Nope, not that kind of chrome (or that kind), but the browser.
Just a quick tip for a very small cross section of people. If you use Google Docs, the Chrome web browser, and the DDI Compendium, you can copy and paste stat blocks directly into a Google Doc and retain all the formating. This has proven very handy for my games, where instead of referencing books during the game or printing things out, I can just pull open the Google Doc where I’ve done my planning and reference the stat blocks there. (Plus, if I want, I can edit them to change names, adjust powers, or take away hit points).
This works for all kinds of stat blocks too: magic items, powers, rituals, etc. It’s handy not just for in-game reference, but for putting together print-outs of multiple items and rituals you’re giving away during a game.
So far, Chrome is the only web browser I’ve found that does this (Firefox did not last time I checked), but if there are others, please let us know.
Below is a screenshot from my last session’s notes that used this:
Some usefull information to have. I’ll pass it on to my DM. Right now I believe he’s created a fairly hefty excel sheet where he’s inputted monster information. While it works for him, he has to keep updating it with new mobs each week.
The real genuis of this is for creating new monsters and not having to figure out the formatting as WotC provides it for us. Edit away and now we have a new mob ready for use. I had planned on using only stock monsters for the modules I’m working on due to time constraints, this option makes creating original monsters more viable.
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Whoah, that’s sweet. No more using ugly printouts from Word for me! Thanks for the tip.
Dammit, Dave! You just won’t let me resist, will you?
And if you’re the kind of guy that GMs with a laptop, you can have editable stat blocks right at hand.
That said, for those who don’t use Chrome or Google Docs (and apparently for Mike Mearls, too), remember we also have:
Monster Stat Block Template (Word)
(Don’t forget the 4e Icons font if you use it. Such a great font. I even used it in my blog header.)
And for automating most of it (including formatting), you can’t beat Asmor’s Monster Maker.
I mean, we can’t have the D&D designers using ugly Word printouts, can we?
…
…right?
Now, then, to prep my browsing habits for a transfer to Chrome…
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Oh jeez, that’s perfect for me. I create my own initiative cards and have been forced to either screenshot the stat block (no modifications) or give up on the formatting altogether. Very sweet.
Boo comment moderation…
Graham´s last post: UPS? More like You Pee… Freely… or something…
Awesome! Now I can rid of using Publisher + Screenshoting tactics 😉
So far I already use google docs and ddi compendium, to switch from opera to chrome during game session wouldn’t be so hard.
Thanks for the information and best wishes from snowy Russia 🙂
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Thanks for the tip – I’ve been very annoyed by the weirdness of cut and paste with the Compendium. And now I’ve finally been given a reason to actually try Chrome.
Glad to help, everyone. I’ve been doing it for a few months, and never thought about posting about it until today.
This is a great tip thanks a bunch. You have just saved me a ton of time as I get into final planning stages for my upcoming game.
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Chrome is rapidly becoming my own favorite browser. It just can’t be beat for it’s incredible speed. I’m fascinated to learn about some of the stuff that you can do with it too.
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Prtty interesting. I just utilize word from office 2k7. I can keep the formatting if I wish, but I prefer to strip all formatting, and set a dual column on the page. Then I re-color the at-will/encounter/recharge powers, bold the necessary attack/damage lines and modify the monster up-down depending on the need.
It’s worked pretty well, so far. I hadn’t thought of using google docs, though. Might check that out. Thanks for the tip!
Don’t seem to be able to set the margins to less than .5″, which kills it for my initiative card creation – too much wasted space. Pity, but I’ll keep trying.
SnagIt is another great free tool for this sort of thing (although you can’t edit them – they are just pic files).
The only downside to using Chrome is that it doesn’t seem to remember by username, so I have to enter it every time I log in. Also, if I’m not logged in when I click a “D&DI Compendium entry” link from the Character Builder, it pops up a non-functioning login credential popup.
Otherwise, yeah, great tool for retaining that lovely formatting, which I love….
That’s a great solution. I use a Mac, so Chrome isn’t available yet. But last session I used Skitch and took screenshots from the compendium popups and posted them to their website, then imported them into my Obsidian Portal site on a GM-only page. Was pretty quick, and worked well for the most part.
(an older post, but i just stumbled across it)
I’ve been using the Compendium/Chrome/Google Docs combo for a while not realizing that other browsers, etc. had issues.
I’ve been frustrated, however, by some auto-formatting that seems to take place when I paste in to Google Docs. It seems to want to resize the fonts in the stat block, and inconsistently, too, so that when I paste several stat blocks into the same document, they have slightly different font sizes. It doesn’t look as nice and clean as the screenshot in this post.
I’ve also had some problems with the pasted-in stat block leaving a trailing indent of some sort that I haven’t been able to get rid of.
This is nitpicking – it’s still really nice to be able to paste those suckers in. But are there any tricks to avoid the reformating problems?