Tutorial 7

Tutorial 7: The Magic Shield (Status / Active Effect Triggers)

Goal: Let's create a magical barrier that physically appears on the canvas when a character casts a shield spell. We are going to create an Overlay that automatically applies a visual effect whenever a token gains the "Magic Shield" status, and removes itself when the spell ends.

Prerequisites

• Role: Game Master (We are making this a Global rule for all tokens)
• Required Modules: Visage, Sequencer and either an animation library like JB2A or your own animation asset.

Concepts Covered

• Creating a Status automation condition
• Using core Foundry Status Effects
• Triggering Visages based on "Active" or "Inactive" states

Step-by-Step Guide

Phase 1: Creating the Shield Visuals

1. Create a New Visage: Open the Global Library and create a new Visage.
2. Set the Label and Mode: Name it "Magic Shield" and check the Mode is Overlay.
3. Set the Appearance:
   • If you have Sequencer/JB2A: Click the + button at the top of the Layers list, choose Visual effect, and paste a shield animation path into its File Path (e.g., jb2a.shield.01.loop.blue). Loop Effect is switched on by default, so the shield keeps shimmering while the Visage is applied.
   • If you do not have Sequencer: Select the Dynamic Ring in the Layers list, switch it on with its eye, and set its colour to a bright, glowing blue.

Phase 2: The Status Condition

1. Open the Automation View: In the header of the Visage Editor, switch the View to Automation.
2. Enable Automation: Click the Apply automatically power button at the top so it turns green.
3. Add a Condition: Under Add a condition, click the Effect button. A new condition appears in the list.
4. Configure the Status:
   • Status: Click the dropdown. This menu contains all the core status effects built into your game system. Scroll down and select Magic Shield.
   • State: Make sure this is set to applied. This tells Visage: "Apply this Overlay while the token has the Magic Shield status."
5. Save: Save your Visage.

Testing It Out

1. Check the Canvas: Make sure you have a token on the canvas.
2. Apply the Status Effect: Right-click the token to open the core Foundry Token HUD. Click the Assign Status Effects icon (usually a person surrounded by an aura) and click the Magic Shield icon to apply it to the token.
3. Watch the Canvas: As soon as the status icon appears on the token, Visage will instantly detect it and apply your effect.
4. Remove the Status: Open the Token HUD again and toggle the Magic Shield status off. The visual overlay will immediately vanish.

Pro-Tips & Creative Ideas

• Active Effects: What if your system uses an active effect that isn't in the standard dropdown list? No problem. The dropdown automatically populates with any Active Effects that are currently applied to the token you are looking at. You can also leave the dropdown on Custom or None and type the exact name of the effect into the field next to it.
• The "not applied" State: Set the state to not applied to make the condition true while the token does not have the status (for example, a "Mundane" look that shows only while a token is not Enchanted). Remember that every token without the status matches, so combine it with another condition (keeping the rule set to all) to limit which tokens it affects.