Good way to 'flip' NPC tokens?

[njhiker]

Hello all-

I was looking for a way to toggle different tokens for NPCs. Essentially what I'd be looking to do is bring up a map, say something like, "Hey, a group of red robed monks trudges toward you on the road." I'd have red monk tokens on the map but when they get closer, 'something happens' and I'm able to flip the tokens to show bandits (or whatever) trying a surprise attack.

Just a way to keep the actual NPC that is in disguise from the players until the reveal.

Thanks!

-Andrew

[HywelPhillips]

As far as I know there's not an automatic way to do this for a group of NPCs.

For an individual, you can drag-and-drop a new token on to the combat tracker and ti will replace it. Works fine for a boss, not so much for a gang of bandits.

Nonetheless the simplest way is just to drag-and-drop for each NPC, but that is a bit time consuming and hardly a "ta-dah!" reveal.

For a group what I do is prepare two encounters, one with the "disguised" tokens, one with the "revealed" tokens. Pre-place the NPCs the same for both encounters. Place the disguised encounter onto the map by dropping on the combat tracker as usual, and make all the tokens visible.

Let the PC's approach and see the disguised NPCs. When it is time to reveal use the menu option and delete all NPCs, thus getting rid of the disguised encounter, and drop the "revealed" encounter onto the combat tracker and make all the tokens visible. Or you can drop the new encounter on and manually delete the old NPCs.

It's not instant and it doesn't really work if the NPCs have to move before the reveal. But for an ambush it works just fine.

Anyone else got a better way of doing it?

Cheers, Hywel

[Bonkon]

Good Day All :)
I have wondered the same thing for creatures like Dopplegangers and Rakshasa. :)

[Nyarly Dude]

Hrm. If you're running D&D 5E and don't mind the overkill of a paid extension (base 1500 coins, i.e. $15, but it's currently on sale for half that) -- "5E Extension: Polymorphism" ( https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/156/view ) comes to mind.

It'd require creating two sheets, but you could probably use it to have the initial form be the 'polymorphed' form and then have it revert to the true form via the 'stop concentration' option. If you're using other wildshape and polymorph effects (maybe you've got somebody playing a druid, w/e) then the extension may be worth it to you.

[Griogre]

The way I deal with it is just use an appropriate token for the fake and don't "flip" them.

After all, most of the time the party may know they are not what they seem - after combat really starts - but that doesn't mean they suddenly know exactly what the NPC is just because combat did start. Stuff like Doppelgangers don't revert to real form until they die. And Rakshasa, at best, won't revert until the Disguise Self spell expires, with its one hour duration and doesn't need concentration. However, since they are fiends they should discorporate on death to reform in the hells. So the party would never see their true form either.

I've found *most* of the shape-shifting or disguise self monsters are similar. Succubus discorporate, Were are similar to doppelgangers were you won't see their true form (human) until death.

[Zacchaeus]

@HywelPhillips solution is probably the only way to do it if you really need to change the token for a group of characters.

I just give such NPCs a different token from the one in the MM and just leave that one. I don't bother changing the tokens but I do use the Non-id name to give them an innocuous name and make them not identified when first placed on the CT. Once their true identity is revealed clicking on the ID button on on the CT for one of them will change the name on the CT and on the token on all of them. This is a bit more instantaneous that messing with multiple encounters or changing tokens.