Battle Board - Initiative Tracker & Combat Manager

Battle Board is a powerful initiative tracker and combat management system for Owlbear Rodeo. It transforms your tokens into a comprehensive combat interface with automatic range overlays, real-time distance calculations, health tracking, and advanced group management—all seamlessly integrated with your scene.

Key Features

• Smart Initiative System with decimal tie-breaking
• Automatic Range Overlays for movement and attack ranges
• Real-time Distance Calculations between all tokens with elevation support
• Elevation Tracking for flying creatures and vertical combat
• Advanced Group Management with staging capabilities
• Comprehensive Health Tracking with customizable player visibility
• Role-based Interface (separate GM and Player views)
• Math Input Support for quick HP adjustments

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Quick Start Guide

Getting Started

1. Add tokens to your scene on the CHARACTER or MOUNT layer
2. Right-click any token → select "Add to Battle Board"
3. Open the Battle Board sidebar from your extensions
4. Click "Start" to begin initiative and start tracking turns

That's it! You now have a fully functional initiative tracker with automatic range overlays and distance calculations.

First Combat Setup

• Use "Add All in Scene" to quickly add multiple tokens
• Players and GM roll initiative normally - edit values by clicking on them
• Expand any row (click the chevron or name) to access advanced controls
• Hit "Start" when ready to begin combat

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Core Features

Initiative Management

Adding Tokens

Context Menu Method:

• Right-click any CHARACTER or MOUNT token
• Select "Add to Battle Board" (for tokens not yet added)
• Select "Remove from Battle Board" (for tokens already added)
• Select "Set Elevation" to set the token's elevation for vertical combat

Bulk Add Methods:

• "Add All in Scene" - Adds every CHARACTER/MOUNT token
• "Add Visible Only" - Adds only tokens currently visible to players

Smart Initiative System

After players and GMs roll initiative, Battle Board uses a sophisticated ordering system:

1. Whole numbers first - Higher integers go before lower ones
2. Decimals break ties - Lower decimals act first within the same integer
3. Alphabetical fallback - Name-based sorting for exact ties

Example order: 15 → 14 → 13.1 → 13.5 → 13.9 → 12

Using Decimals to Break Ties: When multiple creatures roll the same initiative, use decimals to establish order:

• Multiple creatures rolled 13: Assign 13.1, 13.2, 13.3 based on tie-breaker rules
• Need to insert someone mid-combat? Use 13.5 to place between existing 13.2 and 14
• Boss with minions all on 15: Boss = 15, Minions = 15.1, 15.2, 15.3

Turn Management

• Start/End Combat - Activates the initiative system and begins tracking
• Next/Previous Turn - Cycles through initiative order
• Round Counter - Automatically increments when reaching the end of initiative
• Active Highlighting - Current turn is clearly marked with visual indicators

Token Stats & Health Management

Editable Stats

Every token row provides quick access to combat-relevant statistics:

• Initiative - Click to edit, supports decimals for tie-breaking
• Armor Class (AC) - Inline editing
• Hit Points - Separate Current/Max HP with temp HP tracking
• Name - Automatically syncs with token labels

Math Input System

HP fields support mathematical expressions for quick combat adjustments:

• Damage: Type -8 to subtract 8 HP
• Healing: Type +5 to add 5 HP
• Complex: Type 25-3+2-1 for multi-step calculations
• Absolute: Type 15 to set HP to exactly 15

Health Status Display

Battle Board automatically calculates and displays health status:

• Healthy - Above 50% HP (green)
• Bloodied - Below 50% HP (yellow)
• Dying - 0 HP Player Characters (red)
• Dead - 0 HP NPCs (red)

Health visibility to players is fully configurable in settings.

Concentration Tracking

Battle Board includes an intelligent concentration tracking system to help DMs remember to call for concentration checks:

DM View:

• Concentration Column - Enable in Display Settings → GM Columns
• Checkbox per Token - Mark which creatures are concentrating on spells
• Automatic Reminders - When a concentrating creature takes damage, an alert appears
• Smart DC Calculation - DC is automatically calculated as the higher of 10 or half damage taken

Alert System:

• Notifications appear as overlay alerts at the top of the screen
• Shows: "{Creature Name} Concentration Check, DC {XX}"
• Visible to both GM and players
• Dismissible by anyone - syncs across all clients when cleared

Player View:

• Concentrating creatures show a grey diamond icon with "C" after their name
• Same automatic alerts when concentration checks are needed
• Players can dismiss alerts for their own characters

Usage:

1. Enable "Concentration" in Display Settings → GM Columns
2. Check the concentration box for any creature maintaining a spell
3. When that creature takes damage, an alert automatically appears
4. Make the concentration save, then dismiss the alert

Example: A wizard with concentration checked takes 18 damage. Battle Board instantly displays: "Wizard Concentration Check, DC 10" (since half of 18 is 9, which is less than 10).

