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Thread: Foundry VTT Raving (or Criticism)

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    Default Re: Foundry VTT Raving (or Criticism)

    Going to hijack my own thread as a place to take notes about Module options for Foundry. This is all going to be IMHO; YMMV. Heck, my mileage may vary, so I may edit this post a lot in the near future. Also, there's a LOT of Modules to choose from these days, so I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up. But hopefully this will be a useful resource for people getting into Foundry.

    I'll use traditional GitP Handbook Color-Coding.

    I'm noticing it's often the smallest, simplest modules that I'm rating the highest.

    Spoiler: GOLD
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    Cautious Gamemaster's Pack (link) - several features, all can be enabled or disabled; most important is hiding hidden tokens' rolls from Chat. Notifying players when other players are typing in Chat is nice too, I guess.

    Chat Scrolling (link) - simple UX fix that removes very annoying behavior from an active Chat stream.

    Easy Exports (link) - Unobtrusive UI that lets you make backups of your world MUCH more quickly.

    Laptop Form Fix (link) - I'm not sure when it does or doesn't happen, but I've experienced the bug where the Submit button of certain windows is below the bottom of the screen on a laptop. Super annoying. This Module ostensibly fixes that bug without adding any UI bloat.

    PopOut! (link) - a feature from Roll20 that I'm addicted to. Now that I'm hosting my Foundry in the cloud, I don't even have to be jealous that players can pop out Actors and Journals while I can't, since I access Foundry through a browser tab just like them.

    Tidy UI Game Settings (link) - if you use any other Modules, use this one too, to make the other Modules' Settings more manageable.

    Token Hotbar (link) - make one "page" of the Macro Hotbar token-specific, so that it will change to adapt to what token is selected. Can also allow sharing of macros and such.

    (5e-partial-feature) Token Mold (link) - Haven't used this yet, but many other users consider it a must-have, so I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt. It was annoying in my session to have all the Young Kruthiks have the same token name, and to resize some tokens after placing them, and so on ... this Module attempts to fix a lot of things.

    Token Owner Selection Tweak (link) - I am likely to use tokens for things like Driftglobes and Spiritual Weapons eventually. This module keeps players from automatically selecting those tokens when they are created, blinding themselves, with no UI bloat. Don't see the downside.

    (5e-specific) Virtual Tabletop Assets - D&D Beyond Integration (link) - I almost demoted this to a lower color because you have to pay on Patreon for the browser extension that enables its full features, but importing PCs is free and I decided that alone is worth Gold status. Much faster than filling out a character sheet if your players already use D&DB, and somewhat more streamlined even if they have to learn D&DB.

    (5e-specific) Zoom/Pan Options (link) - Simple, toggleable improvements to panning and zooming, especially with a touchpad.


    Spoiler: BLUE
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    Audio Folder (link) - mass-upload a folder of audio files to a Playlist instead of one-by-one.

    Autocomplete Whisper (link) - If you ever use Whispers, this makes them MUCH less painful to use. And if you don't, this doesn't seem to add any UI bloat, so why not install it?

    Batch Permission Change By Folder (link) - I expect to use this a lot to give players access to a whole folder of Journals that they've come across. Wish it worked with Actors too, but by the description it doesn't.

    Chat Portrait (link) - considered a must by many, I'll try it out.

    Colored Effects (link) - lets you customize colors of Condition icons and overlays. Why not?

    Cursor Hider (link) - I don't mind the players' cursors showing in Foundry, but I think it's pretty important to keep the GM's cursor location separate, so that it doesn't give away the position of hidden monsters and such.

    Custom Journal (link) - Doesn't seem like it's too obtrusive to install even if you don't end up using it, and some of the options for customizing journals (such as the immersive Handwritten Letter theme, and separate side-blocks of text within your journals) seem kind of useful.

    Cycle Token Stack (link) - UI bloat, but maybe just necessary, this lets you sort the order of tokens' appearance in the z-direction of the canvas.

    Darker Vision for 5e (link) - implements 5e Darkvision rules correctly, ostensibly. As long as you don't select more than one token with Vision. Might upgrade to Gold if it works well.

