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Compendiums are "books" of indexed and categorized series of webpages devoted to a particular RPG rule system. It behaves and is designed similarly to a mini wiki. A Compendium can be browsed outside the VTT, but it also can be used within it for quick rule searches and populating fields on your character sheets like equipment and spells via drag and drop capability.
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<div style="background:#f0e2a1; border: 3px solid #dbc870; padding: 10px;">
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<big>'''''Attention:'''''
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''Roll20 is no longer maintaining this document on the community wiki. For the most up-to-date information please visit this page on our help center for assistance: [https://roll20.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039178694-Compendium Here].''</big>
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</div>
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[[File:Compendium-tab.png|thumb|right|230px|The <span style="font-family:Pictos;">i</span> '''Compendium'''-tab, as viewed inside a game]]
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Compendiums are "books" of indexed and categorized series of webpages devoted to a particular RPG rule system. It behaves and is designed similarly to a mini wiki. A Compendium can be browsed outside the VTT, but it also can be used within it for quick rule searches and populating fields on your character sheets like equipment and spells via drag and drop capability. [[Compendium Sharing|These can be shared with other users inside a campaign]].
  
There are Compendiums that are freely available to use due to their OGL status (I.e. D&D 5th Edition SRD and Pathfinder SRD), but we also offer unlockable licensed material via our Marketplace like Wizards of the Coast's ''[[Volo's Guide to Monsters]]''.  
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There are Compendiums that are freely available to use due to their OGL or CCPL status (I.e. D&D 5th Edition SRD, Pathfinder SRD, Dungeon World), but we also offer unlockable licensed material via our Marketplace like Wizards of the Coast's ''[[Volo's Guide to Monsters]]'' and ''[[Monster Manual]]'' or Kobold Press' ''[https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/compendiumexpansion/3/tome-of-beasts Tome of Beasts]''.  
  
Knowledgeable of a certain OGL ruleset? Are you familiar with HTML text editing? Interested in building your own Compendium for the Roll20 community? [https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/4314710/help-us-create-more-compendium-options Read here to learn how to become a volunteer!]
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Knowledgeable of a certain OGL/CCPL ruleset? Are you familiar with HTML text editing? Interested in building your own Compendium for the Roll20 community? [[Building Compendiums|Go here to learn how to become a volunteer!]]
  
=The Compendium Tool=
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=External Compendium=
You can access the available Compendiums by going to the website's main navigation bar and selecting '''Tools''' -> '''Compendium'''. This brings you to the [https://roll20.net/compendium/ Compendium Page] where you can choose the Compendium you wish to browse.
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[[File:Compendium_Entry.jpg|thumb|right|320px|A Monster Entry from the Monster Manual expansion of the [[5E|Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition]] Compendium, viewed in the '''External Compendium''']]
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You can access the available Compendiums by going to the website's main navigation bar and selecting '''Tools''' -> '''Compendium'''. This brings you to the '''[https://roll20.net/compendium/ Compendium Page]''' where you can choose the Compendium you wish to browse.<br />
  
 
==Browsing a Compendium==
 
==Browsing a Compendium==
 
Once you've selected a Compendium to browse, you'll first have a search bar available followed with an index of categories. Depending on the game ruleset in question, the available categories may be different, but what you will likely see are ones such as: Rules, Races, Classes, Items, Equipment, Spells, and Monsters. Underneath these categories are subpages and in some instances those subpages may be broken down into even further subpages. For instance, in the D&D 5th Edition SRD Compendium, the Spells category has subpages for each Class and each one of these pages is a list of spells which have their own dedicated page.
 
Once you've selected a Compendium to browse, you'll first have a search bar available followed with an index of categories. Depending on the game ruleset in question, the available categories may be different, but what you will likely see are ones such as: Rules, Races, Classes, Items, Equipment, Spells, and Monsters. Underneath these categories are subpages and in some instances those subpages may be broken down into even further subpages. For instance, in the D&D 5th Edition SRD Compendium, the Spells category has subpages for each Class and each one of these pages is a list of spells which have their own dedicated page.
  
No matter which page of a Compendium you're on, there is a search bar directly above that allows you to look up for more entries at any time. The search looks for keywords used in the headers and subheaders of the entry.
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No matter which page of a Compendium you're on, there is a search bar directly above that allows you to look up for more entries at any time. The search looks for keywords used in the page title and header tags of an entry.
  
