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ChimpMasaki
June 16th, 2015, 20:39
Topics Covered: Adjusting AC (Mage Armour), Healing & Wounds, Finding Enemies, Clearing Tokens from characters

Hi all - I am running LMoP with my friends live around a table, using Fantasy Grounds and two monitors to help run the game. (Eventually the game may become a mix of players who turn up in person and those who have to connect online). This means I have a mix of dice rolls through Fantasy Grounds and also those made with real dice at the table.

From the first couple of sessions I have generated some questions and would love your advice on how you solve/ get around these issues/ speed up play at the table (either through Fantasy Grounds features, or your own ingenuity).

Here are the questions (edit: I have included the answers below - scroll down for the detailed versions of the questions):



1. How to quickly adjust the AC of a PC?
Option 1: Create an effect

Open the Effects panel (located at the top right of the screen).
Double click in the Custom box to create a new effect.
Leave the purple box set to "All".
Type Mage Armor; AC:3 into the effect.
Set the number to 8 and the time units to HR.


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This creates an effect called "Mage Armor" that boosts a creatures AC by 3 (this is the typical bonus that Mage Armor provides a creature - going from AC10+DEX to AC13+DEX).
Note that you will need to remember that the spell won't work on armored creatures - that can't be automated.

To use the effect just drag it from the effects panel over a creature in the combat tracker. To make this easier you can drag the effect from the effects panel to one of the quick access slots at the bottom of the screen.

Option 2: Add effect to the spell in the PC's Character Sheet


Open the character sheet
Go to the Actions tab down the side.
Under Spells (level 1) find Mage Armor. (If it is not there you will need to add Mage Armor onto the list from one of the 5th Edition Modules).
Right Click on Mage Armor and in the radial menu click Add Action > Add Effect.
Click the magnifing glass next to the new effect that was just added.
Type Mage Armor; AC:3 into the Description box.
Duration should be set to 8 and HR.
Under Targeting set to Targets in the first box and Never in the second.
Close the Spell/Ability Effect box - the effect can now be dragged onto a target when the spell is cast.


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2. How to temporarily adjust the AC of a Creature?
For long term-effects or spells use the same methods as for modifying PC AC.

For simply calculating Cover, Superior Cover, Hidden Foes, Critical Damage, Half Damage or Opportunity attacks you can use the Modifiers found in the Modifiers panel at the top right of the screen.



3. How to quickly add wounds and healing to the combat tracker?
Option 1: Using the Chat Window

Type a value in the modifier box at the bottom left of the screen. (You can also use the mouse wheel to adjust the number, in either case positive numbers are used for damage, negative for healing).
Drag the modifier from the modifier box into the chat window (make sure it is the big window and not the small part where you type).
Drag the white number from the chat window over the target's Wnd box in the combat tracker.


This method is pretty quick and dirty - personally I prefer the option below. Although it takes more time to set up it stops the chat window becoming clogged during the game.

Option 2: Set up a dummy NPC to dish out damage

First Set up the NPC:

Open the NPCs menu from the right side of the screen.
Right Click and select Create Item from the Radial Menu.
Name the New Personality (GM) - the parenthesis are there to make sure the NPC is always at the top of your NPC list.
Find the Actions section at the bottom of the NPC's stat block.
Click the cicular Edit List button.
Then click the green Add Item button twice to add 2 new actions.
Name the first action Damage then type 0 Damage into the description.
Name the second action Heal and type Regain 1-1 Hit Points into the description. (Fantasy Grounds can't read 0 for healing so we use 1-1, which is the same thing).
Close the Padlock icon as we are finished crating our character.


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Now the NPC is created we can start using it to damage/heal our combatants. To do this:


Type the value of the damage/healing into the modifier box.
Drag the action from the NPC onto the Target (either on the combat tracker or on the map).


However having the GM NPC's character sheet open all the time is a little clumsy so there are a couple of tricks we can use to make it easier:


Add the GM NPC to the Combat tracker as an invisible NPC and then use the actions from the combat tracker. If you do this you could add a really high or really low initiative to the NPC to make it easy to find.
Alternatively drag the actions from the NPC character sheet onto the shortcuts at the bottom of the screen (remember that you can rename them by right clicking and choosing Edit Label from the radial menu).


I really like setting up the shortcuts as I will be using damage and healing all the time. I also like that I can edit my GM NPC if I need to create other effects (for example dealing Fire damage).




4. How do you find particular creatures on the map?
The simplest solution here seems to rapidly click the little eye icon next to the creature's name on the Combat Tracker - the creature blinking in an out of existence on the map is the one you want. Potentially using the target feature can also help here, but I have not tried it.


