DnD5e Effects Automation (Consolidation Article & Resources)

[Laerun]

This article is only meant to consolidate the resources and the effects automation links into ONE place. Between the Atlassian, these FG Forums posts, and the various discord servers, I am hoping to make this a bit 'easier' to find this information for all that use the effects automation content for the DnD5e rule set. The main idea is to have most everything in one spot.
The best source or place is the FG Atlassian website, however, it is something that might frustrate users having to comb through various forums and other places to get the information they want.

**I do not wish or desire to be a pain in the butt, but rather a useful and contributing pain-in-the-butt at least. :-)**


FGA Blog Article:
https://www.fantasygroundsacademy.com/post/fantasy-grounds-dnd5e-effects-automation-effects-coding

The information below is divided into two sections, PCs, & NPCs.

PC Facing Section for Effects Automation and Resources.

Greetings, adventurers! In this post, we explore the nuances of creating Player Characters (PCs) in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (D&D 5e) using Fantasy Grounds. This comprehensive guide will walk you through each step, ensuring your character creation is both seamless and engaging.

1. Class Features & Hit Dice

Hit Dice Recognition: Fantasy Grounds recognizes "XdY" formats for hit dice (e.g., 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, etc.). This feature is vital for determining health progression.

Unique Class Features: Each class in D&D 5e has distinctive features. For example, Sorcerers with "Draconic Resilience" gain additional hit points and AC modifications, while "Unarmored Defense" affects Barbarians and Monks differently. Fantasy Grounds automates these class-specific nuances.

2. Skill Proficiencies

Adding Skills: The platform accurately adds skill proficiencies using specific phrases. Skills must be capitalized as in FG. For instance, "Choose two skills from Arcana, History, Stealth, and Survival."

3. Spellcasting / Pact Magic

Identifying Spellcasting Abilities: Fantasy Grounds automatically determines the primary spellcasting ability for each class, affecting the number of spells a character can prepare.

Influence on Prepared Spells: For classes with Pact Magic or who prepare spells, the platform calculates the number of prepared spells based on the ability modifier.

4. Racial Traits

Automated Racial Traits: Fantasy Grounds seamlessly applies racial traits like ability score increases, size, and speed. Unique racial abilities, such as "Darkvision" or "Fleet of Foot," are also recognized.

Special Abilities: Traits like "Gnome Cunning" offer automatic advantages, which are applied by the system.

5. Feats

Recognition of Feat Formats: The platform recognizes formats for feats affecting stats, proficiencies, languages, etc. For example, "Tough" automatically adds new HP. Hard-coded into the rule set usually.

6. Background Skills

Background Skill Selection: Phrases for selecting background skills, like "Choose a skill from...," are accurately identified by Fantasy Grounds.
Conclusion

Fantasy Grounds provides a detailed and intuitive platform for D&D 5e character creation, ensuring players can enjoy a rule-compliant and engaging experience. For more information and community support, visit the Fantasy Grounds Forum: 5e Class, Background, Race, Feat Interpreted Strings.

Credits: Zacchaeus, Mattekure, Rob2e, and the FG Community



NPC Facing Effects Automation Content:

1. Automating Weapon Attacks

Specificity in Attack Types: It's crucial to define each attack type individually. For instance, separate entries for "Melee Weapon Attack" and "Ranged Weapon Attack" are necessary for accurate automation.

Handling Diverse Damage Types: NPCs that deliver multiple types of damage in one attack must be clearly defined. E.g., "Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage plus 4 (1d6) fire damage." This ensures correct application of resistances and vulnerabilities.

2. Structuring Saving Throws and Conditions

Saving Throws Formatting: Proper structure for saving throws is vital. Example: "The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute."

Implementing Conditions: Fantasy Grounds recognizes standard conditions like poisoned or charmed when phrased correctly, automatically triggering these conditions during gameplay.

3. Ongoing Damage Effects

Continuous Damage Implementation: For ongoing damage like poison, the description should reflect the duration of the effect. For example, "Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage, plus the target is poisoned, taking 5 (1d10) poison damage at the start of each of its turns."

4. Immunities, Resistances, and Vulnerabilities

Detailed Descriptions in NPC Sheets: Accurately filling in immunity and resistance details in the NPC sheet is essential. Example: "Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks."

5. Special Traits and Recharge Mechanisms
Traits Like Magic Resistance: Traits such as "Magic Resistance" or "Regeneration" need explicit mention in the NPC's description for the system to recognize and apply them.

