Testing an adventure/ New to FGU

[Jplank2x4]

Hey everyone. I just bought FGU a couple days ago, all the core books, and the adventure Lost Mines of Phendelver. I am going be a DM in a few weeks and what I am trying to do is test the adventure and system out. I want to create some characters and play the adventure as DM and players all the on the same computer at the same time to see how the encounters go and combat works. How do I set it up so I can be DM and players at once? Pretend I am twelve when you explain this. I tried searching for this and saw someone put something about the same instance, and I do not know what that means. Take into account the system is completely new to me. Can anyone help? Thank you!

[Zacchaeus]

Welcome to FG.

Start a campaign (or create a new one) in Unity as normal using a Cloud Public or LAN game. Then once that is up and running right click on the Unity symbol on your task bar and select fantasy Grounds. This will start a second instance of Unity. Click on Join and in the Join by GM Name box type in your username (the same one you use here on the forums) and click on start; or if you started the first instance as a LAN game type 'localhost' (without the quotes) in the join by IP and Port and then click start.

[Jplank2x4]

Thank you Zacchaeus! I really appreciate the prompt reply. I have both the player and the DM side up and running. Just so you know I plan on watching a bunch of tutorial videos before I ever try running anything, but I just wanted to jump in and give this a try. Now I take it as I am "playing" this adventure I jump from the player side to the DM side to fight in a combat encounter? I want to set things up as the DM, and then look and see what the player would see. Then move characters, attack, ect. This all seems so wonderful and awesome as I have always been a strict pencil and paper DM. I'm a little overwhelmed with it, but I know once I get going it will be great. Thank you again for helping me!

[Zacchaeus]

Yes, switch between the DM and player view. There are some things that only the DM can do such as advance the CT when it's the end of an NPC turn, so you need to be on the correct screen for some operations.

[LordEntrails]

www.fantasygroundscollege.net
All the classes are free. And if they don't have what you need, you can use the assistance request form to request another subject or time etc.

[Jplank2x4]

Thank you! I will check that out. So far, I'm really impressed with this site. Everyone is so helpful and it is much appreciated!

[A Social Yeti]

Fantasy Grounds College.

A must use basiaclly for any FG GM. Good for players too, but less needed as long as the GM can show them the ropes.
FG is just way too complex an application, like Photoshop, to really make full use of it, will demand a fair amount of learning curve effort.

Also, not being nasty here just real, it's deigned by a pretty small team so at times the design logic POV is very engineer and not so normal human intuitive maybe.


Additionally if you know 5e quite well, you will run into mechanics shortcomings. Oddity sort of stuff like:

there are no summoning/conjuring mechanics, the GM just literally has to open the NPC list, find the creature the player wants to cast a summon spell for. Drag and drop it onto the combat tacker, then make it friendly to the party, then drag and drop it onto the map, and then drag and drop it onto the portrait of the spell casting player so they can control it.

The system does not automatically calculate the rating of unread, to determine if a higher level cleric destroys an undead instead of turns them. GM has to manually calculate and do this.

And just lots of of other little gaps in the 5e automation for stuff you might assume a system of 5e rule automation would do.


But this stuff is basically in ongoing dev.
For example:
the line of sight feature on maps current has no mechanical understanding of light levels, vision distance limitations from light, or different types of vision.
A character on the map will see everything in an unobstructed straight line of sight no matter how big the map is, and no matter the amount of light there is supposed to be to see by.
but we do know work is going on to incorporate not only how far one can see, but also what types of visions they might have (infa, dark,see invisible , etc.).

So whatever you find that feels missing to you now, probably decent odds it's being worked on, and SM just don't do a lot of status reports and no road maps. So they ask for a bit of trust, but i note they do have a fair amount of time and good will to be asking that from at least. Unlike so many new to market fund-us projects, so i don't regret my purchase here.
But just say'n if you are new to FG but not 5e, you'll spot these gaps pretty quick, don't let them get you down, this is still the best deal and product for VTTs i find.