5E - AoE Spells Auto-Targeting & Upcast (FREE BETA) [Archive]

Henix

May 17th, 2026, 15:38

AoE Spells Auto-Targeting & Upcast (BETA)

Stop manually dragging templates, bring smart, persistent AoE automation to your games!

Hello everyone! I am incredibly excited to announce that the AoE Spells Auto-Targeting & Upcast extension is officially published on the Forge and available right now!

No more manual target swapping for Fireball or other area-of-effect spells. This extension works natively under the hood to handle the math and targeting so you can keep your combat fast, tactical, and clean.

✨ Features & Highlights

Precise Template Auto-Targeting: Automatically calculates and selects tokens within spell templates instantly upon placement. No more dragging targets manually for Fireball!
Smart Upcasting: Handles spell upcasting mechanics perfectly, ensuring the correct damage and scale are applied dynamically for most spells.
Persistent Spell Management: Tracks ongoing, turn-by-turn spell effects seamlessly without cluttering your Combat Tracker.

⚠️ The Beta Rollout Plan
I am launching this as a FREE BETA for the next 1 to 2 months. I want to ensure it is completely polished and bug-free!

Phase 1 (Free Beta - LIVE NOW): Download it for free, test it out in your campaigns, and let me know your feedback!
Phase 2 (Final Release): After the beta period, the free listing will be retired and replaced with the final, paid version (planned for 1000 to 1500 golds).

>>> Download on the Forge <<< (https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/3024/view)
▶️ Watch the Showcase Video on YouTube (https://youtu.be/UxHjJgXg-E0)
▶️ Watch the GENERAL UPDATE Showcase Video on YouTube (https://youtu.be/e858GJUOcIs)
▶️ Watch the VISUAL & QOL UPDATE Showcase Video on YouTube (https://youtu.be/4NgZ40WIhHU)

Support & Feedback
Please drop your feedback, bug reports, and feature suggestions directly in this thread! Your input is incredibly valuable during this beta phase.

Skexis Chamberlain

May 17th, 2026, 19:34

Will this expension work with 2014 or just with 2024?

Henix

May 17th, 2026, 19:45

It's designed to work for both D&D 5e (2014) and 5.5e (2024) Rulesets.

nephranka

May 17th, 2026, 20:41

Will you have an option to consume pact slots before spell slots?

Ludd_G

May 17th, 2026, 20:42

Hi Henix,

Just watched your video for this extension (will give it a try out in game tomorrow) and I just wanted to say how impressed I am with what you've achieved. Excellent work!

Looking forward to seeing it in use at my table.

Cheers,

Simon

Dax Doomslayer

May 17th, 2026, 22:56

Very cool extension. I did notice that with Chromatic Orb, if you roll the same number on two or more dice, the orb bounces to another opponent within 30' where you'd roll to hit again and damage. If the spell is upcast with a level 2+ slot, if that damage rolls the same number on two or more dice, it can bounce again. I'm assuming that this would need to be handled manually?

Henix

May 18th, 2026, 22:01

Will you have an option to consume pact slots before spell slots?

Thank you for the excellent feedback! You are completely right, I hadn't fully accounted for the multiclassing dynamics with Pact Magic yet.

To solve this, I just thought (right now xD) of implementing an option for multiclass characters, likely a checkbox or a toggle button in the interface that lets you switch the active "Pool" (Regular vs. Pact). This way, you can easily choose exactly which type of spell slot you want to consume before triggering the cast. What do you think?

Hi Henix,

Just watched your video for this extension (will give it a try out in game tomorrow) and I just wanted to say how impressed I am with what you've achieved. Excellent work!

Looking forward to seeing it in use at my table.

Cheers,

Simon

Thank you so much for the kind words! I am incredibly happy to hear that you liked the showcase video and the extension.

Please let me know how it goes at your table! I’d love to hear your feedback after your group tries it out in a live game. :)

Very cool extension. I did notice that with Chromatic Orb, if you roll the same number on two or more dice, the orb bounces to another opponent within 30' where you'd roll to hit again and damage. If the spell is upcast with a level 2+ slot, if that damage rolls the same number on two or more dice, it can bounce again. I'm assuming that this would need to be handled manually?

Thank you so much, I'm really happy to hear that! And yes, your assumption is exactly correct.

Because of the unique rolling conditions required for the Chromatic Orb bounce mechanic, there is no built-in automation for it. The best workflow right now is to simply leave the automation popup open, check your damage roll to see if you got matching numbers, and then manually roll the attack and damage again for the new target within 30 feet if it bounces.

nephranka

May 19th, 2026, 10:09

Thank you for the excellent feedback! You are completely right, I hadn't fully accounted for the multiclassing dynamics with Pact Magic yet.

