Todori’s Tips: Modules for Text-based Games

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!


module

Autocomplete Whisper

Created 02 Sep 2020

Updated 21 Aug 2024

Author orcnog

Whisper quicker with typeahead autocomplete suggestions and popup menu of available whisper targets. Detects when whisper syntax is typed, and …

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.

module

Whisper Box

Created 18 Jun 2020

Updated 13 Dec 2023

Authors Richard Bellingham, Jean-Baptiste Louvet

A module that allows you to create a dedicated whisper window (with history, and per player, if desired).

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.

Autocomplete Whisper and Whisper Box in action
module

Cautious Gamemaster's Pack

Created 18 Jun 2020

Updated 05 Jul 2024

Authors Alan Davies, Shoyu Vanilla

Offers various simple handy options. Please note that v0.2.0 was called "Cautious Gamemaster's Pack 2", but since ownership of the …

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.

module

Chat Images

Created 19 Jun 2020

Updated 01 Oct 2022

Author bmarian

The title says it all, this module adds support for images in the chat: copy-paste, drag & drop, and links …

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.  

module

Chat Scrolling

Created 29 Jun 2020

Updated 02 Jan 2022

Author relick

Makes FoundryVTT's chat log not jump to the bottom for a new message if you have scrolled up to read …

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.

module

Combat Focus

Created 22 Nov 2020

Updated 02 Oct 2022

Author Oromis | David

FoundryVTT-addon that shows the chat and the combat tracker at the same time. The point is to reduce the amount …

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.

module

Polyglot

Created 18 Jun 2020

Updated 09 Sep 2024

Author Matheus Clemente

Talk to others using a language you can speak and it scrambles text you can't understand into several fantasy scripts. …

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.

Demonstration of Polyglot
module

Squeaker

Created 18 Jun 2020

Updated 05 Jun 2022

Author U~man

Adds sound notifications settings. You can mute the dice sound, add chat notifications, and set the sound file url as …

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.

module

Tabbed Chatlog

Created 11 Jul 2020

Updated 30 Dec 2021

Author Cody Swendrowski

Splits the Chatlog into In Character (per scene), Rolls (per scene), and Out of Character (global).  

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.

Organize your chat with Tabbed Chatlog
module

Deepflame's Chat Cards

Created 23 Jan 2021

Updated 13 Jan 2022

Author Deepflame

Deepflame's Chat Cards This is a very simple module to alter the base chat cards. It will color the header …

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.

module

Theatre Inserts

Created 18 Jun 2020

Updated 23 Aug 2024

Authors Ken L, Noah Zorbaugh, U~man, KaKaRoTo, elizeuangelo, p4535992

Theatre Inserts allows for a visual novel style RP experience for text, and text-voice hybrid games. The primary function of …

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. 

Turn your Foundry VTT game into a JRPG with Theatre Inserts

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!

Author

  • Todori

    I've been playing TTRPG since 2013, and started switching to VTT early 2016 when my friends all moved away. I started out with Roll20 but switched to FVTT in 2020. I've fell in love with it since then!

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