[Earthdawn] Matrix and Grimoire building

I'm brainstorming options for managing spells for Earthdawn. In Earthdawn, casters are encouraged to place spells they know into Matrixes to cast (more) safely.  Their Grimoire contains all the spells that they have learned. Here's what I'm currently thinking: Repeating field 1- Matrixes: Generate different kinds of Matrixes, at different ranks.  This will have a pulldown menu to choose from the spells in their Grimoire (spellbook). (Note: At higher levels, a Shared Matrix can hold multiple spells) Repeating field 2 - Grimoire: Allow players to make their own entries for the spells they know, likely sorted into different Circles and/or Disciplines. I'm open to other ideas that would work well in Roll20.  I'm still very new to HTML coding, so I don't know all the options, or which would be best.

I suggest sending Chris D. a private message; I understand that he's been working on an Earthdawn sheet.

Yes, if you want a copy of my sheet, I will be happy to give you access to it. I hope to have something to release to the public before too much longer. What you describe is exactly what I did, except that rather than a drop down menu in the Matrix list that lists all the spells, on the spell tab each spell has a button "Load Matrix", and when pressed it asks which matrix to load into.  For shared matrix's, you can just treat them as separate matrix's, but the user has to remember to manually check that the spell levels in the various submatrexes do not exceed the total matrix size. IE: If you have a size 12 shared matrix, you could list it as 4 submatrex's. Matrix 5-1, Matrix 5-2, Matrix 5-3 and Matrix 5-4. Each submatrix is treated by the character sheet as it's own separate matrix. Just make sure that the circles of the spells in those 4 submatrx's do not exceed 12. 

I'd like to take a look at it.  Thanks for the offer. I'm using this project as a method to teach myself HTML, as well as make the game easier to play for my players, most of whom are new to ED.  So I was delaying asking you for your sheet, since I wouldn't learn much that way.  :)

Ah, quite correct, best way to learn is by picking a project and doing it.  Since that is your goal, I will say that the only way that I am aware of to have a drop down list of all the spells, is to hardcode them into the html. And if you have a hardcoded list of spells, why have a repeating section of them.  I am not just using html, I am also using javascript, so a button to load a spell into a matrix causes the js to run, and look in the repeating section, see how many matrixes there are, and present a list of options for which matrix to load it into. 

That certainly makes sense.  It's a lot of work, but it makes sense. It concerns me that this sounds dangerously close to a Compendium level work.  Which borders on not needing to buy the rulebook if folks can get a sheet for free. I know just enough copyright law to be cautious.  ;)

Actually I would love to have a compendium. It would make the sheet so much easier to use. But as you say, having "the system" having all the talents and spells hardcoded into it has copyright issues.  That is why I have repeating sections. I have a space where the user can type in the information. It is fair use for the user to copy stuff from their book to the character sheet. It is not fair use for the me to code it in myself.  Thus the user has to do a whole lot extra typing.