Making an NPC using Basic D&D Rules Set from store

[Larac]

On Actions

I Try and drag a weapon from the equipment list like I did for a PC, drag the red dragon head to the action bar nothing happens.

I have it on edit, made a new entry.

But the drag and drop does not seem to work.

Follow on Question.
When I drop a Spell in, to the same action bar, I get the Whole listing all the txt like a note on a PC for the Spell but not the action itself.

Again I think I am just missing or crossing a step some where.
Thanks for all the hand holding.

Lee

[Zacchaeus]

NPCs are not the same as PCs and so dragging weapons, spells etc into them will not automate any processes. You will have to manually sort out their actions tab in order for them to be able to use any weapons or spells.

[Larac]

Well that seems silly.

As we make way more NPCs than PCs.

Can I transfer a PC into an NPC somehow?

[Zacchaeus]

Em, not really. I suppose it depends on how many NPCs you are making which are non-standard. By that I mean all of the NPCs come with stats for whatever weapon they are carrying (or claws, bite etc) and the stats are already there ready to go. I assume that you are perhaps creating a special NPC that isn't standard and so need some different weapon or such like. Mostly when I do this I find an NPC that closely fits the template that I want (and in this iteration WotC have provided tons of this kind of NPC in the MM). Usually that means I don't have to alter a great deal. Most NPCs work straight out of the box.

The issue of spells for NPCs has been discussed quite a bit (there are several posts below about it) and I believe that it is something that may well be implemented in the fullness of time. It isn't a simple matter though and will require considerable recoding I believe.

Having said that It does not take long to 'fix' the spells for an NPC so that they can be automated within FG.

[Larac]

True,

Yes like to add a little here and there.
Mostly with the humanoid NPCS.

Guess I can make them PCs, then just turn them RED on the Tracker.
Just can not have them in the Encounters.

Seems odd the code was not reused from the PCs.
Or at least a way to drop a PC made NPC into an encounter would be nice.

Thanks again for the help.

So much to learn, just wanted to be sure I did not miss something, to allow it to be done.


Lee

[The Scriven One]

I actually do the PC thing for spellcasters and other characters who need access to a full list of class abilities- major NPCs. The only caveat there is that the players can see whatever you're using as a portrait, and the character's overall level at the character selection screen.

[The Scriven One]

Also, don't be afraid to think outside of the box- since my setting doesn't have many goblinoid types, I've been modifying the Hobgoblin stat blocks to be "Centurions" and "Legionnaires". So far the PCs haven't fought them, but if they need to fight along side them, or take down one who went bad, I'll be ready.

[JohnD]

I actually do the PC thing for spellcasters and other characters who need access to a full list of class abilities- major NPCs. The only caveat there is that the players can see whatever you're using as a portrait, and the character's overall level at the character selection screen.

Way around that; log in to yourself as a player and take ownership of those NPC PCs.

[The Scriven One]

Good call. I usually grab the NPC when they show up. I guess I could do as you suggest, keep them nameless and leave their portrait blank until the big reveal happens.

[Trenloe]

Video showing how to create an NPC here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-POluSDHAc

[damned]

Larac there are many reasons why PCs and NPCs are different.
If you use PCs as NPCs you get all the options of the PCs but you also dont get their weapons in the CT. So there are Pros and Cons to both.
Every GM does things differently and thus has different requirements and priorities.
If I had to setup a full PC sheet for every NPC I created I would never get any gaming done.
Get in and browse the https://fg2app.idea.informer.com/ wish list and feel free to add new ones and upvote those that resonate.


https://www.fg-con.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/fg-con-6-150-1.jpg (https://www.fg-con.com/events/)
FG Con 6 – April 17-19th 2015 - register at www.fg-con.com (https://www.fg-con.com/) for all the latest info.

[Larac]

True.
But having the option is always nice.

Added it in as well.

[heavy3p0]

You can drag spells and items to the other tab of the NPC sheet. this is what i do for spells so i can see them as a list and expand them to get rules as needed. Weapons and armor can be added to the tab too, but you will have to manually edits the AC and actions on the front tab to incorporate them into the stat block.

[Trenloe]

A number of items to keep in mind:

The NPC records mirror the format of NPCs in the MM and other products. It is always best to try to keep the format the same as that provided by the publisher of the RPG to avoid confusion and keep manual entry of NPCs as simple as possible. If you want to add spell info ,etc. drag the spell links to the "other" tab (as has been mentioned above).
The underlying data format of a PC is quite, quite different from an NPC and needs to be able to cater with all of the dynamic changes that a PC undergoes through its life. NPCs are usually pretty static and don't change much over time. Therefore, the data structure is more simplified and so is not interchangeable with PCs.
If you want to have the detail of a PC and run it as an NPC then use the PC record to do that and the GM can run the NPC. Previously login with a second instance of FG and take control of the PC so that other players can't access it. When you add the GM ran PC to the combat tracker change it's "faction" to either red, yellow or white so the players can see HP details.

[Larac]

Bowing out of this as it is getting quite annoying.

Sorry I said anything.

Those that tried to help thank you, for your help.

