Not sure if I want to buy.

[Funkpit]

I want to know what I have to buy to get started with a full version. If want everything for 5e I have to pay 150$ for a licence and then pay 150$ for the players handbook, DM book, and monster manual, or 50$ for each module?

Can I print out my creations to play on an actual tabletop? Can I use as both real world and virtual world tools?

Is the software equal to the printed materials?

[Funkpit]

Something else. Could I buy the modules as a digital book and use them to make characters offline for real world play without buying a licence?

[Zacchaeus]

If you are going to be a DM then you will need at least a copy of Fantasy Grounds. If your players can't afford or won't buy a copy then you will need an ultimate licence which will allow them to join your game using the demo version of FG. (Check out Steam because they sometimes have deals where you can buy 4 copies at a discount and you can gift these to your players - this is what I did.)

If you want to play 5e then you do not need to buy anything else unless you want to. Having at least the PHB will make your job a lot easier and your players will be able to create characters when they join your game. You can however get the PHB into Fantasy Grounds using the par5e utility; this is a lot of work however especially if you don't have an OCR facility to get your paper PHB into a PDF.

You cannot print anything out of Fantasy Grounds. The whole idea of the software is that you don't play on a table top but over the internet. It is a Virtual Table Top, so it is actually a lot better than the Paper and Pen version because not only does it give you a better visual of what is going on but it automates a great deal of the 'chore' work in the game such as dice rolling, calculating hits, damage etc etc.

You can't use the books as digital books because they are encrypted (for copyright reasons) so that they will only work within Fantasy Grounds. The software is at least as good and I think very much better than the actual books. You can't drag and drop stuff into a character sheet from the books, to name just one benefit.

If you are going to be a player then if your DM has a copy of the PHB then all you need to buy is either Fantasy Grounds or nothing at all if your DM has an ultimate license. If he doesn't have a copy of the PHB then you need to be careful what you buy. As I understand it you can buy the PHB and create characters but you won't be able to use them if the DM doesn't have it too.

I'd suggest that you have a good look at the videos to get an idea of what the software does, and agree with your players what they and you want before buying.

[Andraax]

What are you planning on doing? If you don't plan on GMing, then you don't need the Ultimate license, the regular $39 license is all you need. You could use the tools to make a character for offline play, but there is not (yet) a real good option for printing, so you would need to manually fill out a character sheet (unless you want to just use a laptop to keep all your records on - have FG up and running during a game).

[Dracones]

Is the software equal to the printed materials?

If you buy a book in Fantasy Grounds, typically it has everything the physical book will have. So you don't really have to buy the book in FG and in the "real world". That said, the format in FG is useful for when you're playing FG. It's good for looking things up and getting familiar with things. I wouldn't want to sit down and read 200 pages of material in FG.

Printing it out or anything won't really work well for you. It's just in a different format and it's not really a good "read cover to cover" style. The way it's setup I personally don't feel like I need to buy physical copies of adventure modules when they come out. I'll just buy them in FG instead. But for the main books I couldn't personally see using the FG versions for in person tabletop play.

To get started if you're a player I'd recommend finding a game first. If the GM has an ultimate license you don't need anything. If they have a standard license I'd subscribe at the standard level for a month or so until you know you like the product. That's $4 a month.

If you're looking to GM I'd recommend subscribing at the ultimate level($10 a month) and then buying the $3 starter set. That'll give you enough material to run a couple games and get a feel if you want to invest more in the product. Once you're at that point you can pick and choose the upgrades you want(buying a permanent standard/ultimate license, core class pack, monster manual, adventure modules) piecemeal.

[VenomousFiligree]

Just to point out there is third party software (https://www.dawpage.com/files/fgiisetup.zip) to print out a PC from the xml file.

[damned]

Just to point out there is third party software (https://www.dawpage.com/files/fgiisetup.zip) to print out a PC from the xml file.

The above does a pretty reasonable job too.

[Callum]

Just to point out there is third party software (https://www.dawpage.com/files/fgiisetup.zip) to print out a PC from the xml file.

Is there any documentation for that software? Is it tied to a specific ruleset?

