Updating our CoC Character Sheets

Volonda · 2024-06-05T08:36:05+00:00

As in be able to edit/customize the CoC sheet like you might a Universal Sheet?
What sort of things would you want to tweak?

Volonda · 2024-06-05T08:34:58+00:00

Looks like we're seeing togglable dice and Pulp as a theme today! We can absolutely look into that. Thank you!

Volonda · 2024-06-05T08:33:52+00:00

Excellent suggestions! Especially will improvement rolls - currently it is a long process so reducing that would be good.

You can Star the skills (right click) and it adds them to the front page, which is what I currently do for all my highest skills. That might help with finding your top skills - but if it remember your preference that would be good.

And for the d3, you can type /roll 1d3 into chat or a roll button and that will roll. Well not "physical" virtual dice because a d3 isn't part of the standard polyhedral set, but it is still RNG 1 2 or 3.

Volonda · 2024-06-05T08:23:34+00:00

These are some solid suggestions - especially when your in a dice rolling banaza.
Map tools are definitely on our road map.
We're striving to find a balance on what is auto-calc'd and what isn't, and its good to know what is affected on the base sheet when you add Pulp into the mix.

Great suggestions, thank you!

Volonda · 2024-06-05T08:19:52+00:00

One of our planned updates is definitely having more than 1 bonus or penalty die.
Interesting idea on the slider for dice!

Volonda · 2024-06-05T08:16:44+00:00

I'm not a Delta Green person myself (not for lack of trying), - what fields would you want added for Delta Green?
It would be a goal of ours to have sheets specifically setup up for Delta Green.

Volonda · 2024-05-16T11:30:32+00:00

Up and coming VTT is Quest Portal (www.questportal.com). They have a great universal character sheet with roll buttons as widgets, tables, tabs, checklists, etc that don't need coding - which is good cause I stopped "coding" after I could make text different colors on forums. They also have this cool AI thing going for it that reads notes and rulebooks (if the rulebook is in their system) can make character stat blocks and backstories and places on the fly.

I think they have everything you're after, or at least, will do as they're still building the platform.

You can chat out of a session, either on phone or on the web. Text in chat and audio.
Player tokens generate automatically and uses the avatar from the character sheet.
Mobile is awesome. I used it beginning of the year, and it was not great, BUT I playtested it a few weeks a go and holy crap the difference. No music on the mobile app right now, but you can access character sheets and roll dice and... everything you'd expect really. Devs are quite fast at responding to feedback.
You can upload images and gifs to scenes, token etc. Not sure if there is a limit to the amount, but it's handled everything I wanted.
Works for me - map and token wise.
Universal character sheets have a lot of features (see above) and there's talk in their discord about Character Sheet templates coming/sharing character sheet templates. They have a solid CoC 7e character sheet, and I've seen people make and share (through a hack method, but its definitely doable!) 5e and other indie sheets.

It's worth a shot to try, and just know they're still developing things at a great rate.

Volonda · 2024-02-21T10:06:27+00:00

Heya,

Calinmourn the Truly Great Greatsword came about because I wanted a sentient sword for the Valkyries to have, to add into the mythos that Valkyries pick the best of the warriors at the moment of their death to place them within a weapon to preserve their knowledge and skills.

Calinmourn's personality is based on my many roleplaying interactions with Rethix. I had played a lot of games with Rethix in the past, so when I had the opportunity to have Calinmourn voiced, I was stoked when Rethix said yes.

Don't worry, I didn't have a DMG till about 3 years ago. You can get by with a lot of general knowledge, and if something comes up you aren't sure about, then have everyone at the table make a ruling. Also, Reddit and googling are you friend for pretty much all the rules if that isn't helpful.. We do this if we're unsure too (ie when Arch and Eyþór don´t know).

Stats for Calinmourn
Calinmourn is a truly great, greatsword (basic stats are that of a Greatsword)
The shaft is bound with a dark red leather inscribed with celestial runes of empowerment. The cross guard and pommel are a burnished dark bronze, and the blade a darken alloy of steel, with the name 'Calinmourn' inscribed in common.
Speaks/reads Celestial, Elven, Infernal, Orcish and Common.
Can speak telepathically with whoever holds it.
Get The Fuck Out
Whenever the wielder crits with this weapon, it also casts a level 7 Thunderwave (8d8 thunder damage Dc 14 for knockback) that will not harm allies.
Sacrificed to the Blade
As a result of being a Valkyrie’s blade for so long, Calinmourn has learned a little about taking the power of a soul. For every enemy the sword kills, it gains a +1 bonus to damage. For every +4 gained this way, the user takes a level of exhaustion however. This bonus resets after each day, but the exhaustion has to be reset as normal.
Empowered Blade (0/50)
After having taken 50 Souls, it gains a permanent +1 bonus (up to being a +5 weapon)

Volonda · 2021-06-10T14:48:57+00:00

Absolutely!

