Playing an Adventure

Pen Tool

The pen tool is used to draw on the map. Only the Dungeon master/Game Master can access tool just to avoid it being abused too much in adventures.

How to draw on the map

To be able to draw over the top of the map hold down the ctrl key on your keyboard whilst you hold and click the left mouse button. You'll be able to draw on top of the map this way, but you cannot draw on top of or underneath any tokens or light constructs. Walls, windows, and blinders are exceptions to this as you can draw underneath these.

Although you're drawing over the map it is not part of the map so if you was to remove the map the drawing would still be there.

Erasing what has been drawn on the map

To erase what you have drawn on the map, instead of holding the ctrl key, instead hold the shift key, this works in the same way except that it erases what is drawn instead of drawing.

Alternatively, you can go into the menu (top right) and select "remove drawings" confirm this and all drawings on this one map will have been removed.

Colours and texture

At the bottom you'll be presented with some default colours and textures. See how to page to see how to add your own textures to Cauldron. You can add textures but you can't add additional colours.

Size

This is a slider that you can use to change the size of the pen tool. You can only go to 1 - 50 size with this pen tool, which should be enough for most things (If you know what you're doing, you can change this temporarily in the inspection of your web browser ;)

Token & Filter

As the DM/GM, this is where you are able to search for and find your tokens to place onto the map.

In the filter you can type any keywords or a name of a token to find it more easily, which is ideal for when/if you have many hundreds of tokens.

To place a token on the map, just hover your mouse over the token and do a simple drag and drop onto the map. If you have begun the drag and drop but don't want to remove the token, as if you've made a mistake, you can either place it on the map then delete it or you can place it back in the token menu where you got it from, which will result in it not being placed on the map

Chat

The chat is used for chatting via text to other player's and DM/GM, and for using commands.

Commands

All commands start with the special symbol "/" (without the quote/speech marks). A command can only be used in the chat on its own with no other text. e.g., "it's turning dark /night 4" this will not output the command but just send the message as text. "/night 4 it's getting dark" This will execute the command /night 4 but won't send the message "it's getting dark".

Anything you see in the below list of commands that is surrounded by "[" and "]" means that the text between the two symbols is a placeholder which you don't type but replace with what it's suggesting. For example "/add [name]" The [name] should be replaced with an actual name such as "/add bob" for example.

Some of the commands that contain square brackets ([, ]) will have a list of things for you to choose from rather than it being any text. For example, "/history [clear|show]" In this command, the square brackets are giving you two choices to replace the placeholder with, either "clear" or "show"

Below is a list of commands that you can use as a DM/GM

• /help: Use this command to bring up a list of commands in the chat. These commands will not be visible by anyone else in the adventure.
• /add [name]: This will add a character to the initiative tracker (see later for more about the initiative tracker).
• /clear: This will clear the chat just for yourself, your messages and other's haven't been deleted but are not longer visible to clear up the chat.
• /combat: This command start's combat and the initiative tracker. The initiative tracker will be blank as nobody has been added to it. (See later for more about the initiative tracker).
• /d20 [bonus]: This will roll a 20 sided dice, either just text or 3D dice, depending on whether this is enabled or not. This roll will show up in the chat where everyone can see it.
• /d20a [bonus]: This will roll two 20 sided dice with advantage meaning that it will choose the larger number out of the two that are rolled.
• /d20d [bonus]: This will roll two 20 sided dice with disadvantage meaning that it will choose the smaller number out of the two that are rolled.
• /dicecolor #[rrggbb]: This will change the colour of the 3D dice that is rolled in Cauldron-vtt, if you have 3D dice enabled. The colour must be hex colour. E.G., /dicecolor #8000ff
• /dmroll [dice] : This will roll dice but only the DM/GM will be able to see it. You provide the dice in a suitable format such as [number of dice]d[side of dice] For example, 4d6, 6 sided dice, roll four of them. The side choices are 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 20, 100. You can also combine mulitple dices and add them together, such as /dmroll 1d4 + 1d6
• /done: This will end combat and remove the initiative tracker.
• /fow [image url]: fow stands for fog of war. Using this command will turn your own fog of war into a textured one. [image url] is optional but you can use images as the texture for fog of war if the default isn't what you want. Note: This can be slow on some computers.
• /history [clear|show]: This shows you the chat history even if you have since cleared it all, this will show you even the cleared history. setting the placeholder as "clear" will clear it permanently.
• /lables [hide|show]: Each player's character token has a label underneath it for the token's name. This only affects who uses it.
• /log [message]: This allows you to add a message to the adventure's journal. There's more about the journal later on.
• /next [name]: This changes who is next in combat, anyone in the initiative tracker can be next it doesn't need to be the next person. This only works if combat has already been started.
• /night [0|1|2|3|4]: This will change the lightness of the map so that it looks brighter or darker. 0 is default lightness that all maps have, 4 is the darkest. This isn't permanent to the map or adventure.
• /noscript: This disables all zone scripts in the current map.
• /ping: This will give you a list of people that are actively on the adventure. The outputted list in the chat can only be seen by the DM/GM.
• /reload: This will reload the page. You can equally do this by pressing F5 on your keyboard or pressing the refresh button on your web browser.
• /remove [name]: This will remove a named character/token from the initiative tracker.
• /roll [dice]: You provide the dice in a suitable format such as [number of dice]d[side of dice] For example, 4d6, 6 sided dice, roll four of them. The side choices are 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 20, 100. You can also combine multiple dices and add them together, such as /dmroll 1d4 + 1d6
• /walls [hide|show]: As the DM/GM you can see all the walls, blinders, and windows on the map. This command will hide them all. You can use show instead of hide to see them all again. Doors that are on the map will not be hidden by this.
• /whisper [name|dm] [message]: This allows you to whisper a message to another player, character, or DM/GM. In other words you can specify who see's your message.