[VenomousFiligree]

Is there any documentation for that software? Is it tied to a specific ruleset?

I've not seen any. It was posted in the D&D Adventurers League Online Play Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlineadventureleague/).

[Trenloe]

Is there any documentation for that software? Is it tied to a specific ruleset?
It's for 5E: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?22440-5E-Character-sheet-from-XML

[Hendell]

I purchased the ultimate license, 5e players handbook and monster manual and I have absolutely no regrets.

Just by watching the tutorials and some trial and error, not only am I playing but have already started a campaign.
The program saves so much time, especially for the DM, that I find the game more enjoyable and in turn so do the players.

If you would like to talk more about it, just send me a pm or join the Fantasy ground team speak and I'd be happy to talk with you about it.

[Falantrius]

" The whole idea of the software is that you don't play on a table top but over the internet."

I hope FG rethinks this "idea" - the whole point of Role Playing for us is to get together and socially game. If I want to play over the internet, I'll do Xbox live or such things. We are not "big" into not being able to pass the "popcorn" to the next player. As a DM, I'm a story teller and I have a group of people sitting around "the fire" to listen to the story. We don't play Hack and slash the monster but deep involved political struggles, complex puzzles to solve with some dungeon crawling thrown in. Role playing brings people together - and we would like to see FG support that.

[damned]

Hi Falantrius ,
This product has been around (in earlier versions) for 10 years. It is designed to fill a need - that is where players cant be in the same room as each other to role play. If you are going to sit around the table playing the game you use the books. If you want to play with people who cant get together, if you want to play with people in a schedule that doesnt fit with those locally you use a virtual table top. Its kind of like you are asking the manufacturer of a sports car to rethink their strategy because you want to drive off road...
I think you will find that playing RPGs on Fantasy Grounds brings lots of people together...

[ianmward]

Eloquently put, Damned.

[Callum]

Absolutely, damned! Fantasy Grounds has enabled me to get together and socially game with my friends scattered around the world. Without it, I would have been missing out on that wonderful experience for many years!

[Falantrius]

Hi Falantrius ,
This product has been around (in earlier versions) for 10 years. It is designed to fill a need - that is where players cant be in the same room as each other to role play. If you are going to sit around the table playing the game you use the books. If you want to play with people who cant get together, if you want to play with people in a schedule that doesnt fit with those locally you use a virtual table top. Its kind of like you are asking the manufacturer of a sports car to rethink their strategy because you want to drive off road...
I think you will find that playing RPGs on Fantasy Grounds brings lots of people together...

Oh don't hear me wrong - I understand the need. I'm just saying that there is another market space that you are close to fulfilling and you should consider meeting both needs to grow a larger community.
While we sit around the table, we enjoy NO BOOKS and use the Pathfinder SRD online. Your combat tracker is a godsend for table top as it tracks the spells cast, rounds they expire, who's turn is it.
Today I have a whiteboard with magnets with players names on them and we write spells on the board - very inefficient - but everyone can see it.
Having the characters sheets in FG - allows me to click on them and see their AC, Current HP, etc.
My summary list of players is on an EXCEL sheet now but your party sheet allows me to replace that AND keep the marching order, and lots more.
It fills a huge hole in todays table playing. I'm asking the manufacturer of a sports car to keep it as a sports car but allow me to drive it as a family car - not off road. I don't need off road - as a DM who has been DMing longer than FG has been around - I just need a couple more knobs to meet our needs.

For example:
1) Multi Screen support - I have one monitor on the laptop and two monitors on the wall. One Vertical and one horizontal - we display enemy graphics, maps, and on the vertical - our "Combat Tracker" - If I could run FG on my laptop and undock the current "Combat Tracker" and drag it over to that screen - I'd be set. as it is now, expanding the window to a vertical monitor just puts it oddly at the bottom and the resolution is off. That's the only feature I really need - my work around is to run the client on the same PC and put it on the vertical monitor but its not a great solution.

2) I need full Pathfinder support - as we have Oracles, Samurai, Etc and without the support - it will be really hard to play. I'm looking at this thread trying to figure it all out - but I think I'm close: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?16074-List-of-Modules

I'll have characters created with PCGEN and have them email me their XMLs so I can load them as updates- then I'll have Combat Tracker and Party Sheet on screen.