    DF Settings Clarity (link) - A tiny module, but a "why not" one. Just lets the DM see which Module Settings are available to Players too, to customize their own experience.

    Dice So Nice! (link) - one of my Roll20 campaigns I'm in uses the 3-D Dice feature, and it really does enhance the TTRPG feeling. So why not do it in Foundry too?

    Dungeondraft Importer (link) - for importing maps from DungeonDraft. A HUGE time-saver if you make your tactical maps with DungeonDraft. The walls it makes aren't perfect, but they're a jump-start that you can tweak manually (and I haven't tested yet if the Offset setting improves them a lot).

    (5e-partial-feature) Dynamic Effects (link) - attempts to automate dice modifiers from temporary effects like Bless or Ring of Protection (attuned/not attuned). Seems worth investigating.

    Expander (link) - makes clicking on Chat tab also open a collapsed Sidebar. Seems good if it's not the Foundry default these days.

    Forien's Scene Navigator (link) - allows you (using keyboard controls) to make Links in Rich Text that will Open or Activate a Scene.

    Hidden Initiative (link) - allows rolling initiative without giving away to the PCs exactly what they're up against. Seems important to me.

    Illandril's Chat Enhancements (link) - various tweaks to chatting as a token that I think are a net positive.

    Note Text Color (link) - lets you change the text color of labels on Map Notes. The UI isn't too intrusive, so why not?

    Pings (link) - a must if you're used to using Pings on Roll20. Improves over the Roll20 version in several ways. More necessary if you use Cursor Hider for the GM, which I do.

    Quick Insert (link) - using the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Space) to start searching for things to Quick Insert will take some getting used to, but the payoff seems worthwhile: being able to insert tokens to the canvas, Actors or Journals or Roll Tables to a Journal entry, Items to Actor sheets, etc., without having to navigate to what you want to insert in the sidebar and dragging it out.

    QuickSceneView (link) - lets the GM switch to a Scene without either first adding it to Navigation, nor pulling all the players into it by Activating it. UI bloat, but maybe a necessary evil.

    Reset Doors and Fog (link) - I've wanted this UI control (context menu Reset button), especially since I may run multiple playgroups through the same World.

    Sidebar Aesthetics (link) - simply lets the Actors sidebar show token art instead of actor art, and the Journal sidebar show an image (thumbnail I assume) for Journals with an Image in them.

    Token Vision Tweaks (link) - not really necessary, but it seems like there's little reason not to improve performance and prevent rare crashes of Foundry.


    Spoiler: GREEN
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    (5e-specific) 5e-Sheet Resources Plus (link) - more than three Resources to keep track of is very necessary for some characters. May preclude using D&DB-based character sheet layouts though.

    Actor Sheet Macro (link) - I don't use my Macro Bar for much so far, so turning it into an always-open Actors tab seems convenient. But this Module wasn't working for my players when I told them to put their own characters on the Macro Bar (not sure if that's a limitation of the module or if they were using it wrong), and I may stop using this as I add more Macros to my game and get better Token Tooltips modules.

    Actually Private Rolls (link) - mixed feelings here, I usually like players to know the GM has rolled a die like they would if it were done in-person behind a screen. But occasionally I could see the need for a truly secret die roll.

    Ambient Doors (link) - adds sounds to opening/closing doors. Cool if you're that into ambient noise features.

    Arms Reach (link) - I don't think most players have a problem with opening/closing doors out of their characters' reach, but I guess limiting that wouldn't hurt, and the hotkey to open/close the nearest door could be ok too.

    (5e-specific) Better NPC Sheet 5e (link) - I like this better than the default 5e NPC character sheet, for sure, but there are several (incompatible) Modules to improve NPC sheets AFAIK, so I'm still shopping for the best one.

    (5e-specific) Combat Initiative Modifier (link) - D&D 5e doesn't really modify initiative values after they've been set, but if you're playing with a System that uses "ticks" or otherwise modifies initiative values over time, this could be crucial.

