Spell Calculator

[Taldorblackfire]

Hey everyone,

Here is something cool I thought everyone might like to try, it is a spell calculator that essentially tells you the Potency, Duration, Scale, Free Reaches, Die Pool, Paradox Die Pool, and allows you to add certain functions to spells automatically.

Here is a screenshot of the calculator in action:


I always find opening and finding the section of the book and reading all the different factors a headache and of course all the manual math that comes with figuring paradox. Obviously it doesn't cover special factors, but it does give you an idea if the default spell risks paradox. I have considered making a paradox tracker, but the math is so simple regarding this I haven't really started on that.

You can download the program from the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hrgovs6ykd...lator.zip?dl=0

Also, for those that may receive an error stating something about (2,2) XML, simply delete your old "config_file.txt". I changed the way the program saves and loads this file so creating a new file will fix this.

[Taldorblackfire]

For those that want to give it a try you can download it from the following link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hrgovs6ykd4ia6l/Reach%20Calculator.zip?dl=0

If you have any thoughts or ideas to add to this let me know. My group uses it for figuring out their spells.

[arthexis]

I knew this would happen.

[Taldorblackfire]

Interesting, you are sneaking into my mind?

[lnodiv]

For those that want to give it a try you can download it from the following link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nzl5vmnc5j...lator.zip?dl=0

If you have any thoughts or ideas to add to this let me know. My group uses it for figuring out their spells.

Trying this out now.

Edit: Decreasing Arcana levels doesn't appropriately decrease the dice pool. IE, if I move it to 5, and then back down to three, it doesn't decrease. If I raise it back to five, it actually goes even higher.

[Taldorblackfire]

Oops... Darn it, I thought I had all the kinks out of it. Yeah, I found the logic and fixed it.

New link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hrgovs6ykd...lator.zip?dl=0

[arthexis]

My suggestions are more complicated features, and probably not so easy to implement in.. is that Visual C#? or VB?
(I am bringing out my inner CS professor)

1. Add a "name" field at the top
2. Create a data structure to hold all the fields.
3. Create array of said structures
4. Create a side bar where a user can select a named structure and switch the current configuration to the stored one
5. Put a "Save" button to copy the visible fields to the array
6. On program close save to a file, then read to a file on program start. A fixed file would be fine, so you don't have to mess around with file dialogs.

Now you can store a bunch of pre-calculated rolls in a more practical manner.

Other suggestions:

1. Make the bottom row of fields much larger, since those are the ones the user will be looking at.
2. Perhaps even break the screen into two wells or sections: "Parameters" and "Results" or something like that.

For bonus grade, implement a "Roll this!" button

[Seraph Kitty]

Definitely a useful resource; I will try this out in game and see if people take to it.

I did notice an error on the Advanced Scale chart: the basic success is listed as 4 subjects, and the first step up as 5 (for a -2 penalty).
It also glitches when a number is typed into the box, rather than clicked to increase, especially if it had already been raised by clicking the arrow. For example, I clicked to increase potency a bunch, wondering if there was a cap; when I typed in 0 to reset it, the potency number didn't drop. When typing in a higher number, even from 0 / base, it only increases the factor by 1. The other factors work the same.

I notice that you included a cap to the Arcanum and Spell Level inputs (these don't raise above 5) - which is totally practical. But I was wondering if you could put a similar cap on the spell factors? I noticed that you can just increasing Advanced Duration, adding penalties, but the description stays at 1 year; regular Scale is the same. Although I know that regular duration and advanced scale don't have caps, so that might be tricky.... Just a thought, so that people don't lose track and see a higher penalty for a factor.

[lnodiv]

The only addition I would find really useful is the ability to print out all the info in a decently-formatted text file. The game I'm playing in is run over messenger, and it'd be nice to be able to quickly write out the spells I'm planning.

