Creating New Critical Tables to Add to RMC

**Dakadin** · January 30th, 2012, 21:52

I am going to try to explain how to create a new Critical Table so that it will be available in the RMC ruleset. Some basic knowledge of XML and FG module creation will be helpful but hopefully not required since I will point out what you should read to get familiar even to make these crit table modules.

You will need to create a new module for your crit tables. A module is a ZIP file that has been renamed to have a .MOD extension instead of the normal .ZIP extension. More information on module creation can be found here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...ad.php?t=12948. You won’t need to read the whole PDF that is attached but I would recommend at least understanding through section 3.1.

The attached ZIP file is a module containing the following 3 files:

thumbnail.png
definition.xml
db.xml

The thumbnail.png is just the image that will show up when activating the module. Try to keep it around 100 pixels on the largest side.

Definition.xml is a short XML file that just specifies the name, author and ruleset of the module. The file looks like this:

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<root>
  <name>MODULE NAME</name>
  <author>AUTHOR NAME</author>
  <ruleset>RolemasterClassic</ruleset>
</root>

Put your module name in place of MODULE NAME which is between the name tags. Put the author name in place of AUTHOR NAME which is between the author tags. Leave the ruleset as RolemasterClassic without the space. This all all you need for the definition.xml file.

The db.xml file is where your critical table information will go. You can put more than one critical table in this file. Here is what the start and end of the file needs to look like:

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<root version="2.0" RMCVersion="0.35">
    <RMTables static="true">

[TABLES GO HERE]

    </RMTables>
</root>

Your tables will go in the space between the 2 Tables tags (<Tables></Tables>) where the [TABLES GO HERE] message is. I’ve included a template table in the db.xml file that I will explain what you need to change to setup your own critical tables.

The table starts with the following line:

Code:

<AAA-01>

You will want to replace the AAA with an a short code that should probably match your source. Arms Law uses CT (I believe for Critical Table) and Spell Law uses SCT (Spell Critical Table). This code can be anything you like. The number after the dash is just a counter for your code so start it at 01 and increment it one as you add more tables with that same code. For example if I use the code AAA and want to add another table after the first the line would be:

Code:

<AAA-02>

Keep track of what the code and number are because you will need them in 2 more locations that we will get to later.

This next line doesn’t need to be changed:

Code:

<TableType type="string">Result</TableType>

The line after it has a possible change:

Code:

<Class type="string">Arms Criticals</Class>

This line can be Arms Criticals or Spells Criticals. It determines how the table will be categorized in the Table Manager. Just replace Arms with Spells if you want it to be a spell critical table.

This next line doesn’t need to be changed:

Code:

<SortOrder type="string">Ascending</SortOrder>

The next 4 lines will need to be changed:

Code:

<Name type="string">CRIT NAME</Name>
<Abbreviation type="string">X</Abbreviation>
<Source type="string">CRIT SOURCE NAME</Source>
<Id type="string">AAA-01</Id>

Your critical table name should go in place of CRIT NAME. An abbreviation for the critical table should replace the X (Puncture criticals use P). The critical table source name should replace CRIT SOURCE NAME. In the last of the 4 lines you should replace AAA-01 with your code from above.

After this is the <Columns> section. This section stores the Id and Title for each column of the critical table. For example the first entry is this:

Code:

<id-00001>
	<Id type="string">01</Id>
	<Title type="string">A</Title>
</id-00001>

You can see it has the Id set to 01 and the Title set to A. This is used for the A critical severity column. The other 4 entries in the Columns section are for B, C, D, and E. This section won’t need to be changed if it is a typical critical table with severities from A – E.

The <Degrees /> and <Criticals /> lines shouldn’t be changed.

The next section is the content of the chart. It is broken up by rows which represent the die roll for that column. There are usually 19 rows for a standard 1-100 critical table. Each row starts with an <id=#####> tag and ends with an </id=#####> that have matching numbers in place of the #####. The sample file has all 19 rows that a normal critical table would have but needs the appropriate information entered.

Each row starts with the Roll entry is where the roll numbers are stored. They look like this:

Code:

<Roll type="string">01-05</Roll>

This won’t need to be changed for a normal critical table.

The next section is the <Entries> tag which has an item for each column. These end up being the individual cells of the table for that row. You will notice they use the same <id-#####> tag identifier scheme starting with <id-00001> and going to <id-00005>.

The <Entries> section will start with the following:

Code:

<ColumnId type="string">03</ColumnId>

This specifies that it is the ColumnId = 03 which means that it is the 3rd column or a C critical.

The next section will be for the description Text of the cell:

Code:

<Text type="string"> DESCRIPTION</Text>

Just replace DESCRIPTION with the text description for the cell.