 
==="Why isn't there an entry for (Spell, Rule, Monster, Etc.) in here?"===
 
==="Why isn't there an entry for (Spell, Rule, Monster, Etc.) in here?"===
 
While it is possible that a Compendium could be missing content, especially in the case of newly built Compendiums, it's important to note that an OGL version of a rule system may not cover the entirety of the published rule system it's based from. For instance, the D&D 5th Edition OGL SRD does NOT have entries on ''Displacer Beasts'' or ''Mind Flayers'', nor do they cover any other feats beyond ''Grappler''. That is because they were purposely not included in the SRD (System Reference Document) when the publisher designed it. If something is missing from a Compendium, you should first check to see if that entry is actually part of the OGL SRD. If something is missing, contact the volunteers of that Compendium via the [https://app.roll20.net/forum/category/277980 Character Sheets & Compendium forum].
 
While it is possible that a Compendium could be missing content, especially in the case of newly built Compendiums, it's important to note that an OGL version of a rule system may not cover the entirety of the published rule system it's based from. For instance, the D&D 5th Edition OGL SRD does NOT have entries on ''Displacer Beasts'' or ''Mind Flayers'', nor do they cover any other feats beyond ''Grappler''. That is because they were purposely not included in the SRD (System Reference Document) when the publisher designed it. If something is missing from a Compendium, you should first check to see if that entry is actually part of the OGL SRD. If something is missing, contact the volunteers of that Compendium via the [https://app.roll20.net/forum/category/277980 Character Sheets & Compendium forum].
  
==Adding a Campaign to your Game==
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===Purchasing Compendium Expansions===
[[File:Compendium Tab.png|framed|right|The Compendium Tab with the D&D 5th Edition SRD Compendium Loaded]]
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Available on the Roll20 Marketplace are various Compendium Expansions. A purchase of one or more expansions grants access to entries that are not included in the original SRD ("[https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/bundle/29/players-handbook Player's Handbook]," ''[https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/bundle/2/volos-guide-to-monsters Volo's Guide to Monsters]'' and ''[https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/compendiumexpansion/3/tome-of-beasts Tome of Beasts]'' are examples of purchasable Compendium Expansions).
Where the versatility of Compendiums truly shines is when one is attached to a game so that it can be utilized within the VTT. GMs and players can look up rules on the fly during their game and the GM can take whole entries from the Compendium and drag them to the tabletop to create a handout with the information contained within. While editing a character journal, the GM and players can drag items, spells, and other abilities from the Compendium into their character sheet to auto-complete elements on it. Monster entries will even create and populate entire NPC journals automatically and come with a linked token (when available) when the GM drags its entry to the Tabletop.
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Compendiums are tied to Character Sheets. A community sheet must be designed by its author to point to a particular Compendium first before VTT/Compendium functionality is available. For instance, choosing a D&D 5th Edition character sheet will automatically assign and enable the 5th Edition Compendium to be used in your game as well as Pathfinder sheets linking to the Pathfinder Compendium. You can choose a character sheet at game creation or by going to the Game Settings page at any time afterwards.
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To access this content, all you need to do is purchase the expansion of your choice. Once bought, all content under that expansion becomes immediately available to you. It's important to note that access to these expansions' content shared in games is limited, and game owners must choose to [[Compendium Sharing|share their purchased compendium content on a per game basis]]. Even without sharing, a GM can create handout and character journal entries of Compendium content by dragging entries to the Tabletop to generate them. These journal entries can then be shared among players on an as-needed basis if they themselves do not have access to the expansion content.
  
Once added, a new tab will be added on the Sidebar placed between the Journal tab and the Jukebox tab. This is the Compendium tab. Browsing and searching for entries within the Compendium Tab behave exactly as the webpage version. The only difference here is that the entries will pop up in their separate window when you select them from the tab.
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==Compendium Search Filters==
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[[File:Compendium_List_View.png|thumbnail|300px|right|A List Page that features Search Filters in action on the 5E Compendium]]
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List pages on the Compendium feature special Search Filters for certain compendium categories. These filters allow you to filter through the entries dynamically via Compendium attributes without having to use the Compendium's Search Bar. Examples of such can be seen on the [https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Spells%20List#content Spells List] and [https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Monsters%20List#content Monsters List] pages of the 5E SRD Compendium. The filtered list of entries are displayed underneath the search filters.<br />
  
