Story management

[El Condoro]

I'll keep searching for this as I'm sure it has been covered many times before, but in the meantime...

How do campaign designers track their stories in an easy and efficient way? I guess what I'm asking is whether there is an extension or something that can be used to track complex stories?

FG has the story entries in a list - the order of the list can be managed by changing the entry names but when a story becomes complex keeping track of it becomes difficult. NPC information, background information, things learned from encounters, among other things, as well as the options the PCs take all lead stories in a myriad of directions.

I have recently looked at Master Plan and it has a visual image of the story with points being linked together in a kind of mind map way. For example, the campaign introduction leads to an encounter with 3 options for outcome, which link back to other points etc etc all in a visual display. Is there anything like this for FG?

[Trenloe]

I'm not sure what Master Plan is... But FG allows you to create additional categories (tabs along the bottom of the story window). You can right click on these to change the colour and the icon (cycle through the available options). More info on categories here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/.../Campaign_Data

Then you can categorise story entries together in different tabs, and you can have links within your story entries to link to other story entries (essentially making a table of content or index), and maps, NPCs, encounters, items, etc...

[El Condoro]

They're all good features and I use them. If you're interested: Master Plan is here https://www.habitualindolence.net/masterplan/. The story UI is what I like.

[dulux-oz]

As I tend to run multi-year campaigns, I've run into this "issue" myself. What I tend to do is divide the Campaign into Acts; each Act can be thought of as a book or a movie in a series of books/movies. Each Act tends to go into its own Module so that I keep my clutter down. I give the individual entries (Story, NPCs, Locations (my own Extension), etc) in each individual Act/Module the same Icon Tab and Icon Image (the coloured ribbons at the bottom of most Entry Windows).

Each Act contains a number of Chapters. Each Chapter is an Adventure (a series of Encounters, NPCs, Maps/Images, etc)), a series of encounters to link each Adventure together (a "Transition" or "Travelling Adventure"), or an Introductory piece for the Act.

The Introductory piece is a bunch of linked Story Entries explaining the general outline of the Act, what is expected to happen, and any other "high-level" stuff relevant to the Act as a whole.

Individual Chapters consist of an "Table of Contents" Story Entry and "Encounter" Story Entries which links to each actual Encounter, Map/Image, NPC, etc, etc, etc. Of course, I have a Table of Contents Page for my Act at well.

NPCs, etc, that reoccur throughout the Act go in an Act-Level NPC list; NPCs that occur only within an Adventure go in the Chapter-Level NPC List, and so on.

For those that have or know the old AD&D 1st Ed "Mega-Module" - "Against the Slavers": this, for me, forms an Act, and each Chapter of this printed module is an Adventure. Remember that this module was originally four separate printed adventures: A1-A4. As a Mega-Module it also contains extra "linking" chapters, etc, as well as the original four modules (each now a chapter - or two - in its own right).

I also have a small "Introductory Act" which contains Story Entries, etc, which do for the Campaign as a whole what each Act Introduction does for each Act ie tie everything together.

OK, so how do I keep things straight?

Well, I use an Outline Numbering System: each Act (including the "Introduction Act") get a number (or a letter, but I find numbers better), then each Chapter gets a number within the Campaign as a whole, then the individual Encounters, Maps, Treasure Parcels, etc, get a Letter and Number code: E for Encounter, M for Map, I for Image, H for Player Handout, T for treasure Parcel, etc. all numbered within each Chapter, etc. This way I have a number hierarchy that mirrors my Campaign/Act/Chapter/Encounter hierarchy. For example: 2.4.E3 = Act 2, Chapter 4, Encounter 3. 4.5.M6 = Act 4, Chapter 5, Map 6.

But no, there is nothing like Master Plan in FG (that I know of).

I hope that helps to answer your question.

Cheers

[Trenloe]

You could do something like this (Master Plan) - but you'd need to import the actual visual display as an image and then you could use the pin shortcuts to link from the image into FG story entries. So, you'd be building the structure outside of FG, but you could then move that structure into FG as an image and flesh out the data in story entries linked to the image.

[El Condoro]

Yes it does, thanks. It will be a case of working with what's in FG and then working out how to make up for things it isn't designed to do. Just like most things, it's finding a system that works best for the individual (me in this case!). It might be that stories are best handled separately - even in a Word document - with things like encounters, traps, and prepared speeches in FG ready to go. Things it does brilliantly.

