How to get sneak to expire

[WilliamCQ]

Hello,

As it's customary in one's first post to include an introduction, here I go: I've used VTT for the 1st time ~2 weeks ago. For now I tried FG & Roll20, and I prefer FG by far. I would not necessarily prefer it if I was GMing online (but as a player I do). I mostly play D&D Adventurers League online (actually it's all I did up to now).

I've set up sneak the best I could, it should only be applied to the 1st damage (not 1st attack) and initially I tried using Once per modifier for expend. That failed and I kept having to ask the GM to remove sneak once it was used (that turn). The party I was in also had a PC using sneak but which status actually expired. I asked the player how he did it and it was basically the same except using On next action for expend, he also told me he'd have to keep giving his PC the status if it missed its attack. I then tried his way but it still didn't expire and I had to keep asking the GM to remove the status, something I would've prefer to avoid and I suspect the GM also but he graciously went with it.

After the game I exported the PC and here's the code related to the former (which I reduced the indention), located in <powers> :


<id-00002>
<actions>
<id-00001>
<apply type="string">action</apply>
<label type="string">Sneak Attack; DMG: 3d6</label>
<order type="number">1</order>
<targeting type="string">self</targeting>
<type type="string">effect</type>
</id-00001>
</actions>
<cast type="number">0</cast>
<group type="string">Rogue</group>
<level type="number">0</level>
<name type="string">Sneak Attack</name>
<prepared type="number">0</prepared>
</id-00002>


Please help me to have the sneak status expire, either the proper way after the 1st damage, or at least every action (so that me alone is stuck having to repeat it, not the GM and not me having to wait for him/her).

Thank you kindly


Update 1:

I've attached a screenshot of an occurrence of this during the same game.
12862

[Zacchaeus]

Hi William and welcome to FG and to the community.

The way you have set up your sneak attack is exactly correct and as you can see from my screen shot it automatically comes off after the first damage.

The reason why it isn't expiring on yours is because you have a second superfluous line in the effect. Remove the damage line from the effect and just have the one line as shown in my screenshot.

EDIT: Actually I'm wrong. The effect should come off no matter what additional lines you have. So the question then is how are you applying the damage to the target on a hit. i.e. double click or drag/drop or what other method?

[damned]

Welcome WilliamCQ your in good hands with the venerable Zacchaeus - Master of Effects.

[WilliamCQ]

So the question then is how are you applying the damage to the target on a hit. i.e. double click or drag/drop or what other method?

Here's how I usually went about, as I play an Eldritch Knight of level 7+ (the PC in the screenshot of the OP) : I select a foe, I cast a cantrip (flame bolt range, poison spray melee) then from the actions tab scroll to the Sneak Attack entry I created (as in the OP) then in its actions (after clicking its magnifier if it was minimized) drag its effect icon (near the left edge of that window looking like a dancing shadow in a yellow box) in the log window then make an attack (longbow range, rapier melee).

Sometimes, especially when the target is immune to magic, I select a foe, I dragged the sneak status icon in the log, then used 2 attacks (and no magic).


Welcome WilliamCQ

Thanks! :D

[Zacchaeus]

It seems like you have some kind of error going on here but I can't reproduce it at all.

Can you let me have exact details of how your character is made up - I'm guessing that you have some multiclassing going on here since Eldritch Knight doesn't have sneak attack. Perhaps you could zip up the character and attach it to your next post.

Also of course you won't get sneak attack on any kind of spell but I don't think you are saying that you do.

To apply your sneak attack all you need do is click on the running man icon to apply it - no dragging required. However even if you do drag it to the chat box (which is a most unusual method) it should still work properly.

It might be worth completely deleting your sneak attack from the actions tab and put it all in again. It's possible that some error or other was accidentally put in there before.

[WilliamCQ]

I'm guessing that you have some multiclassing going on here
yes


Perhaps you could zip up the character and attach it to your next post.
done


you won't get sneak attack on any kind of spell
indeed


click on the running man icon to apply it - no dragging required.
thanks


It might be worth completely deleting your sneak attack from the actions tab and put it all in again.
I had already done that before starting the OP.

[Zacchaeus]

Hmm, your character is working perfectly for me.

What happens if you import him into a new, blank campaign?

[WilliamCQ]

What happens if you import him into a new, blank campaign?

I'd love to try but I don't know how to import foes. I was expecting to have at least the D&D 5e free basic (DM) but I don't see it. I dearly hope users don't have to pay for the free basic monsters (and hopefully NPC (in free basic)).