==Drag and Drop Functionality==
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===Utilizing the Search Filters===
===Non-Monster Entries===
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[[File:List Search Filters.png|thumb|500px|left|Search Filters for Spells]]<br />
===Monster Entries===
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===Character Sheet Integration===
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=Building A Compendium=
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The Monsters List of the 5E Compendium has search filters for monster Name, Alignment, Speed, Type, Size, Challenge Rating, and Language.<br />
As of December 1st, 2016, Roll20 has opened the ability for community members to build their own Compendiums for available OGL systems outside of D&D 5th Edition SRD and the Pathfinder SRD. A volunteership program is now available for potential members to volunteer to become a Compendium Editor. These new Compendiums will have all of the features of the original two Compendiums, including Character Sheet integration and drag and drop functionality. Editors will be working to help push content to our users and are expected to respect the rules of the site and the game they are working on - any violation or vandalism of the Compendium will result in removal from the project team.
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Editors should have a firm grasp of the rule system they would like to prepare and ideally have some familiarity with HTML, wiki writing, and/or authoring Structured Data. Structured data is strongly required to begin a Compendium, however we will consider manual submissions if the data is not available.
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The Spells List of the 5E Compendium has search filters for spell Name, Level, Class, School, Ritual, Concentration, Casting Time, Range, Spell Attack, Damage Type, and Save.<br />
  
At present, Roll20 will be limiting one Editor per game system Compendium. After an initial Compendium project is completed, an Editor may be considered to help contribute towards other future Compendiums in collaborative projects.
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With the exception of the Name field and the monster Speed field (which are simple text fields), the rest of these hard-coded search filters are either drop down multi-select fields or Yes/No radio buttons. When selecting one of the multi-select fields, you will have every option that's available for that listed attribute. For example, the Spell List filter for spell School has the available selection options: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, Transmutation, or Evocation. You can choose multiple options from a select search filter. Hold down Ctrl(Windows)/⌘(Mac) while clicking on a search filter to choose multiple options from the select drop down list. You can also add more options afterwards, by clicking on the empty space to the right of the last filter item within the input field to bring up the selection drop down menu again.<br style="clear:both;" />
  
==How to Become a Volunteer==
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====Creating Your Own Search Filters====
If you are interested in volunteering to help, please email team@roll20.net and provide the following information:
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[[File:Compendium Custom Search Filter.png|framed|left|A user-created Custom Search Filter]]Each list page has a hard-coded set of search filters; however, you can create additional filters if you can't find what you need there. Below the preset filters is a blue button labeled '''+ New Filter'''. Clicking on this will create a new filter field that offers a drop down select to choose an attribute to search by and then a text field underneath that to enter what you're searching for. Every single attribute used in the Compendium is available from this filter drop down menu. For instance, say you wanted to find all monsters that wear scale mail. You would create a new filter for the AC attribute on the Monsters List page and then enter the keyword "scale" into the provided text field. The monster list would then be filtered down to all monsters that have the word "scale" listed under their AC attribute.<br />
  
<pre>Subject: New Compendium Volunteer
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You can delete a custom search filter at any time by clicking on the X icon to the right of the filter's text field. Also, custom filters do not persist after closing or refreshing the page.<br style="clear:both;" />
  
  Do you have experience with basic html text editors?
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====Hiding the Filters====
  What game would you like to bring to the Compendium?
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Right below the Compendium search bar is a toggle button labeled '''Would you like to use search filters?'''. Clicking on the toggle icon will hide or reveal the search filter options (shaded blue when revealed, grey when hidden).<br />
  Does the game have an OGL? (Please share a link to the OGL)
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  In 2 to 3 sentences, please describe your experience with these games.
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  Are you familiar with Structured Data?
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  Do you know how to obtain the Structured Data for the game you are considering?
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  Please share your Roll20 account email.</pre>
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Upon approval, editors will be connected to their Compendium teams & the Roll20 staff via email to help facilitate organization and discuss any roadblocks. All approved volunteers will receive a special account badge.
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===The Filtered Results===
==Page Creation==
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[[File:Compendium Filtered Search Results.png|thumbnail|400px|right|This is what the list filtering looks like on the Monster List of the 5E Compendium]]Below the Search Filters are the entries that get filtered and listed as tabled data. Each entry block begins with the entry's name that is also hyperlinked to its specific page within the Compendium. To save time, the tables display all of the attributes available from the search filter section ''and'' several more that would be helpful to have included here.<br />
Once selected by the Roll20 team as a Compendium Editor, you will be given access to a blank Compendium book to start editing and fill with content. During the process of creating the staging area for the book, you'll want to assemble a list of Categories needed for your game system (Rules, Monsters, Items, Spells, etc). You will want to have the organization structure straightened out before work on the Compendium begins.
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Once you're given the URL for the new Compendium book by the Roll20 Team, you create new pages by tacking on the name of the new page at the end of the URL in the address bar and hitting Enter. (example: ''<nowiki>https://roll20.net/compendium/MyBook/</nowiki>''Test Page) For special characters like spaces, parenthesis, and apostrophes, once you hit Enter, the page name will be adjusted to use HTML Code for the needed ASCII characters automatically.
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====Sorting the List====
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Entries displayed in the list are sorted in alphanumerical order, but you change which attribute to sort the list under. Under the text '''Sort results by:''' are blue buttons that list every attribute that is displayed in the list. Click on any of these buttons to sort via that attribute. You'll be able to tell which is currently selected when an up or down arrow appears beside the attribute's name within the button. The arrow's direction indicates whether the sort is ascending or descending in alphanumerical order. Clicking on the same button will toggle between an ascending or descending list order.<br />
  
