Tools for tools!

In my last blog I talked about the new MakeForm~ function which allows you to make complex interfaces for your Table Runner scripts. The City Block Generator uses a complex form (shown at left). Today I want to tell you about a tool you can use that will aid you in using this function.

As you can imagine, MakeForm~ can get pretty complex and could become tricky to code a complex interface by hand. Well, there is good news. I've made a tool that can do all the coding for you - all you have to do is fill in fields. In the screen at left you can see I'm setting options and the tool is building the code for me.

A good analogy is TurboTax. Yes you can do your taxes by hand. Many people do and do it successfully. But the more complicated the household/business the more complicated the taxes. Eventually its just not realistic to do them by hand anymore. And the extra checks and hurestics that come with TurboTax can help you reduce the risk in the process.

In this screen I've finished adding all the input elements, and I'm defining the overall size and title for the form.

So that's what I've done. I've built a "TurboTax" for the MakeForm~ function. Like anything that is version 1.0 there are improvements that will be made, but its pretty useful right out of the box. You can get to it from the Table Runner editor, and from the syntax help reference. Here's a direct link.

I've also updated the help for MakeForm~. So if you're the kind of person who needs the details, its all there.

So, good luck and happy script building. I can't wait to see the worlds most [RandomAdjective]-complex user form!

NEW - Intelligent Magic Item Add-on random generator

Today I put up a new generator for Pathfinder fans. It randomly creates "add-on" packages that you can then apply to a normal magic item. It does all the tedious work for you... calculating additional gold cost, Ego Modifier, Alignment... etc.

Oh hell... why tell you when I can just show you. Go here.

I had to take a few liberties with the generator...

1. I had to arbitrarily assign some probabilities to which Attribute, Sense, and Communication options were generated. The least expensive items are more common, but not so common you'll never see the "good stuff".


2. Pathfinder rules don't give you a hard % chance of weapons having a "Special Purpose Power" - so I made it 50-50.


3. Pathfinder rules don't give you any kind of break down on the exact chance of having multiple Intelligent item powers... so I came up with 85% 1 power, 10% 2 and 5% have 3.


4. Pathfinder rules also don't give you the % chance of an intelligent item having a Dedicated Power - again I made it a 50-50 chance.


5. If you don't get a Special Purpose power, but do get a Dedicated Power, I had to make a decision. The very first core result for Dedicated powers can give you a special ability to detect any special purpose foes (which come form the special purpose power). So in this case, I just generate a creature type when no Foe was previously generated.


6. Lastly I removed the "choose one" option from the intelligent item purpose power - I figure the point of the generator is to create and present ideas for you to consider - you can always tweak and "chose your own".

Other than those caveats, it should me "mostly core". I though about coding in the ability to set your own percentages, and even plug in your own "Gods" list... but that involves input fields and I'm always hesitant to slow down the process like that... anyway, we'll see what you all think and make adjustments that prove popular.

Have a [RandomQuality] day.