.mod vs .dat module files. /modules vs /vault folders.

[StoryWeaver]

Hi,

It is not unusual that I modify and upgrade modules I have purchased. This has always been easy enough and one of the things I've truly enjoyed about the user experience with FG. Having such open access to all the content I own and being able to improve my own and my players experience.

During this sale I bought the Savage Worlds, Hellfrost Atlas of the North and as it is a great setting that is more or less system agnostic. I wanted to use it in my DnD games as well. But it's ruleset is configured for Savage Worlds only by the looks of it, so it doesn't show up in the modules list while running other gaming systems.
Normally this would have been a 2 minute job to fix, but instead of the .mod files I've become used to, it was downloaded as a password protected .dat file instead.

Similarly I own Mordenkaines Tome of Foes, and wanted to exchange the token art for high resolution images of a large size. But again this particular one is locked away in a password protected .dat file which I can't edit.

Some items on the other hand, such as the Hellfrost Player Guide, which I also purchased during the sale was downloaded as a .mod file, which is great.


So my questions are.

1) Is this part of a FGU new delivery protocol, that we will no longer be able to access the module contents to modify as we please?

2) Why are some downloaded as .dat files into a vault folder while others as .mod files into a modules folder. What is the distinction difference between the two locations?

2) What is the reason for this change?

3) Can I get access to my .dat files to modify to make the changes I mentioned above? Or any future .dat files that I get via purchase?


Thank you.

[LordEntrails]

Most of the "new" (last several years) content is by default stored in the vault in encrypted .dat files. This is a requirements of the IP holders (i.e. I believe it was required as part of the license with Wizards for 5E content).

1) So, no it's not new to FGU.
2) The difference is if it is encrypted or not and I believe is dependent upon the IP holder's decision.
2) As mentioned, I think it originated with the WotC license.
3) I'm pretty sure the answer to this would be no.

[Trenloe]

This has been around for a while - since the D&D 5E official support. It is a way of locking content to be only available within Fantasy Grounds and by someone with legal access to the files (i.e has a license and has purchased the product).

If the data is in a .mod file then it either was created before the encrypted vault was introduced, or it has been created un-encrypted at the request of the product publisher.

To open a module for another ruleset use the Universal Modules extension - see the CoreRPG sub-form extensions sticky for the link.

You can't change encrypted vault .dat files. The best you can do is do some editing within a campaign - which creates a .xml file containing the changes with the module name in the campaign moduledb directory - then copy that file from one campaign to the next.

[StoryWeaver]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the reply, that clears that up.

I suspected something along those lines, but no harm in asking to make sure. If you don't ask you'll never know for sure. And having such a mesh-mash of both .dat and .mod files (some of their names being somewhat cryptic to figure out which module they represent), with a bunch of modules made by myself, and others bought from either Smite Works or DriveThruRpg or DM's Guild etc. I wasn't certain.

I have a folder of common module xml overwrite changes, that I do just that with for each new campaign I run. Copy it right over into the moduledb folder. Quite handy.

I'll look for the universal modules extension. That should at least solve that problem. Such a great setting, and being Nordic myself it is practically my backyard *laughs*.