After this is an <Effects> section that looks like this:

Code:

<Effects>
	<id-00001>
		<Hits type="number">3</Hits>
	</id-00001>
</Effects>

The example above specifies that the result is 3 Hits. The 3 could be replaced with how many Hits the critical does. The following are items that can be in the <Effects> section:

Code:

<Hits type="number">6</Hits>
<MustParry type="number">1</MustParry>    
<Stun type="number">1</Stun>        
<ParryPenalty type="number">-20</ParryPenalty>
<NoParry type="number">1</NoParry>
<Penalty type="number">-25</Penalty>
<PenaltyRounds type="number">3</PenaltyRounds>
<Bleeding type="number">1</Bleeding>

Most of these should be self explanatory if you are familiar with the Rolemaster critical tables. Here is an example entry an E critical or the following generic description “+20 hits and takes 2 hits/rnd. Opponent is stunned and unable to parry for 3 rounds and is at -25 for 6 rounds.”

Code:

<ColumnId type="string">05</ColumnId>
<Text type="string"> “+20 hits and takes 2 hits/rnd. Opponent is stunned and unable to parry for 3 rounds and is at -25 for 6 rounds.</Text>
<Effects>
	<id-00001>
		<Hits type="number">20</Hits>
                <Stun type="number">3</Stun>        
                <NoParry type="number">3</NoParry>
                <Penalty type="number">-25</Penalty>
                <PenaltyRounds type="number">6</PenaltyRounds>
                <Bleeding type="number">1</Bleeding>
	</id-00001>
</Effects>

One thing to be aware of is the description is what shows up when you drag it to the chat. If you drag it to a combatant in the combat tracker it will use the values in the <Effects> section to filling in the effects to that combatant. This is where I’ve seen some issues with a few of the critical tables provided in Arms Law.

The one last thing you need to do is replace the </AAA-01> ending tag for the table with your code. Make sure to put the / in there so that it knows that it’s the end of your critical table.

The only thing left to do is save the files and rename the ZIP file to a MOD file with your own file name and save it in the Fantasy Grounds Modules directory.

I hope this helps people enter in their critical tables from the old Rolemaster Companions or another source. Please let me know if something isn’t clear.

**NEPHiLiX** · January 31st, 2012, 01:49

Just started using your template. I'm following your instructions closely and I've nearly completed the first table. The only thing I'm unsure about is what this refers to specifically: "The critical table source name should replace CRIT SOURCE NAME"...what is the "critical table source name"? Is that like "Heat Critical" or "Spell Law" or something else entirely?

Aside from that, so far so good. Thanks for taking the time and effort to put this together.

**Dakadin** · January 31st, 2012, 03:39

Your welcome.

The source is where you got the critical table from. Some examples would be Spell Law, Rolemaster Companion III, etc. It is mainly just informational from what I can tell.

Also if you put the template in your modules directory and rename it you will see that it shows up in your Rolemaster Modules and can be accessed in the table manager. It isn't very exciting because everything says DESCRIPTION and applies 3 hits to a combatant though

.

**NEPHiLiX** · January 31st, 2012, 04:26

The table works perfectly! I'll be working on translating a few of my companions this week for playtesting this weekend...very excited!

**Dakadin** · January 31st, 2012, 05:06

WOO HOO!!! Glad to hear it! I was hoping that I explained it well enough

. Hopefully you will get some use out of them with the additional criticals or you will feel comfortable enough to make your own attack tables from the companions. Eventually I will have to input the information from my companions also. I am just being lazy about it

.

**NEPHiLiX** · January 31st, 2012, 23:00

Very clear...the only thing that I'm unsure of is precisely what portion of the .mod-file's db.xml to copy and paste from in order to keep adding new crit tables to the same .mod file.

Thanks again!

**Dakadin** · January 31st, 2012, 23:10

My example used <AAA-01> and </AAA-01>. Those are the starting and ending tags for 1 table. If you copy that whole section out and into another db.xml then you will have the new table in it. So it should look like this shortened version:

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<root version="2.0" RMCVersion="0.35">
    <Tables static="true">
        <AAA-01>
....
        </AAA-01>
        <AAA-02>
....
        </AAA-02>
        <AAA-03>
....
        </AAA-03>
    </Tables>
</root>

Each individual tables information would go where the .... are. This example would have 3 tables in the db.xml. Hopefully that make sense. If not let me know and I will upload a new template with 2 tables in it.

**NEPHiLiX** · February 1st, 2012, 12:10

Nope that's perfect. Closing in on completing my third table and I've had a quick look in FG to make sure that they work and they do!

Thanks again for the lessons.

**StuartW** · February 1st, 2012, 19:06

Great to see this: I wish I could expand on the topic, but I am very rusty on it. Rep to Dakadin for this thread.

**Tiqon** · May 1st, 2013, 19:08

Can you use two characters in the Abbreviation IE ST (for stun) and will it get confused if I reuse a letter, like if I use S instead (if I can't use two characters) or is the Abbreviation only used in the active table (I can of course NOT use both S for stun and Slash on the same table).

<Name type="string">STUN</Name>
<Abbreviation type="string">ST</Abbreviation>

or

<Name type="string">STUN</Name>
<Abbreviation type="string">S</Abbreviation>

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