Characters, Server, and Administration

[ShadeRaven]

I read through some posts related to the local & server side characters, but I am not sure if they answered my questions.

1st) What do DMs/Hosts do to safeguard campaigns, characters, etc? Do you simply do a backup of the campaign folder? Does that cover everything?

2nd) In experimenting with Campaigns, Modules, and the like, we made some characters in various areas. Today, I realized that these characters exist inside each campaign, not as a server-wide entity. Is there a simple way to transfer characters from one campaign to another? Or am I looking at trying to edit the db.xml files?

3rd) I saw some allusions to server characters being saved local so players can review their character (but not change them for use on the server). Does this happen automatic or does the player need to use some function/command to get a copy of their server version of their character?

As always, thanks for the input!
SR

PS: Other than back to creation mode, anyone have suggestions as a good source for at least generic player tokens & associated portraits?

[Griogre]

1) Backing up the campaign folder covers characters in that campaign and whatever else is in it. Pretty much everything but tokens in host and shared plus rulesets. Depending on how you opperate with modules you also want to back up your modules folder if you use the "sandbox" method of module building where you build all you modules out of one campaign.

2) You may cut and paste the XML of the character(s) from one campaign to another assuming they use the same (or a compatible) ruleset. Not having to transfer characters is one reason many people have a central campaign with only the characters in them and importing modules as needed.

3) If you are not using the default d20 ruleset you can safely ignore the existance of local characters as they can't be used. There is no way to transfer a server character to a client. In the default d20 you could send the player the XML so he could put it in with his local characters but for no other ruleset right now would that work.

WotC's site is full of pictures from all their books. You can then use TokenTool to punch all the generic tokens you want. Look at their old art archives: https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4arch/ag

[ShadeRaven]

Thanks, Griogre. I figured backing up the App Data folder was probably where to go.

My method of campaigning is going to be having a central campaign where base data is stored and then creating library modules for the "adventures", areas, etc.

There is one caveat, though... I am planning on running a couple of campaigns plus probably an "open adventure group." The two campaigns will actually be set in the same world and their influences upon it will be concurrent. It will also make it possible to intermix the groups from time to time. That's not such a big deal, but I also thought about having some extra characters which would be just for "fun" runs, where nothing is planned and we just want to romp through an adventure with characters outside the main story (outside the main world, too).

The trouble began, therefore, when I was leaving my server up all the time so that players could come and go as they pleased (so they could create their characters, get used to the interface, etc.). Unfortunately, this has lead to characters being created in the wrong base module. :D I just wasn't sure if there was an easy way to move them to their appropriate campaigns.

I am using 4E, so yeah, guess all characters are server only.

I'll check out those archives! Thanks a ton!
SR