    Deselection (link) - lets you deselect by clicking instead of by dragging a rectangle. Considered a must-have by many users, but I think I could get used to the rectangle-deselect method. Still, why not?

    Drag Upload (Get Over Here!) (link) - Lets you import an asset that you already have in file form easily, without having to format it as a Module or whatever. Could be really nice for moving stuff between worlds, albeit only one-at-a-time.

    EasyTable by Blitz (link) - import utility for Roll Tables from CSV or similar files; seems useful.

    (5e-specific) Encounter Builder for 5e (link) - I think the UI bloat is worth not having to switch to a different tab to build encounters on the fly.

    Multilevel Tokens (link) - Some UI bloat, but powerful automation effects if you have enough prep time. (Not only support for the titular multilevel maps, but also teleport pads and macros that trigger when a token enters a space, e.g. for traps.)

    Multiple Wall Point Mover (MWPM) (link) - I've wanted this feature (moving a wall point affects all walls that use that point) in a minor way when adjusting Walls. Just need to learn to use the Alt key for it ...

    PDFoundry (link) - From what I understand, allows uploading PDF files to Foundry and then embedding them in Journals or other text blocks. A niche that most people won't need, but could be a huge lifesaver for someone who already has extensive PDF resources.

    Permission Viewer (link) - if you use Permissions to tailor what your players can look up and remind themselves of, in Actors/Journals/etc., this seems like it's worth the UI bloat.

    Pick-Up-Stix (link) - allows making tokens that represent Items rather than Actors, and various options for moving them around and controlling them. Definitely want to try it out after some of my other Module choices are stable.

    Reverse Initiative Order (link) - a must for non-D&D systems that use "ticks" or otherwise count up instead of down in initiative.

    Sheet To Token (link) - if I understand correctly, this only works for Tokens you have specifically designated as Prototypes, and just updates their image to match the image on the character sheet automatically. Seems like there's no downside as long as it still has separate Portrait Art and Token Art.

    Show Notes (link) - saves your players one mouse click to see Notes on a Map. Not sure if it can be disabled. Not a big deal either way.

    Squeaker (link) - customize sound notifications, such as disabling dice rolling sound or adding a Chat change alert. Seems nice.

    The Furnace (link) - this used to be considered a "must," and is less popular now, but I think it still has some value? Like double-clicking initiative values to modify them. Or maybe someday I'll need an Advanced Macro. Although that part might have just been adopted into Foundry Core.

    Token Attacher (link) - I think this might be worth it just to make Light Sources that can be carried by a token and then passed around, even if I never use this Module for anything else. I guess with Area Templates it could also substitute for a dedicated Token Aura module.

    Token Chat Link (link) - makes it so that, when a token is the author of a Chat message, clicking the token's name in Chat is a link that will go to the token in question. Some bugs warned. But seems like a cool feature anyway.

    (5e-specific) Token Info Icons (link) - token tooltip; this one is just AC, Speed, passive Perception; I like the simplicity.

    Tweak Playlist (link) - adds settings to delay and vary volume of ambient noises -- seems really cool if you've got extensive use of sound features in Foundry.


    Spoiler: BLACK
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    Backgroundless Pins (link) - personal preference. I'd rate it green if you could do it for some Map Pins and not others.

    Better Ambient Loop by Blitz (link) - apparently there's a bug that causes pauses in ambient sounds that should be constant, like a campfire, and this fixes it. Not sure that's worth yet another Module, but it might be.

    Better Templates (link) - adds opacity adjustment to Templates.

    Better Text Drawings (link) - great extension if you actually use the Text Drawing tool, which I guess can be useful to expand a world map as players explore more of it or something.

    BubbleRolls (link) - from what I understand, makes Tokens say their dice roll results in speech bubbles. Could obviate the need to have the Chat Sidebar open during combat?

    Chat Merge (link) - if one Token says several things in Chat in a row, this merges them, with customizeable settings. Seems good for a Chat-heavy campaign, less necessary if you mostly communicate via voice.

