Why are some entries locked and others not

[Tielc]

I know this has been asked before but I can't find it.

Why are some things in my game locked and not editable, and others are unlocked and fully editable. The inconsistency is annoying as hell. I can change all the tokens used for the NPCs in Curse of Strahd, but everything in the Monster Manual is locked out causing me to have to copy and paste them, wondering why I ever purchased this in the first place. All because I can't change the tokens used.

[damned]

Everything that is locked can be dragged 1cm and dropped and it will create an unlocked (or unlockable) copy you can do what you want with.
The guide is - reference manuals and sourcebooks are read only.
Modules are editable (you dont actually edit the module - just in that campaign).

[Tielc]

That's my point, why do I have to create a copy, why can't I just edit them? It seems kind of silly to have all of these duplicates in my game just to change the token artwork.

[Kelrugem]

This is to prevent loss of your own changes, I guess :) Especially rulesets, core rulebooks etc might be updated and the update might overwrite your changes and then you lost your own made changes. One reason they are locked, I guess :) As Damned says you can make a copy for your own changes, but with respect to your token issue: You do not have to copy all the monsters to add your own tokens :) Simple make an encounter (I mean the ones you make by clicking on the button "Encounters" on the right hand side of FG) with your chosen foes, there you can attach new tokens to them without the need to change the token in the NPC sheet itself :) Of course you have to do this again and again for every new encounter in the encounter sheet, to change it for once and for all there is sadly only the way of copying the monster :)

EDIT: You can also change the token in the CT :)

[Talyn]

The guidelines we follow, as damned mentioned, is for sourcebooks (ie. 'reference' material) to be read-only. If you're making your own homebrew adventure, you would create a local copy of any monster so that you can edit it, rename it, whatever; meanwhile the source monster remains the same. Adventure material, on the other hand, is supposed to be unlocked since that's already a playable adventure, not a reference sourcebook, so the GM should be able to edit things right away.

[Naroe]

32120
Ok So Dragon of IceSpire Peak. Story on left is editable, it opens Something that lookslike story but is not editable and the links on right are editable. The centre part does not necessarily follow my storyline and I need to edit it. Please give some direction on what the middle thing even is, as I cant seem to find it in any of the tabs and how do I edit it.

[damned]

That looks like a reference manual - which is not editable.
You will need to find the similar content in the Story and edit there.

[Talyn]

The image in the center is a page from the reference manual. Those are never editable.

For adventures, the storyline is typically in a Story page. Sometimes (not always) we also make Reference Manual versions of them. So you'd want to edit the Story page that matches what you're looking at, or create a custom Story page just for yourself if there isn't one.

[Zacchaeus]

The bit in the middle is the reference manual - which isn't editable. However all of the reference pages are just duplicates of the story entries. If you scroll down the list of story entries in the story tab you'll see one called 01.05 Starting Quests. That's the one you want if you need to edit it.

[Naroe]

Ok Thanks for that Damned. I have now found the equivalent section not sure why the index couldn't have linked the editable story entry instead of the reference material that cant be edited. Will now go update the editable index entry so I can edit for my campaign.

[Zacchaeus]

Ok Thanks for that Damned. I have now found the equivalent section not sure why the index couldn't have linked the editable story entry instead of the reference material that cant be edited. Will now go update the editable index entry so I can edit for my campaign.

The Index (as well as the DMs Crib Sheet) is there so that the DM can add it to their quickbar and have a convenient way to access the important bits of the story and information they need to run the game. You can of course completely ignore it if it doesn't suit your purpose. The index in this case links to the reference manual but it could easily link to the story entries instead. However the use case is assumed to be that the DM wants to read the entry rather than edit it; and the reference section is much nicer to read than the story entry is. It comes down to personal preference I suppose and in your case it's not working out for you. Hence you have the option of amending it to suit your particular tastes.