FG2 - Problem with Spell Lists

[lucyanor]

Hi all and congratulations on the work well done.

FG2 is a great improvement to the previous version and me and my teammates are all overjoyed.

However, as is the case with new software (and especially when no documentation is around) there are some things left unclear.

Here is how the problem was found:
I am playing a tiefling duskblade in a d20 dnd 3.5 campaign.
Being a Tiefling I get a Darkness spell once a day and being a duskblade I get a series of spells (via the ability called arcane attunement) per day that do not mix with my characters class spellcasting spells and levels (no preparation).

The way that FG works is that it asks me for spells per day for my class, and thats it. Is there a way for me to input those spells with their limit on uses or do i have to add them to my duskblade class spells per day?

Thank you in advance for the answers I know are coming

[Vexander]

Hi Lucyanor :-)

I've already posted this to our yahoo group but I'm going to repeat it here in case it interests someone or somebody has a better idea.

Your ability as a tiefling to cast darkness is a spell-like racial ability that you use once a day. If you want to keep track of its status (ie cast or not cast) I'd say to put in a zero level "tiefling" string into your class list. That will create a "tiefling" spell list under your spell tab. Make the tiefling list spontaneous, and add a single 2nd level spell slot to which you'll assign darkness from the 2nd level Wizard list. Now you should be able to keep tabs on it like any other spell on your duskblade spell list.

Hopefully future versions of FG will handle racial spell-like ability tracking with more grace. Although I wonder if you could script this functionality in using a custom ruleset that understands tieflings?

[lucyanor]

This workaround might work, however what happens when you have 3 classes anyway?

[richvalle]

Thats going to be a problem. The list doesn't scroll. :(

rv

[Vexander]

This workaround might work, however what happens when you have 3 classes anyway?

Doesn't the class list scroll? I'm under the impression that you can create an arbitrary number of spell lists. Sadly this is just a workaround. I think the trick is to choose where to make a good compromise between an ability that needs to be on your spell list and an ability that everyone already knows when you cast.

[lucyanor]

Thats going to be a problem. The list doesn't scroll. :(

rv


It is a problem... For some reason I had lodged in my mind that this would be addressed in FG2... Scrolling or adding new lines would be a great add on...


HEAR THIS DEVS??? (please????)

[lucyanor]

Doesn't the class list scroll? I'm under the impression that you can create an arbitrary number of spell lists. Sadly this is just a workaround. I think the trick is to choose where to make a good compromise between an ability that needs to be on your spell list and an ability that everyone already knows when you cast.


You might be able to do this for a Tiefling or such as any Planettouched, however there are classes and races that have more spells then one, and you can cast them more then once, and some of these spells are common to your spell list... Thats where the real problem starts (I cast that, from my class power - how many left when we start the next session?)

[Vexander]

Thats going to be a problem. The list doesn't scroll. :(

rv

Ouch! In that case the workaround fails. I wonder if you could add a tiefling race to the D20 ruleset that automatically creates it's own spell list with darkness included (without messing with the class list).

[Vexander]

You might be able to do this for a Tiefling or such as any Planettouched, however there are classes and races that have more spells then one, and you can cast them more then once, and some of these spells are common to your spell list... Thats where the real problem starts (I cast that, from my class power - how many left when we start the next session?)

I really haven't played around with FG2 long enough but I remember reading somewhere that the spell lists per class are isolated? I mean if you prepare a spell that you can also cast as a race, is really no different from being some sort of Wizard/Sorcerer. You get two lists that are independently handled.

[The High Druid]

It becomes an issue when you have, for example, two level one spells that can both be cast three times per day. Would you add it in as one fake class with 6 level 1 spells per day, or two fake classes each with 3 per day to seperate the two spells? If the latter the lack of s scrolling class window is even more of a problem.

[lucyanor]

I think the quick workaround in my case will be adding spells to my Dragon Disciple class (to cater for the arcane attunement spells of the duskblade list plus the Tiefling spell) but I really believe there needs to be something to address both issues (spell list and class list)
If not for any other reason Gnomes get a bunch of spells racially that should be able to be tracked. Also there are feats or other stuff that allows spells per day (magic items?).
Finally the 3 class limit is indeed very limiting, as proven by my 4 level fighter/2 level barbarian / 3rd level templar/ 1st level holy liberator

[Goblin-King]

There is one idea we've been toying with before...

In the special ability list, you have a list of text strings you can enter. The idea would be that you could drop either a number or a die onto the entry, and it would create a control of that type on that line.

So if you have the tiefling ability, you could drop a 1 on the line that says "Darkness 1/day", and a number field would be created. You could then use that to keep track of how many uses you still have available. Or you could do the same with "Sneak attack" and some d6s.

It would probably be nice to create a new minisheet as well, containing the entries with these special fields so you don't have to keep the character sheet open constantly.

[Vexander]

I guess there is no way around complex issues like those unless you keep track of this stuff in some separate way that has nothing to do with your character sheet, such as manually updating a PC note. :confused:

Edit:
Ooops too slow to post again! Thanks for the tip Goblin King! :-)

[lucyanor]

I will be trying the suggested solution as soon as I get back from work. Seems like a good one! Thanks a lot Goblin-King!!!
I will post my feedback on that solution here later tonight or tomorrow morning.

There is one idea we've been toying with before...

In the special ability list, you have a list of text strings you can enter. The idea would be that you could drop either a number or a die onto the entry, and it would create a control of that type on that line.

So if you have the tiefling ability, you could drop a 1 on the line that says "Darkness 1/day", and a number field would be created. You could then use that to keep track of how many uses you still have available. Or you could do the same with "Sneak attack" and some d6s.

It would probably be nice to create a new minisheet as well, containing the entries with these special fields so you don't have to keep the character sheet open constantly.

[Griogre]

Another suggestion would be to use the inventory xml with the mini and mini check and without the location.

As a work around for now if using 0 levels is a problem you could also use the inventory with a Special ability location and check use mini list. That would put them with your potions and wands and you could just put max uses in the number and roll them down to zero.

This would work particually good for the OP arcane atunement because you could list all the atunment spells as one entry.

[lucyanor]

Goblin-King,

I tried the suggested solutions, however they did not seem to work. Dragging a number did nothing, while dragging a die over any abilities row jsut tolls it over it :-).
For the moment I use the workaround of having the spells in the "spell-list" of my Dragon Disciple non spellcasting class.
Please have a look into that since I believe that it could prove to be a limitation in many campaigns.

thanks
Lucyanor

[joshuha]

Note he said they were toying around with the idea. This implies its something they are thinking about and working on internally.

[lucyanor]

Note he said they were toying around with the idea. This implies its something they are thinking about and working on internally.


If thats the case, then its my msitake (I am not a native English speaker so some semantics are lost to me :) )

[lucyanor]

As a token of appritiation, a great thanks to the Developer team for fixing this in 2.04.

THANKS GUYS!