvu6hZGM3AK9PlfW5Xru/view?usp=sharing

Any ruleset version:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dsglGfkahfXpjAQVeyo7NReog_UW9myv/view?usp=sharing

Lemme know if this works and I'll nuke those links when you're done.

[DM Patrick]

Got it! Thanks!

[daddyogreman]

Got it! Thanks!

No worries. Glad it worked. Enjoy the supreme awesomeness that is this module. And consider buying JimSocks a beer for all his work!

[JimSocks]

I can't connect to the 5E download link. Is this a me issue, or a dropbox issue?

Ah- probably Dropbox. This happens from time to time. I’ll try to fix it tonight.

[Trenloe]

I backup my data folder to google drive.
Is this an offline backup? That is, you manually move files to Google Drive? Or do you have your FG data directories synching all the time? If the latter, in case you're not aware - users have reported issues with FG data corruption when using live/online synch/cloud storage for their FG data. It is a very strong recommendation that you don't use these solutions on your live FG data, only manually copy data to such solutions. If you are using Google Drive against your live FG data then you may just be lucky so far, but sooner or later you may experience lost data due to the FG files used live during a game becoming corrupted. If you already knew this, sorry for the unneeded reminder.

[daddyogreman]

Is this an offline backup? That is, you manually move files to Google Drive? Or do you have your FG data directories synching all the time? If the latter, in case you're not aware - users have reported issues with FG data corruption when using live/online synch/cloud storage for their FG data. It is a very strong recommendation that you don't use these solutions on your live FG data, only manually copy data to such solutions. If you are using Google Drive against your live FG data then you may just be lucky so far, but sooner or later you may experience lost data due to the FG files used live during a game becoming corrupted. If you already knew this, sorry for the unneeded reminder.

Yeah I've heard that. I have a backup folder that syncs to Google drive and I rsync over to that backup folder from my actual data folder as soon I quit Fantasy Grounds.
Thanks for the warning though!

[Milmoor]

Wow. Just wow. I can really see DM's using this to populate their towns. Going to try with some shops at first myself.

[JimSocks]

Wow. Just wow. I can really see DM's using this to populate their towns. Going to try with some shops at first myself.


High praise! Just wait until you see what I have in store for when Story Template PRO gets incorporated into the software. It’s utterly transformative. The next Content Generator is going to blow people’s wigs off.

[Three of Swords]

High praise! Just wait until you see what I have in store for when Story Template PRO gets incorporated into the software. It’s utterly transformative. The next Content Generator is going to blow people’s wigs off.

Any updates on this? Last I remember reading, SW was still in the process of obtaining the rights to use your code since you has posted it on DMs Guild. Or something like that.

[JimSocks]

Any updates on this? Last I remember reading, SW was still in the process of obtaining the rights to use your code since you has posted it on DMs Guild. Or something like that.

Yes! SW did indeed acquire it from me, and they are working it somewhere into their to-do list for incorporation.

They have a lot going on, what with distance LOS and the extension marketplace that ended up being necessary after we embarked on this journey and WoTC decided to boot all extensions off their platform (sorry, content creators- that surely was not intended!)

It’s on their radar, and they have everything needed- so we just need to be patient and it will show up before we know it I’m sure :)

[Milmoor]

Yes! SW did indeed acquire it from me, and they are working it somewhere into their to-do list for incorporation.

They have a lot going on, what with distance LOS and the extension marketplace that ended up being necessary after we embarked on this journey and WoTC decided to boot all extensions off their platform (sorry, content creators- that surely was not intended!)

It’s on their radar, and they have everything needed- so we just need to be patient and it will show up before we know it I’m sure :)
That's understandable. Will you port your lessons learned to this extension? Or is it perfect as it is? ;)

[JimSocks]

That's understandable. Will you port your lessons learned to this extension? Or is it perfect as it is? ;)

I’m not exactly sure which lessons you mean, but the new version of Content Generator I have been working on uses the full power of the STP extension, and I don’t feel weird at all in saying that it’s just plain amazing.

It’s also far from finished. The project is extremely ambitious and just... well it’s just a metric butt-ton of work to be honest. I’m chipping away at it nearly every day though, so it’s coming along.

Needless to say, I’m nervous to see what happens. I’m hoping they just plug-n-play with the STP code, because if they don’t for some reason, it could mean months of me having to go back and fix my new content generator to work. That would be... really deflating lol. So I hope STP makes it in unscathed.

I’ve also got a great video put together to teach people how to use these new powers, and I think that will be really useful too, as long as STP makes it in as-is, that is. Otherwise the video is useless too lol

[mrrockitt]

Interesting days ahead it sounds like! :)

[Trenloe]

Hey Jim! Love the content generator.

Looks like there's an issue with the generic ruleset versions and the NPC filters in the Starfinder ruleset - details here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?69754-Error-when-opening-NPCs-list-cannot-make-new-groups-for-NPCs

To get the GM going I've given them a link to an edited version of the module that simply has the NPC records removed. I'm not sure what impact this will have overall, but at least it will get them going. Hope me doing that as a quick fix was OK. I'll be happy to take down the link once they've downloaded it and got working again.

[JimSocks]

No that’s a good fix- thanks! I’m on holiday right now, but I can solve that when I return.

Those records don’t even need to be in there anymore- they were the beginning inklings of my next project: the Campaign Generator

[Trenloe]

Those records don’t even need to be in there anymore- they were the beginning inklings of my next project: the Campaign Generator
Intriguing… :-)

[Jiminimonka]

Love it! When is the Kickstarter?!!

