SWADE Initiative Tracker for Owlbear Rodeo

A card-based initiative tracker extension for Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE) games in Owlbear Rodeo. This extension manages initiative using a standard 54-card deck, following SWADE's unique card-based initiative system.

Overview

This extension brings SWADE's action card initiative system to Owlbear Rodeo, providing:

• Automated card dealing and sorting following SWADE rules
• Shared view for GMs and players with privacy controls
• Hold and interrupt mechanics for tactical combat
• Token integration for quick combatant management
• Undo system for mistake correction

The design philosophy is to feel like a shared deck at a physical table, removing only the logistical pain while preserving the tactile, analog feel of SWADE combat.

Add to Owlbear Rodeo

To add this extension to your Owlbear Rodeo room:

1. Open your Owlbear Rodeo room
2. Click the Extensions menu in the settings menu
3. Press the Add Custom Extension button
4. Enter this manifest URL: https://swade-initiative.ewal.app/manifest.json
5. Click Add

Features

Core Initiative System

• 54-card Action Deck: Standard deck with 2 Jokers, automatically shuffled and managed
• SWADE Sorting: Proper initiative order (Jokers → Ace to 2, with suit precedence: Spades > Hearts > Diamonds > Clubs)
• Automatic Reshuffling: Deck reshuffles after any round containing a Joker
• Round Management: Deal cards, start round, navigate turns, end round workflow

Combatant Management

• Multiple Combatant Types: PCs, NPCs, and Extras (groups)
• Token Integration: Add combatants directly from map tokens via context menu
• Avatar Support: Displays token images in the initiative order
• Late Joiners: Add combatants mid-round with automatic card dealing
• Incapacitated State: Mark combatants as inactive without removing them

Tactical Combat Features

• Hold Actions: Combatants can hold their action across rounds
• Act Now: Held combatants can interrupt to act before or after the current turn
• Lose Turn: Handle Shaken/Stunned status for held combatants
• Card Replacement: Draw additional cards and choose which to keep (for Edges like Quick/Level Headed)

GM Controls

• Privacy Mode: Hide NPC cards from players until their turn
• Manual Card Selection: Click on any card to manage replacements
• Full Authority: GM can modify any combatant's state
• Bulk Actions: Remove all NPCs/Extras or perform full reset
• End Initiative: Reset the encounter while preserving combatant list

Player Features

• Read-Only View: Players see the initiative order and their cards
• Privacy Respect: NPCs remain hidden when privacy mode is enabled
• Clear Turn Indicators: Active combatant is highlighted
• Initiative Status: Shows current round and deck status

Quality of Life

• Undo System: Local undo with checkpoints for all actions
• Persistent State: Initiative survives page refreshes via scene metadata
• Multi-Client Sync: All connected clients see the same state
• Theme Support: Adapts to Owlbear Rodeo's light/dark themes
• Responsive Design: Works in both popover and modal views

Usage

Getting Started

1. Open the extension from the Owlbear Rodeo extensions panel
2. Add combatants using either:
   • The "Add Combatant" button in the header
   • Right-clicking tokens on the map and selecting "Add as PC/NPC/Extra"
3. Deal cards by clicking "Deal Cards" to start initiative
4. Navigate turns using Previous/Next buttons during combat
5. End round when all combatants have acted

GM Controls

Privacy Mode

Toggle the eye icon in the header to enable privacy mode. When active:

• NPCs are hidden from players by default
• NPCs are automatically revealed when their turn comes up
• Individual NPCs can be manually revealed/hidden

Managing Cards

• Click on any combatant's card to open the card chooser
• Draw additional cards for Quick/Level Headed edges
• Select which card to keep (GM decides based on table discussion)
• Undo last draw if needed

Hold Mechanics

• Active combatants can go on hold (hand icon)
• Held combatants keep their card and aren't dealt new ones
• Held combatants can "Act Now" to interrupt (arrow icons)
• Shaken/Stunned combatants can "Lose Turn" (ban icon)

Player View

Players have a read-only view showing:

• The current initiative order (respecting privacy settings)
• Their own cards and status
• The active combatant
• Round and deck information

Technical Details

Architecture

• Frontend: React 18 with TypeScript and Material-UI
• State Management: Redux Toolkit with Immer for immutability
• Persistence: Owlbear Rodeo scene metadata (single source of truth)
• Sync Strategy: Last-write-wins for GM conflicts
• Undo System: Local checkpoint-based undo with localStorage

Data Model

The extension maintains a single EncounterState in scene metadata containing:

• Deck state: Remaining cards, in-play cards, discard pile
• Combatant list: Array of participants with cards and status
• Round tracking: Current round number and phase
• Turn state: Active combatant and Act Now queue
• Settings: Privacy mode and other preferences

Key Components

• InitiativeTracker.tsx: Main application container
• HeaderBar.tsx: Title, round info, and GM controls
• ParticipantList.tsx: Sorted initiative order display
• ParticipantRow.tsx: Individual combatant with actions
• ControlBar.tsx: Deal, navigation, and round controls
• CardChooserModal.tsx: Interface for replacement draws
• store/swadeSlice.ts: Redux actions and state logic
• store/selectors.ts: Memoized selectors for derived state

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• Yarn package manager

Setup

# Install dependencies
yarn

# Run development server
yarn dev

# Build for production
yarn build

# Preview production build
yarn preview

# Type checking
yarn tsc

Project Structure

src/
├── components/        # React components
├── store/            # Redux state management
├── utils/            # Helper functions
├── contexts/         # React contexts (undo system)
├── hooks/            # Custom React hooks
└── getPluginId.ts    # OBR plugin ID helper

Testing

Manual testing in Owlbear Rodeo development rooms is required for:

• Multi-client synchronization
• Token context menu integration
• Privacy mode behavior
• Card dealing and sorting correctness
• Hold/Act Now state transitions

License

GNU GPLv3

Attribution

• Original Initiative Tracker: Owlbear Rodeo
• Icon: Spade symbol from Phosphor Icons
• SWADE System: Pinnacle Entertainment Group

Contributing

This is a fork of the original Owlbear Rodeo initiative tracker, extensively modified for SWADE-specific functionality. Issues and pull requests are welcome.

Copyright

• Copyright (C) 2023 Owlbear Rodeo (original initiative tracker)
• Copyright (C) 2024 ervwalter (SWADE modifications)