DM Encounter Helper - WIP Application

[insideru]

Last updated: 1 July 2009, v0.5.0

After years of keeping track of what happens in an encounter on paper and getting tired of it, i decided to make a small app to help me while i dm. I want to share it with you too, to try, test, and mainly feedback. The app is done in vb.net express and you need .net framework 3.5 installed for it to run. Started this a short while ago but already had good improvements on the way.

How to use it? Just fill in the boxes and it calculates everything for you, except the damage box where you need to type the number and hit enter.

I'll paste the changelog so you preview the feats

v0.5
ADDED: You can now track conditions for the npcs. Right click the new khaki box near the Add NPC button. Every condition has a tooltip so don't hesitate to mouse over to get the PHB explanation of that condition. For the ongoing damage, type in the ongoing amount to add it, or 0 (zero) to remove the condition.
ADDED: Defenses for both the PCs and the NPCs have been added. This should allow for a much faster gameplay and less book/pdf browsing. For the PCs you can also store their Passive Perception and Passive Insight values. Feel free to save a file with the PCs' numbers as a template.
ADDED: Autosave option. Just tick it on the context menu and your encounter will be automatically saved every 5 minutes.
ADDED: A checkbox to mark players as bloodied. You can find it to the right of pcs' initiative box.
CHANGED: The layout has seen a few minor modifications, to accommodate for the new additions. The PC's name and initiative box have moved to the left, but they are still in the same order.
CHANGED: Open and Reset/New subroutines have been improved for faster execution speed.
CHANGED: The initiative list now has a break line between alive npcs/pcs and dead npcs.
CHANGED/BUGFIXES: Lots of other stuff has been revised. Hard to remember and too much to list here. You don't care bout those tiny details anyway

v0.4.1
ADDED: A context menu has been added to the combat log to allow you to clear it anytime you wish.
CHANGED/BUGFIX: Hitting Reset/New will now also preserve your latest settings and will also clear the log.
BUGFIX: Fixed the application crash if a file was loaded and the combat log was empty.
BUGFIX: Fixed the combat log that was losing the last entry when loading from a saved encounter.

v0.4
ADDED: A context menu has been added. Access it by rightclicking on the main window.
ADDED: An option to set the program on top of other windows (especially your pdf viewer).
ADDED: A simple combat log has been implemented. You can call it from the context menu: Log->Show. It can also be docked to the main window by choosing Log->Dock from the same menu.
ADDED: You can now Save/Load your encounters. Both options are on the context menu. The saved file not only saves the encounter but also different settings like whether or not the log is shows or docked or if the program was set to always show on top of other windows. The default path to save/load files from is the location where the program executable currently resides.
ADDED: A status bar. Your last log entry will be displayed to the left. Double click on it to show/hide the combat log. To the right you'll find information related to file save/load activities.
ADDED: An option to minimize the application. Look for in the context menu.
CHANGED: The whole initiative calculation function was changed entirely. There should be no more problems with the initiative list even if the PCs/NPCs tokens/no, name or initiative values are the same.
CHANGED: Because the initiative calculation has been redesigned, the small blue square that clones NPCs now copies the Token/no, current HP and XP value in addition to the old name and max hp values.
BUGFIX: The program will no longer crash if you type non-numerical values in the initiative textboxes, but will warn you instead.
BUGFIX: Fixed some bugs that happened in awkward situations. You've probably never bumped into them.

v0.3
* added an option to the reset/new button. If you check it it will not reset the number and names of the pcs you have entered
* added a blue square after each npc. you can drag'n'drop from one to another to copy the npc's name and max hp to that location

v0.2.1
* fixed a nasty bug that caused the program to crash when typing anything in the second npc's token/name/initiative box
* fixed a bug that caused the program to crash when trying to calculate the initiative when the maximum number of pcs and npcs had been added

v0.2
* added a "Reset/New" button to easily jump from encounter to encounter
* added black as a background color to the Current HP tab when the monster reaches 0 or less hp
* added <dead> before the name of the monster and throwing him to the bottom of the initiative list when the monster reaches 0 or less hp
* added cell protection, the app should no longer accept letters where only numbers should go, thus leading to crashes
* added the monster's name next to the token in the initiative list
* added initiative list refresh when modifying any of the token, name or initiative score of both pcs/npcs
* fixed a bug with the xp calculation when screwing around with add/remove npcs
* a few optimizations here and there

v0.1 (first release)
* keeps track of initiative, monster hp (you can heal the monster by doing negative damage)
* warns if the monster is bloodied
* initiative order based on input data
* calculates xp for your encounter based on the monsters and number of players

and a screenshot



Hope you enjoy it and find it useful,
Ins

[insideru]