Since the page does not yet exist, the Compendium will display a page that says:
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====Entry Summaries====
<pre>Not Found: [page name]
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Initially hidden from view, each search result entry has a summary which displays the first couple sentences of the linked Compendium page which includes a secondary link to direct you to the entry's page to view the rest of its content. You can reveal an entry summary by clicking on the down arrow to the far right of the entry's name. Clicking on this arrow again will hide the summary section again.<br />
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<div style=clear:both;></div>
  
We don't currently have a page that matches that name. Try again?
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====Turning Compendium Pages====
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[[File:Next Page Link.png|left]]
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Compendium expansions have had their pages given a order to follow the sequence found in the physical book. At the bottom of a page in an expansion, there will be '''<< Previous Page''' and '''Next Page >>''' links. These will bring you to the previous or following page in the order so you can read the compendium content in a similar fashion as a book. If you mouse over the Previous and Next links, the hover text will display the title of the page you will be navigating to.<br style="clear:both;" />
  
Or maybe you'd like to create this page?</pre>
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=In-Game Compendium=
Below this will be a drop down menu for the Category you wish to add the page to.
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[[File:Compendium Tab2.png|framed|right|The [[Sidebar]]'s <span style="font-family:Pictos;">i</span> '''Compendium'''-tab, with the D&D 5th Edition SRD Compendium loaded.]]
If this is the very first page, you'll not have any available Category to choose from in the drop-down other than '''Miscellaneous''' to start with, so this is where you should start adding your own Categories.
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If a Compendium is enabled inside a game, it can be accessed through the [[Sidebar]]'s '''<span style="font-family:Pictos;">i</span> Compendium'''-tab.
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==Adding a Compendium to your Game==
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Where the versatility of Compendiums truly shines is when one is attached to a game so that it can be utilized within the VTT. GMs and players can look up rules on the fly during their game and the GM can take whole entries from the Compendium and drag them to the tabletop to create a handout with the information contained within. While editing a character journal, the GM and players can drag items, spells, and other abilities from the Compendium into their character sheet to auto-complete elements on it. Monster entries will even create and populate entire NPC journals automatically and come with a linked token (when available) when the GM drags its entry to the Tabletop.
  
Once you've set or added a Category to the page, click on the blue '''Create Page''' button to create it. This will drop you onto the newly created page to start editing it.
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Compendiums can be tied to a community Character Sheet. A community sheet must be designed by its author to point to a particular Compendium first before VTT/Compendium functionality is available. For instance, choosing a D&D 5th Edition character sheet will automatically assign and enable the 5th Edition Compendium to be used in your game as well as Pathfinder sheets linking to the Pathfinder Compendium. You can choose a character sheet at game creation or by going to the Game Settings page at any time afterwards.
  
==Editing a Page==
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Once added, a new tab will be added on the [[Sidebar]], placed between the <span style="font-family:Pictos;">N</span> [[Journal]]-tab and the <span style="font-family:Pictos Custom;">u</span> [[Jukebox]]-tab. This is the Compendium tab. Browsing and searching for entries within the Compendium Tab behave exactly as the webpage version. The only difference here is that the entries will pop up in their separate window when you select them from the tab.
===Designing for Character Sheets===
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====The Character Sheet & Compendium Forum====
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===Dynamic Linking===
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==Compendium Structured Data (Attributes)==
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If you're not relying on a Character Sheet to load a desired Compendium, you'll want to go to the [[Game Settings Page]] and choose the Compendium you want to use.
===Creating Category List Pages===
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===Entry List Data In-App===
Once the individual entries of a Category are created, creating index pages (I.e. ''Monsters by Name'', ''Equipment by Type'', ''Spells by School'', etc) are automatically generated by simply adding this search template in the HTML editor for the desired index page and saving it down.
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[[File:Viewing_Compendium_Attribute_Data_In-App_v2.gif|framed|right|Viewing attribute info of D&D 5E Monster entries within the Roll20 App]]
<pre>{{SearchIndex|***filter parameters***|}}</pre>
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When browsing entries that have a List Page (like Spells or Monsters from the 5E SRD Compendium) on the external Compendium, you can pull down the same block of data that displays underneath the search filters within the VTT.
You can use multiple of the following filtering parameters all at once. Simple separate the filters apart with a space as you list them between the two vertical bars.
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While looking through a listed category on the <span style="font-family:Pictos;">i</span> Compendium Tab, a down arrow icon will appear when you mouse-over over an entry. It will appear to the left of the entry name or token graphic (when available). Clicking on this icon will roll out that entry's info block. You can roll out as many entries in this fashion as you want on the <span style="font-family:Pictos;">i</span> Compendium Tab.
  