So I think I am pretty close - I have another thread with all my questions - I'm just waiting for answers to figure out if this will work - before I buy licenses.
I think FG is some great work. I just have to figure out how to "the sports car" in the garage vs the road.

[Falantrius]

Hi Falantrius ,
This product has been around (in earlier versions) for 10 years. It is designed to fill a need - that is where players cant be in the same room as each other to role play. If you are going to sit around the table playing the game you use the books. If you want to play with people who cant get together, if you want to play with people in a schedule that doesnt fit with those locally you use a virtual table top. Its kind of like you are asking the manufacturer of a sports car to rethink their strategy because you want to drive off road...
I think you will find that playing RPGs on Fantasy Grounds brings lots of people together...

Oh don't hear me wrong - I understand the need. I'm just saying that there is another market space that you are close to fulfilling and you should consider meeting both needs to grow a larger community.
While we sit around the table, we enjoy NO BOOKS and use the Pathfinder SRD online. Your combat tracker is a godsend for table top as it tracks the spells cast, rounds they expire, who's turn is it.
Today I have a whiteboard with magnets with players names on them and we write spells on the board - very inefficient - but everyone can see it.
Having the characters sheets in FG - allows me to click on them and see their AC, Current HP, etc.
My summary list of players is on an EXCEL sheet now but your party sheet allows me to replace that AND keep the marching order, and lots more.
It fills a huge hole in todays table playing. I'm asking the manufacturer of a sports car to keep it as a sports car but allow me to drive it as a family car - not off road. I don't need off road - as a DM who has been DMing longer than FG has been around - I just need a couple more knobs to meet our needs.

For example:
1) Multi Screen support - I have one monitor on the laptop and two monitors on the wall. One Vertical and one horizontal - we display enemy graphics, maps, and on the vertical - our "Combat Tracker" - If I could run FG on my laptop and undock the current "Combat Tracker" and drag it over to that screen - I'd be set. as it is now, expanding the window to a vertical monitor just puts it oddly at the bottom and the resolution is off. That's the only feature I really need - my work around is to run the client on the same PC and put it on the vertical monitor but its not a great solution.

2) I need full Pathfinder support - as we have Oracles, Samurai, Etc and without the support - it will be really hard to play. I'm looking at this thread trying to figure it all out - but I think I'm close: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?16074-List-of-Modules

I'll have characters created with PCGEN and have them email me their XMLs so I can load them as updates- then I'll have Combat Tracker and Party Sheet on screen.

So I think I am pretty close - I have another thread with all my questions - I'm just waiting for answers to figure out if this will work - before I buy licenses.
I think FG is some great work. I just have to figure out how to "the sports car" in the garage vs the road.

[VenomousFiligree]

" The whole idea of the software is that you don't play on a table top but over the internet."

I hope FG rethinks this "idea" - the whole point of Role Playing for us is to get together and socially game.

If you're able too that's great, if you're not then playing over the internet using a VT is the next best option...

[Arion]

If you're able too that's great, if you're not then playing over the internet using a VT is the next best option...

Exactly. I game in person 2-3 times a year now, but for the past 5 or 6 years i have been using FG to get a weekly game in. We did use it in our last face to face game as one player couldn't make it, so joined in remotely.
It will never be quite as good as gaming in person, but it has allowed for some damned fine gaming over the years.

[The Scriven One]

Fantasy Grounds has allowed me to at different points, get my old gaming groups back together, and now, to play with people who align perfectly with my goals for a game, despite geographical differences. I get to play a weekly overnight game, which I wouldn't be able to do live.

As for being able to do more than hack and slash; my games are not about hack and slash, but combat runs smoothly, allowing us to get back to the roleplaying more quickly than we can during a live game. There's a lot less looking things up. We use skype, so voice inflection comes across, and without having to face other players and wonder what their expressions mean, we can all get deeper into our characters without embarrassment.