Some of the above commands mentioned cannot be used by a player without the Dungeon Master permission. Below is a list of commands that the players can use. Notice that there are a few commands that the DM/GM don't have access to.

• /clear: This will clear the chat just for yourself, your messages and other's haven't been deleted but are not longer visible to clear up the chat.
• /d20 [bonus] This will roll a 20 sided dice, either just text or 3D dice, depending on whether this is enabled or not. This roll will show up in the chat where everyone can see it.
• /d20a [bonus]: This will roll two 20 sided dice with advantage meaning that it will choose the larger number out of the two that are rolled.
• /d20d [bonus]: This will roll two 20 sided dice with disadvantage meaning that it will choose the smaller number out of the two that are rolled.
• /dicecolor #[rrggbb]: This will change the colour of the 3D dice that is rolled in Cauldron-vtt, if you have 3D dice enabled. The colour must be hex colour. E.G., /dicecolor #8000ff
• /damage [points]: This will damage your character by the number of points that you set it.
• /fow [image url]: fow stands for fog of war. Using this command will turn your own fog of war into a textured one.[image url] is optional but you can use images as the texture for fog of war if the default isn't what you want. Note: This can be slow on some computers.
• /heal [points]: This will heal your character the number of points that you set it.
• /history [clear]: This shows you the chat history even if you have since cleared it all, this will show you even the cleared history. setting the placeholder as "clear" will clear it permantly.
• /labels [show|hide]: Each player's character token has a label underneath it for the token's name. This only affects who uses it.
• /log [message]: This allows you to add a message to the adventure's journal. There's more about the journal later on.
• /roll [dice]: You provide the dice in a suitable format such as [number of dice]d[side of dice] For example, 4d6, 6 sided dice, roll four of them. The side choices are 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 20, 100. You can also combine multiple dices and add them together, such as /dmroll 1d4 + 1d6
• /whisper [name|dm] [message]: This allows you to whisper a message to another player, character, or DM/GM. In other words you can specify who sees your message.

Spell linking in chat

In the adventure there is a long list of Dungeons & Dragons spells that you can roll from and view for reference. If you're not using Cauldron-vtt for Dungeons & Dragons then this next part isn't for you.

There are two ways that you can reference a spell to other people without the need to copy and paste (which ultimately just clutters up the chat). First way is to use the "link to chat" button in the spell window (there's more on that later) or an even quicker way is to type "Casting: " note the upper case "C" and the ":" at the end of the word, casting. After that just follow it by the spell name.