I haven't had the time for dnd and dmeh recently, but during an ugly stormy day i've come up with v0.4 of the program. I hope you enjoy it's new features/fixes, feel free to feedback/request.

[Kwalish Kid]

Looks interesting. I may have an opportunity to test it this weekend. I usually take care of all of this stuff on cards, but this may be helpful.

[insideru]

0.4.1 ready to download. 0.5 in the works. sneak preview keywords: conditions :P

[Nytmare]

Wow, that's an odd coincidence.



Do you have a way to reorder people in the initiative line up?


The Initiator

[Neubert]

Your link was broken for me. This should work: The Initiator

[insideru]

Originally Posted by Nytmare

Do you have a way to reorder people in the initiative line up?

hmmm why would you need that? in 4th ed even if you delay your turn next round your initiative comes back to normal. if you do need it for something else pls explain so i see a good way to implement it.

Originally Posted by Nytmare

Wow, that's an odd coincidence.
The Initiator.

1. I had no idea that or any other encounter helper existed.
2. I hate Excel.

[Nytmare]

Originally Posted by insideru

in 4th ed even if you delay your turn next round your initiative comes back to normal. if you do need it for something else pls explain so i see a good way to implement it.

Both 'delay' and 'ready' change your place in the initiative order from where it originally was.

Originally Posted by PHB pg 267

The initiative order remains the same from round to round, although a combatant’s position in the order can change after delaying or readying an action.

Originally Posted by PHB pg 288 - Delay

After any other combatant has completed a turn, you can step back into the initiative order. Perform your actions as desired and adjust your initiative to your new position in the order.

Originally Posted by PHB pg 291 - Ready an Action

After you resolve your readied action, move your place in the initiative order to directly before the creature or the event that triggered your readied action.

[insideru]

But what you are saying is very easy to accomplish. Just modify the initiative value in that pc/npcs initiative textbox.

[Gallagor]

Interesting! I had posted something very similar to "The Initiator" like a month a go. Didn't get much attention though :P I found it useful.

[Oompa]

Originally Posted by insideru

Last updated: 27 June 2009, v0.4.1

After years of keeping track of what happens in an encounter on paper and getting tired of it, i decided to make a small app to help me while i dm. I want to share it with you too, to try, test, and mainly feedback. The app is done in vb.net express and you need .net framework 3.5 installed for it to run. Started this a short while ago but already had good improvements on the way.

How to use it? Just fill in the boxes and it calculates everything for you, except the damage box where you need to type the number and hit enter.

I'll paste the changelog so you preview the feats


v0.4.1
ADDED: A context menu has been added to the combat log to allow you to clear it anytime you wish.
CHANGED/BUGFIX: Hitting Reset/New will now also preserve your latest settings and will also clear the log.
BUGFIX: Fixed the application crash if a file was loaded and the combat log was empty.
BUGFIX: Fixed the combat log that was losing the last entry when loading from a saved encounter.