[El Condoro]

You could do something like this (Master Plan) - but you'd need to import the actual visual display as an image and then you could use the pin shortcuts to link from the image into FG story entries. So, you'd be building the structure outside of FG, but you could then move that structure into FG as an image and flesh out the data in story entries linked to the image.

That's a good idea. The image might need to be exported from MP a number of times if the story changes but using the same file name and location would fix any issues from the FG side.

[Torgaard]

Interestingly enough, I too was pokin' around the web recently, looking for DM tool type of software. I've recently returned to the table after a bit of a hiatus, and was looking for ideas on how I could get a handle on my every growing and increasingly complex campaign. Poked around with Mastertool a bit, and liked it well enough. I might keep using it. It's got potential. It might help me keep things a little more organized and... cohesive? Is that the word I'm looking for? I dunno, sometimes it just seems like I've got a dozen little plot lines, subplots, hooks, potential hooks, unanswered questions, NPC motivations, things that have happened in the story, it just goes on and on.

Anyway, enough of my problems. To put a finer point on a tip made earlier in the thread is that I really work the tabs over in Fantasy Grounds. I'll make tabs in the "Story" section, tabs in "NPC's", even tabs in "Items". It really helps me keep (slightly) organized. Here's how it typically lays out on my end:

STORY (tabs)

• Default - Here's where I keep things relevant to the current session, maybe stuff from the last session as well (in case I need to refer back). I make one entry called "Session Notes" that I'll have notes in for the current section, with linked lists to Encounters, Skill Challenges, what-have-you for that session. The Encounters, Skill Challenges, etc. for this part of the campaign will also be in here. I typically format them to group them together too. Like "ENCOUNTER - The Troll Caves" and "ENCOUNTER - Roadside Ambush", "SKILL CHALLENGE - Navigating the Underdark" and "SKILL CHALLENGE - Fleeing through the Woods".
• Archive (hourglass icon?) - After a couple sessions, old "Session Notes", "ENCOUNTERS", "SKILL CHALLENGES", and whatnot get dragged and dropped into this tab.
• Geography (globe icon) - I create entries for regions, towns, stuff like that and put them in here. Dulux's sweet Locations extension is starting to supplant this though.
• Lore - I use the same grouping method as above for a few key things I like to write notes for. "MONSTER LORE" is one (ie "MONSTER LORE - Orcs" and "MONSTER LORE - Illithids", etc). Another is "GODS". And then there's just a bunch of "LORE" entries for all manner of things.
• Organizations (flag icon) - Not surprisingly, this will be where I create Story entries for all the organizations in my campaign. Organizaitons, factions, governments, guilds, companies, you-name-it.

NPC's (tabs)

• Default - Mostly just monsters n' whatnot
• NPC's - Bit redundant, but this tab is for what I consider true NPC's: people (good or bad) that the party will interact with. Basically anybody that's isn't a "monster".
• Graveyard (gray color) - NPC's that die go here.

ITEM's (tabs)

• Default - A mishmash of various magic items I've created
• Weapons (sword icon) - I can get a little OCD, I admit it. I've got a big list of magical and non-magical items where I've got descriptions I've filched from various places for alot of the weapons in the game. Here's where I keep 'em.
• Armor (shield icon) - Same as the weapons.
• Misc - I like to do the same thing with all those endless lists of items and equipment we've seen in various editions of the game over the years. While alot of it isn't in 4E, I just like throwing this kinda stuff into the game.

Anyway, possibly more than you ever wanted to know, but it might give you some ideas that could help.

[dulux-oz]

• Geography (globe icon) - I create entries for regions, towns, stuff like that and put them in here. Dulux's sweet Locations extension is starting to supplant this though.

You can still use the Tabs with my Locations Extension, if you want - it has that functionality as well.

(You can also show your appreciation (apart from saying nice things about me on these forums and on the Steam Community Hub ) by awarding me with Reputation - just click on the 6-pointed star icon next to the "Blog this post" at the bottom-left of a post - obviously, do it on the post you are "impressed" with.)

Oh, and BTW, I'm glad you like it.

Cheers

[El Condoro]

Came across Realmworks if anyone is interested: https://www.wolflair.com/realmworks