Rechargeable Abilities: For abilities that recharge (e.g., a dragon's breath weapon), use the format "Breath Weapon (Recharge 5-6)," which triggers an automatic d6 roll for recharge determination.

6. Spellcasting NPCs

Spellcasting Abilities and Formats: Spellcasting abilities must be clearly listed in the NPC's description. Example: "The warlock is a 10th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks)." This includes a list of spells prepared or available.
Conclusion


Mastering NPC effects automation in Fantasy Grounds is a game-changer for DMs, enhancing the complexity and excitement of encounters. This guide is designed to simplify the process and ensure your NPCs are as engaging and challenging as your campaign demands.

Reference Links for Additional Information:

Fantasy Grounds Unity Wiki - NPC Effects Automation: FG Unity Wiki - NPC Effects
https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/996642031/5E+Effects+for+Advanced+Automation
Fantasy Grounds Forum Discussion on NPC Automation: FG Forum - NPC Automation
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?48739-5e-Class-Background-Race-Feat-interpreted-strings/page6#post432112

Additional Resources: Consider purchasing comprehensive automation catalogs from creators like Rob2e or Grim Press on DM's Guild and FG Forge for more extensive automation tools.

https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?keywords=Effects&filters=0_0_0_0_0_45462_1000030_0&x=0&y=0&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=?affiliate_id=353357

https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/

[LordEntrails]

MOD: moved to 5E sub-forum and stickied.

[Deasile]

SO I have been searching for 2 days now and have not been able to find what I am looking for please be gentle lol. I am basically looking for an effect ( the full syntax ) that
if Player hits 0hp or lower, regen 20 hp


The closest I have come is something like this ... "HP <= 0 REGEN: 20", and various other syntax like "HP <= 1: REGEN: 20", "HP <= 1 REGEN: 20" and a few others with : [] and stuff but I can't get it to work

[Zacchaeus]

SO I have been searching for 2 days now and have not been able to find what I am looking for please be gentle lol. I am basically looking for an effect ( the full syntax ) that
if Player hits 0hp or lower, regen 20 hp


The closest I have come is something like this ... "HP <= 0 REGEN: 20", and various other syntax like "HP <= 1: REGEN: 20", "HP <= 1 REGEN: 20" and a few others with : [] and stuff but I can't get it to work

There isn't such an effect. You can't test for a number of specific hit points; you can only test for conditions and conditional operators. See here https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/996642031/5E+Effects+for+Advanced+Automation#IF-and-IFT

Also the REGEN affect won't work if the PC has no hit points; so something like IF: Unconscious; REGEN: 20 won't work because in addition to being unconscious the PC has no hit points. And of course you could be unconscious for reasons other than losing all of your hit points so even if it did work it would work when it shouldn't.

So you'll need to apply this manually.

[Deasile]

There isn't such an effect. You can't test for a number of specific hit points; you can only test for conditions and conditional operators. See here https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/996642031/5E+Effects+for+Advanced+Automation#IF-and-IFT

Also the REGEN affect won't work if the PC has no hit points; so something like IF: Unconscious; REGEN: 20 won't work because in addition to being unconscious the PC has no hit points. And of course you could be unconscious for reasons other than losing all of your hit points so even if it did work it would work when it shouldn't.

So you'll need to apply this manually.




Thank you very much

[Ludd_G]

Hi,

not sure if this helps, but there are a couple of extensions that roll when a target is reduced to zero HP, and if successful returns them to 1 HP, without being prone or unconscious, so I'm think that there must be some coding available that may work for your situation, but it would need to be an extension rather than just an effect on vanilla FG. I know nothing about coding so beyond this observation I'm not able to offer much else, but maybe the authors of the extensions (linked below) may be able to offer some pointers if you're coding able?

https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/1215/view

https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/1619/view

https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/2088/view

Anyhoo, I hope that this info was useful.

Cheers,

Simon

[MrDDT]

SO I have been searching for 2 days now and have not been able to find what I am looking for please be gentle lol. I am basically looking for an effect ( the full syntax ) that
if Player hits 0hp or lower, regen 20 hp


The closest I have come is something like this ... "HP <= 0 REGEN: 20", and various other syntax like "HP <= 1: REGEN: 20", "HP <= 1 REGEN: 20" and a few others with : [] and stuff but I can't get it to work

When you say "regen" do you mean at the end of their next turn they get 20 HP back, or do you mean soon as they hit 0HP they regain 20 HP instantly?

