Avrae and Commands

Using Avrae

Avrae is the Discord bot we use for dice rolls, character sheets, spells, resources, combat tracking and an impressive number of tiny conveniences that nobody remembers until they need them.

If you've just arrived and this page looks like somebody has handed you the operating manual for an airship:

You do not need to learn all of this before playing.

Really.

Learn how to make a check. Learn !qstat. Steal everything else from this page as required.

Cheatsheet

(attack)-> !a <weapon> 
(Skill check)-> !c <skill>
(Save)-> !s <save>
(Cast a spell)-> !cast <spell>
(Look up spell)-> !spell <spell>
(Look up class feature)-> !classfeat <class feature>
(Feat)-> !feat <feat>
(Long rest)-> !g lr
(Change hp)-> !g hp <number>
(Temp hp)-> !g thp <number>

First Make Sure You Are The Right Person

Avrae can hold several of your characters.

This is wonderful right up until your wizard attempts an Athletics check using your barbarian's sheet.

Check your currently active character with:

!char

You can also use the Macguffins server alias:

!ch

which helps with switching characters based on the channel you're using.

If Avrae ever gives you numbers that make absolutely no sense, checking the active character is a very good first step.

Checks & Saves

There are also Server Snippets for common effects such as Bless and Guidance, which are considerably less annoying than remembering the dice yourself.

More on those shortly.

Combat

Attacking Things

Outside initiative, the basic attack/action command is: !a <attack> For example: !a Longsword, !a Eldritch Blast, !a Bite

The attack name generally comes from your character sheet.

If Avrae finds several similarly named options, it may ask you to choose one.

You can also attach arguments and snippets: !a Greatsword bless or !a Longsword rage

We'll explain snippets properly before you begin attaching random words to attacks and hoping for the best.

Avrae's Automated Combat

(http://avrae.io/cheatsheets/player) (Start with !i begin)

Spells

Rules & Lookup

A lot of 5e rules can be accessed through !rule, !class, !classfeat, !race, !monster or !condition. Check them out!

HP, Spell Slots & Resting

Avrae can track most of your basic character resources.

HP

Temporary HP

Spell Slots

Resting

These help reset the appropriate resources and, where relevant, spend Hit Dice.

!qstat: Our Favourite Little Status Line

If there is one Macguffins-specific Avrae command worth learning early, it is probably !qstat

It produces a compact status line containing useful information such as:

This is particularly useful in PbP combat because your DM can quickly see the numbers that matter without opening your entire character sheet.

For help type !qstat ?

Changing Your Displayed AC

Temporary AC changes can be reflected in !qstat.

You are also allowed to simply remember that the spell "Shield" gives you +5 AC.

Adding a Custom Counter

If your character already has an Avrae custom counter, !qstat can display it.

For example !qstat add :crossed_swords: Fighting Spirit

The counter name needs to match the existing counter name.

This is particularly handy for characters with resources that don't otherwise appear nicely in the default output.

Timelines: The Multiverse of Hit Points

Macguffins characters sometimes participate in more than one mechanical activity at once.

For example:

This is what timelines are for.

Creating Timelines

Create your normal Quest state !qt new "Main"

Create an Arena state !qt new "Arena"

Switching Between Them

Before acting in the Arena type !qt "Arena"

Your HP, resources and other tracked information now belong to that timeline.

When returning to your Quest type !qt "Main" and you're back to your Quest state.

A simple example. You begin with:

Before your Arena turn type !qt "Arena" You get hit. Spend spell slots. Rage. Regret your positioning.

Later, back in the Quest you type !qt "Main" and your Quest resources are restored to the state stored on that timeline.

Get into the habit of checking which timeline you're on before changing resources.

Your DM will appreciate it.

Future-you will appreciate it.

Present-you may continue to forget occasionally and that's okay.

Looking Up D&D Rules & Content

Avrae can also act as a quick reference.

Useful commands include:

These are useful for looking up D&D material. They are not the source of truth for Macguffins-specific approvals, "house rules" or server procedures.