To solve this, I just thought (right now xD) of implementing an option for multiclass characters, likely a checkbox or a toggle button in the interface that lets you switch the active "Pool" (Regular vs. Pact). This way, you can easily choose exactly which type of spell slot you want to consume before triggering the cast. What do you think?

Thank you so much for the kind words! I am incredibly happy to hear that you liked the showcase video and the extension.

Please let me know how it goes at your table! I’d love to hear your feedback after your group tries it out in a live game. :)

Thank you so much, I'm really happy to hear that! And yes, your assumption is exactly correct.

Because of the unique rolling conditions required for the Chromatic Orb bounce mechanic, there is no built-in automation for it. The best workflow right now is to simply leave the automation popup open, check your damage roll to see if you got matching numbers, and then manually roll the attack and damage again for the new target within 30 feet if it bounces.

Sounds like a good solution.

Lo Zeno

May 19th, 2026, 14:00

I think this extension has... deep issues: whenever I add this extension to a new or existing campaign, Fantasy Grounds becomes unable to load the campaign: it stays on the screen with the rolling d20 forever.

EDIT: just to be precise, I tried literally loading ONLY this extension, a campaign with no extension, a campaign with several other extensions but not this, and a campaign with several other extensions AND this extension. It spins forever only when I select this extension, by itself or with others.

Ludd_G

May 19th, 2026, 15:15

Ludd_G

May 19th, 2026, 15:18

Henix

May 19th, 2026, 15:20

Ludd_G

May 19th, 2026, 15:24

Hi,

a little feature request: I would love it all spells, including cantrips, used the same pop out. I know you can't actually up-cast cantrips but I'd rather have the consistency that 'all' spells use the same interface, even if a lot of the functionality is greyed out and not usable, if that makes sense?

Cheers,

Simon

also... is there any chance in the future to use spell graphics that fill the targeting circle/line etc. I presently use Bratch9's Spell Tokens extension ( https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/149/view ) and to combine that functionality with your extension would be amazing.

Cheers, and thanks for all your hard work,

Simon

Henix

May 19th, 2026, 15:29

Hi,

a little feature request: I would love it if all spells, including cantrips, used the same pop out. I know you can't actually up-cast cantrips but I'd rather have the consistency that 'all' spells use the same interface, even if a lot of the functionality is greyed out and not usable, if that makes sense?

Cheers,

Simon

Yes, that makes sense for the sake of consistency! I will look into that and let you know.

Aside from that, how did the rest of the automation feel? Was your table comfortable using it, or did you have any other observations during play?

also... is there any chance in the future to use spell graphics that fill the targeting circle/line etc. I presently use Bratch9's Spell Tokens extension ( https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/149/view ) and to combine that functionality with your extension would be amazing.

Cheers, and thanks for all your hard work,

Simon

Thank you, Simon! I will look into this as well to see if it's feasible down the road.

But for now, my main focus is completely on finalizing the core extension and squashing any bugs or problems during the beta phase, but compatibility with great extensions like Spell Tokens is definitely something I can explore in the future!

Skexis Chamberlain

May 19th, 2026, 18:36

It's designed to work for both D&D 5e (2014) and 5.5e (2024) Rulesets.

Nice. I will test it on the next session :D

nephranka

May 19th, 2026, 19:01

also... is there any chance in the future to use spell graphics that fill the targeting circle/line etc. I presently use Bratch9's Spell Tokens extension ( https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/149/view ) and to combine that functionality with your extension would be amazing.

Cheers, and thanks for all your hard work,

Simon

I would second that request.

Lo Zeno

May 19th, 2026, 20:44

Thank you both for the feedback, and I am very sorry to hear that the extension is causing long load times and freezes on the startup screen! I will look into this issue to figure out what is causing that.

Unlike Ludd_G, I am on Windows 11 (should that make any difference, but I doubt it).
After reading that he eventually manages to boot into the session, I tried waiting for longer than I did in my previous tests and it does indeed seem the case that it's not actually frozen but just very, very slow at starting. I had to wait almost 10 minutes before an empty campaign booted, but eventually it did.

nephranka

May 20th, 2026, 00:30

Unlike Ludd_G, I am on Windows 11 (should that make any difference, but I doubt it).
After reading that he eventually manages to boot into the session, I tried waiting for longer than I did in my previous tests and it does indeed seem the case that it's not actually frozen but just very, very slow at starting. I had to wait almost 10 minutes before an empty campaign booted, but eventually it did.

On Linux Fedora here and I too am experiencing very long load times.

nephranka

May 20th, 2026, 17:50

In addition to using "alt" to cast for free, maybe have an option for ritual casting. It is free as well but increases the casting time by 10mins.

