Chat menu without character sheet?

Is there some non-cumbersome way of making a chat menu macro with no character sheet whatsoever? I have figured out 3 different and bad ways of getting something to work. [test](`words [[2d6]]) will output a roll and "words" but the roll is a long-form text roll, not an inline roll. It's also only clickable text, not a button. [test](!button) will never output anything, but at least it's a button (labeled button) [test](!#macro) works: the macro is executed normally. But that # needs an HTML replacement and requires a separate macro that is quite obnoxious. I don't want to have to maintain a html-replaced version of the menu and then also every single macro in addition.  Any better way to do this? is there some shenanigan to get a roll working inside the macro buttons directly? or a way to avoid HTML replacement in the menu?

Use a macro mule sheet (doesn't require an actual character sheet template). This has several benefits: You can use the ability command syntax in your chat menu Multiple macro mule characters can be used to organize your menus and macros and easily control who has access to them. It's easily portable to new games via the character vault

I can't use a macro character sheet because that's a character sheet. I'm trying to get this working with NO character sheet at all - not just without a game system character sheet. So unless there's some way of using abilities without a sheet that's not going to help.

Why can't you use a character sheet? It doesn't have to be a game system sheet - just set it to custom sheet, and ignore it. You aren't using it for attributes. With Scott's suggestion, you don't user the character sheet as a character sheet - just as a place to store macros. The players don't even have to know it exists - if you leave its visibility at the default, and set it to can be edited by all, they'll never see it in their journal but can use the macros off it (if you make buttons available to launch them) A macro mule has another advantage: you can have separate macro characters for different kinds of macros. It's a great way to keep organised. If you dont want to use a macro mule, you will have to use macros, and get used to using the html entity.

Backtracking, what is restricting you from using a character journal (what you get when you create a character in a game that has no assigned sheet, but still has attributes and abilities)?