[74duckfan]

Hello,
I have been trying to figure this out and have been able to find the correct search clues to find anything. I am struggling with how to create an effect that adds RESIST: necrotic, but only when the PC drops below 50%HP or when "heavily" damaged. Is there a way to automate it to kick in and off based on Status of how wounded the character is?

[Zacchaeus]

Hello,
I have been trying to figure this out and have been able to find the correct search clues to find anything. I am struggling with how to create an effect that adds RESIST: necrotic, but only when the PC drops below 50%HP or when "heavily" damaged. Is there a way to automate it to kick in and off based on Status of how wounded the character is?

IF: Bloodied; RESIST: necrotic

More here https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/996642031/5E+Effects+for+Advanced+Automation#What-is-an-Effect?

[astromath]

There are several problematic things that's bothering me.
I have a skill proficiency that adds History as a species trait. Here's the wording I have:
You gain proficiency in History. When adding the species, the skill does not show up.

I have Psychic Resistance worded as follows:
You have Resistance to Psychic damage. This resistance also does not show up.

The species also gains three spells at certain levels. Here's the wording:


You know the Mage Hand cantrip.

When you use this cantrip, the hand is invisible.

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast the Jump spell.

At 5th level, you gain the ability to cast the Misty Step spell.

Once you cast a Spell granted by this trait, you can't cast that Spell with it again until you finish a Long Rest; however, you can cast the Spell using any Spell Slots you have of the appropriate level.

Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for the Spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select the species).

The Jump & Misty Step spells show up fine. But the Mage Hand cantrip does not. The ability choice pop-up also does not appear.

These are exact wordings found in other species traits with the exception of "When you use this cantrip, the hand is invisible." (extra line) and "choose the ability when you select the species" (using "species" instead of "lineage"). The new species does not have a lineage.

[Zacchaeus]

Most of the stuff in official modules is hard coded to appear so even the same wording in a Homebrew species won’t work. Also the choices and things which get added are usually triggered from the feature name and not necessarily the wording of the feature. For the first one above try ‘you gain proficiency in the history skill’. There’s no wording that will automatically add a resistance nor specific spells. The pop up choices for skills are hard coded to particular features (reasonably sure on that last one but not 100% sure).

[74duckfan]

I have been scouring the internet and the forums with no luck. I am a player in a 5E 2025 game and trying to Automate Graze for my fighter.

I have tried everything I can think of but no luck. can someone help me with the correct code for IF: MISS; DMG:8 slashing

[astromath]

I have been scouring the internet and the forums with no luck. I am a player in a 5E 2025 game and trying to Automate Graze for my fighter.

I have tried everything I can think of but no luck. can someone help me with the correct code for IF: MISS; DMG:8 slashing

MISS is not a legal modifier. There're only two situational modifiers: COVER and SCOVER.

There is no way to automate weapon mastery effects as of yet. You can request it in the request page (found at the bottom of every Zach's post).

[Dax Doomslayer]

@74duckfan, this may be an extension you may be interested in: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?86876-Weapon-Mastery-Automation-5E-2024.

[Laerun]

This article is only meant to consolidate the resources and the effects automation links into ONE place. Between the Atlassian, these FG Forums posts, and the various discord servers, I am hoping to make this a bit 'easier' to find this information for all that use the effects automation content for the DnD5e rule set. The main idea is to have most everything in one spot.
The best source or place is the FG Atlassian website, however, it is something that might frustrate users having to comb through various forums and other places to get the information they want.

**I do not wish or desire to be a pain in the butt, but rather a useful and contributing pain-in-the-butt at least. :-)**


FGA Blog Article:
https://www.fantasygroundsacademy.com/post/fantasy-grounds-dnd5e-effects-automation-effects-coding

The information below is divided into two sections, PCs, & NPCs.

PC Facing Section for Effects Automation and Resources.

Greetings, adventurers! In this post, we explore the nuances of creating Player Characters (PCs) in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (D&D 5e) using Fantasy Grounds. This comprehensive guide will walk you through each step, ensuring your character creation is both seamless and engaging.

1. Class Features & Hit Dice

Hit Dice Recognition: Fantasy Grounds recognizes "XdY" formats for hit dice (e.g., 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, etc.). This feature is vital for determining health progression.

Unique Class Features: Each class in D&D 5e has distinctive features. For example, Sorcerers with "Draconic Resilience" gain additional hit points and AC modifications, while "Unarmored Defense" affects Barbarians and Monks differently. Fantasy Grounds automates these class-specific nuances.