Range Overlay System

Automatic Range Rings

Battle Board can automatically draw range indicators around tokens:

Movement Rings (Green, Dashed):

• Unattached circles showing movement range
• Stay in place when tokens move (tactical positioning)

Attack Range Rings (Red, Dashed):

• Attached rounded rectangles following token shape
• Move with the token for dynamic range visualization

DM Preview Mode

Each token has a radar icon for DM-only ring previews:

• Toggle individual token rings on/off
• Visible only to the GM
• Perfect for planning encounters

Complete Customization

Expand any token row to access full styling controls:

Colors: 16-color palette picker Line Weight: 8 thickness options (2-28px)
Patterns: Solid or dashed lines Opacity: 0-100% transparency control

Distance Calculations

Automatic Distance Panel

When you expand a token row, Battle Board calculates distances to all other tokens:

• Edge-to-edge measurement (not center-to-center)
• Sorted by proximity (closest first)
• "Touch" indicator for adjacent tokens (< 5ft)
• Real-time updates as tokens move
• Elevation-aware - Accounts for vertical distance when tokens have different elevations

Smart Measurements

• Distances account for token size (not just position)
• Uses Owlbear Rodeo's grid measurement system
• Supports all measurement modes (Chebyshev, Euclidean, etc.)
• Automatically includes elevation differences in distance calculations

Elevation Tracking

Setting Elevation

Battle Board supports full 3D combat with elevation tracking for flying creatures, elevated platforms, and vertical encounters:

Setting Elevation via Context Menu:

• Right-click any token on the map
• Select "Set Elevation"
• Enter the elevation value (in feet)
• The token's elevation is saved and synced across all clients

Elevation-Aware Distance Calculations:

• All distance calculations automatically account for elevation differences
• Perfect for flying creatures, elevated platforms, and multi-level encounters
• Works with all grid measurement modes

Common Use Cases:

• Flying Creatures - Set elevation for dragons, flying PCs, or hovering enemies
• Elevated Platforms - Track characters on balconies, towers, or cliffs
• Environmental Hazards - Track distance to flying hazards or elevated threats

Group Management

Groups serve two primary functions in Battle Board:

1. Minion Management

Group monsters that act on the same initiative to streamline combat:

• All group members activate together - One "Next Turn" click activates the entire group
• Shared initiative - Edit once, applies to all members
• Reduced clicking - Manage 8 goblins as one group instead of 8 individual turns

2. Multi-Encounter Planning

Use groups with staging to pre-plan multiple encounters on a single map:

• Stage encounters in advance - Place tokens for later encounters and mark groups as "Staged"
• Quick encounter transitions - Activate staged groups when players move to new areas
• Reinforcement management - Stage reinforcement groups to activate mid-combat

Creating and Managing Groups

Creating Groups:

1. Right-click any token row → "Add to Group"
2. Select existing group or "Create New Group"
3. All group members share initiative and act together

Group Controls: Groups appear as expandable sections in the initiative list:

• Group Initiative - Edit once, applies to all members
• Member Management - Add/remove tokens from groups
• Collective Actions - All members activate together on their turn

Group Staging System

Active Groups: Participate normally in initiative order Staged Groups: Visible in the list but not participating in initiative

Staging Controls:

• Activate Group - Bring staged group into active initiative
• Stage Group - Remove group from active initiative (but keep visible in list)
• Visibility option - Optionally hide staged group tokens from players
• Ungroup - Moves all grouped participants from group to main initiative as individual items

Common Use Cases:

• Room-by-room dungeons - Stage groups for each room on a large map
• Reinforcements - Stage backup monsters to arrive mid-combat
• Encounter phases - Stage different monster sets for multi-phase boss fights
• Environmental hazards - Stage trap or hazard groups with delayed activation

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Player vs GM Experience

GM Interface

The GM sees the complete Battle Board interface with full control:

• Complete Initiative List with all tokens and stats
• Full Stat Editing capabilities
• Range Ring Controls and DM preview toggles
• Group Management tools
• Settings Access and customization options
• Combat Controls (Start/End, Next/Prev turn)

Player Interface

Players see a streamlined view focused on essential information:

When Combat Started:

• Initiative Order with creature names
• Health Information (if enabled by GM)
• Active Turn Indicator with visual highlighting
• Range Rings for active Player Characters (if enabled)

Before Combat Starts:

• Simple message: "Initiative has not started yet."

