It doesn’t matter if you’re already running one or you’re just planning to, below is a list of modules I think you will find very useful to the overall experience of your text-based FVTT game. For each module, there is a short description about what it does, what settings are available, and any issues that I have encountered while using it. I believe that by breaking each module down, you can pick what fits your game the best!
Autocomplete Whisper
Created 02 Sep 2020
Updated 05 Jun 2023
Author orcnog
Description
As the name suggests, this module provides type-head suggestions that can be completed by pressing the ‘Tab’ key when you type other players’ names as targets for whisper. It also shows the list of available targets in a popup menu that can be navigated using the Up and Down arrow keys.
Available Settings
Differentiate names of multiple GMs in the same game by their Usernames.
Issues
The Tab to autocomplete is pretty useless when you have multiple players with similar names.
Whisper Box
Created 18 Jun 2020
Updated 13 Dec 2023
Authors Richard Bellingham, Jean-Baptiste Louvet
Description
This module adds in a macro that calls up whisper box between yourself and anyone else in the game. It’s very useful in a text based game to keep track of your whisper history.
Available Settings
None.
Issues
None that I know of.
Cautious Gamemaster's Pack
Created 18 Jun 2020
Updated 03 Mar 2024
Authors Alan Davies, Shoyu Vanilla
Description
A module with multiple useful features. The feature that I like the most is getting notified whenever other players are typing chat messages. Other features include disabling the ability for GM to speak as PC when clicking on their tokens, blinding chats and rolls made by hidden tokens, and disabling the Up and Down arrow keys to recall previous chat logs.
Available Settings
Toggle on/off for the features.
Issues
Cautious Gamester’s Pack ver 0.1.6 somehow stops The Furnace ver 2.6.0 from calling macros using chat command.
Chat Images
Created 19 Jun 2020
Updated 01 Oct 2022
Author bmarian
Description
A simple module that allows images to show up in chat through copy & paste, drag & drop or posting links into the chat.
Available Settings
Warning message on dropping and pasting images into chat. Configuration for the quality of uploaded and embedded files. Uploaded files save location. Embed files instead of uploading them.
Issues
Increased load times if multiple users are uploading images into the chat.
Chat Scrolling
Created 29 Jun 2020
Updated 02 Jan 2022
Author relick
Description
This module disables the chat from jumping to the bottom whenever new messages are being sent. Very useful for reading chat log.
Available Settings
None.
Issues
None that I know of.
Combat Focus
Created 22 Nov 2020
Updated 02 Oct 2022
Author Oromis | David
Description
This module allows everyone to view both the combat tracker and the chat at the same time. Very useful for a text-based game so people don’t have to keep switching tabs all the time during combat. Moreover, it works with the Tabbed Chatlog module.
Available Settings
Toggle on/off the chat in the combat tracker tab. Change the ratio of the tracker to the chat.
Issues
None that I know of.
Description
This module will scramble chat messages that are sent in languages a Player doesn’t understand into random fantasy scripts. This module really shines in a text-based game since all communication are done through text. Being able to say things that only some players will understand based on their characters’ languages really adds to the experience.
Available Settings
Add in custom languages. Options for GM to always see scrambled text. Scramble text of OOC (Out of Character) chat.
Issues
If you are using the Tabbed Chatlog module and you’re linking Discord to the game, the messages being pasted into discord will be the original typed message and not scrambled text. There is another issue with translating the scrambled text for players which I haven’t figured out how to do yet.
Description
It’s a very simple module. It adds in a notification sound whenever there is a message sent or a dice roll and/or when you are not in the chat tab.
Available Settings
Change the notification sound for dice rolling and message sending. Enable/Disable the sound entirely or only when the chat is visible.
Issues
From my experience, the players themselves have to go into their settings to enable the chat/dice sound. This might be an inconvenience for some players.
Tabbed Chatlog
Created 11 Jul 2020
Updated 30 Dec 2021
Author Cody Swendrowski
Description
This module splits the chat tab into three tabs: In Character, Rolls, and Out of Character (OOC). It’s amazing for text-base games because you can keep everything separate. The module also has a feature of only showing in-character chat for characters that are in the same scene, keeping the immersion for everyone involved. The last feature offered that I actually make use of is the ability to link the chat as a discord webhook. I’m using this so that whatever we’re saying in FVTT gets pasted into discord so we can keep it as a chatlog, and players who can’t access FVTT are still able to follow what’s happening in the game through discord.
Available Settings
Discord webhook setting and option to convert IC chat to OOC automatically whenever someone is in the OOC tab.
Issues
Some minor inconvenience with Polyglot if you’re linking your Discord.
Deepflame's Chat Cards
Created 23 Jan 2021
Updated 13 Jan 2022
Author Deepflame
Description
Color the chat header based on the players’ color. It also shows a small image in the chat card using the actor’s portrait image.
Available Settings
Switch between 3 different coloring styles and what kind of chat messages get affected by the module.
Issues
Conflict with other modules that show chat portrait.
Theatre Inserts
Created 18 Jun 2020
Updated 19 Feb 2024
Authors Ken L, Noah Zorbaugh, U~man, KaKaRoTo, elizeuangelo, p4535992
Description
This module adds in the ability for characters to chat to each other using the same interface as conversation in a Visual Novel or classic JRPG game. It’s really cool and adds in some immersion if your group is into this type of aesthetic.
Available Settings
Assortment of settings related to how long the Theater Insert text will stay up and how it looks.
Issues
The players themselves will have to activate when they want to use the module. It’s not complicated but it might turn some people off from using the module.
With this list of modules to explore as a starting point, you can get high quality play from a text-based game. What modules do you prefer for text-based gaming? Let us know in the comments, and happy gaming!
