You can use this Module JSON link to install.
As of version 0.3.0, this Foundry VTT module facilitates the use of Foundry v12 regions to define "Terrains." Terrains are active effects (or for PF2e, items with defined effects) that are applied to tokens that enter a defined region. Examples include difficult terrain, water (swimming), or cliffs (climbing). While movement is the obvious choice for terrain, any active effect can be defined as a terrain.
Besides terrain, Terrain Mapper also provides a region behavior to set token elevation. This is useful for defining plateaus of different elevation.
Terrain mapper also provides some advanced region drawing tools: fill-by-grid, fill-by-line-of-sight, and fill-by-enclosed-walls.
This module intends to be system-neutral. I will endeavor to make this module compatible with other systems upon request (and to the extent possible).
You can use the wiki page to share exported terrains.
Screen Recording 2024-06-22 at 8.40.46 AM.webm
Thanks
Special thanks to:
- dev7355608 for answering yet more random PIXIjs questions.
- DFreds for inspiration from their Convenient Effects module.
Required modules
Recommended modules
Known issues
Nothing too serious at the moment. Report issues here!
Basic Use
Terrains
Terrain Mapper lets the GM create one or more "terrains." Each terrain is, basically, an active effect that can be added to a token manually or as the token moves through a region.
Go to the "Terrain Book" in region controls to define terrains. You may already see some default terrains, depending on your system and current installation. If not, add a new terrain. Optionally configure the terrain, giving it a name and an icon.
In a region, go to the Behaviors tab and add a new behavior. Select "Set Terrain." In the pop-out, select one or more terrains that will be added to the token when it enters the region. Save the region. Now when you move a token into a region, you should see that terrain get added to the token. Any active effects defined on that terrain will now apply to the token.
To add a terrain effect to a token manually, open a token's actor sheet. Go to the Region controls and open the Terrains book. Drag a terrain to the token to have its effects added to the token.
Terrain effects are active effects (well, except in pf2e and a few other systems), meaning you can disable or remove them directly from the Token document.
Region Behaviors
Terrain Mapper defines two region behaviors that can be added to a region: stairs and elevator. Normally, you would want to use only one of these two. A good approach for gridded scenes is to use the fill-by-grid tool to create a region that spans a single grid space, and use that for the stairs or elevator behavior. Keep in mind that these behaviors are only triggered when a token enters (and optionally exits) a region.
Stairs
The stairs behavior can set a token to a specific elevation ("one-way") or can alternate between two elevations ("two-way"). Two-way stairs move the token up if it is less than halfway between the low/high elevations, and otherwise moves the token down. If the token changes elevation, its movement is stopped because its perspective (and visible walls, obstacles, and enemies) may have changed.
You can optionally have the behavior present a dialog to the user before the token elevation is changed. You can also limit stairs to operate only if the token is at exactly the low or high elevations, which is helpful if you have defined "floors" at which the token is meant to be moving. Finally, you can have the token return to the background scene elevation when leaving the stairs region (although you may want to use a plateau instead).
Elevator
The elevator behavior allows the user to select between several different floors. By necessity, an elevator always presents a dialog to the user. Otherwise, options here are comparable to stairs. As with stairs, if the token changes elevation, its movement is stopped. You can limit the elevator to trigger only when the token is at one of the defined elevations. And you can have the token return to the background scene elevation when leaving the elevator region
Region Elevation Characteristics
Terrain Mapper adds an additional tab to the region configuration to allow the GM to define how the region elevation works. These are not behaviors, but instead modify the movement of the token through the region. The Elevation Ruler module can also use these elevation characteristics to estimate token movement cost.
These options are most useful for outdoor scene, where you want to approximate a hill, elevated ledge, or incline such as a slanted roof. The ramp/steps option is also useful for long staircases that stretch out in two dimensions in the overhead view.