[Taldorblackfire]

My suggestions are more complicated features, and probably not so easy to implement in.. is that Visual C#? or VB?
(I am bringing out my inner CS professor)

1. Add a "name" field at the top
2. Create a data structure to hold all the fields.
3. Create array of said structures
4. Create a side bar where a user can select a named structure and switch the current configuration to the stored one
5. Put a "Save" button to copy the visible fields to the array
6. On program close save to a file, then read to a file on program start. A fixed file would be fine, so you don't have to mess around with file dialogs.

Now you can store a bunch of pre-calculated rolls in a more practical manner.

Other suggestions:

1. Make the bottom row of fields much larger, since those are the ones the user will be looking at.
2. Perhaps even break the screen into two wells or sections: "Parameters" and "Results" or something like that.

For bonus grade, implement a "Roll this!" button

This is C#.
CS Professor, I had a few of those. I got a Bachelors in CS.

Those are actually pretty cool suggestions, so that way you can have various set Gnosis levels and so forth. I see where you are going there.

I did notice an error on the Advanced Scale chart: the basic success is listed as 4 subjects, and the first step up as 5 (for a -2 penalty).
It also glitches when a number is typed into the box, rather than clicked to increase, especially if it had already been raised by clicking the arrow. For example, I clicked to increase potency a bunch, wondering if there was a cap; when I typed in 0 to reset it, the potency number didn't drop. When typing in a higher number, even from 0 / base, it only increases the factor by 1. The other factors work the same.

I notice that you included a cap to the Arcanum and Spell Level inputs (these don't raise above 5) - which is totally practical. But I was wondering if you could put a similar cap on the spell factors? I noticed that you can just increasing Advanced Duration, adding penalties, but the description stays at 1 year; regular Scale is the same. Although I know that regular duration and advanced scale don't have caps, so that might be tricky.... Just a thought, so that people don't lose track and see a higher penalty for a factor.

Yes, very good suggestions. For the value changing, that is a good one, I honestly though it would reflect if you typed in the number instead of subtracting one.
I had thought about capping some of the spell factors with limits, like sending a message to the user indicating there is a hard cap in place no need to increase further.

The only addition I would find really useful is the ability to print out all the info in a decently-formatted text file. The game I'm playing in is run over messenger, and it'd be nice to be able to quickly write out the spells I'm planning.

I think this goes with arthexis as well. Yeah, that sounds cool.

[WHW]

Could you add "Maximum Factors" feature? Thing that would calculate how many spell factors mage could potentially get out of it (no more than [Arcanum+Gnosis+5] / 2), and the biggest possible spell factor?

[lnodiv]

Could you add "Maximum Factors" feature? Thing that would calculate how many spell factors mage could potentially get out of it (no more than [Arcanum+Gnosis+5] / 2), and the biggest possible spell factor?

Where is this maximum change to spell factors described? I don't remember reading that anywhere.

[Taldorblackfire]

Hey Inodiv,

How does this look for the formatting for your spells?

Spell Name: Damage Spell
Primary Potency: 10 Primary Duration: 10 Turns Risking Paradox: No Paradox Die Pool: 0
Default Potency: 6 Default Duration: 1 Turn Casting Die Pool: 6

My guess is that is all the pertinent information you are looking for unless you meant something else. All of this information is saved into the same directory as the program named "spells.txt".

Hey arthexis,

I have created something I think that will work, see the latest screenshot:


This is pulled from a static file named "config_file.txt" which exists in the same directory as the program.

Hey Seraph Kitty,

There are now caps placed on the duration and scale factor. A message will appear and state that there is no point in improving it any further and will automatically reduces the change to the cap level. You can also just type in a number for the various factors and once you click outside, the values will be adjusted as necessary.

New link:https://www.dropbox.com/s/hrgovs6ykd...lator.zip?dl=0. OP has link updated as well.

[Menace]

Will you upload this version ?

[Taldorblackfire]

Hey Menace,

If you use the link you should have the version from the latest screenshot.

Thanks