For those, use the Macguffins wiki. Avrae knows D&D but it does not attend our staff meetings.

Personal Aliases vs Server Aliases

Avrae allows you to create your own aliases and this is quite useful.

It also means you can accidentally install your own ancient copy of a command and then wonder why everybody else's works differently.

If both lists contain the same command name, your personal version may be overriding the current server version.

You can remove your personal version with !alias remove <name>

Then try the server command again.

Server Snippets

This can be useful when a snippet behaves differently for you than it does for everyone else.

“Avrae Sent Me An Error”

Congratulations! You have reached the authentic Avrae experience. Before summoning the nearest technically inclined person, try the following.

  1. Check your character !char Wrong character accounts for an impressive number of mysteries.
  2. Check the command spelling, particularly with custom aliases. A single missing letter can transform useful automation into Discord politely informing you that it has absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
  3. Ask the command for help. For Macguffins server aliases, try !command ? For Avrae's native commands !help <command>
  4. Check for an old personal alias !alias list If you have your own version of a server command, try removing the personal one and running the command again.
  5. Check whether the server command actually exists !servalias list and for snippets !servsnippet list
  6. If Avrae mentions something being deprecated that is because Avrae changes over time. If the error comes from a personal alias, you may need to update or replace it. If the problem comes from one of our server aliases, tell us which command you used and copy the error.

Please do not quietly work around it forever. We cannot fix the strange noise in the basement if everyone agrees never to mention the strange noise in the basement.

“I Can't Find The Command I Need”

This guide is intentionally not a complete Avrae manual.

For Macguffins-specific functionality, check Server Aliases which is the maintained catalog of server-wide custom commands. Or check Server Snippets which is the maintained catalog of roll modifiers.

For Avrae's own functions, use its official command documentation.

You can also try !help or !help <command>

If you're still stuck, ask.

Asking somebody who knows the command is considerably faster than spending forty minutes trying increasingly desperate combinations of punctuation.

If you're new to Avrae, don't try to swallow the entire page at once.

Step 1 - Learn these

Congratulations! You can now play most ordinary scenes.

Step 2 - When combat happens

Learn !i join and how to use -t for targets (if your DM uses Avrae initiative). Otherwise !qstat is your friend. 

Your DM can help with everything else.

Step 3 - When resources matter

Learn: !hp !rest !ss and whichever class-specific aliases you actually use.

Step 4 - If you're in a Quest and Arena simultaneously

Learn: !qt before changing your HP

Step 5 - Fancy nonsense

Personal aliases, custom counters, advanced snippets, map utilities, elaborate automation. These are the cherry on top and you are not required to learn them.

The Actual Cheatsheet

When Discord has eaten your brain and you remember nothing:

That's enough and everything else is here when you need it.

Server Aliases

Available to all players on the server. For more information, many aliases accept a ? to see the help.

Character Management

Character Setup
!level - Automatically handle many class-specific things in Avrae (run once per level)
!setrace - Handle racial-specific features in Avrae (run once)
!manage - Handles many things Avrae doesn't pick up on sheets

Character Tracking Tools
!bag - Manage your inventory in Avrae
!coins - Manage your money in Avrae
!xp - Manage your current XP value and level
!tool - Manage (and roll) with tool proficiency
!prep - Manage your prepared spells
!ch - Quick character changer based on channel

You generally won't need all of these immediately.

Character Resources

Manage, spend, and display various combat-related resources.

!hp - Manage your current HP (alias for !game hp)
!ss - Manage your spell slots (alias for !game ss)
!rest (!hd, !sr, !lr) - Perform a short/long rest and regain associated resources or spend hit dice
!exhaust - Manage your levels of exhaustion

DM Inspiration
!dmi - Grant a DM Inspiration to your character (with attached reason); use with dmi snippet

Sheets

Various ways of printing out your character information.

!qstat - Condense single-line stats like HP, AC, spell slots, rage [See !qstat ?]
- (Rage each round with !qrage and end range with !erage)
Alternatives: !ehud, !hud, !vsheet

Rolls

Perform specific types of rolls, usually using your stats.