5. How do you clear the token being used to represent a character?

Open the Character Sheet.
Open the PCs Menu on the right hand side of the screen.
Drag the portrait image from the PC's menu onto the Token spot of the character sheet.






Original Questions:


1. How to quickly adjust the AC of a PC?
The very first action that my PC's did was cast Mage Armour - however the combat tracker does not seem to let me type in a new AC. Dragging a modifier from the dice modifier box also seems to have no effect.


2. How to temporarily adjust the AC of a Creature?
So those goblins had cover against a few attacks (so +2 to AC). How do you resolve this - manually move the monster's AC up and down in the combat tracker; modify the attack roll by -2; or some other method?


3. How to quickly add wounds and healing to the combat tracker?
Since my players are rolling their own physical dice I often get results shouted at me like "heal 3 damage" or "I do 6 damage to the goblin". Right now I have to look at the creatures current wounds and then do the maths in my head, and then type in the new wound value. This is a pain and a lot of mental math when I want to be runnning entertaining monsters. Is there a way where I can just drag a +4 or a -1 into the combat tracker and have it update the wounds of that creature?


4. How do you find particular creatures on the map?
Admittedly I made this hard on myself during the first session by turning monster numbering off (I prefer monsters without serial numbers), however I kept losing track of the monsters. Turing on random numbering has not helped much as I keep having to scan around the map trying to find the token that represents the entry on the Combat Tracker. This is really compounded by issue 3. above when my players attack "that goblin by the tree" and I have to try and find which goblin that is so I can manually update it's damage (i.e. I can't just drag an attack over the token as the player is rolling their own dice).


5. How do you clear the token being used to represent a character?
I thought that characters had to be assigned a portrait and a token. However it seems when you pick a portrait and have no token, the portrait image is converted into a token as well - which is really cool. How can I remove the current pog on a character and instead use their portrait image?




A big thank you to everyone who helped out with these questions!

Trenloe
June 16th, 2015, 20:48
1) use an effect: Mage Armor; AC:4 More info on effects here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/5E_Effects And do a search on effects in the 5E forum - there have been quite a few threads on using them.

2) Use an effect. See #1.

3) Some info here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?24285-Adding-Damage-to-Characters Also a quick way to allow addition/subtraction is to click on the modifer box (below the chat window) and type in the number (with a - in front of it to subtract the number), then drag that to the chat window. Then drag the number from the chat window to the field that you want to apply the number as an addition or subtraction. You need to drag the modifier to the chat window first.

4) Click the eye icon to the left of the creature entry on the CT - click it on and off and the icon will grey out on/off and should make it easier to find.

5) Drag the portrait from the character selection screen onto the token entry. Or do the same with the portrait icon on the desktop when the player is logged in and the portrait is displayed.

TASagent
June 16th, 2015, 20:52
3) Also, for small adjustments, many number fields support modifying with the mousewheel. Just mouse over the field, hold the modifier key (Control by default, but you can change it in the settings), and scroll up or down.

ShadoWWW
June 16th, 2015, 21:04
Is there a way how to set the effect to set the target's AC to 13 + target's Dexterity modifier, regardless on the target's current AC? (Mage Armor 5e)

Trenloe
June 16th, 2015, 21:15
Is there a way how to set the effect to set the target's AC to 13 + target's Dexterity modifier, regardless on the target's current AC? (Mage Armor 5e)
Effects will only adjust what the current AC is. So, as a spell caster, the AC effect will have to take this into account. e.g. if their normal AC was 10 + Dex, then the effect would be AC: 3 to add 3 to the current AC.

For example - from one of my games (ran by jshauber):

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39085830/Screenshots/Fantasy%20Grounds/5E/screenshot0032.png

Note that effects don't change the AC on the character sheet. They adjust the hit/miss reports when an attack is targeted against the creature with the effect (in this case).

ChimpMasaki
June 17th, 2015, 20:42
Thank you Trenloe (Awesome diagram!) and TSAgent for your replies,

I have looked at the effects wiki page that Trenloe linked to above, but only half understand what I am reading. I am sure as I learn through some examples that it will become clearer.

Your answers have led me to ask more questions! :eek: Once I believe I understand everything I will collate the answers together in the top post to make it easier for other new folks to read.

1) Makes sense - create an effect that grants the boost from mage armour and then apply it.
1.1) Out of interest, where would you keep the effect for quick use - just in the effects page, hotlinked at the bottom of the screen or is there a way to put it on the character sheet? (I noticed that mage armor the spell has no magnifying glass with a field that I could try and add the effect to).