I know that's not directly related to this subject; if you think it's going to take more than a few posts I'll split the thread or if you're not good in this matter, I'll ask in another one. I did a search before asking.

[damned]

The D&D Basic Rules and the SRD are distributed free with all paid licenses.

[WilliamCQ]

What happens if you import him into a new, blank campaign?

I imported exactly the same file you used (for Elphelkiir), did what you asked and attached the result. How can I have that working as I play normally (in a game I'm not GMing) ?
12872

[Zacchaeus]

I imported exactly the same file you used (for Elphelkiir), did what you asked and attached the result. How can I have that working as I play normally (in a game I'm not GMing) ?


Well, I'm trying to eliminate things. So the situation we now have is that you have a character which works in a new campaign but not in the one being run by your GM. It also works on my machine with no problems. So that leads me to believe that there is possibly something wrong in your player cache for the campaign. So you might want to try clearing your player cache. Click on the little folder with a nuke button on it in the join game screen. (It's up on the right hand side just below the license and version number).

[WilliamCQ]

[...] new campaign but not in the one being run by your GM.
I'm in a league, so I might very well play that PC with another one on another server. I also don't play him often. I flagged your email for a reminder, hopefully I'll consult it back should that issue come back. Thank you again for the help your provided so far.


So you might want to try clearing your player cache. Click on the little folder with a nuke button on it in the join game screen. (It's up on the right hand side just below the license and version number).
Will that affect all the PC on all the server caches, or can I select the one I played the problematic PC on?

The following issue is not directly related (so I may fork or start a new thread) ; since you mentioned problems with servers, perhaps it's related. I keep having to email my PCs to GMs as I can't import them myself as I did the first times I played FG.

[Zacchaeus]

I'm in a league, so I might very well play that PC with another one on another server. I also don't play him often. I flagged your email for a reminder, hopefully I'll consult it back should that issue come back. Thank you again for the help your provided so far.

Will that affect all the PC on all the server caches, or can I select the one I played the problematic PC on?


The following issue is not directly related (so I may fork or start a new thread) ; since you mentioned problems with servers, perhaps it's related. I keep having to email my PCs to GMs as I can't import them myself as I did the first times I played FG.

You know I don't know for sure what will happen :)

I've never been a player so have never had cause to look into the files that a player has. However generally one of the things you do need to try when such situations occur is to nuke the player cache in case the problem lies in there. If it does lie in there and you don't flush it out it will always be there. I'm assuming that you have a folder with all you characters saved there so flushing the player cache isn't going to delete anything vital. Make sure you select the correct game where you have the problem and then press nuke.

As regard the league thing I've never done that either so I'm not at all sure what the procedure is for that. When you say you can't import the character what exactly do you mean? When you get to the join game screen can't you see your character in the list? And, if you can't, do you not see the blue button at the bottom of the character selection screen? And if you press that blue button can't you navigate to the folder where you saved your character?

[WilliamCQ]

Make sure you select the correct game where you have the problem and then press nuke.
I preferred not all the games to be affected; nice to know the flush can be restricted. My PCs are all exported AFAIK but I fear to have forgotten to do so.


When you get to the join game screen can't you see your character in the list? And, if you can't, do you not see the blue button at the bottom of the character selection screen? And if you press that blue button can't you navigate to the folder where you saved your character?
I can't. Most of the time when I join a server the PC list is empty. Even when it's not when I click the downward arrow blue button, it's always the same PC. So I have to keep emailing the PC I'm planning to play to the GM.

[Zacchaeus]

Hmm, When you join a game that you have played in before you should see your character in the character selection screen. Now I don't know about Adventure league stuff so that might be different but I'm not sure why. However your character must be around somewhere since you say that you have to email it.

So the next option when you join a game is to import a local character. Now you say that there's only one character ever there which is weird since that should point to all the characters you have ever played in that campaign. (At least I think it should - Again I stress I've only ever been a DM).

So the next question then is where is your character being stored? You were able to send me the xml so you clearly have the chap somewhere.

As a DM I export all the player's characters when they are created but once the campaign starts they just log on and their characters are there. I'm assuming that the db.xml for the campaign contains all the info for the characters but the local characters must be saved locally as well. So I'm not sure what the exact problem might be. Also why doesn't your DM see your character? When I log into any campaign all the characters are there.

