Is ScriptCards Appropriate? DM With Players That Can't/Won't Use Roll20 Interface

I am running a campaign with old friends who are absolute luddites. Three of them will only play face to face which is fine - I use an extension of my display from my laptop to my TV or an extra monitor when we don't play at my place. One of the players who plays remotely simply can't use the character sheet at all. We gave up on Sunday after my spending about half an hour trying to get him to go to the Attacks section to fire a sling bullet and instead he kept using the dice symbol under  Equipment . Damn, it was really frustrating. And no, none of these guys are dumb. The one with the dice button problem is a world renown major academic in his field. The other remote player whose successful app development made him quite accomplished and comfortable, has damned roll20 as a "terrible interface"; I strongly disagree, but it makes the other players less likely to move past their computer-phobia. So to aid in this, with A LOT of great help from the community here, I've successfully created created a few macros that manipulate the players' characters and allow me to handle changing coin amounts (using mainly tokenmod and modattr from ChatSetAttr as well as just calling for characteristics). These make it easier for me to call bring up all players' characteristics on one chat output so I can, for example, figure who has the highest wisdom for an upcoming encounter, rather than have to comb through each sheet which is awkward as you know what. I've got all these macros set as Token Actions to make it easier for them to access them when they select their or another player's character. God help me if I try to get them to create their own buttons on their macrobar. Note: I think the sheet we are using is very well done, but as I said, my friends are as stunned as me arse (as we say where I live) Now, I want to be able to do two more things. Both of which have to do with repeating sections. I think ScriptCards is the API I need for this:  The first is to allow them to click a macro (to be created) called "Stuff" which will list in a chat output the list of equipment a selected character has. Record number, 0 to x, would not have to be specified, it would just loop through everything and list each item. The second is an attack button for a macro that has a list of weapons from the repeating section for weapons - using a drop-down pick-list similar to a roll query - where they can choose a weapon and launch the correct character sheet macro for whatever weapon they choose.  There is a lot of documentation in ScriptCards, including information on tables - I assume the repeating sections. Before i delve into ScriptCards, can someone tell me if the above two goals are achievable using ScriptCards or another choice? Really not interested in "the players are the problem" type responses - I AGREE LOL Thanks, -- TIm

I have a player in one of my games that cannot use much of the Roll20 interface due to her tablet. But she can press macro buttons on the bottom macro bar or on the token action bar. So I've set things up so she can pretty well control her character that way.  Unless you are using a Beacon sheet (such as the D&D 5e 2024 sheet) you can use ChatSetAttr, TokenMod, or other scripts to make changes to the sheet or token.  Personally I use ChatSetAttr and TokenMod for most things. Easier to work with than Scriptcards, although Scriptcards is more powerful.

Gauss said: I have a player in one of my games that cannot use much of the Roll20 interface due to her tablet. But she can press macro buttons on the bottom macro bar or on the token action bar. So I've set things up so she can pretty well control her character that way.  These guys all have PCs. Except for the app guy who trashed roll20; he's a mac person. LOL Thanks, I use the those two scripts as well. My stumbling block is trying to get them (or me) to be able to select from a list of weapons and fire the dice roll associated with it on the character sheet - much like dragging the dice into the macro bar except for use as a token action and to be able to list all their equipment. ChatSettAttrib wojld probably let me add an item to the list of equipment, but I'd want to list all the equipment.

The point is, the inability to control the character won't make a difference if things are set up via a macro setup. Due to the setup I use I now have players that would revolt if they had to actually use their sheets. They prefer the non-sheet method of things. 

Gauss said: The point is, the inability to control the character won't make a difference if things are set up via a macro setup. Due to the setup I use I now have players that would revolt if they had to actually use their sheets. They prefer the non-sheet method of things.  Not sure what you meant by the first sentence, but your second is what I'm aiming for (I edited my first reply to you). -- Tim

If you’re playing D&D 5th Edition and using the D&D 5E by Roll20 2014 sheet, then you can always use my Statblock Macromule . Since you have a Pro subscription it’s super easy to install with the script and run for your players so they can make all of their rolls and check their inventory from the chat window instead of opening their character sheets.  Scriptcards will definitely be able to do what you’re looking for, but I haven’t personally used it so I can’t give any advice there. 

Jarren has an excellent setup for controlling sheets via the Chat Menu. If that is still too complex for your players let me know, I have a simplified setup. 

