Can FG be used strictly for maps?

[HaleDM]

I'm thinking about getting a sub for FG (Ultimate so my players can just use the demo) until my group can get back to the table since we are in lockdown in our area. I just need a way to display maps to everyone and allow them to move their tokens around. Will this work stirctly as a map program with tokens? Or do you have to use the rulesets and everything to use the mapping portion? I already have a Discord group with a dicebot that we've been using already and my wife and plays with us and she lives with me and prefers rolling her own dice since I can see her rolls. The other DM in the group has been using Owlbear Rodeo but after messing around with it, I've found that it doesn't quite meet my personal needs, plus you can only load a handful of maps before it decides to freeze up. So yeah, anyway, just need a way to display maps and tokens and have the players be able to move their own tokens around.

[BaneTBC]

It can do what you're wanting, although you'll have to do a little more for somethings (and if you get sucked into spending much time using it, you'll start to find all the other uses you might decide you would like with it). I'd still recommend making a "base character" and "monsters" for the Combat Tracker and use their token there to drag onto the maps to avoid odd behavior you'd run into, plus with a player owning a character, you can limit them to only moving their own.

[damned]

Yes you can totally use FG "just for map and tokens".
Missing out on most of the good stuff but it should 100% work for that.

[spoofer]

HaleDM,

What system does your group play?

[HaleDM]

spoofer,

We're using D&D 5e.

[Fear Grounds]

Absolutely you can.
Each player would need to make a character sheet, or you could make one for them, they don't have to be filled out. The character sheet is necessary for the players to be able to assign their tokens, and to be able to control them on the map. Once you have the characters, drag them onto the combat tracker. Open whatever map you want to use, and drag the characters from the combat tracker onto the map.

[Griogre]

As others have said, you can absolutely do what you want. The core functionality of FG is to show a battlemap, allow drawing on the battlemap, move tokens on a battlemap and roll dice that seem real. You wife might find she likes the FG dice. :)

[HaleDM]

As others have said, you can absolutely do what you want. The core functionality of FG is to show a battlemap, allow drawing on the battlemap, move tokens on a battlemap and roll dice that seem real. You wife might find she likes the FG dice. :)

Yeah she might. On one hand both her and I like the physical rolling of the dice and everything, but... the more videos I watch about FG, I'm starting to think that maybe just doing everything through the program might not be a bad thing. Having things like initiative, ranges etc calculated for you would be pretty nice, especially from my side of things as a DM - that and I've noticed that you don't have to use the automation. You can still use the virtual dice to make the rolls. The other DM has been running his own game while I've been prepping for the next portion of my own campaign and he was using fully automated Avrae in Discord. We didn't like not being able to roll our saves and such ourselves. Looks like FG gives you the option of still doing that manually while using thei ractual in program dice. I already took the plunge and got the sub. Really looking forward to using it.

[spoofer]

5E D&D is highly automated. You might want to roll the dice and enter manually, and then automate everything else. That is supported.

[LordEntrails]

IMO, spend 2 hours of your time and take a free intro class from www.fantasygroundscollege.net. You will learn a great deal about FG, and will be shown more than you are currently planning on using. But you might like it so much that you decide you want to use more of the automation and capabilities. Or if that's too much time, submit an assistance request to the college and ask for a 1 hour intro focusing on just using maps and tokens.