I suspect we are reaching the point of needing a Trenloe or a damned to answer this one :)

[damned]

Flushing the cache flushes the cache for all campaigns you have cached on your computer.
If you join a game and there is no "previously unselected" PC you wont see any PC options.
If you change your name from what you connected to the campaign as last time you wont see your previous character unless the GM clears the owner.

I suspect there is a communications gap as to what is actually happening here...

[Zacchaeus]

Thanks damned, I knew you'd have better answers. :)

[WilliamCQ]

When I join a server, the Character Selection window is empty; see attached. Then I click the import blue button, with a downward arrow.
12888
I'm now in the Import Local Character window. It always show same PC and I can't select another one.
12889
I then know of another recourse of emailing the PC, saved in Windows %UserProfile%\Documents\DnD-5e\Fantasy_Grounds , to the GM so s/he can import it. Once the GM having done that, I can see the PC I want in the Character Selection window.

Is there a way for me to select the PC I want myself (instead of involving the GM) ?

Update 1:

Also when managing my characters, it always in Import Local Character window when I first access it (window); most of the time (if not always) it's the only PC there too.

[damned]

1. If no characters present to you on joining the game there are no characters available to you. If you have joined this server before and have a character it has either since been used by someone else or you have changed your username and the GM will need to clear the owner.
2. If you have an Exported Character / XML you will need to go into Manage Characters and select the right ruleset and then Import the XML for that character to be available next time you join a GM session and try import character (its possible this may vary from ruleset to ruleset in exactly how it works).

[WilliamCQ]

2. If you have an Exported Character / XML you will need to go into Manage Characters and select the right ruleset and then Import the XML for that character to be available next time you join a GM session and try import character (its possible this may vary from ruleset to ruleset in exactly how it works).
Please see the 2nd image in my previous post
12889
When I get there the only option available to me are:

getting into the PC(s) that are already there
click the blue icon which get me back to the Character Selection window (the 1st image in my previous post)

Those are the only 2 options. If you don't believe the screenshots (in my previous post), I can make a video.

How can I import the Exported Character / XML ?

[Zacchaeus]

How can I import the Exported Character / XML ?

Open manage characters and then on the PC button to open the character selection screen. Now click the small reddish button at the bottom centre and then on the blue up arrow that appears. This will open a browser where you should be able to navigate to the character to import him.

This will put the character into 'Local Characters' and then when you join a game you can select the import local character button and you should see him in there.

[WilliamCQ]

This will put the character into 'Local Characters' and then when you join a game you can select the import local character button and you should see him in there.
I did this a few times. It doesn't work for me.

I think as soon as I leave the session (closing FG to load it again in order to join a server), the PC that's always shown when managing the characters replalces whatever was there.

[damned]

I sent you a PM.

[Zacchaeus]

I did this a few times. It doesn't work for me.

I think as soon as I leave the session (closing FG to load it again in order to join a server), the PC that's always shown when managing the characters replalces whatever was there.
So are you aying that you have imported the character from Manage Characters and it shows up correctly in the manage characters local characters but when you then open local charcters in the campaign that the character isn't there. Can I ask did you remember to check the correct game system in manage characters?

[WilliamCQ]

damned found the problem and it's now fixed. It turns out modifying (as in read, delete, ...) right was missing for "%ProgramData%\Fantasy Grounds" and its sub-folders ; it's now added and it behaves as expected, and once did; that is PCs in Character Selection window not being deleted when I left Manage Characters, and the same ones shown when I connect on a server.

damned the GMs I'm going to play with will have less of a hassle thanks to you; and it goes without saying that me too. thanks again.

I'm hoping the next time I use a PC having sneak that its status expire and if not I'll try flushing its cache and if not remember this thread.


So are you aying that you have imported the character from Manage Characters and it shows up correctly in the manage characters local characters but when you then open local charcters in the campaign that the character isn't there.
It doesn't show up correctly in Manage Characters, but there I can delete it and import it from where I store it (in a sub-folder of %UserProfile%\Documents\), something I can't do on a server.


did you remember to check the correct game system in manage characters?
I may have forgotten once but the vast majority of the time (if not every time), I did.

[Zacchaeus]

Jolly good, and yep damned's the man :)

[damned]

The issue was with insufficient rights on the c:\programdata\fantasygrounds folder
Ensure that the Users group or your UserID has Write and Modify rights on this folder.

https://www.fg-con.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/permissions.gif