Action Cards for D&D using Magic Set Editor (MSE)

[pdzoch]

@Li Shenron

As requested, here are a few mock ups of the template you requested for action cards for D&D 5e. These cards are designed to assist in action management during the game. The action types are color coded and indicated in the bottom tab. I've added a very choices to the template, such as font styles at each block and background. The image is also also a template to place whatever image you want for each card.

Let me know if this works or what other feature you would like added.

 

[ccs]

Very cool.
How did you get those frames/graphics/etc?

I ask because I used MSE a few weeks back making an "event" deck for an adventure & all I could manage were frames based upon the existing styles of cards. I also couldn't figure out how to change the color of text. Certain frame types seemed limited to always being either black or white - wich made it a bit hard to read in some cases.
{There IS the possibility that I'm not fully competent with that system....}

 

[pdzoch]

Very cool.
How did you get those frames/graphics/etc?

I ask because I used MSE a few weeks back making an "event" deck for an adventure & all I could manage were frames based upon the existing styles of cards. I also couldn't figure out how to change the color of text. Certain frame types seemed limited to always being either black or white - wich made it a bit hard to read in some cases.
{There IS the possibility that I'm not fully competent with that system....}

I use adobe photoshop to create all the graphic elements. Then I use the scripts for the styles and game files in MSE to create the template using the graphics. I try to make the templates as variable as possible so that they can expand or serve multiple purposes (or different tastes of design). The better templates allow for that. It is much easier to start with a template that comes close to what you want it to look like, then modify it, but that still requires some script writing capability and some photoshop skills.

PM me with what you were working with and what you wanted and I will see what I can do.

 

[Li Shenron]

Thanks a lot [MENTION=80982]pdzoch[/MENTION] for the templates, this was very kind of you!

I have continued prototyping with Strange Eons, and I must say that even tho it doesn't use templates, it's fairly easy to just copy-paste a card and edit it, to generate new cards. The picture can be swapped easily while keeping the same size and position. Overall it's pretty fast (the slowest part by far is actually finding appropriate pictures from the web) so I'm thinking for the time being I'll continue with Strange Eons. I have made about a dozen cards of different types, to check the format as well as the text length and placement, I can post them for everyone to see if you want (I am not sure if I can really share the whole deck once it's finished, because I am just taking images from the web... there are always legal issues when sharing stuff with possibly copyrighted images).

I am still undecided on using a background or keep it white. I also had in mind a "worn page" background because it's just cool, but it will also drain my printer's ink quickly

 

[pdzoch]

Thanks a lot [MENTION=80982]pdzoch[/MENTION] for the templates, this was very kind of you!

I have continued prototyping with Strange Eons, and I must say that even tho it doesn't use templates, it's fairly easy to just copy-paste a card and edit it, to generate new cards. The picture can be swapped easily while keeping the same size and position. Overall it's pretty fast (the slowest part by far is actually finding appropriate pictures from the web) so I'm thinking for the time being I'll continue with Strange Eons. I have made about a dozen cards of different types, to check the format as well as the text length and placement, I can post them for everyone to see if you want (I am not sure if I can really share the whole deck once it's finished, because I am just taking images from the web... there are always legal issues when sharing stuff with possibly copyrighted images).

I am still undecided on using a background or keep it white. I also had in mind a "worn page" background because it's just cool, but it will also drain my printer's ink quickly

No worries. I will keep these up for additional comments, make some adjustments based on other's recommendations and post the final template to the download section. Right now, they are fairly open-ended, so they could be used for any game for any purpose. Their only distinguishable feature being the color coded borders.

I would not post the entire set -- I avoid posting rules and artwork -- these are intellectual properties that should be respected. I do not mind posting a sample of what is capable with a template because everyone's card set will look different in the end. Which is why I like the MSE -- it offers templates (supported by MSE users/fans like myself), that others can use to make their own cards. I'm not sure you can share your Strange Eon creation without sharing the actual cards you made because others will not be able to change them?

The printer ink consumption is a HUGE consideration when designing a card. Especially as the colors on the card generally appear darker than they do on the computer screen. I've made some really neat cards that when printed were absolutely unreadable.

 

[Li Shenron]

So here as promised is a bunch of cards from me as well

I have narrowed down the action types to 6 groups: (standard) actions, bonus actions, reactions, modifiers/not-an-action, mid-term actions (anything longer than a round up to a short rest) and long-term actions (anything longer than a short rest).

Now I have to "test" both a no-background and a with-background version of these, to see how they actually look in hand.