Basic Combat Rolls
!conc - Roll concentration check (Note: Avrae combat only)
!grapple - Roll athletics to grapple (with params)
!hide - Roll stealth check and show rules of hiding
!ds_dmi - Roll for death save with DM Inspiration from !dmi

Non-Combat Rolls
!madness - Short-Term Madness table
!potion - Roll for specific potions, lookup rules
!boop - A non-damaging attack (rolls to hit)
!use - Rolls saves for combatants in init. Pulls their save bonuses and relevant effects from the combat.

There are also class-specific, spell-specific, race-specific, DM and utility aliases.

If your character has a mechanic you use regularly, check Server Aliases before building your own.

There is a decent chance somebody already did the suffering for you.

Combat

Combat oriented commands

Generic Actions
!assist
!dash
!disengage
!dodge
!ready

Spells
!absorb - Absorb elements spell automation (Absorb Elements)
!blink - Roll for end of turn Blink
!hex - Hex
!shield - Cast and display AC for Shield

Classes

Commands specific for each class, including general class functionality or class features.

Barbarian
!rage - Barbarian Rage
!surge - Path of the Wild Soul's Wild Surge
Bard
!bard
Cleric
!divinity - Cleric Channel Divinity
Druid
!wildshape - Druid wild shape into an animal
Fighter
!fighter - Meta macro that includes several fighter commands (Legacy)
!wind - Fighter Second Wind
Monk
!monk
Paladin
!smite - Paladin smite
!loh - Paladin Lay on Hands
Sorcerer
!font - Sorcerer Font of Magic
!wmsurge - Sorcerer Wild Magic
Warlock
!warlock
Wizard
!recover - Wizard Arcane Recovery
!portent - Wizard Portent

Races

Commands specific for a race, including general race functionality or racial features.

!tiefling

Rules and References

Commands that perform rule lookups or other documentation display.

!climbrule
!disarmrule
(See also: !potion and !tool)

DMs

Tools for the DMs to help run their quests and games.

Map Utilities
!map - Create a map using On The Fly Battle Maps, including !move and !tokenimport
!distance - Calculate the euclidian distance between points on a grid

Games

Commands to perform games or other quirky fun.

!card
!diceking

Macros

Commands that just display a text or image.

!bookclub - For reminding people about the bookclub!
!cookie - 🍪
!several - "Several people are typing"
!try - "Well you can certainly try"

Avrae

Aliases specifically for handling Avrae and Avrae functionality.

!avrae - See a brief tutorial on how to use Avrae with common commands
!back - Backup and restore your character variables (advanced)

Admin

Functionality mainly for admin usage.

!weather - Calculate a new day of weather (used in #announcements-weather)

Server Snippets

These snippets are attached to various rolls (!r, !c, !s, etc.) to add common modifiers. Simply add the text as a word after the roll to use them, such as !a greatsword gwm guidance hbc to attack with Great Weapon Master with a Greatsword given Guidance and Hexblades Curse.

Several of these will also display the rule for the skill associated with the snippet. Some snippets automate legacy 2014 mechanics; these are labelled below.

bane: -1d4 from Bane
bless: +1d4 from Bless
dmi: Advantage and use DM Inspiration point from !dmi
guidance: +1d4 from Guidance
gwm: -5 to attack roll, +10 to damage from Great Weapon Master (2014)
hbc: Critical on 19,20 from Hexblade's Curse
hex: +1d6 necrotic damage from Hex
hunt: +1d6 to damage from Hunter's Mark
prof: + your proficiency modifier
puresneak: +Xd6 based on level from Sneak Attack (non-magic)
pwat: +10 from Pass Without a Trace (meant for Stealth)
rage: +X based on Barbarian Level for Rage
reckless: Advantage on attack plus rule print for Reckless
sneak: +Xd6 based on level from Sneak Attack
ss: -5 to attack roll, +10 to damage from Sharp Shooter (2014)
syn: -1d6 to attack roll from Synaptic Static
tsmite: +2d6 thunder damage from Thunderous Smite