Casting spells before battle?

[SheckyS]

Hi,

I'm new to FG as a DM and I have a question. I have a villain who is a cleric (NPC) and he can hear the players coming, so I want to have him cast some spells on himself before battle starts. I can't see to figure out a way to do this. It seems like this NPC has to be in the combat tracker before he can cast any spells on himself, which means I will have to wait until the players get to him, start up the combat tracker and then cast all of his spells on himself during the first round of combat - before I make him visible on the map.

Is there a better way?

[Trenloe]

Spell effects can indeed only be added to a creature in the combat tracker (CT). So the NPC must be on the combat tracker to allow the effects of cast spells to be tracked.

When NPCs are first added to the CT they aren't visible to the players, so you can load up the NPC before the encounter and add the spell effects you want to the NPC on the CT. Then, when combat happens, drag the token to the map and make the NPC visible on the CT.

I know this isn't giving you an automatic load of pre-planned spell effects when adding the NPC to the combat tracker, but this is the main way to do it.

[SheckyS]

Thanks, that's what I thought. Is there a way to apply a spell to the NPC in the combat tracker before combat starts? The only way I know how to do it right now it for it to be that NPC's turn and then target himself, and then cast the spell. Is there a quicker way to just apply the effects?

[Trenloe]

Thanks, that's what I thought. Is there a way to apply a spell to the NPC in the combat tracker before combat starts? The only way I know how to do it right now it for it to be that NPC's turn and then target himself, and then cast the spell. Is there a quicker way to just apply the effects?
Drag/drop the effect from the NPC back onto the NPC - this will add the effect. Or use the combat tracker targeting functionality to get the NPC targeting itself (click the target icon on the NPC entry in the CT and then drag the "drag onto new target" crosshairs onto the same NPC) and then double-click the effect to apply to itself (as it is targeting itself). Remember to clear the self targeting afterwards.

[SheckyS]

Thanks. You rock! :)

[Seananigans]

Note it doesn't matter whose turn it is in the tracker, anyone can act at any time.