[Xorn]

Expanding on #3 from Trenloe, when a player connects to your game, they can only see characters they own, or that have no owner. When you connect with a localhost client (after making the PC-NPC) and claim it, none of your players will even SEE the character, let alone have access to it.

[Griogre]

One other thing, for anyone else. You don't have to open the NPC/PC in the client after you claimed it and hid it from the players you can just open it the PC as the GM without having to load the PC/NPC up so it shows in the rings at the top left.

[Xorn]

I would hotkey it. :)

[The Scriven One]

How do you get the PC/NPC into the combat tracker if you open it as the GM? I've only ever been able to get PCs into the tracker by dragging from their portraits from the upper left.

[JohnD]

How do you get the PC/NPC into the combat tracker if you open it as the GM? I've only ever been able to get PCs into the tracker by dragging from their portraits from the upper left.

Drag right from Characters box.

[Trenloe]

How do you get the PC/NPC into the combat tracker if you open it as the GM? I've only ever been able to get PCs into the tracker by dragging from their portraits from the upper left.
Drag the link (shield or dragon depending what theme you're using) from the top left of the NPC record or to the left of the NPC in the campaigg/library list to the combat tracker.

[The Scriven One]

Perfect.Thanks. I find that a lot of my issues with Fantasy Grounds tend to work out to be areas where I was making things too complicated.

Edit: I may have been confusing the issue by using "PC/NPC", what I meant was an NPC created as a PC. I should have been more clear. And now I know how to use NPCs written as PCs without opening another instance of FG.

[grapper]

With NPC spell casters, I do tend to drag and drop their spells into their abilities. It gets pretty long, but the auto parsing for npcs is pretty good at making clickable effects for things like damage. If you modify the spell description with their DC or attack bonus (and get the wording right) it will create saves and attacks that show up on the combat tracker as well.

For example the text, "DC 13 Wisdom saving throw" will show up on the combat tracker as "SAVEVS: wisdom 13" without you needed to create a specific effect.

This may or may not be less work than setting them up as a full-blown PC, but it is another option.

[doogenac]

Em, not really. I suppose it depends on how many NPCs you are making which are non-standard. By that I mean all of the NPCs come with stats for whatever weapon they are carrying (or claws, bite etc) and the stats are already there ready to go. I assume that you are perhaps creating a special NPC that isn't standard and so need some different weapon or such like. Mostly when I do this I find an NPC that closely fits the template that I want (and in this iteration WotC have provided tons of this kind of NPC in the MM). Usually that means I don't have to alter a great deal. Most NPCs work straight out of the box.

The issue of spells for NPCs has been discussed quite a bit (there are several posts below about it) and I believe that it is something that may well be implemented in the fullness of time. It isn't a simple matter though and will require considerable recoding I believe.

Having said that It does not take long to 'fix' the spells for an NPC so that they can be automated within FG.

I think I'm following along well here about 3 days into owning FG and getting setup to play and DM (pretty excited, this is a GREAT system for managing the games, can't wait to get in more deeply).

BUT I think I'm close to managing combat, and trying to use the automation of the Combat Tracker. I see from note (Above) that actions have to be setup manually at times. I'm getting them on NPCs...and NOT on player characters.

Where can I find a reference for the formats for actions, for example:

off a rat:
Bite [M] [ATK: +0][DMG: 1 piercing]

is a melee attack, attack modifiers (double click it or drag to cast this); if a HIT, same for the DMG.
And I'm getting good at targeting, etc.

Is there a good list somewhere of the sorts of items like [M] for Melee, I'm gonna guess to use [R] for say ranged.

But I'm sure there's more (e.g. acid vials).

Any tips on where I can go to "learn to fish" for Actions, Reactions.

Then will be about ready to get this party started. ahem.

thanks
Doog/Doug

[Griogre]

Generally I've found the best things to learn effect notation from are the spells and monsters themselves. As a DM, most monster attacks parse well for range and melee. So to see the Melee and Range syntax drop a Kobold on the Tracker or some other monster with a melee and ranged attack. There is also some information in the Combat Track Wiki entry here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/5E_Combat_Tracker

[Trenloe]

Is there a good list somewhere of the sorts of items like [M] for Melee, I'm gonna guess to use [R] for say ranged.
The combat tracker isn't designed to contain PC actions, mainly NPC actions. The players don't have access to anything like what the GM does in the combat tracker, players do their rolls/actions directly from the character sheet - the GM should do the same if they need to make rolls for PCs, just open up the character sheet and make the roll.

To compare the differences between what the GM sees and what the players see, you can run another instance of FG on the same computer and "Join Game" with a host address of localhost, this allows a player instance to connect without needing another licence and you can see what the combat tracker etc. looks like to the players. It's also very handy to have this second instance running so you are aware of how image sharing, masking, tokens, etc. appear to the players - a useful tool to use in learning more about FG.

I'd recommend you don't try and replicate the format/syntax used in the combat tracker for NPCs (or PCs for that matter), as you can't replicate this to NPC entries/encounters before you put them in the combat tracker, so it's hard/impossible to prepare NPCs in advance this way. Use the standard wording that WotC use for their creatures before you add them to the combat tracker and Fantasy Grounds will parse this description to extract the relevant info needed when the NPC is added to the combat tracker.