How should I structure this commission?
I'm very new to all this. I'm part of a small publishing company (just 3 of us, Paradigm Concepts) I’m not a developer (zero coding), but I can fill out JSONs/compendia if you give me a solid template and clear instructions.
I am looking to hire a freelancer to get basic Foundry support live for Rotted Capes 2E (sequel to 1E). 2E is a ground-up rebuild—shares DNA with 5e, but not a 5e system.
I was thinking of doing it in phases, depending on how well the game is received on Foundry, starting with character sheet support, threat sheets, die rolls, ability to track wounds, stamina, burnout, and applying advantage / disadvantage.
There are some challenges I foresee later in development that will limit full automation. But I don't know enough about the back end, and I might be overthinking it.
I'm unsure what I'm getting into, so I'm seeking advice and possibly help in developing a roadmap.
There are some challenges I foresee later in development that will limit full automation. But I don't know enough about the back end, and I might be overthinking it.
I'm unsure what I'm getting into, so I'm seeking advice and possibly help in developing a roadmap.
2 Replies
To break things down Into ways that would be easier for you to understand how to get this done with you might want to put it into steps and phase this will allow you to be sure if what you want to do at it stage of the project till you get to the completion
For instance
Step 1 can be
Character sheets (custom for your system, not 5e)
Threat/NPC sheets
Dice rolling (basic rolls, advantage/disadvantage, maybe modifiers)
Tracking resources (Wounds, Stamina, Burnout, etc.)
Condition/advantage system (e.g., advantage/disadvantage application
Step 2: Let's break this into Phases
Phase 1 – Core Play Support
Character & Threat sheets (layout + data fields)
Resource tracking (HP, stamina, burnout)
Dice rolling integration (roll buttons, adv/disadv toggles)
Basic compendia (sample characters)
Phase 2 – Quality of Life
Automation for conditions (auto apply wounds/stamina costs)
Roll modifiers (from abilities, items, status effects)
Better UI styling
Phase 3 – Expansion
Full compendium support
Drag-and-drop functionality
Phase 4 – Advanced / Community Features
Integration with Foundry modules (initiative trackers, combat tools)
Optional visuals (tokens, icons, etc.)
Extended automation (auto damage calc, resistance tracking, etc.)
Ok, hum, how hard is the application of the initiative tracker? That's something I would like as part of phase 1, to be honest.