[Xorn]

For example:
1) Multi Screen support - I have one monitor on the laptop and two monitors on the wall. One Vertical and one horizontal - we display enemy graphics, maps, and on the vertical - our "Combat Tracker" - If I could run FG on my laptop and undock the current "Combat Tracker" and drag it over to that screen - I'd be set. as it is now, expanding the window to a vertical monitor just puts it oddly at the bottom and the resolution is off. That's the only feature I really need - my work around is to run the client on the same PC and put it on the vertical monitor but its not a great solution.

The way I'd handle this is to open a second client and join "localhost" to give you a "Player View". Fit it onto the vertical monitor, and make the player combat tracker nice and huge, maybe put the Party Window there too (for a nice party summary). Then on the horizontal screen open another client and connect to localhost again--and put all your images and maps there. Have the DM client on your laptop screen. Now image masking can be used to reveal maps to players, and they don't see the GM version of the tracker, which includes info you probably don't want to share (like exact monster HP, abilities, attack bonuses, etc).

Another little tip: Make a dummy character, and give it a power with two effects: Heal (for 0), and Damage (for 0). Put those on your hotkeys, and when you need to apply damage or healing to something in the tracker, just type the number in the Modifier stack and drag either effect to the target. Very handy, I think.

[Trenloe]

Then on the horizontal screen open another client and connect to localhost again--and put all your images and maps there.
A word of warning - opening a second localhost connection on the same PC could give you issues in the long run. Both clients will be trying to download and update the same player cache files - this can result in client crashes or "weird" behaviour with downloaded resources. Some users have reported "no issues" running like this, but sooner or later you may encounter random crashes and strange behaviour due to corrupt or contested player cache files. Not recommended!

[Xorn]

Didn't think about that; I've only used more than one localhost client for recording tutorial videos. :P

[damned]

A word of warning - opening a second localhost connection on the same PC could give you issues in the long run. Both clients will be trying to download and update the same player cache files - this can result in client crashes or "weird" behaviour with downloaded resources. Some users have reported "no issues" running like this, but sooner or later you may encounter random crashes and strange behaviour due to corrupt or contested player cache files. Not recommended!

this is most likely to happen if there is actual input going on in the two player/localhost instances.
if they are just being used for display they are less likely to encounter this... and if they do you would just have to flush your cache for that campaign

[Trenloe]

this is most likely to happen if there is actual input going on in the two player/localhost instances.
if they are just being used for display they are less likely to encounter this...
Not necessarily - the campaign cache is updated when anything is downloaded from the GM side - shared images, tokens, etc.. Two applications trying to write to the same campaign cache file at the same time can cause crashes/cache file corruption. Sure, you can delete the campaign cache and start again, but it's still not a recommended approach. Stick with running only one player client on the same computer at any one time and you should be OK - this is what the system is designed for, not two.

[Falantrius]

Fantasy Grounds has allowed me to at different points, get my old gaming groups back together, and now, to play with people who align perfectly with my goals for a game, despite geographical differences. I get to play a weekly overnight game, which I wouldn't be able to do live.

As for being able to do more than hack and slash; my games are not about hack and slash, but combat runs smoothly, allowing us to get back to the roleplaying more quickly than we can during a live game. There's a lot less looking things up. We use skype, so voice inflection comes across, and without having to face other players and wonder what their expressions mean, we can all get deeper into our characters without embarrassment.

That's great - glad to hear that.
I'm looking into FG as a way to streamline some things in my person to person table top weekend. As a DM, I've always tried to streamline combat - I can generally run a combat with 7 players, 4 NPCs against a group of about 30 enemies relatively quickly. I came up with this method on the table whereby I use DICE for the enemies and each pip on the dice = certain hit points which allowed things to move quickly. However, now that the players are level 13 in Pathfinder - the sorcerer and cleric cast several all day spells on players plus some 10 min / level spells on players and then when combat starts a pile more spells that while I have been keeping track of what is cast - I am losing track of the durations of some of them on longer combats. Our "Combat Init" board has just been an excel sheet displayed on our vertical 53 inch monitor on the wall - I update it during combat and toss pictures of enemies and front views of places they go in the bottom half of the screen.