You can try using GiGs universalChatMenu mod . For example using the AD&D1e sheet, here are two macros (Weapons and Equipment) !chatmenu @{selected|character_id} {template:general} {{color=@{selected|color_option}}} {{name=@{selected|character_name}}} {{subtag=Chat Menu}} {{freetext=CHATMENU}} --title:Weapons --repeating_weapon|weapon_name|weapon_attack_roll !chatmenu @{selected|character_id} {template:general} {{color=@{selected|color_option}}} {{name=@{selected|character_name}}} {{subtag=Chat Menu}} {{freetext=CHATMENU}} --title:Equipment --repeating_equipment|equipment_item|equipment_roll These macros can be further modified (see the mod's thread for details)

Tim M said: Gauss said: The point is, the inability to control the character won't make a difference if things are set up via a macro setup. Not sure what you meant by the first sentence, but your second is what I'm aiming for (I edited my first reply to you). -- Tim Basically, Macro buttons and chat menus focus the player onto what they want.  If they want an attack they click on the attack macro button, then the chat menu provides a list of attacks.  Click the attack they want.  If they want a spell, they click the spell button then the chat menu provides a list of prepared spells.  Click the spell or spell description they want.  Powers and Consumable items (equipment) are the same way.  There are multiple setups for this, Jarren's, GiG's, Timothy's Spellbook , and I have one I developed for my own personal use and have not published widely.  Mine is more scaled down than theirs, but serves me the way I want it to. I suggest giving one of theirs a try first. 

Jarren said: If you’re playing D&D 5th Edition and using the D&D 5E by Roll20 2014 sheet, then you can always use my Statblock Macromule . Since you have a Pro subscription it’s super easy to install with the script and run for your players so they can make all of their rolls and check their inventory from the chat window instead of opening their character sheets.  Scriptcards will definitely be able to do what you’re looking for, but I haven’t personally used it so I can’t give any advice there.  Sounds wonderful, Jarren, thanks, but I'm doing 1e.  -- Tim

Gauss said: Tim M said: Gauss said: The point is, the inability to control the character won't make a difference if things are set up via a macro setup. Not sure what you meant by the first sentence, but your second is what I'm aiming for (I edited my first reply to you). -- Tim Basically, Macro buttons and chat menus focus the player onto what they want.  If they want an attack they click on the attack macro button, then the chat menu provides a list of attacks.  Click the attack they want.  If they want a spell, they click the spell button then the chat menu provides a list of prepared spells.  Click the spell or spell description they want.  Powers and Consumable items (equipment) are the same way.  There are multiple setups for this, Jarren's, GiG's, Timothy's Spellbook , and I have one I developed for my own personal use and have not published widely.  Mine is more scaled down than theirs, but serves me the way I want it to. I suggest giving one of theirs a try first.  Got you, thanks. -- Tim

vÍnce said: You can try using GiGs universalChatMenu mod . For example using the AD&D1e sheet, here are two macros (Weapons and Equipment) !chatmenu @{selected|character_id} {template:general} {{color=@{selected|color_option}}} {{name=@{selected|character_name}}} {{subtag=Chat Menu}} {{freetext=CHATMENU}} --title:Weapons --repeating_weapon|weapon_name|weapon_attack_roll !chatmenu @{selected|character_id} {template:general} {{color=@{selected|color_option}}} {{name=@{selected|character_name}}} {{subtag=Chat Menu}} {{freetext=CHATMENU}} --title:Equipment --repeating_equipment|equipment_item|equipment_roll These macros can be further modified (see the mod's thread for details) Thank you Vince, this is exactly what I'm looking for. I'm sorry for being dumb as ditch dirt, but my ability to follow the code in Gig's Universal chat menu is severely degraded. So I just copied his script into a new script: I then copied the first of your macros into a new macro, named "Attack".  Other than errors when I ran the macro without selecting a character, the result was nothing: Is there anything obvious I am missing that jumps out at you from the two screen shots? I've changed the name of Vince's script in the Mods screen (1st screen shot) a few times, to include the default .js extension and not, but from what I recall, that does not really matter.| -- Tim

That "should" work Tim. Make sure you copied and pasted all the universal chatmenu code (raw text) and save.  The name shouldn't matter, but I normally include the .js extension on custom scripts.

vÍnce said: That "should" work Tim. Make sure you copied and pasted all the universal chatmenu code (raw text) and save.  The name shouldn't matter, but I normally include the .js extension on custom scripts. I think I did that. Logging in some places under the routine for: if ('api' === msg_orig.type && msg_orig.content.toLowerCase().startsWith('!chatmenu ')) shows this if statement is fired twice, once with a number of logs between start and end, the second just goes straight to the end of the If. Probably best for me to take this to another thread. :) -- Tim

If you do decide to delve into ScriptCards, check out the Discord server. There are lots of helpful people there. For the 5E 2014 sheet, there is also a drop-in macro that essentially replaces all of your character sheet interaction with chat-window buttons called the 5E Character Action Menu that works for players and DMs alike (it knows how to handle both PCs and NPCs).

Kurt J. said: If you do decide to delve into ScriptCards, check out the Discord server. There are lots of helpful people there. For the 5E 2014 sheet, there is also a drop-in macro that essentially replaces all of your character sheet interaction with chat-window buttons called the 5E Character Action Menu that works for players and DMs alike (it knows how to handle both PCs and NPCs). Thank you Kurt, I run AD&D 1e, Does the Discord server use messages or is it all talking? I'm looking for ScriptCards on discord, but nothing shows. Do you mean the Roll20 community? Any idea which of the very many channels there would be best? I accidentally clicked on stage and couldn't shut up the music, LOL. Under community help, I could only find one topic with ScriptCards? -- Tim