Lo Zeno

May 20th, 2026, 21:19

In addition to using "alt" to cast for free, maybe have an option for ritual casting. It is free as well but increases the casting time by 10mins.

That's one of those things I don't think needs "automating": it doesn't happen in combat, so you just need the DM to tell you "after 10 minutes of ritual, you cast the spell. Click alt and the spell you need". Done, wham bam thank you ma'am.

nephranka

May 20th, 2026, 21:26

That's one of those things I don't think needs "automating": it doesn't happen in combat, so you just need the DM to tell you "after 10 minutes of ritual, you cast the spell. Click alt and the spell you need". Done, wham bam thank you ma'am.

I was thinking more of just a note like the free casting

Henix

May 20th, 2026, 21:34

In addition to using "alt" to cast for free, maybe have an option for ritual casting. It is free as well but increases the casting time by 10mins.

I was actually just about to reply and ask what exactly you meant by ritual automation. If it is just a visual note (like the FREE tag) or a simple reminder string, I could technically add a small checkbox like "R" for Ritual in the popup window.

However, I do need to evaluate this carefully. As LoZeno mentioned, since rituals don't typically happen under the pressure of active combat, I want to make sure I don't clutter the popup interface with extra buttons for no major mechanical reason.

I'll write this down and keep it in mind as I refine the UI! Thanks for the discussion, everyone.

bwatford

May 20th, 2026, 22:46

One thing I noticed with AoE targeting.

The 50% Rule: According to the official 5e Dungeon Master's Guide, if an AoE (like a Fireball or Spirit Guardians) covers at least half of a creatures square, the creature inside it is hit.

The targeting for this extension is triggering if it touches any of the square/token from what I can see.

Lo Zeno

May 20th, 2026, 23:33

I'm really loving this extension so far, but the time it takes to launch a campaign when it's enabled is really way too long.
Is there a chance that whatever initialization you do for the extension can be split, maybe having the bare minimum done at load time and the remaining parts during the game? e.g. the first time a character sheet is opened, or the first time an Actions tab is selected, or the first time a spell is used, something like that?

bwatford

May 21st, 2026, 16:08

From looking at it in the vault, this one is loading a literal ton of graphics files that is causing the slow initialize.

Henix

May 21st, 2026, 19:14

Thank you all for the feedback and observations, here are some updates on those points:

One thing I noticed with AoE targeting.

The 50% Rule: According to the official 5e Dungeon Master's Guide, if an AoE (like a Fireball or Spirit Guardians) covers at least half of a creatures square, the creature inside it is hit.

The targeting for this extension is triggering if it touches any of the square/token from what I can see.

Regarding the 50% Rule for AoE Targeting:
From my understanding of the grid rules, the 50% coverage applies to the individual grid squares themselves rather than the total size of the creature's token.
The 50% coverage rule applies to an individual grid square, not the creature's entire token area. If a spell’s AoE covers at least half of a 5x5 grid square, that specific square is considered fully within the effect.

Right now, the most reliable technical method the extension uses to determine this is checking if the AoE template covers the exact center of a grid square (which represents that 50% threshold). If it touches the center point of any square that a creature occupies, it counts as a hit.

I'm really loving this extension so far, but the time it takes to launch a campaign when it's enabled is really way too long.
Is there a chance that whatever initialization you do for the extension can be split, maybe having the bare minimum done at load time and the remaining parts during the game? e.g. the first time a character sheet is opened, or the first time an Actions tab is selected, or the first time a spell is used, something like that?

From looking at it in the vault, this one is loading a literal ton of graphics files that is causing the slow initialize.

Regarding the Campaign Load Times & Graphics:
It is completely true that the extension loads a literal ton of graphics files, which is exactly what is causing that heavy initialization lag.

I am still brainstorming the best architectural way to completely optimize this initialization process so it doesn't slow down the initial boot sequence. However, I have just pushed an optimization update to the Forge that should drastically improve things for now, it should reduce the current loading time by about 2/3.

Please grab the latest update and let me know if the campaign startup feels significantly faster on your end!

nephranka

May 21st, 2026, 20:51

Henix

May 21st, 2026, 20:57

I see the note about pact slots but I don't see a way to indicate which to use? Is the intent to just have a note or is there a setting somewhere?

Also, loads are much better now.

Glad to hear that the load times are feeling much better on your end! Thank you for the update on that.

Regarding the Pact Magic slot selection, that feature is actually not present in the current build yet (that is a bug that occur when a PC have both Pact slot and normal one). I am still actively working on it and other features.

nephranka

May 21st, 2026, 21:00

Glad to hear that the load times are feeling much better on your end! Thank you for the update on that.