v0.4
ADDED: A context menu has been added. Access it by rightclicking on the main window.
ADDED: An option to set the program on top of other windows (especially your pdf viewer).
ADDED: A simple combat log has been implemented. You can call it from the context menu: Log->Show. It can also be docked to the main window by choosing Log->Dock from the same menu.
ADDED: You can now Save/Load your encounters. Both options are on the context menu. The saved file not only saves the encounter but also different settings like whether or not the log is shows or docked or if the program was set to always show on top of other windows. The default path to save/load files from is the location where the program executable currently resides.
ADDED: A status bar. Your last log entry will be displayed to the left. Double click on it to show/hide the combat log. To the right you'll find information related to file save/load activities.
ADDED: An option to minimize the application. Look for in the context menu.
CHANGED: The whole initiative calculation function was changed entirely. There should be no more problems with the initiative list even if the PCs/NPCs tokens/no, name or initiative values are the same.
CHANGED: Because the initiative calculation has been redesigned, the small blue square that clones NPCs now copies the Token/no, current HP and XP value in addition to the old name and max hp values.
BUGFIX: The program will no longer crash if you type non-numerical values in the initiative textboxes, but will warn you instead.
BUGFIX: Fixed some bugs that happened in awkward situations. You've probably never bumped into them.

v0.3
* added an option to the reset/new button. If you check it it will not reset the number and names of the pcs you have entered
* added a blue square after each npc. you can drag'n'drop from one to another to copy the npc's name and max hp to that location

v0.2.1
* fixed a nasty bug that caused the program to crash when typing anything in the second npc's token/name/initiative box
* fixed a bug that caused the program to crash when trying to calculate the initiative when the maximum number of pcs and npcs had been added

v0.2
* added a "Reset/New" button to easily jump from encounter to encounter
* added black as a background color to the Current HP tab when the monster reaches 0 or less hp
* added <dead> before the name of the monster and throwing him to the bottom of the initiative list when the monster reaches 0 or less hp
* added cell protection, the app should no longer accept letters where only numbers should go, thus leading to crashes
* added the monster's name next to the token in the initiative list
* added initiative list refresh when modifying any of the token, name or initiative score of both pcs/npcs
* fixed a bug with the xp calculation when screwing around with add/remove npcs
* a few optimizations here and there

v0.1 (first release)
* keeps track of initiative, monster hp (you can heal the monster by doing negative damage)
* warns if the monster is bloodied
* initiative order based on input data
* calculates xp for your encounter based on the monsters and number of players

and a screenshot



Hope you enjoy it and find it useful,
Ins

Very nicely done

I am so going to use it for my games

What i would like to see:

- Max HP/Damage and the likes also for players
- Conditions (but not calculative, just a dropdown menu to select a condition)
- An option to group NPC's so they appear one at a time at the NPC list but as one group in the initiative bar..

Im amazed

[insideru]

v0.5 is out get it while it's hot. I have to apologize but the size of this update was so huge, i just couldn't test it all, so bugs may lurk. In the meanwhile, use the new autosave feature and feel free to post any bugs/requests/feedback here.

[fuzzlewump]

When two combatant's initiatives are the same, how do you place one or the other as the one acting first? I suggest allowing decimals for a quick fix, so a 17.1 is more than a 17.

[Oompa]

The conditions are a reall nice add on..

I still wish to see the HP/Damage added to the pc's

[insideru]

It's really easy to add but damn it's hard to use it correctly. The fighter in my group uses like a sheet of paper each 1-2 encounter to keep track of her batterager vigor. Conditions for the pcs might be a better deal, will think if hp/dmg for the pcs if worthwile adding. Maybe in a release i run out of ideas?

[Oompa]

Its a dm encounter helper, now i have to run your program and a piece of sheet next to each other..

If i can damage and heal pc's on your program it's more handy and also indeed conditions for players

[Asturia]

Did someone already try this program?
http://www.exnebula.org/en/vcc

[insideru]

I did now, it looks too complicated for my own taste, i want to be able to focus on the game not filling what appears to be an encounter simulator. DMEH is a virtually scratchpad and it will continue to develop on this direction. Feel free to use which ever fits you most, be it an application or encounter cards of just the plain old piece of paper

[Oompa]

VCC looks good but it's a turn down cause if i want to create a party i need XML skills, which i don't have.. DMEH is in that fact better

[Asturia]

Originally Posted by Oompa

VCC looks good but it's a turn down cause if i want to create a party i need XML skills, which i don't have.. DMEH is in that fact better

You don't need XML skills.
It has a build in encounter/party Editor.
Click on the view menu, there you will find the option to launch the editor.