'''Category:''' Assigning the Category attribute will list all entries under the specified Category. The entries will be listed by their entry names in Alphanumerical order.
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To hide the block of information again, mouse-over the entry and the arrow icon will point up instead of down. Clicking on this icon will hide the info block.<br />
::Example: <pre>{{SearchIndex|Category:Monsters|}}</pre> This will list every single entry that is under the "Monsters" category.
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===Book Expansion Sources===
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While viewing Compendium entries in-app, a publisher icon and a book title abbreviation will be listed on the entry's far right to signify where this info is sourced from. For instance, an entry from the ''Monster Manual'' expansion will have the Dungeons and Dragons ampersand logo as well as the abbreviation, '''MM1''', underneath it. Kobold Press' ''Tome of Beast'' expansion entries will have a kobold logo icon and the abbreviation, '''TOB''', underneath it.
  
'''GroupBy:''' This filter is typically used alongside the Category filter to help sort the resulting list. This will assemble the entries into groups. An example from the D&D 5th Edition SRD is listing Monsters by their Type (aberration, goblinoid, ooze, etc) or Challenge Rating. Entries within a group will then be listed alphanumerically.
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'''5E Sources'''
::Example: <pre>{{SearchIndex|Category:Monsters GroupBy:Type|}}</pre> This will list the various Monster Types available and then sort the Monster entries via their "Type" Attribute.
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{| style="width:25%; padding: 5px;" class="wikitable" align="center"
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|-
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! Source Book Name !! Publisher !! Icon !!
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|-
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| ''5E SRD'' || Wizards of the Coast || [[File:DungeonsDragonsIcon.png]]<br /><span style="color:#333; ">SRD</span>
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|-
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| ''Monster Manual'' || Wizards of the Coast || [[File:DungeonsDragonsIcon.png]]<br /><span style="color:#38546f; ">MM1</span>
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|-
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| ''Volo's Guide to Monsters'' || Wizards of the Coast || [[File:DungeonsDragonsIcon.png]]<br /><span style="color:#6c1f31; ">VG1</span>
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|-
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| ''Tome of Beasts'' || Kobold Press || [[File:KoboldPressIcon.png]]<br /><span style="color:#33224f; ">TOB</span>
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|-
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| ''Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus'' || Wizards of the Coast || [[File:DungeonsDragonsIcon.png]]<br /><span style="color:#00008B; ">DIA</span>
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|}
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==[[Compendium Sharing]]==
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{{main|Compendium Sharing}}
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==Drag and Drop Functionality==
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When added to a game, a Compendium can speed up the process of content generation for a GM. Not only can you use the <span style="font-family:Pictos;">i</span> Compendium tab to look something up in the rulebook without opening a physical book or switching to another browser tab, but you can click and drag on a Compendium entry to pull it out of the <span style="font-family:Pictos;">i</span> Compendium tab for various automated purposes listed below.
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===Non-Monster Entries===
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Compendium entries that aren't designed as a complete NPC sheet (Rules, Races, Classes, Items, Spells, etc) will add a [[Journal#Handout|Handout]] to the <span style="font-family:Pictos;">N</span> [[Journal]] tab containing all the text and images from the provided Compendium entry after dragging and dropping the entry to the Tabletop. When in handout form, the GM can share this out to other players. This method is how you can grant players access to purchased Marketplace content like ''[[Volo's Guide to Monsters]]''.
 +
 
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===Monster Entries===
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If you look up a Monster/Beast/NPC entry in your Compendium and then drag and drop it to the tabletop, so long as you are using a [[Character Sheet]] that has this enabled, a Character Journal will be automatically created and statted using the content from the Compendium entry to fill out the various attributes and abilities.
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===Character Sheet Integration===
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Some [[Character Sheets]], such as [[D&D 5E by Roll20]] or [[PF2E|Pathfinder Second Edition by Roll20]], have Compendium integration that enables you to drag-n-drop entries from the Compendium, or use the info in a Charactermancer.
  