PLAYERS are NOT allowed to have PCs during the game - and usage of Cell Phones is only an option to look up spells and other items. Having players with PCs in the room is distracting to the game flow, it takes up table space, etc. I'm aware how the FG client may help them - but that's not a fish I want to skin at this time - not to mention wireless doesn't work well in the game room - which is another issue.

With FG, I'm looking to streamline things a bit more - but I'm learning still and its a steep curve. What I am doing now is seeing if I can create the current characters in PCGEN - export the XML and import them into FG. So far, its been about 70% with some of the newer classes not importing properly like Samurai, Oracles, etc. I haven't tried the Eidolon yet but I'm sure its going to be a challenge just to create it in PCGEN. This will get me STEP ONE: players being able to level up, buy equipment, print their characters and sending me their characters (in XML). I was hoping FG was going to be able to do this but found out it couldn't.

STEP TWO: Replacing my board with the COMBAT TRACKER and PARTY SHEET on the Vertical Monitor. Which I now plan to do by running a second instance on the DM PC and putting that instance on the Vertical Monitor.

STEP THREE: Creating monsters and NPCs(Sort of doing this as STEP 1) so I can add the encounters to the COMBAT TRACKER. NPCs are player and guest run allowing people to join and quit regularly. Monsters/enemies run by the DM.

STEP FOUR: Making sure spells can be cast on the players with drag and drop - fast as possible to add spell effects to characters in the COMBAT TRACKER so it can manage durations and what spell has been cast on what player.

STEP FIVE: Love Life and enjoy FG. Then I will start looking at other options that FG offers to see if any of them will help streamline what we are trying to do.

Once I get the characters created and importing - I can grab a couple players to test out PCGEN and give them the link and the character file in email so they can look at the character, make updates, print it and send me the XML file.

[Falantrius]

The way I'd handle this is to open a second client and join "localhost" to give you a "Player View". Fit it onto the vertical monitor, and make the player combat tracker nice and huge, maybe put the Party Window there too (for a nice party summary). Then on the horizontal screen open another client and connect to localhost again--and put all your images and maps there. Have the DM client on your laptop screen. Now image masking can be used to reveal maps to players, and they don't see the GM version of the tracker, which includes info you probably don't want to share (like exact monster HP, abilities, attack bonuses, etc).

That's what I am trying to do now on the vertical monitor - I think its going to work well if I can get the Player Leveling and updating working first. The PC is a tower and I have three monitors in the room connected to it. Maps will always be on the table - eventually when things get there - I want the map projected on the table from the projector below the table OR a flatscreen built into the table that is a touch screen so I can drag virtual figures around. But that is in the future a ways - maybe FG will support that eventually. :) Who knows - for now I just want to get Vertical screen with Combat Tracker and Party Sheet top and bottom on the vertical flatscreen. Boo Yah

[Falantrius]

Not necessarily - the campaign cache is updated when anything is downloaded from the GM side - shared images, tokens, etc.. Two applications trying to write to the same campaign cache file at the same time can cause crashes/cache file corruption. Sure, you can delete the campaign cache and start again, but it's still not a recommended approach. Stick with running only one player client on the same computer at any one time and you should be OK - this is what the system is designed for, not two.

Well that's more disappointment - I've been told to run the Localhost client on the same PC so I can get the Combat Tracker on my second Vertical Monitor (stretching approaching wont work between hor and vert monitors).

I need to solve:
1) Vertical monitor issue - thought I had a solution but maybe not
2) Pathfinder full rules with minimal duplication - still working through the modules
3) Player leveling, purchases and delivery to the DM to load into FG

If I cant get 1-3 working - then I'll probably ask for a refund on FG. I thought I had a solution for all 3 but the more I look into it - the more I find out things like above. Sigh

[Griogre]

Just to be sure we are talking the same thing, Trenloe was talking about the problems of running 3+ instances of FG. One extra instance host + client should work fine. It's Host + Client + ... + client that is the problem.

[dulux-oz]

Another little tip: Make a dummy character, and give it a power with two effects: Heal (for 0), and Damage (for 0). Put those on your hotkeys, and when you need to apply damage or healing to something in the tracker, just type the number in the Modifier stack and drag either effect to the target. Very handy, I think.

That is BRILLIANT! Thanks Xorn.