Troubleshooting
When something in the player app looks broken — here's what it usually means and what to try next.
Before you panic
This page is for "something went wrong" moments. It does not repeat the full walkthroughs — those live on Quick start, Characters, Campaigns, and At the table.
When the app blocks an action, look for a validation popup or a snackbar at the bottom. The message is usually literal — "Clipboard is empty.", "Could not read from the clipboard.", and so on. Start there.
"No active campaign selected"
Symptom: You opened Player Game and see grey text instead of character tabs and rolls.
Fix:
- Open Player Campaigns.
- Tap Activate (green play icon) on the campaign you want tonight.
- The app loads that party and jumps into Player Game.
Opening Player Game from the menu without activating first always shows this message — it's not a crash. More detail on Campaigns.
Clipboard import and export
Import (clipboard) is greyed out
A character is still open in the editor. Save Character or Stop editing (no save), return to the roster, then import.
"Clipboard is empty"
Nothing readable reached the app, or you copied after tapping import.
- Copy the full JSON your GM or friend sent — not a filename, not a link to a file.
- On mobile, long-press in your chat or notes app → Copy, then import right away.
- Tap Import (clipboard) again.
Roster bundle vs single-character JSON
Import (clipboard) accepts both formats: a full roster export from Export all (many characters in one JSON object) and a legacy single-character export from the row's Export button. You do not need to pick which — the app figures it out.
"Could not read from the clipboard"
The browser denied clipboard access, you're not on a secure connection, or a mobile quirk got in the way.
- Use HTTPS or
localhost— clipboard APIs need a secure context. - Grant clipboard permission if the browser asks.
- Copy the JSON again and import immediately; don't switch apps for long between copy and import.
- Known quirk: on some phones, if the clipboard already held other content, the read can fail until you copy the JSON fresh.
Export worked but the GM sees old data
Export uses the saved state, not unsaved edits. Hit Save Campaign or Save Character first, then export again.
Full clipboard workflow: How it works · Characters · Campaigns → sharing with your GM.
Character won't save
Save Character does nothing / a validation popup appears
Common causes:
- Negative "points available" in the Main Character Info header — remove a stat, skill, advantage, or item until the badge is zero or positive.
- Other validation errors on the sheet — read the popup list and fix each item it names.
I thought it auto-saved
Auto-save runs before some context switches (opening another character, export, import). It does not replace tapping Save Character during normal editing, and it aborts if validation fails — so a bad sheet won't be silently overwritten by a clipboard action.
I used "Stop editing (no save)"
That path discards in-memory edits with no second prompt. Only use it when you mean to throw changes away.
Progress lost after closing the browser
During a session (Stamina, Body, inventory)
Player Game does not auto-save during play. Tap Save Campaign at scene breaks. When the GM awards points, use End Session → Apply — Cancel drops the dialog without committing the awards.
Everything is gone on this device
Common causes:
- Browser data or site data was cleared.
- The PWA was uninstalled.
- You're on a different browser or device — storage is per browser, per device.
Fix: restore from exported JSON if you have it. On the roster, use Import (clipboard) with a saved Export all bundle, or re-import individual character exports one at a time. Get in the habit of Export all after you build heroes you care about, and paste the JSON into a notes app or email draft outside the browser.
More: At the table → Save Campaign · How it works → your data.
Character missing when building a campaign
Not in the "Add character" picker
- They're already in another player campaign — one campaign per character.
- They were never saved to the roster (still only in editor memory).
Remove them from the other campaign, or save them on the roster first.
Name shows as "*Imported* …"
Not a bug. Same display name as an existing roster entry but a different internal key → the app renames automatically so the two don't collide.
More: Campaigns → common mistakes.
Can't add a power pool anymore
Power pools can only be added or removed while the character is still in Creating status (never saved). Once you save, that door is closed — start a new character if you need a different pool setup.
More: Characters → power pools.
App won't load or looks outdated
First visit or new device
You need a network connection once so the browser can cache the PWA. After that, character and campaign screens work offline. This website (the manual) still needs the internet.
Installed PWA vs browser tab
Both use the same local storage for that browser profile. Chrome, Edge, and your phone's browser are separate worlds unless you import JSON between them.
More: How it works.
What the app is not supposed to do
These look like bugs but are by design:
- No sync to your GM — sharing is export and paste only.
- No chat with the table.
- No rolls for opponents — the GM handles that side.
- Your GM doesn't see your live sheet unless you export and send it again.
Still stuck?
- Quick start — five-minute path from blank app to first roll.
- Characters · Campaigns · At the table
- Rules confusing you, not the app? Rules overview.