2) Queston answered!
2.1)However for something like cover (perhaps against only a couple of opponents) is there a way to apply an effect for only the next roll? Effects seem to last a minimum of 1 round - which means applying the effect, rolling the attack and then deleting the effect again - just feels a little fiddly. However the advantage of this way does mean not having to remember what modifier cover actually grants (because it is stored in the effect). Actually I think I will set up some modifiers such as "Target - Half Cover" with +5 attached.

3) The tip for dragging numbers from the modifier box to the chat window is gold and will hurry things up a lot!
3.1) The link posted by Trenloe above almost feels like it is written in a different language! Can't wait till I am enough of a power user to read this stuff at first glance :)

Am I correct in thinking that a "dummy" NPC is set up to control damage. This NPC is given an attack that deals "x" damage and another attack that heals "x" damage. In this case "x"=CL (what is "CL" though - Caster Level?). when the DM wants to apply damage to a character he sets CL to the damage done and then drags the attack over to the character, who takes that much damage?

If this is the case I can see that this would be very helpful when I want to just drag damage onto a token on the map instead of having to find that creature in the combat tracker and then adjusting it's wounds from there.

I do not know where to begin setting this up though - the screenshot in the linked thread (Nicademus's post) seems to be pointing to some kind of spell description, but I am still too new to know where or how to set that up.

4) Cool tip! (I was wasting tons of time last game by right-clicking on each token and toggling visibility from there).

5) Awesome! I spent ages trying to drag from the image on the left of the character sheet to the right and dragging from the avatar selection menu to the token slot. So easy when you know how!

Again thanks if you can help with my further questions!

TASagent
June 17th, 2015, 20:48
1.1) Right click on Mage Armor in your Actions pane and choose "Add Action">"Add Effect". Examine the effect with the magnifying glass, and put the effect text there. voila!

2.1) Effects set up like above can be made to expire on the next use, etc. You can also set effect targets which will make it only take effect against/from certain targets. It can get a bit tricky, and you'll learn a lot from experimenting.

It might be worth it to take a look at the list I compiled of tips and tricks for the 5e ruleset (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?24644-Advanced-Fantasy-Grounds-Usage-5E-Ruleset-Edition).

Trenloe
June 17th, 2015, 20:55
1.1 - put them as effect actions in the powers section of the actions tab. Some info here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?22441-damage-resistance-effects&p=217558&viewfull=1#post217558

2.1) If you want to do something like cover for the next roll then use the "Modifiers" window. Click the "cover" button before you roll and cover is automatically applied - you can press as many buttons as you want. You can also add custom modifiers in there too.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39085830/Screenshots/Fantasy%20Grounds/5E/Modifiers%20window.jpg

You can set effects to be for the next roll etc. if you want to do it that way. Click the "ALL" button on the effect and it will cycle through One Action (ACTN), One Roll (ROLL), Apply each Once (SNGL) and back to All Rolls (ALL).

Note - giving a target the COVER effect means that they have cover, not that cover will be applied to their attack rolls. So, use the Cover button in the modifiers window when the target of your attack will have cover, and apply a COVER effect to a creature who has cover from all attacks.

3.1) I didn't write that so I'll let someone else answer. (And I've got to do some work)

Xorn
June 17th, 2015, 23:31
1) In their spell on the Actions tab I make an Effect of "AC: 3" with a duration of 8 hours, Targets, never expires. When they cast it they drop it on their character and will stay on till I do a long rest or "clear expiring effects" in the combat tracker.

2) For Cover I click the "Cover" modifier in the mod window before attacking them. It will bump their AC by 2 when checking for hit/miss.

3) Make a dummy character. Connect to your own game "localhost" with a second FG client and claim the character (so players never see it). On the actions tab make a dummy spell and create two effects: A heal for 0 and a damage for 0. Put them on your hotbar. Now just type a modifier into the mod window and drag the HEAL or DMG effect to the target. It will apply and report in chat appropriately.

4) We use hover tooltips for our tokens. If they say "the goblin by the tree" I tell them to Ctrl-click it (targetting it, which is reflected in their targets on the CT). If I'm trying to figure out where a CT npc is on the map, I tend to click off and on the visibility. The one that blinked is my token.

5) Drag the portrait over the token spot. :)

EDIT: Cripes. I was at work and this post was up a long time before I hit submit. So I guess you get how I would handle the above, even though it's been thoroughly covered LOL.

ChimpMasaki
June 24th, 2015, 00:10
Thank you for your help Xorn, Trenloe and TASagent!

Working through the examples you have given me I have managed to work everything out.

Your tips will really help me speed up the game at our table. :)

To keep my side of the bargain I will be back on Sunday to clean up my opening post with a summary of the answers to make things easier for other new people.

ChimpMasaki
June 29th, 2015, 02:06
Top post is now updated!