When Disabled:

• Clear message: "The DM has disabled the player initiative list."

Permission System

The GM has granular control over what players can see:

• Initiative List Visibility - Show/hide entire list
• Health Information - None/Status/Numbers per creature type
• Range Rings - Enable for Player Characters during their turn
• Distance Information - Available in player expanded views

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Advanced Features

Comprehensive Settings

Display Settings - GM Columns

Control what information appears in your GM interface:

• Armor Class Column - Show/hide AC values
• Hit Points Columns - Toggle Current/Max/Temp HP display
• Concentration - Show/hide concentration tracking column with automatic reminders
• DM Ring Toggle - Show/hide the radar icon for ring previews

Display Settings - Player Columns

Configure what players can see:

Health Status Master Toggle:

• Enable/disable all health information for players

Per-Faction Health Display:

• Player Characters: None / Status / Numbers
• NPCs: None / Status / Numbers

Range Ring Display:

• Show movement/attack rings for active Player Characters

Info Panel Settings

• Distance Calculations - Enable/disable the distance panel in expanded rows

Gameplay Settings

• Player Initiative List - Show/hide the entire initiative interface from players
• Group Staging Controls Visibility - Whether staging/unstaging groups affects token visibility
• Player Editable Health - Allow players to edit HP and Temp HP for their own Player Characters

Player Editable Health: When enabled, players can manage health for their own characters directly in the initiative tracker:

• Players see editable HP and Temp HP fields for their Player Characters
• Same math input support as GM (type -8 for damage, +5 for healing)
• Changes sync instantly across all clients
• GM retains full editing control over all tokens
• Only affects tokens marked as Player Characters
• Helpful for games where players track their own health

Data Storage

Battle Board saves all information directly to your scene and token metadata:

• Stats and Health persist across sessions
• Initiative Order maintained between browser reloads
• Group Memberships stored permanently with your tokens
• Ring Preferences remembered per token

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Tips & Best Practices

Initiative Management

• Roll initiative normally - Battle Board tracks the results, doesn't replace rolling
• Use decimals for tie-breaking - .1, .2, .3 are easier to manage than complex decimals
• Plan for insertions - Leave gaps like 15 → 13 → 11 for mid-combat additions
• Group similar creatures - All goblins can share initiative and act together

Health Tracking

• Set Max HP first - Current HP auto-adjusts proportionally
• Use math input - -8 is faster than calculating 23-8=15
• Track temp HP separately - It automatically layers on top of current HP
• Monitor status colors - Green/Yellow/Red provide quick visual health assessment

Range Management

• Start with defaults - Green movement, red attack ranges work well
• Use DM previews for planning - Toggle rings to visualize encounter positioning
• Customize per creature type - Different colors for different monster abilities
• Test range interactions - Use distance calculations to verify attack possibilities

Group Strategies

For Minion Management:

• Group identical creatures - All goblins, all zombies, etc.
• Keep bosses separate - Major creatures deserve individual initiatives
• Use shared initiative - Let groups of minions act on the same rolled initiative
• Reduce turn complexity - One "Next" click for an entire goblin warband

For Multi-Encounter Planning:

• Pre-place all encounters on large dungeon maps
• Stage groups by area - "Goblin Barracks", "Throne Room Guards", etc.
• Plan reinforcement timing - Stage backup waves for dramatic encounters
• Use visibility controls - Hide staged tokens until they're needed

Large Combat Management

• Bulk add tokens first, then organize into logical groups
• Use player visibility settings to reduce information overload
• Leverage distance calculations for quick tactical decisions
• Stage complex encounters in phases rather than overwhelming players

Player Experience

• Configure health visibility thoughtfully - Status often works better than raw numbers
• Enable PC rings for enhanced tactical play
• Keep initiative list enabled unless you need complete secrecy
• Communicate group actions - Let players know when minion groups are acting together

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Support & Development

Battle Board is actively developed and supported. For feature requests, bug reports, or to support development:

• GitHub Repository: Battle Board on GitHub
• Support Development: Patreon - Missing Link Dev
• Community Support: Join discussions in the Owlbear Rodeo Discord

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Battle Board transforms your Owlbear Rodeo sessions with initiative tracking and combat management. From quick skirmishes to complex multi-group encounters, Battle Board scales to meet your needs while maintaining the simplicity that makes Owlbear Rodeo great.