2. Skill Proficiencies

Adding Skills: The platform accurately adds skill proficiencies using specific phrases. Skills must be capitalized as in FG. For instance, "Choose two skills from Arcana, History, Stealth, and Survival."

3. Spellcasting / Pact Magic

Identifying Spellcasting Abilities: Fantasy Grounds automatically determines the primary spellcasting ability for each class, affecting the number of spells a character can prepare.

Influence on Prepared Spells: For classes with Pact Magic or who prepare spells, the platform calculates the number of prepared spells based on the ability modifier.

4. Racial Traits

Automated Racial Traits: Fantasy Grounds seamlessly applies racial traits like ability score increases, size, and speed. Unique racial abilities, such as "Darkvision" or "Fleet of Foot," are also recognized.

Special Abilities: Traits like "Gnome Cunning" offer automatic advantages, which are applied by the system.

5. Feats

Recognition of Feat Formats: The platform recognizes formats for feats affecting stats, proficiencies, languages, etc. For example, "Tough" automatically adds new HP. Hard-coded into the rule set usually.

6. Background Skills

Background Skill Selection: Phrases for selecting background skills, like "Choose a skill from...," are accurately identified by Fantasy Grounds.
Conclusion

Fantasy Grounds provides a detailed and intuitive platform for D&D 5e character creation, ensuring players can enjoy a rule-compliant and engaging experience. For more information and community support, visit the Fantasy Grounds Forum: 5e Class, Background, Race, Feat Interpreted Strings.

Credits: Zacchaeus, Mattekure, Rob2e, and the FG Community



NPC Facing Effects Automation Content:

1. Automating Weapon Attacks

Specificity in Attack Types: It's crucial to define each attack type individually. For instance, separate entries for "Melee Weapon Attack" and "Ranged Weapon Attack" are necessary for accurate automation.

Handling Diverse Damage Types: NPCs that deliver multiple types of damage in one attack must be clearly defined. E.g., "Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage plus 4 (1d6) fire damage." This ensures correct application of resistances and vulnerabilities.

2. Structuring Saving Throws and Conditions

Saving Throws Formatting: Proper structure for saving throws is vital. Example: "The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute."

Implementing Conditions: Fantasy Grounds recognizes standard conditions like poisoned or charmed when phrased correctly, automatically triggering these conditions during gameplay.

3. Ongoing Damage Effects

Continuous Damage Implementation: For ongoing damage like poison, the description should reflect the duration of the effect. For example, "Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage, plus the target is poisoned, taking 5 (1d10) poison damage at the start of each of its turns."

4. Immunities, Resistances, and Vulnerabilities

Detailed Descriptions in NPC Sheets: Accurately filling in immunity and resistance details in the NPC sheet is essential. Example: "Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks."

5. Special Traits and Recharge Mechanisms
Traits Like Magic Resistance: Traits such as "Magic Resistance" or "Regeneration" need explicit mention in the NPC's description for the system to recognize and apply them.

Rechargeable Abilities: For abilities that recharge (e.g., a dragon's breath weapon), use the format "Breath Weapon (Recharge 5-6)," which triggers an automatic d6 roll for recharge determination.

6. Spellcasting NPCs

Spellcasting Abilities and Formats: Spellcasting abilities must be clearly listed in the NPC's description. Example: "The warlock is a 10th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks)." This includes a list of spells prepared or available.
Conclusion


Mastering NPC effects automation in Fantasy Grounds is a game-changer for DMs, enhancing the complexity and excitement of encounters. This guide is designed to simplify the process and ensure your NPCs are as engaging and challenging as your campaign demands.

Reference Links for Additional Information:

Fantasy Grounds Unity Wiki - NPC Effects Automation: FG Unity Wiki - NPC Effects
https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/996642031/5E+Effects+for+Advanced+Automation
Fantasy Grounds Forum Discussion on NPC Automation: FG Forum - NPC Automation
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?48739-5e-Class-Background-Race-Feat-interpreted-strings/page6#post432112

Additional Resources: Consider purchasing comprehensive automation catalogs from creators like Rob2e or Grim Press on DM's Guild and FG Forge for more extensive automation tools.

https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?keywords=Effects&filters=0_0_0_0_0_45462_1000030_0&x=0&y=0&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=?affiliate_id=353357

https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/

These effects will be expanded upon in late April, 2026.
Please review the upcoming additions and changes, especially if you are using or building any FG extensions.

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?86968-2026-04-Ruleset-Updates&p=760222&viewfull=1#post760222