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When filling out a character sheet, if enabled by the Sheet Author, a player can drag and drop Items, Equipment, Abilities, Spells, and other entry types directly to the character sheet to automatically fill them out with the information provided by the Compendium entry. The range of interactivity depends on the Sheet's design.
  
'''Source:''' If there's a Compendium that is comprised of multiple books, a "Source" Attribute will likely be created to designate which book an entry page is being pulled from. This makes you able to create an index strictly listing content only from a designated source.
 
::Example: <pre>{{SearchIndex|Category:Monsters GroupBy:Type Source:Bestiary2|}}</pre> This will generate a list of entries under the "Monsters" category, grouped by their "Type" attribute, and will only use entries listed with the "Source" Attribute "Bestiary2".
 
  
 +
=See Also=
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The other tabs in the [[Sidebar]]:
 +
* <span style="font-family:Pictos;">q</span> [[Text Chat]]
 +
* <span style="font-family:Pictos;">P</span> [[Art Library]]
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* <span style="font-family:Pictos;">N</span> [[Journal]]
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* <span style="font-family:Pictos;">y</span> [[Compendium]]
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** [[Compendium Sharing]]
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* <span style="font-family:Pictos Custom;">u</span> [[Jukebox]]
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* <span style="font-family:Pictos;">l</span> [[Collections]]
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* <span style="font-family:Pictos;">y</span> [[My Settings]]
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<br>
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<br>
 
[[Category:Docs]]
 
[[Category:Docs]]

Revision as of 17:30, 15 May 2020

Attention: Roll20 is no longer maintaining this document on the community wiki. For the most up-to-date information please visit this page on our help center for assistance: Here.

The i Compendium-tab, as viewed inside a game

Compendiums are "books" of indexed and categorized series of webpages devoted to a particular RPG rule system. It behaves and is designed similarly to a mini wiki. A Compendium can be browsed outside the VTT, but it also can be used within it for quick rule searches and populating fields on your character sheets like equipment and spells via drag and drop capability. These can be shared with other users inside a campaign.

There are Compendiums that are freely available to use due to their OGL or CCPL status (I.e. D&D 5th Edition SRD, Pathfinder SRD, Dungeon World), but we also offer unlockable licensed material via our Marketplace like Wizards of the Coast's Volo's Guide to Monsters and Monster Manual or Kobold Press' Tome of Beasts.

Knowledgeable of a certain OGL/CCPL ruleset? Are you familiar with HTML text editing? Interested in building your own Compendium for the Roll20 community? Go here to learn how to become a volunteer!

Contents

External Compendium

A Monster Entry from the Monster Manual expansion of the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Compendium, viewed in the External Compendium

You can access the available Compendiums by going to the website's main navigation bar and selecting Tools -> Compendium. This brings you to the Compendium Page where you can choose the Compendium you wish to browse.

Browsing a Compendium

Once you've selected a Compendium to browse, you'll first have a search bar available followed with an index of categories. Depending on the game ruleset in question, the available categories may be different, but what you will likely see are ones such as: Rules, Races, Classes, Items, Equipment, Spells, and Monsters. Underneath these categories are subpages and in some instances those subpages may be broken down into even further subpages. For instance, in the D&D 5th Edition SRD Compendium, the Spells category has subpages for each Class and each one of these pages is a list of spells which have their own dedicated page.

No matter which page of a Compendium you're on, there is a search bar directly above that allows you to look up for more entries at any time. The search looks for keywords used in the page title and header tags of an entry.

"Why isn't there an entry for (Spell, Rule, Monster, Etc.) in here?"

While it is possible that a Compendium could be missing content, especially in the case of newly built Compendiums, it's important to note that an OGL version of a rule system may not cover the entirety of the published rule system it's based from. For instance, the D&D 5th Edition OGL SRD does NOT have entries on Displacer Beasts or Mind Flayers, nor do they cover any other feats beyond Grappler. That is because they were purposely not included in the SRD (System Reference Document) when the publisher designed it. If something is missing from a Compendium, you should first check to see if that entry is actually part of the OGL SRD. If something is missing, contact the volunteers of that Compendium via the Character Sheets & Compendium forum.

