Item Creation in Characters and Places

[Bloodwolf]

I would like to be able to create items in my characters and places instead of having to right click on the left side and do it. I'm one of those DMs that like to not just give all the details of items to my players. For example I will give them a sword but I'm not going to tell them that it is magical unless they detect magic on it and even then I won't tell them the properties of the sword until they get it identified. So for a +1 long sword I have three entries in wherever they found it, person or place.

"He has a long sword."
"His long sword is magical."
"His magical long sword is a +1 long sword."

It would be nice to be able to create this in the "Possessions" section as an item and have those three snippets be linked to the item. This way I can give it to a player and all of the relevant information would follow it. I do the same thing for gems, jewelry, art, and other valuables so that they have to appraise it or have it appraised. That way if they get it wrong I can put that snippet in and mark it as untrue. Also I can create different merchants who will give them different cuts for loot.

Hopefully I explained this good enough. If not I can clarify.

[Vargr]

Maybe you could make the item as a topic (with all the naming features that involves such as: True Name: Sword of Demon Bane, Public name: Sword from the guard at Ilth Tower, Other names: Dull looking sword #2).

Then simply have three snippet under the sword, one for each level of information. Reveal the one that is relevant at the moment.

Then you could simply place the sword under the character in question (contained by). It starts being contained by the guard - then by the party loot and finally by one of the players.

I know it will not be in the topic of the character itself, but maybe this solution is actually more flexible and useful.

Anyways, this method can be utilised until such time when a different solution might appear.

[Bloodwolf]

That's kind of what I was thinking but to actually be able to create them from inside another topic.

Right now, and I could be wrong here, don't you have to create them on their own and then contain them in another topic or create them in another topic by right clicking on the topic and then picking to create a topic contained by the one you right chucked on?

Also it would be nice to be able to duplicate items. Maybe auto add a number on the end?

At the moment I'm reworking Temple of Elemental Evil for 3.5e and some of the treasure is numerous gems. Unless I'm wrong but right now I will have to right click on the parent topic and click on the create contained in this topic button for each one. Or create each one and then go in and contain them in another topic. This is extremely time consuming when one room has 28 spinels and another has 60 gems, equal numbers of amethyst, garnets, and tourmaline. Just to name two rooms of over 200. Being able to duplicate items would be nice. But just being able to one click inside of another topic to create items would be great.

[Vargr]

You can use CTRL+Q to quick create a topic.

If you then set it to be contained by - say - room 104, I believe it would suggest room 104 as container next time you use CTRL+Q.

This should ease the process somewhat.

If you go to the wrench in the upper right corner of the topic and click that, there should be a "Duplicate topic" in the drop down.

I myself would never consider entering all the loot when it reaches those insane amounts, but each to his own :-)

[Bloodwolf]

Cool. Those are short cut I didn't know about and will help. Thanks.

[Vargr]

What I primarily use CTRL+Q for is when I am writing a plot or filling out a topic and suddenly invent a town or a person. I then do the CTRL+Q, fill out the bare essentials and save. Then I move on with what I am doing.
When saving the topic the link to the new town or person will be automatically created.
Very useful!

You can also highlight a text (the name of before-mentioned town or person) and use CTRL+Q - then it will automatically use that name.

[Bloodwolf]

Ok. I'll have to play with it and see what I can figure out. I do appreciate the tips though.

[kbs666]

I'm working on something like this for monsters.

I want all the different pieces of information that players can learn about a monster either through knowledge checks or through actual interactions to be in separate snippets. That way I can reveal them as needed.

It shouldn't be too hard to do the same thing for items. Id do as suggested up thread and have the items actual name be its true name. Then I'd have the article or topic name be a descriptive name for before it has been much more than glanced at. If it is a particularly important item it could have several aliases for when it has only been partially identified.

For doing it quickly, like everything else, ctrl+Q is key.

[Bloodwolf]

Originally Posted by kbs666

I'm working on something like this for monsters.

I want all the different pieces of information that players can learn about a monster either through knowledge checks or through actual interactions to be in separate snippets. That way I can reveal them as needed.

I'm doing this already. I put in a DM note that says what the gather information DC is and the below it I have the individual snippets for the result. The main drawback that I currently have is that I have to copy it in every character. It would be kind of nice to have that type of information in one place and be able to link to it.

[kbs666]

Originally Posted by Bloodwolf

I'm doing this already. I put in a DM note that says what the gather information DC is and the below it I have the individual snippets for the result. The main drawback that I currently have is that I have to copy it in every character. It would be kind of nice to have that type of information in one place and be able to link to it.

Why put it in every character? Just reveal the snippets in the monsters entry.