Plateau / Mesa
The plateau / mesa option allows the GM to define a highest elevation for the region. When a token enters the region, it will be elevated to that highest elevation. When it exits, it will drop back to the bottom. You can approximate this behavior using one-way stairs with reset on exit, but using the plateau is likely preferable. Movement across multiple plateaus can be forecasted and can inform Elevation Ruler. Movement will not stop when elevation changes. When a token is on a plateau, it will be considered "on the ground" for purposes of estimating flying and burrowing.
Note that the highest elevation need not be set to the top elevation of the region. If you want tokens flying above the "plateau" to be affected by the region, set the region top elevation to something higher (or leave at positive infinity). Generally, the highest elevation of the plateau should be within the height of the region.
Ramp / Steps
The ramp / steps option operates like a plateau, except that the GM can define a low elevation and a direction, and the token will change elevation from lowest to highest when moving along the direction in the region. The "ramp" moves the token in 1-unit elevation steps. Alternatively, the GM can define the step size for the ramp (how much to increment elevation along each step of the ramp).
Note that the ramp is directional, meaning that if the token moves along the ramp from the side it would be moved to the elevation of the ramp at that point and then not change (unless it changed direction to move up or down).
By default, multiple polygons in a region are treated as one big ramp (based on the border around all the polygons). So if you have two adjacent polygons, the ramp might go from 0 --> 10 for the first polygon, and 10 --> 25 for the second, if you defined the lowest elevation as 0 and the highest as 25. If there was a gap between the polygons, the region would end (and the token would return to the scene elevation) and then the token would continue. So 0 --> 10 for the first polygon, then return to 0, then 10 --> 25 for the second polygon.
The Separate Polygons option changes this by treating each non-hole polygon as a distinct ramp with the defined characteristics. In the example above, the token would go 0 --> 25 for the first polygon, then return to 0, then 0 --> 25 for the second polygon. Use this if you have, for example, several roof portions that you want to define with the same exact slope.
User Interface
Fill tools
Terrain Mapper adds some additional fill tools to the Region controls, to facilitate drawing region shapes.
Fill by grid
Fills one or more grid squares with the terrain. Hold and drag to fill a bunch of grid squares in a row. This will combine the grid squares into a single shape at the end, potentially with one or more holes.
Fill by line-of-sight
Fills an area representing the line-of-sight from the point selected on the canvas. This is equivalent to the line-of-sight used in token vision.
Fill space enclosed by walls
Based on the current wall configuration for the scene, this tool will fill an enclosed space with the selected terrain from the point selected. If there are "islands" within the enclosed space, those islands will not be filled. To assist you, wall outlines will be displayed while this tool is active.
Unlike the "Create Shape from Controlled Walls" tool provided by Regions, this does not require you to select walls first. But because of this, gaps between walls can cause this tool to "leak" and fill much more area than intended. To undo it, go to the region shapes and delete the last shape in the list.
Region configuration
Within a region, you can set three behaviors: set terrain, stairs, and elevator.
Set Terrain
Stairs
Elevator
Terrain Mapper Tab
Terrain Mapper adds an additional tab to the region configuration where the GM can choose to make the region a plateau or a ramp.
Terrain Book
The terrain book, found in Region controls, defines terrains for the game. If you delete terrains from this book, regions with those terrains may no longer apply them! Right-click a given terrain to get additional options, including import/export. You can drag terrains to actor sheets to have the underlying active effect applied.
Terrain configuration
You can edit a terrain by clicking it in the Terrain book or right-clicking and selecting "Edit Terrain" in the dropdown. This is how you define the active effect for the terrain.
In addition, Terrain Mapper adds some terrain-specific configurations.
Duplicates
If you enable duplicates, more than one instance of the terrain may be applied to a token. This is useful, for example, if you want to designate difficult x2 and difficult x4 terrain. Just overlap the x2 region with x4 region, and the terrain will be applied twice as the token moves through the overlap.
Secret
Normally, users can preview terrains by dragging their token over a region. This option precludes users from seeing the terrain in advance.