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Danimal66
November 6th, 2015, 19:55
This thread is not what you think :)

I've been using FG for 2 months or so now and after every session it gets easier but then I always wonder to myself am I doing this correctly. I'm posting these here instead of the general tavern because I'm using the D&D ruleset with the Deluxe PHB and HotDQ module. We're just at the end of the module so I may buy the 2nd module as well.

1. Encounters: Let's say the PC's have entered a room and in the module it has the encounter. I click add to tracker and low and behold I'm ready to roll initiative and get the combat on. When I first started using this module once I did this the monster tokens we're on the map. The last 4 or so sessions they are no longer on the map I need to drag them from the CT. I'm just wondering why this would be?

2. Encounters: The combat is over the party has prevailed I now need to drag the encounter and parcel if any to the encounter window to give out XP and treasure. This is the only way to do this correct, there is not some easy way to just add them to that section like I can add an encounter to the CT right?

2A. On this note why when I hand out treasure using the Parcel interface does it not put weapons in the Actions tab?

3. Applying Damage: While I have made powers with effects for my players when I think they help. Often the players need to roll a die off the table for some additional damage and I need to apply it manually, Divine smite comes to mind. There is no way for me to tell the player "roll 2d8 of damage" and them to target a creature and roll the table dice to do this right?

4. Spells at a higher level: Simply put I haven't found a consistent way to handle this. Something like magic missle is easy, others not so much. How do most people handle this.

5. Magic Items: This is possibly my biggest issue. It's all or nothing with identify, I like to create unique items for my players and I'm not sure a way to have it work in combat and damage without the items revealed in the actions tab. How do most DM's handle magic weapons that the characters don't know what it does but still allow it to give the benefits?

Thanks
Dan

LordEntrails
November 6th, 2015, 20:33
1) Hmm, I don't have HotDQ, but this works with LMoP. Though occasionally one or two of the monsters have been absent from the map. I would suggest you go back to one of the earlier encounters that worked and see if it is still working.
2) No way I know of. I drag them to the XP and Invetory tabs of the party sheet.
2A) hmm, I never noticed. Anyone else?
3) What I do, is after they hit but before they roll the normal damage, have them roll the extra/special damage in the chat, drag that to the modifier window and then roll the weapon damage. That will add the extra damage to the attack roll. Only concern here is if the extra damage is typed and you have to worry about resistance/vulnerability/immunity.
4) I create a second entry for casting the spell at a higher level. Maybe someone else has a better way of this?
5) I don't, but would like to...

JohnD
November 6th, 2015, 20:48
2A - because they haven't set up those magic items as weapons.

Zacchaeus
November 6th, 2015, 20:50
1. I'm not sure what is happening here but I think an update might have caused some problems; A wiser head than me might have an answer for you.

2. You are doing it correctly drag the encounters into the party sheet and from there you can give out the xp. Same with parcels; drag that into the parcel area of the party sheet.

2A. Weapons do get put into the actions tab when distributed to the players from the party sheet. Unless of course the item has yet to be identified as a weapon.

3. You should set all of these up as effects. For Divine Smite for example the effects is simply Diveine Smite; DMG: 2d8 radiant. Set the target to self. To use it the player just has to click on the effect just after he has hit and just before he rolls for damage and the additional damage will also be automatically applied. It is better to have these as effects since doing it this way the correct damage will be applied on, for example, a critical and also the correct resistances and immunities will also be automatically applied. See here (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/5E_Effects) for more information and examples of effects.

4. In what way are you having problems? If it's just more damage (e.g a spell that does an extra die of damage at higher levels) have the player drag the damage but before dropping it right click to add another dice. (same thing for heals). Alternatively write up effects for each spell level if the right click thing won't do it for you.

5. So, I assume what you mean is that the players have a +1 sword and you don't want them to know it's a +1 sword but still use it? In that case just give them an ordinary sword until they have identified the item. Since the identification rules are pretty straightforward now there's not all the rigmarole there used to be in finding out what an item's properties are. Personally I don't have a problem since I don't allow an item to be used until it's been identified and a player has attuned to it if this is necessary. What you could do is make several versions of the item and just give out whatever one is appropriate.
If you give us some examples we might be able to suggest something if the above doesn't help.

Danimal66
November 6th, 2015, 21:22
Thanks all let me expand on 2 of these.

2A. Specific Example players found a Fire Staff last session and identified it. I dragged the parcel into the party sheet, opened the item and click to have it identified. Distributed to the player and it was only on his inventory tab.

5. Here is an example: Players found a vial (grenade) they do not know what it does but when thrown it does 1 point of damage an turns the target invisible. In my story it doesn't work for them to ever be able to identify it. Right now it is in their inventory tab as mysterious vial. If i wanted to put it as a weapon on the action tab and have it apply that effect to the target without the player knowing what it does beforehand how could I do that?

Zacchaeus
November 6th, 2015, 22:22
2A. The item has to be a weapon; see screen shot.

5. That's not going to be possible. You can't hide what a weapon does once you have it in the actions tab. Well, actually in the example just make it a weapon that does 1 point of damage and then when they throw it handle the invisible thing as a separate issue there and then.

Danimal66
November 6th, 2015, 22:25
I'm not in front of my game but if I follow correctly if the module doesn't have the item as a weapon in the parcel it won't go into the actions tab?

Zacchaeus
November 6th, 2015, 22:31
I'm not in front of my game but if I follow correctly if the module doesn't have the item as a weapon in the parcel it won't go into the actions tab?

Correct. Only weapons will automatically appear in the actions tab. You can however set up anything you want manually.