    (5e-specific) Compact DnDBeyond 5e Character Sheet (link) - At first glance this D&DB-imitating character sheet seems more visually pleasing than the default Foundry sheet, and it seems to have made a significant effort to be compatible with other Modules that do things other than just offer their own Character Sheet Layout. But there are a lot of Modules that do this, so I'm not sure this is the best one.

    Compendium Folders (link) - could be very nice if my number of used Compendiums expands much more.

    Compendium Image Mapper (link) - very nice if you have a large library folder of well-named images. I currently don't.

    (5e-specific) Conditions for D&D 5e (link) - I'm using this currently, but I'm not satisfied with it. "Bloodied" is a 4e mechanic that I'm not sure I want in my 5e games. I'd prefer to let my players see a health bar rounded to the nearest 20% or something on monsters. The condition icons are supposed to correlate 1-to-1 with D&D 5e conditions, but it's still not always clear what icon represents what.

    Custom Hotbar (link) - could be very nice if my number of Macros that I'd like to access quickly ever exceeds 10.

    Day Night Lights (link) - enables settings on Light sources to make them different during day and night. Minor feature for minor UI bloat.

    DF Scene Enhancement (link) - Basically, if I'm understanding it right, it just lets you mostly get rid of the Navigation bar at the top of the Canvas, replacing its functionality with functionality in the Scenes sidebar tab. Not sure I prefer that when the Navigation bar already does the job fine.

    Dice Tray (link) - adds a dice roller for common rolls to the Chat interface. I'll have to try it and decide if it's worth the UI bloat.

    (5e-specific) Different Prepared Colors (link) - allows customizing the colors used by the UI to indicate prepared spells and equipped items.

    Escape Window (link) - makes Escape key minimize windows instead of closing them. I think I won't probably use it, since I'm fine with double-clicking window titles to minimize.

    Everybody Look (link) - pull all players to a Scene, even if they're across various Scenes at the moment. Minor functionality for minor UI bloat.

    Find the culprit! - a module debugging helper (link) - perhaps a necessary evil, this is a tool for helping you hunt down what Module might be incompatible with another Module.

    Forien's Copy Environment (link) - allows Importing/Exporting Module lists and game Settings so they can be backed up or shared ... I guess that's a thing.

    Forien's Custom Fonts (link) - I don't intend to use Drawings much, let alone Text Drawings, and incorporating this into Journal Entries requires some minor hacking. But I imagine it's pretty lightweight for a Module, so it wouldn't hurt anything.

    Forien's Easy Polls (link) - Makes a little Poll Dialog in Chat; votes seem to be anonymous, so I guess it's convenient in the case that you don't want to poll your players out loud.

    Foundry Discordbridge (link) - Requires some advanced setup, but makes Discord copy what appears in Foundry Chat, freeing up your Foundry Sidebar to be on a different tab instead of Chat if you already have Discord open (e.g. on a second monitor). Cool.

    Gaming Table Player (link) - adds shift-Ping utility to change a single player's view, plus a few embellishments.

    Grid Scaler (link) - helps align gridded maps with gridded Scenes if the size doesn't line up immediately. This might excite me if I didn't prefer gridless play anyway.

    Group Initiative (link) - a must if you prefer, well, group initiative. (A very popular variant rule, but I personally don't prefer it as long as I can easily navigate the interface to pick out specific monsters from a group.)

    (5e-specific) Group Roll (link) - it's a tradeoff: is it worth speeding up the game with group rolls at the expense of letting players have the fun of rolling their own dice? Comes down to personal preference.

    Illandril's Token HUD scaler (link) - I think I prefer the original small token HUD, but that's purely personal preference; I can easily see why you might want to make it bigger. Too bad this module doesn't let you adjust size settings, but just has a one-size-fits-all adjustment.

    Image-Drop (link) - create a Tile by dragging an image from a Journal. Not sure if this will ever come up ...

    Item Delete Check (link) - extracts a single feature from minor-qol, which is a change I applaud. UI bloat that I don't like, but if you're prone to deleting Items by accident (and not prone to having them backed up in the Items sidebar or Compendiums), this would be nice.

    (5e-specific) Item Macro (link) - Lets you attach a macro to each Item that automatically runs when you click on that item. Weapons already have this implemented, but I may upgrade this Module strongly in rating as I learn to use Foundry better -- for example, if this can automate Barbarian Rage or something.

    Journal Templates (link) - I don't think I'm going to make enough complicated-enough Journal entries to make programming templates worthwhile, but it's worth keeping in mind in case that changes ...

    Layer Hotkeys (link) - personal preference whether you want more hotkeys to speed up switching Layer Controls. You can customize which keys for compatibility with other Modules, which is nice.

    (5e-specific) Lazy Money (link) - automatic handling of different coinages to keep things simple. I'm torn between my love of verisimilitude (this seems like magically always having access to a bank) and my hatred of managing copper pieces.

    Macro Folders (link) - if you use enough Macros, this will become extremely convenient. I just don't know that I'll ever use that many Macros.

    MINDMAP- Moerills Indecision Negator, Decision Maker And Planner (link) - not a polished project, but being able to make a Journal into a mind map or similar graph instead of a block of text is a cool idea.

    ModBox (link) - I don't like the UI bloat of putting an input field in the Canvas Controls, I'd prefer it be in Chat or something, but in some non-5e systems where temporary dice modifiers are common (13th Age, if it doesn't already have an Escalation Die feature?) I could see this being worthwhile.

    MythicUI (link) - I tend to like my CSS themes simple, and this isn't, but in an Ancient Greek-themed game I'd be tempted to use it anyway. Kinda fun.

    Navbar Tweaks (link) - the important part of this is, it can make the GM able to see the full real name of a Scene in Navigation while players see the "dummy name" (or no name at all, that's a setting too).

    No Token Animations (link) - personal preference if you want to be able to see how a Token moves when it moves. I'd prefer a module where you can hold down a keyboard key to disable animations for a specific movement (like a teleport).

    Not Your Turn! (link) - There are enough reasons to move tokens when it's not your turn in combat that I'd only ever use this module on the "Warning Only" setting, which warns you when you're moving outside your turn in combat. Even then ... not a problem I've ever had in my games.

    NPC Chatter (link) - Cute way to add ambient flavor to a scene, for sure. I just don't know if I'll ever have enough prep time to prepare this level of detail in my games.

    (5e-specific) Point of Interest Character Sheet (link) - makes Actors instead of Journals into points of interest on a map; more powerful for a heavy-exploration game (hexcrawl), but bloats the Actors sidebar.

    Route Finder (link) - if you use maps with walls (and especially with no grid), this is slick-looking and optimizes character movement at the cost of a little UI bloat. Up to you if the niche where movement path isn't obvious is common enough to be worth it.

    Simplefog - Manual Fog of War (link) - I think I prefer managing Fog of War just with Dynamic Lighting and the Reset Scene button.

    Tabbed Chatlog (link) - Seems like feature bloat to me, but that's because I run sessions with voice chat. And I know some people, for reasons unknown, still play RPGs in text-only mode, in which case this Module would become AMAZING.

    Virtual Tabletop Assets - Iconizer (link) - seems nice if you have a large well-named library folder of icons ... which I don't .

    (5e-specific) Virtual Tabletop Assets - Party overview (link) - I've installed this, but I haven't found it necessary to use yet in the session I ran, and it will only become less necessary as I get used to some Token Tooltip module or other. So I think its days on my table are numbered.

    World Anvil Integration (link) - I thought this was a great idea at first, but I'm finding over time that I usually want in-VTT information written from a different POV than information on a worldbuilding tool like WorldAnvil. Plus I've switched from WorldAnvil to LegendKeeper. So I won't be bothering with this Module.
    Last edited by Draz74; 2020-09-17 at 08:24 AM.
    You can call me Draz.
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    Also of note:

    I have a number of ongoing projects that I manically jump between to spend my free time ... so don't be surprised when I post a lot about something for a few days, then burn out and abandon it.
    ... yes, I need to be tested for ADHD.