Purchasing Compendium Expansions

Available on the Roll20 Marketplace are various Compendium Expansions. A purchase of one or more expansions grants access to entries that are not included in the original SRD ("Player's Handbook," Volo's Guide to Monsters and Tome of Beasts are examples of purchasable Compendium Expansions).

To access this content, all you need to do is purchase the expansion of your choice. Once bought, all content under that expansion becomes immediately available to you. It's important to note that access to these expansions' content shared in games is limited, and game owners must choose to share their purchased compendium content on a per game basis. Even without sharing, a GM can create handout and character journal entries of Compendium content by dragging entries to the Tabletop to generate them. These journal entries can then be shared among players on an as-needed basis if they themselves do not have access to the expansion content.

Compendium Search Filters

A List Page that features Search Filters in action on the 5E Compendium

List pages on the Compendium feature special Search Filters for certain compendium categories. These filters allow you to filter through the entries dynamically via Compendium attributes without having to use the Compendium's Search Bar. Examples of such can be seen on the Spells List and Monsters List pages of the 5E SRD Compendium. The filtered list of entries are displayed underneath the search filters.

Utilizing the Search Filters

Search Filters for Spells

The Monsters List of the 5E Compendium has search filters for monster Name, Alignment, Speed, Type, Size, Challenge Rating, and Language.

The Spells List of the 5E Compendium has search filters for spell Name, Level, Class, School, Ritual, Concentration, Casting Time, Range, Spell Attack, Damage Type, and Save.

With the exception of the Name field and the monster Speed field (which are simple text fields), the rest of these hard-coded search filters are either drop down multi-select fields or Yes/No radio buttons. When selecting one of the multi-select fields, you will have every option that's available for that listed attribute. For example, the Spell List filter for spell School has the available selection options: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, Transmutation, or Evocation. You can choose multiple options from a select search filter. Hold down Ctrl(Windows)/⌘(Mac) while clicking on a search filter to choose multiple options from the select drop down list. You can also add more options afterwards, by clicking on the empty space to the right of the last filter item within the input field to bring up the selection drop down menu again.

Creating Your Own Search Filters

A user-created Custom Search Filter
Each list page has a hard-coded set of search filters; however, you can create additional filters if you can't find what you need there. Below the preset filters is a blue button labeled + New Filter. Clicking on this will create a new filter field that offers a drop down select to choose an attribute to search by and then a text field underneath that to enter what you're searching for. Every single attribute used in the Compendium is available from this filter drop down menu. For instance, say you wanted to find all monsters that wear scale mail. You would create a new filter for the AC attribute on the Monsters List page and then enter the keyword "scale" into the provided text field. The monster list would then be filtered down to all monsters that have the word "scale" listed under their AC attribute.

You can delete a custom search filter at any time by clicking on the X icon to the right of the filter's text field. Also, custom filters do not persist after closing or refreshing the page.

Hiding the Filters

Right below the Compendium search bar is a toggle button labeled Would you like to use search filters?. Clicking on the toggle icon will hide or reveal the search filter options (shaded blue when revealed, grey when hidden).

The Filtered Results

This is what the list filtering looks like on the Monster List of the 5E Compendium
Below the Search Filters are the entries that get filtered and listed as tabled data. Each entry block begins with the entry's name that is also hyperlinked to its specific page within the Compendium. To save time, the tables display all of the attributes available from the search filter section and several more that would be helpful to have included here.

Sorting the List

Entries displayed in the list are sorted in alphanumerical order, but you change which attribute to sort the list under. Under the text Sort results by: are blue buttons that list every attribute that is displayed in the list. Click on any of these buttons to sort via that attribute. You'll be able to tell which is currently selected when an up or down arrow appears beside the attribute's name within the button. The arrow's direction indicates whether the sort is ascending or descending in alphanumerical order. Clicking on the same button will toggle between an ascending or descending list order.

Entry Summaries

Initially hidden from view, each search result entry has a summary which displays the first couple sentences of the linked Compendium page which includes a secondary link to direct you to the entry's page to view the rest of its content. You can reveal an entry summary by clicking on the down arrow to the far right of the entry's name. Clicking on this arrow again will hide the summary section again.

Turning Compendium Pages

Next Page Link.png

Compendium expansions have had their pages given a order to follow the sequence found in the physical book. At the bottom of a page in an expansion, there will be << Previous Page and Next Page >> links. These will bring you to the previous or following page in the order so you can read the compendium content in a similar fashion as a book. If you mouse over the Previous and Next links, the hover text will display the title of the page you will be navigating to.

In-Game Compendium

The Sidebar's i Compendium-tab, with the D&D 5th Edition SRD Compendium loaded.