Once you post that, the spell name will turn into an orange link which anyone can click on for the spell window to open and show the correct spell. Don't worry if you have the spell name upper or lower case it will still work for as long as you spell it correctly

Menu

Dungeon Master view

The following sections below are available to use by anyone, player or DM/GM

Inventory

In the player view of the inventory, it will look blank if they haven't found any items that the DM/GM has set up. If there are items that the player's found, the DM/GM can set it up so that they can see a description.

This is the DM/GM view of the inventory. You get the same view as the player's do, so you can see what has been found, except that you also see a list of all collectables that can be found and set three different settings for them.

Found: Enabling this will make this collectable show up in all the player's inventory.

Explained: Enabling this will allow your players to see the description of the collectable.

The input box (see image) is for player notes, these are for the DM or player's to leave notes in relation to the inventory. Who ever makes changes to any notes here will change it for everyone.

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Journal

This looks the same for both DM/GM and player's. The journal is used to keep track of your adventure and make notes for everyone to see. Anyone can create entries in the journal but only the DM/GM can delete them.

The filter at the top of the window can be used to find specific entries containing any searched keywords.

Roll Dice ( ~ )

This is where you can choose which dice you want to roll. You can use commands too to roll instead of using this window, for quicker rolls. You can use the drop down under each dice to choose how many dice you want to roll or which sides. At the right hand side, you can set a number to add to the roll. If you add a "-" before the number you can take a number away from the roll instead of adding to it.

If you would like to save the specific dice roll, you can choose the save button at the bottom of the window to save that dice roll and make it easier and quicker to roll it.

To roll custom dice, the DM/GM needs to set a custom dice up first. Then you can use the "roll custom dice" drop down box on the bottom right of the window.

Quick/Animated Dice: If you set this option to animated, all number based dice that you roll whether it be by commands or by this window, will be 3D dice that roll on your screen then the result outputs in the chat. If this is set to "quick" then it will just output the result in the chat immediately.

Spells

The spells window has a list of almost all spells in Dungeons & Dragons. You can use the filter in the top left to search for a specific spell.

In some spells there are dice you can roll such as damage dice for example. This dice notation that's mention in the spells description is a link. Clicking on this link will roll the correct dice and amount of dice for the spell.

Link to chat: There is a button for each spell towards the bottom that adds a link to that spell in the chat. This link will open up the spell window with the spell details for anyone who clicks on it. This is much better than just copying and pasting the spell description.

The following sections of the menu are only for DM/GM

Audio>

The audio is to allow you to play audio for the current map that everyone can hear if they have their system's volume on. You have to first upload the audio file into DM's vault > Resources, then it will show up in the list of audio to play.

Combat

Combat is where initiative tracker starts for combat in your adventure. By default, all player's in your adventure will be added to this list automatically and the initiative bonus will be added to the roll initiative roll.

You can add more creatures/monsters/NPC's to this initiative list. If there aren't enough entries, you can use the "add entry" button to add more. Once you have started the combat an initiative tracker will appear on the bottom right where the chat is.

The image is of the DM/GM view, for player's they will simply just see some text in the chat specifying where they are in the initiative and where everyone else is.

In the initiative tracker there are four buttons. From left to right, Next, Add, Remove, End.

• Next: This will move the initiative to the next creature or player in the initiative order.
• Add: This will allow you to add a new creature to the top of the current initiative list
• Remove: This allows you to remove a character or player from the initiative tracker
• End

Map notes

This just shows you the notes that you have written for a given map. If you have not given a map any notes, then this button will not appear in the menu. Look at a map's settings to add notes to a map

Pause

This pauses the game for everyone except the DM/GM of an adventure. For a player, they will see a white page with the cauldron icon when you pause it. Players will not be able to see or interact with what happens in the adventure until it is unpaused again. This allows you to make changes to any map without player's seeing it.

Pictures

This will Show you images that you have in your picture resource. By choosing an image, it will show that image in the chat. Anyone can view a larger version by clicking on it. At the top, the default location is "[root]" which is the pictures resource. This can be changed if you have any additional folders/directories you made in the pictures resource.

Change Map Image

This changes the image of the map. You are presented with a window that shows all your maps that have been uploaded to the "maps" resource. The current map you're on in the adventure is the map that is changed with your new chosen one

Remove Drawing

This will remove all drawings that have been made on one map, which has been created with the pen tool