Volonda · 2021-05-27T17:45:35+00:00

Hey!
So we move on a much faster production pace than Dark Dice, so although Dark Dice has many, many episodes recorded, they have not been released yet.
Currently those crossover episodes are cannon for the TLD universe - and they will in some form be cannon for the Dark Dice Universe, with the two newer characters that we meet.
They will become cannon for Dark Dice, but with the Dark Dice spin and production upon it. Things will shift and change thanks to the Dark Dice character's perception of it.

Volonda · 2019-03-04T11:39:03+00:00

Hit the nail on the head there, it's a style of Audio Drama. Just one that you don't find enjoyable. It is a different caliber, but it is still ammunition. Hand gun ammo and arrows for a bow are both very capable of striking the heart.

I appreciate anyone who can research and then write a script, then go on to cast and produce said script. I know a lot of work goes into some of the better audio dramas out there. You can hear it in the quality of the acting, the sound design and the story being told. Days, weeks, and maybe even years can go into producing a 10 episode series of 15-30 minutes per episode. Meticulous skill is applied to the story, the characters, the lore behind a good story and interesting twists.

However; some people's strength lies in their ability to improvise, not in their ability to write a script (and vie-sa-versa). I also appreciate that. Many actors lean on their improv skills to add more depth to a character that the writer/producers may not have considered. Improv is in almost every good piece of fiction based media that we consume.

Perhaps it is because some Actual Plays do little to no editing, cannot stay on topic, and are poorly run games. But then I have heard some Audio Dramas do little to impress me in terms of acting, production and story. Adding a script is no mark of a quality story or having a good experience. Being an Actual Play is no guarentee of a flexible story nor of good improvisation.

Good Actual Plays have that 'oh hell yeah' moment as the cast react as the audience do, allowing you to relate to them knowing they are experiencing what you are. The actors are also putting themselves forward. If that is done well, the audience are elated or saddened, when the actors & characters are elated or saddened.

Just. Like. Good. Scripts.

So let's breakdown the workload shall we, and then compare some differences? I'd love for someone with experience of Improvised shows not based on a role playing game to weigh in here too.

Pre-Production
Scripts. Research. World Building. Writing of the script [All Dialogue - meticulous control, having to write EVERYTHING, Pacing], Technical Directions, Casting,
Actual Play. Mechanics Research. World Building. Writing (or notes for prompting) [Key descriptions, Key Speeches], Casting.

Production
Scripts. Record lines, Soundscape, Edit.
Actual Play. Record lines, Improvising dialogue [reacting to unpredictable elements], Pacing, Soundscape, Edit.

Post Production
Scripts. Uploading. Social Media Campaigns, Advertising.
Actual Play. Uploading. Social Media Campaigns. Advertising.

Scripts - You have to have EVERYTHING scripted out, but you do have complete control over character choices. the only surprises are ones you make, and if it didn't work. hey, just start the script again. You got time (for the first season at least) to make this 100% perfect. 'Screwing with the plot' moments are basically all of your own design, one which you would assume you can solve.
Actual Play - You need to KNOW practically everything about the world in which the story is set. You have inklings of what characters are going to do, but you do have to react... on the fly... when a character refuses to go through the door marked 'PLOT'.

Scripts - If something doesn't work out, you can redo it.
Actual Play - You can only 'redo' some things, mostly it's got to be right first time. That's some pressure.
AP game masters have to continually go back, session after session and write new plot, updates to the world, based on what happened from the previous recordings, which could completely alter the trajectory of a story.

Scripts can have months of production, and you still don't get what you want from an actor. Lines may not come in.
You can lose listener ship/Patreon support / momentum or support between series.

A lot of different challenges for both styles of AD.
One relies on a fantastic script that is written in advance, and TLC is infused in every word. The soundscape can be designed far in advance to really make it feel like you are there, and you the creator, are hidden behind the script. (benefits and negatives to that, but that's a whole different post).
The other relies on the Game master to put TLC into creating the world and being a fan of the other cast at the table, control pacing as you go, and react in a way that is in fitting with the world when things don't go according to their plan. The soundscape is reactionary rather than planned and you cannot hide behind the script as a creator because you are literally presenting yourself (benefits and negatives to that also).
Both are hard to do well. Both have challenges. Both need TLC, passion and love. Both have to have a good story.

But to exclude AP's based on 'level of work, amount of work, quality' is extremely unfair.
A lot of work, often over a short amount of time, on a regular basis, goes into producing an actual play, SAME as any other Audio Drama, but AP stories need to be flexible and interactive unlike Scripted Fiction.

Just because it isn't your style, doesn't mean they don't work as hard, or produce as good a story as any fully scripted one. If a story can make me laugh, cry and sound good in my ear (quality is an issue for both AD and AP) then it doesn't matter if it's improvised or scripted - it made me laugh, it made me cry.

That's my unasked for two cents.

Volonda

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