If a Compendium is enabled inside a game, it can be accessed through the Sidebar's i Compendium-tab.

Adding a Compendium to your Game

Where the versatility of Compendiums truly shines is when one is attached to a game so that it can be utilized within the VTT. GMs and players can look up rules on the fly during their game and the GM can take whole entries from the Compendium and drag them to the tabletop to create a handout with the information contained within. While editing a character journal, the GM and players can drag items, spells, and other abilities from the Compendium into their character sheet to auto-complete elements on it. Monster entries will even create and populate entire NPC journals automatically and come with a linked token (when available) when the GM drags its entry to the Tabletop.

Compendiums can be tied to a community Character Sheet. A community sheet must be designed by its author to point to a particular Compendium first before VTT/Compendium functionality is available. For instance, choosing a D&D 5th Edition character sheet will automatically assign and enable the 5th Edition Compendium to be used in your game as well as Pathfinder sheets linking to the Pathfinder Compendium. You can choose a character sheet at game creation or by going to the Game Settings page at any time afterwards.

Once added, a new tab will be added on the Sidebar, placed between the N Journal-tab and the u Jukebox-tab. This is the Compendium tab. Browsing and searching for entries within the Compendium Tab behave exactly as the webpage version. The only difference here is that the entries will pop up in their separate window when you select them from the tab.

If you're not relying on a Character Sheet to load a desired Compendium, you'll want to go to the Game Settings Page and choose the Compendium you want to use.

Entry List Data In-App

Viewing attribute info of D&D 5E Monster entries within the Roll20 App

When browsing entries that have a List Page (like Spells or Monsters from the 5E SRD Compendium) on the external Compendium, you can pull down the same block of data that displays underneath the search filters within the VTT.

While looking through a listed category on the i Compendium Tab, a down arrow icon will appear when you mouse-over over an entry. It will appear to the left of the entry name or token graphic (when available). Clicking on this icon will roll out that entry's info block. You can roll out as many entries in this fashion as you want on the i Compendium Tab.

To hide the block of information again, mouse-over the entry and the arrow icon will point up instead of down. Clicking on this icon will hide the info block.

Book Expansion Sources

While viewing Compendium entries in-app, a publisher icon and a book title abbreviation will be listed on the entry's far right to signify where this info is sourced from. For instance, an entry from the Monster Manual expansion will have the Dungeons and Dragons ampersand logo as well as the abbreviation, MM1, underneath it. Kobold Press' Tome of Beast expansion entries will have a kobold logo icon and the abbreviation, TOB, underneath it.

5E Sources

Source Book Name Publisher Icon
5E SRD Wizards of the Coast DungeonsDragonsIcon.png
SRD
Monster Manual Wizards of the Coast DungeonsDragonsIcon.png
MM1
Volo's Guide to Monsters Wizards of the Coast DungeonsDragonsIcon.png
VG1
Tome of Beasts Kobold Press KoboldPressIcon.png
TOB
Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus Wizards of the Coast DungeonsDragonsIcon.png
DIA

Compendium Sharing

Main Page: Compendium Sharing

Drag and Drop Functionality

When added to a game, a Compendium can speed up the process of content generation for a GM. Not only can you use the i Compendium tab to look something up in the rulebook without opening a physical book or switching to another browser tab, but you can click and drag on a Compendium entry to pull it out of the i Compendium tab for various automated purposes listed below.

Non-Monster Entries

Compendium entries that aren't designed as a complete NPC sheet (Rules, Races, Classes, Items, Spells, etc) will add a Handout to the N Journal tab containing all the text and images from the provided Compendium entry after dragging and dropping the entry to the Tabletop. When in handout form, the GM can share this out to other players. This method is how you can grant players access to purchased Marketplace content like Volo's Guide to Monsters.

Monster Entries

If you look up a Monster/Beast/NPC entry in your Compendium and then drag and drop it to the tabletop, so long as you are using a Character Sheet that has this enabled, a Character Journal will be automatically created and statted using the content from the Compendium entry to fill out the various attributes and abilities.

Character Sheet Integration

Some Character Sheets, such as D&D 5E by Roll20 or Pathfinder Second Edition by Roll20, have Compendium integration that enables you to drag-n-drop entries from the Compendium, or use the info in a Charactermancer.

When filling out a character sheet, if enabled by the Sheet Author, a player can drag and drop Items, Equipment, Abilities, Spells, and other entry types directly to the character sheet to automatically fill them out with the information provided by the Compendium entry. The range of interactivity depends on the Sheet's design.


See Also

The other tabs in the Sidebar: