TOPIC: True Dungeon Character Generators (App)

Dave wrote: In my case, I started with two simple sequences

1. Quicken, Conserve, Fireball, Cast No Mark, Acid Splash, Cast
2. Quicken, Conserve, Sharpen, Ray of Shock, Cast No Mark

I go into VTD, click on the Cast button and nothing is active. No spells are marked off. Nothing has been cast. They simply don't work.

Both were saved. They appear in the sequences, but can't be used. Ashenne's is equipped. I don't think I need any other equipment to make those sequences work.

Went back in this morning. Have no idea what I did differently. This time it let me cast sequence 1 and it appeared to work perfectly. Of course, I need to exit out and start over before I can use another sequence with the same mage powers.

Wait, tried something different and think I found the issue. This morning I went into Virtual TD and just clicked on cast. Last night I remember turning bard song on and then trying to cast. So, I tried that again. I went to epilogue, back into Virtual TD. No spells were checked. I set bardsong and then tried to cast. It didn't work. No idea of the relationship, but it appears that somehow bardsong is impacting my ability to use a sequence.

Dave wrote:

Dave wrote: In my case, I started with two simple sequences

1. Quicken, Conserve, Fireball, Cast No Mark, Acid Splash, Cast
2. Quicken, Conserve, Sharpen, Ray of Shock, Cast No Mark

I go into VTD, click on the Cast button and nothing is active. No spells are marked off. Nothing has been cast. They simply don't work.

Both were saved. They appear in the sequences, but can't be used. Ashenne's is equipped. I don't think I need any other equipment to make those sequences work.

Went back in this morning. Have no idea what I did differently. This time it let me cast sequence 1 and it appeared to work perfectly. Of course, I need to exit out and start over before I can use another sequence with the same mage powers.

Wait, tried something different and think I found the issue. This morning I went into Virtual TD and just clicked on cast. Last night I remember turning bard song on and then trying to cast. So, I tried that again. I went to epilogue, back into Virtual TD. No spells were checked. I set bardsong and then tried to cast. It didn't work. No idea of the relationship, but it appears that somehow bardsong is impacting my ability to use a sequence.

Now I have no idea what's going on. I tried to replicate the issue and this time I set bardsong and it works fine. Will keep playing, but I've had two situations where it wouldn't work. Just can't find the common denominator yet.

Dave wrote:

Dave wrote:

Dave wrote: In my case, I started with two simple sequences

1. Quicken, Conserve, Fireball, Cast No Mark, Acid Splash, Cast
2. Quicken, Conserve, Sharpen, Ray of Shock, Cast No Mark

I go into VTD, click on the Cast button and nothing is active. No spells are marked off. Nothing has been cast. They simply don't work.

Both were saved. They appear in the sequences, but can't be used. Ashenne's is equipped. I don't think I need any other equipment to make those sequences work.

Went back in this morning. Have no idea what I did differently. This time it let me cast sequence 1 and it appeared to work perfectly. Of course, I need to exit out and start over before I can use another sequence with the same mage powers.

Wait, tried something different and think I found the issue. This morning I went into Virtual TD and just clicked on cast. Last night I remember turning bard song on and then trying to cast. So, I tried that again. I went to epilogue, back into Virtual TD. No spells were checked. I set bardsong and then tried to cast. It didn't work. No idea of the relationship, but it appears that somehow bardsong is impacting my ability to use a sequence.

Now I have no idea what's going on. I tried to replicate the issue and this time I set bardsong and it works fine. Will keep playing, but I've had two situations where it wouldn't work. Just can't find the common denominator yet.

This time, I may have it. I've mentioned before that the content is not fully visible on my screen and that only half of the cast button appears at the bottom. It I don't click on it properly, the Virtual TD popup goes away. I can get it right back and everything else appears to work properly (spells still checked off, etc), but spell sequencing is now grayed out. Sometimes during a run I might swipe away the pop up and when I bring it back, I'm still in the same room and everything works perfectly. That doesn't appear to be the case with sequencing.

btw - I did add a third sequence, which is simply to fork a magic missile. When I cast sequence 1, it works perfectly. If I click on cast again, sequences 1 and 2 are grayed out, which they should be. It still lets me cast sequence 3.

When it works, I love this. I just wish I could figure out how to get everything to appear properly on my screen. Or at the very least, if I do exit the popup, bringing it back shouldn't turn off the sequencing.

Dave wrote:
When it works, I love this. I just wish I could figure out how to get everything to appear properly on my screen. Or at the very least, if I do exit the popup, bringing it back shouldn't turn off the sequencing.

I have a fix for your problem for the button getting cut off. It will be in the next rev.

Awesome!

FYI - I plan to run a number of test cases this afternoon.
Noticed one odd thing while setting up sequences. On my third sequence I got an error message that I already exceeded the number of mage powers for the room.
Sequence 1 - Quicken-Fireball-Conserve, Shocking Grasp
Sequence 2 - Quicken-Ray of Shock-Sharpen-Conserve
Sequence 3 - I click on MEC/Mage Powers, select Mad Evoker's Charm and then try to select Fork and I get the error message. I'm able to workaround by exiting the sequencing session and then going back in. It seems to be treating a sequencing session like a room for mage power totals, but it did let me use Quicken twice, which shouldn't have been allowed. Odd.

Apologies - I have a feeling this is going to get really long. The following is a summary of everything I noticed while creating 10 different sequences.

1. As mentioned, once I exceed 6 mage powers (including MEC, which I'm not sure counts) in the same session, it won't let me continue to use mage powers. I can get around this by clicking on done and restarting another session. However, it does let me use the same mage power more than once in the same session.
2. No ability to sacrifice a spell in a sequence.
3. No ability to cast as a scroll in a sequence.
4. I was allowed to create a sequence that used the mage power Fork, with the Fireball spell. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't recall that being allowed. I think Fork has to be used on a single target spell.
5. Sequencing allowed me to select Quicken, Conserve and MEC on a Fireball and then use the Cabal Set bonus to select a 2nd Fireball. The mage power conserve uses a Free Action, which should have prevented the use of the Cabal Set bonus in the same sequence.

That's it for now. When I go into Virtual TD with this character, 6 of the 10 sequences I set up are greyed out. So, I need to try and figure that out.

Here was the rest of my testing for this afternoon.
I worked with an Elf Wizard and included the following items in my build.
Head - Crown of Expertise
Neck - Ashenne's Arch-Mage Medallion
Wrist - Bracelets of the Cabal
Hands - Gloves of the Cabal
Melee Weapon - +2 Staff of Power
Right Ring - Ring of Expertise
Charm - Charm of the Cabal
Charm - Charm of Spell Storing
Charm - Charm of Spell Swapping

I then programmed the following sequences.
1 Quicken-Acid Splash, Acid Splash
2 Quicken-Fireball-Conserve, Shocking Grasp
3 Quicken-Ray of Shock-Sharpen-Conserve
4 Magic Missile -MEC-Fork
5 Quicken-Fireball, Fireball-NoM, Fireball-NoM
6 Magic Missile, Cab-Magic Missile
7 Quicken-Acid Ray-MEC-Alter to Fire-Fork-Sharpen-Conserve, Acid Ray
8 Quicken-Magic Missile, Cab-Magic Missile, Magic Missile
9 Quicken-Acid Splash, Shocking Grasp-NoM, Magic Missile
10 Quicken-Fireball-Conserve, Cab-Fireball

Methodology - I had one build where I set all 10 sequences and then tried to play with them individually (or together if appropriate). In between Virtual TD sessions I would Go to Epilogue, Go to another character build, then open the Elf Wizard build, select done and then reopen another Virtual TD session. This was just to make sure I was starting from scratch each time.
I had a second cloned Elf Wizard build (the sequences do not clone). In that build I would program only one sequence at a time to try it with the same sequences outlined above.

Results
- When I go into Virtual TD with the first build, only the first 4 sequences show as active. Not entirely sure why this is, although, as will be reviewed below, only one other sequence beyond the first 4 can be executed, even though all of them are valid.
- Sequence 1 executes properly. I am presented with 2 skill checks. Total damage is displayed. But that assumes that all damage is going to the same target. If more than one monster was in the room, I might have directed the two spells at different targets. After executing, only sequence 4 is still active.
- Sequence 2 executes properly. This time it shows 1 damage total for the Shocking Grasp + Base Damage of the Fireball and then displays a pool total for the Fireball bonus damage. The issue here is that the Fireball does base damage of 20 to all monsters. The Shocking Grasp must be allocated as a total to a single target, but then the rest of the pool can go anywhere. The damage is really 20 (All) Shocking Grasp (Total) Bonus (Pool).
- Sequence 3 executed as expected. No issues other than other sequences no longer active (except #4)
- Sequence 4 executed as expected. First 3 sequences still active afterwards.
- Sequence 5 not active. It should be acceptable based on Crown of Expertise, Charm of Spell Storing and Quicken. In general, no sequence that included 3 spells was executable.
- Sequence 6 not active, but the Cabal set is equipped. In general, no sequence that included the Cabal Set was executable. I tried using it with 3 spells, 2 spells and even a single spell.
- Sequence 7 not active as sequence 7, even if I clear the 6 sequences prior to it. However, if I built this same combination as sequence 1, it worked as expected.
- Sequence 8 not active. Should work with Quicken, Cabal Set Free Action and normal casting of spell
- Sequence 9 not active. Again, should work with Quicken, Charm of Spell Storing and normal casting of spell. No combination of 3 spells seemed to work. Although, you were allowed to set them up as a sequence.
- Sequence 10 not active. Again, I tried reducing this to a single free action spell and it still would not show as active.
- The sequencing does not appear to work in conjunction with sacrificing a spell. For example. I set up a simple sequence Quicken-Magic Missile, Magic Missile.
i then went into virtual TD. I cast a Magic Missile in round 1. I cast another Magic Missile in round 2. I only have 1 Magic Missile left, so in round 3 I sacrificed Bull's Strength so that I could swap it into another Magic Missile. The sequence was not active (was earlier), because it thought I only had 1 magic missile left.

Also, while playing around and clearing out sequences. For the character that had 10 sequences, i clear the first 9. It would not let me set a new sequence 1 until I also cleared sequence 10.

Other than that, i played with setting bardsong, turning bardsong off, turning on songbird of necklace. Nothing there impacted whether or not the sequences worked. I just had to make sure I didn't swipe away the Virtual TD popup box, or all of the sequences became inactive.

in summary, this is really, really, great when it works. Big step in the right direction. Still quite a few limitations.

Nice write up. Thank you!

I don't promise to fix everything for this next event, but should fix a lot of it.

Version 9.2.1 has been released for IOS and Android and includes the following:

1. Spell Sequencing: (fixed several bugs in the IOS version)
2. Pregen Characters have been updated with the 2022 token set
3. Correction to iPad displays to better support older iPads

For spell sequencing, which only works for Wizards/Elf Wizards, you will need to set up each sequence (up to 10) from the Character Build view. You can use Mage Powers, Cabal Set Bonus. Spell Storing and Cast without marking for each spell, and include up to 3 in each sequence.

Once you have setup the sequence, you can tap the 'Sequence' button in the VTD view, and you will be presented with the list of Sequences you have created. If the entire sequence can be cast, it will be available. If any feature is not available, including if you do not have the present hit points to use all the capabilities, it will be grayed out, and not available. Scroll to the sequence you want, and tap Cast.

Enjoy. (there may be one more version prior to the event, depending on whether problems come up)

The new display looks great. I'll play with the sequencing more this morning, but a quick comment. I cast a sequence of Quicken-Magic Missile, Magic Missile. It correctly presented me with 2 skill checks and calculated the total damage correctly. My only issue is that it displays one total damage. If there had been more than one monster in the room, I could have directed one magic missile at monster #1 and the second magic missile at monster #2. If it's the intent that I manually divide the total in half and instruct the DM accordingly, then fine, it's not that difficult. It is more common for the total to be applied to a single monster, but not always. Just thought I'd mention it.

Dave wrote: The new display looks great. I'll play with the sequencing more this morning, but a quick comment. I cast a sequence of Quicken-Magic Missile, Magic Missile. It correctly presented me with 2 skill checks and calculated the total damage correctly. My only issue is that it displays one total damage. If there had been more than one monster in the room, I could have directed one magic missile at monster #1 and the second magic missile at monster #2. If it's the intent that I manually divide the total in half and instruct the DM accordingly, then fine, it's not that difficult. It is more common for the total to be applied to a single monster, but not always. Just thought I'd mention it.

Real quick, just to make it more complicated. I cast the same sequence, got one skill check correct and one skill check wrong. Now, if I want to direct the magic missiles at different monsters, i have to take into account that one damage number is 3 pts higher than the other. Probably the fastest way for me to do that in my head is to add 3 back to the total, divide by 2 for the first number and then subtract 3 from that number for the 2nd number. It helps that I get to practice math with grandson whose in grade school.

Feedback Part 1

Started over and rebuilt the same 10 sequences I tested last time. Did some minimal testing and here's the initial feedback.

1. As indicated, for someone on an older version of an iPad, the display looks great. It doesn't seem as easy to "swipe away" my popup screen, but if I click on Go to Epilogue to check my build and then come back to virtual TD, it doesn't look like I've lost anything. All the spells I cast are still marked off. Have to see how that works though when in a run and make sure the room number comes back okay.
2. When building sequences, there appear to be some limitations. For example. I can set up multiple sequences that use the same mage power (i.e. Quicken), but if I exceed 6 mage powers during the same session, it tells me I've exceed my mage powers. If I exit sequencing, refresh my screen and go back in, then I'm good to continue. In general, there were a few times I needed to do that.
3. The one extra HP I get from using the app is not considered when building sequences. For example, I constructed a build with 50 HP, I then tried to build a sequence using MEC and 5 mage powers. The cost is 50 HP, so the app told me I've exceeded my HP. In reality, I would have 51 HP in the run and theoretically could have cast that sequence legally.
4. I can't use sequencing for any combination that requires sacrificing a spell. For example, I cast 3 Acid Splashes. I then tried to sacrifice a magic missile so that I could cast the sequence of Quicken Acid Splash, Acid Splash. I can do this manually, but not by trying to execute the sequence. In effect, the app doesn't recognize that I've created a new "Cast No Mark" for a lower level spell.
5. The app allowed me to create the following sequence. Quicken-Fireball-Conserve, Cabal Fireball. This is not allowed. Both conserve and cabal set require a free action and cannot be done in the same round. The sequence should not have been allowed to be created.

Next, I'll try to execute some sequences and let you know how that goes. However, I did try to execute one 3 spell sequence and it did work. None of those were working in the previous version.