[JimSocks]

SmiteWorks is considering my approval request, if they green-light me I’ll begin making the promo videos to show off it’s current functionality, so the actual Kickstarter shouldn’t be much further beyond that!

[PerfectConsumer]

6. MERCHANT GENERATORS:

My PCs rarely encounter merchants, but when they do I like to make it an experience and not just a flavorless stop- these make that a whole lot easier!

What's included (you'll find all of these tables listed inside the Table window category "01 Content Generator 2020"):

Inside the table "06 - Merchant Generator" you'll find a handy list of Story templates that generate:

Shops
Shopkeepers
Chat bubbles for your PCs to read
Inventories
and Price data that differs between poor and rich shops, as well as between tiny, medium, and large shops.

USE THIS ALONGSIDE THE "SHOPS" EXTENSION BY MATTEKURE FOR ULTIMATE AWESOMENESS!
Find it here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?59581-Shops

Is there a way to instantly roll a shop of a particular type?

[JimSocks]

Is there a way to instantly roll a shop of a particular type?

Only by relative wealth and size. So you can decide between a tiny Rich, Tony poor, large rich, large poor, etc.

Each shop will contain varying levels of equipment and supplies. From there you can tailor what they have to suit your needs, but this is not a magic shop generator

[PerfectConsumer]

Thanks. This is an amazing improv tool that is especially great for cities!

[ghen]

I can't wait for a promo video, It's hard to explain but i feel like I'm doing it wrong LOL.

[thornious]

This is a great module. thank you for all the work involved.

[thornious]

Did have one question where does it pull the items from? Xanthar's, PHB etc?

[Niwi]

Is this supposed to show up in the launcher as a module to activate/load? I have it in my MOD folder but it's not coming up in my list on the launcher......? (FGU current version user. ) I've restarted the launcher and checked for updates and still no dice.

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

[BaneTBC]

Mods are loaded once you have the game up and running, not from the launcher, that's extensions. Once you are in the game session, click the Library Button on the right side of your screen (normally located at the bottom), then click the Modules button to go in and load the module in that campaign. Once loaded, you'll find it listed on the Library window.

[Niwi]

Mods are loaded once you have the game up and running, not from the launcher, that's extensions. Once you are in the game session, click the Library Button on the right side of your screen (normally located at the bottom), then click the Modules button to go in and load the module in that campaign. Once loaded, you'll find it listed on the Library window.

Oh duh - thanks!

[BaneTBC]

It's actually a good thing when the solutions are the easy things :)

[SmackDaddy]

SmiteWorks is considering my approval request, if they green-light me I’ll begin making the promo videos to show off it’s current functionality, so the actual Kickstarter shouldn’t be much further beyond that!

Any word/update on this? Anxiously waiting.... ;)

[JimSocks]

Any word/update on this? Anxiously waiting.... ;)

I’m still... waiting to hear back actually. So, no news yet I’m afraid

[joeslucher]

FGU locks up every time I try to generate a church.

[JimSocks]

FGU locks up every time I try to generate a church.

Oh? That’s odd. Anyone else here have this issue too?

I’m out of the country, but I can take a look when I get back home

[Trenloe]

Anyone else here have this issue too?
It hangs for me too with a 5e campaign using the 5e module, works OK with the Any ruleset module in the same 5e campaign.

[gmdmb3]

HOLY **** I LOVE YOU!!!!!!! thank you for making this!

[gmdmb3]

Since the DOE extension no longer exists does the Shops extension replace the functionality?

[Battlemarch]

This appears to be a most awesome mod, I'm frothing at the mouth in anticipation of using this. ;) I saw that there have been some updates since the first post, is the link on the first page the most up to date version? Additionally, I watched your video about story template pro and have used the version that SW included recently - Awesome! I thank you for your hard work!

[Morenu]

Ok, last post here is 10 months ago, so ... BRING OUT YER DEAD!

I have downloaded the file, I play PF1E and 2E, before I go down this rabbit hole, does anyone know if this works specifically on those? (yes I am aware they are both CoreRPG and should / May), and... did a kickstarter ever happen?

[Zacchaeus]

Ok, last post here is 10 months ago, so ... BRING OUT YER DEAD!

I have downloaded the file, I play PF1E and 2E, before I go down this rabbit hole, does anyone know if this works specifically on those? (yes I am aware they are both CoreRPG and should / May), and... did a kickstarter ever happen?

See the links at the bottom of the first post. As long as you download the one which works with Any ruleset then it should work for you. I don't know anything about a kickstarter I'm afraid.

[JimSocks]

The project is alive and well! I’ve teamed with a few partners to bring high-quality city maps (BluBerry Maps) and amazing description text (DScryb) so it’s still coming along.

It should work just fine with those rule sets

[TheFastEddy]

Absolute treasure trove of stuff here - love it! Thanks so much!

[Maldev]

G'Day. Gotta say that this is an amazing find. Thank you very much for JimSocks for all the work you did to make this!
Great work and thanks for sharing. :)

[Trenloe]

G'Day. Gotta say that this is an amazing find. Thank you very much for JimSocks for all the work you did to make this!
Great work and thanks for sharing. :)
I agree, it's a very useful tool. I've used it a lot in the past and I'm about to start a campaign when I'll also be using this frequently.