Question about Universal Skill/Ability check macros

I'm trying to use the macros linked here: <a href="https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/5591526/5e-ogl-universal-skill-check-macro-updated-for-v2-dot-0" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/5591526/5e-ogl-universal-skill-check-macro-updated-for-v2-dot-0</a> I can add them as macros and they work temporarily, but something seems to be happening if I open the macro and save it again, or if I re-launch my game, where they stop working properly. Instead of a drop-down menu where I can select "Acrobatics", "Athletics", etc, it contains a text entry field saying "Acrobatics +1 ]]".&nbsp; My guess is that something is being re-encoded or the text is being re-formatted somehow, which breaks it. Here's the macro I'm using: @{selected|wtype}&amp;{template:simple} @{selected|rtype}?{Skill |Acrobatics,+[[(@{selected|acrobatics_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_acrobatics}*@{selected|npc})]][ACRO] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{acrobatics-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|acrobatics_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_acrobatics}*@{selected|npc})]][ACRO] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|acrobatics_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_acrobatics}*@{selected|npc})]][ACRO] ]] |Animal Handling,+[[(@{selected|animal_handling_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_animal_handling}*@{selected|npc})]][ANIM] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{animal-handling-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125;{{mod=[[ (@{selected|animal_handling_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_animal_handling}*@{selected|npc})]][ANIM] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|animal_handling_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_animal_handling}*@{selected|npc})]][ANIM] ]] |Arcana,+[[(@{selected|arcana_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_arcana}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{arcana-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|arcana_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_arcana}*@{selected|npc})]][ARCA] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|arcana_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_arcana}*@{selected|npc})]][ARCA] ]] |Athletics,+[[(@{selected|athletics_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_athletics}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{athletics-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|athletics_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_athletics}*@{selected|npc})]][ATHL] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|athletics_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_athletics}*@{selected|npc})]][ATHL] ]] |Decpetion,+[[(@{selected|deception_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_deception}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{deception-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|deception_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_deception}*@{selected|npc})]][DECE] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|deception_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_deception}*@{selected|npc})]][DECE] ]] |History,+[[(@{selected|history_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_history}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{history-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|history_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_history}*@{selected|npc})]][HIST] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|history_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_history}*@{selected|npc})]][HIST] ]] |Insight,+[[(@{selected|insight_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_insight}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{insight-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|insight_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_insight}*@{selected|npc})]][INSI] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|insight_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_insight}*@{selected|npc})]][INSI] ]] |Intimidation,+[[(@{selected|intimidation_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_intimidation}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{intimidation-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|intimidation_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_intimidation}*@{selected|npc})]][INTI] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|intimidation_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_intimidation}*@{selected|npc})]][INTI] ]] |Investigation,+[[(@{selected|investigation_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_investigation}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{investigation-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|investigation_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_investigation}*@{selected|npc})]][INVE] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|investigation_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_investigation}*@{selected|npc})]][INVE] ]] |Medicine,+[[(@{selected|medicine_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_medicine}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{medicine-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|medicine_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_medicine}*@{selected|npc})]][MEDI] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|medicine_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_medicine}*@{selected|npc})]][MEDI] ]] |Nature,+[[(@{selected|nature_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_nature}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{nature-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|nature_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_nature}*@{selected|npc})]][NATU] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|nature_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_nature}*@{selected|npc})]][NATU] ]] |Perception,+[[(@{selected|perception_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_perception}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{perception-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|perception_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_perception}*@{selected|npc})]][PERC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|perception_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_perception}*@{selected|npc})]][PERC] ]] |Performance,+[[(@{selected|performance_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_performance}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{performance-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|performance_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_performance}*@{selected|npc})]][PERF] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|performance_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_performance}*@{selected|npc})]][PERF] ]] |Persuasion,+[[(@{selected|persuasion_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_persuasion}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{persuasion-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|persuasion_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_persuasion}*@{selected|npc})]][PERS] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|persuasion_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_persuasion}*@{selected|npc})]][PERS] ]] |Religion,+[[(@{selected|religion_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_religion}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{religion-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|religion_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_religion}*@{selected|npc})]][RELI] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|religion_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_religion}*@{selected|npc})]][RELI] ]] |Sleight of Hand,+[[(@{selected|sleight_of_hand_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_sleight_of_hand}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{sleight_of_hand-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|sleight_of_hand_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_sleight_of_hand}*@{selected|npc})]][SLEI] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|sleight_of_hand_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_sleight_of_hand}*@{selected|npc})]][SLEI] ]] |Stealth,+[[(@{selected|stealth_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_stealth}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{stealth-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|stealth_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_stealth}*@{selected|npc})]][STEA] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|stealth_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_stealth}*@{selected|npc})]][STEA] ]] |Survival,+[[(@{selected|survival_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_survival}*@{selected|npc})]][ARC] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{rname=^{survival-u&amp;#125;&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{mod=[[ [[(@{selected|survival_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_survival}*@{selected|npc})]][SURV] ]]&amp;#125;&amp;#125; {{r1=[[@{selected|d20}+[[(@{selected|survival_bonus}@{selected|pbd_safe}*(1-ceil((@{selected|npc})*0.00001)))+(@{selected|npc_survival}*@{selected|npc})]][SURV] ]] }}} @{selected|global_skill_mod} @{selected|charname_output} It seems to work at first, but somehow it breaks later. Any ideas?

Isaac said: My guess is that something is being re-encoded or the text is being re-formatted somehow, which breaks it. You're exactly right. The work-around for this is to save it as an ABILITY in a character sheet.

For clarity, the reason this happens is that function requires some of the characters to be html entities , in order to work properly. Html Entities are special encodings of common characters - a different way of representing a comma, or a }, for instance. The problem is, whenever you open a macro containing html entities, roll20 processes the macro and converts any html entities into the characters they represent. This is not harmful behaviour in most situations, but in this case it breaks the macro.&nbsp; The most basic workaround for this is: to create your macro, and then never ever open it again . If you do this, it will keep working. The more practical workaround is to save the macro in an Ability on a character sheet. Abilities are just like macros, but they don't parse and replace html entities, so it's a safe way to to store macros containing them. One thing lots of people do is create a special character, call it Macros, and store all their abilities on it. If the abilities are to be usable by players, you need to make this character visible to All Players. Instead of calling the macro like #Skills, you'd use something like %{Macros|Skills}. For each of your universal Abilities, you could create Macro to launch it, containing (say) the text %{Macros|Skills}. This would allow you the best of both worlds: You can set them as Token actions that appear on the players tokens, and also use the Ability method to preserve the macro text without it being scrambled. Hope this helps!

Thanks! That helps a ton.&nbsp;