Regarding the Pact Magic slot selection, that feature is actually not present in the current build yet (that is a bug that occur when a PC have both Pact slot and normal one). I am still actively working on it and other features.

Thanks for the clarification.

Lo Zeno

May 21st, 2026, 21:43

Can confirm, load times are an order of magnitude shorter now
I'm testing it with one of my players together with the new Sorcerer automation, everything looks great so far

bwatford

May 21st, 2026, 21:52

Can we make things a bit more consistent across all spells? if the spell doesn't produce a popup then players still have to do it the old way and check off a spell slot manually, with the popups it does it for them. They are a bit confused when to do what.

Perhaps if all spells triggered the popup to activate and confirm then they are always doing it that way?

Or perhaps make the "Use Power" icon different for those that trigger the popup so they know when to use the "Use Power" button and when to do it manually?

Just trying to offer some consistency for casting spells this way.

Henix

May 21st, 2026, 22:55

Can confirm, load times are an order of magnitude shorter now
I'm testing it with one of my players together with the new Sorcerer automation, everything looks great so far

The loading time was my absolute primary concern, so knowing it is significantly shorter now is a huge relief. I am still going to keep looking under the hood to see if I can reduce it even further, but I'm glad it's at a great playing state for you and your player alongside the Sorcerer automation! Thank you for testing it.

Can we make things a bit more consistent across all spells? if the spell doesn't produce a popup then players still have to do it the old way and check off a spell slot manually, with the popups it does it for them. They are a bit confused when to do what.

Perhaps if all spells triggered the popup to activate and confirm then they are always doing it that way?

Or perhaps make the "Use Power" icon different for those that trigger the popup so they know when to use the "Use Power" button and when to do it manually?

Just trying to offer some consistency for casting spells this way.

Regarding consistency across spells: right now, only cantrips do not trigger the popup interface. As mentioned earlier, I am already planning to add cantrips to the popup system too, which will give players that exact 100% routine consistency across everything they cast.

Because of how the extension is built, if your players are encountering a leveled spell (Level 1+) that does not open the popup when they click "Use Power", it means one of two things:

The spell is not properly prepared/active in the spell list, meaning the "Use Power" button shouldn't normally be appearing or clicked.
It is a bug.

If it turns out to be the second case, please let me know which specific spells or actions are failing to trigger the window so I can jump on it and see what's causing the issue.

Lo Zeno

May 22nd, 2026, 15:50

Henix

May 22nd, 2026, 19:46

The lack of popup for cantrips is basically the main feedback I got from my players during the tests I did, so I'm happy to read that it's in the plan already.
Other than that, one player noted that it would be convenient to have the Area of Effect token disappear on turn change for the spells that are instantaneous (e.g. Fireball); but, I'd rather leave that as a "nice to have" in the future, as deleting tokens is no big deal, plus there are situations where the DM would actually like to keep it around.

Glad to hear the cantrip alignment will solve that main point of feedback for your players!

Regarding the instantaneous AoE templates (like Fireball): right now, they are actually designed to disappear automatically the moment the spell is cast and damage is rolled. If the templates are staying on your map after the spell resolves (and its not a permanent spell), that might actually be a bug!

Just so I can make sure I understand the suggestion correctly, are you proposing to intentionally leave instantaneous templates on the map until the end of the turn? I'm just curious to know if there are specific or useful use cases you have in mind for that? I'd love to hear them so I can evaluate the idea properly.

metaldm007

May 22nd, 2026, 21:58

GKEnialb

May 24th, 2026, 22:57

Ran a session with this yesterday - it was a big hit. Good job on this!

GKEnialb

May 25th, 2026, 01:07

Is there any possibility custom effects could be handled? For instance, Aid as written doesn't really match the spell, as it adds temp hp instead of max hp. So I use Life Ledger to have the effect be "Aid; MAXHP: 5". This extension will do that okay, but the upcasting doesn't do anything different (so raises the max hp by 5 no matter what level of upcasting you do).

Henix

May 26th, 2026, 23:28

Any chance you might implement the ability to use custom spell tokens for the targeting areas like b9's old Spell Tokens extension (https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/149/view)? IIRC there was another extension that did the same thing but actually let you use the token for targeting purposes.

As mentioned just a little bit earlier in the thread, I agree that supporting custom spell tokens would be a really cool implementation! However, for the time being, my absolute main focus is entirely on ensuring the core functionality of this extension is stable and working perfectly. I will definitely look into compatibility options once the foundation is rock-solid!

Ran a session with this yesterday - it was a big hit. Good job on this!

Is there any possibility custom effects could be handled? For instance, Aid as written doesn't really match the spell, as it adds temp hp instead of max hp. So I use Life Ledger to have the effect be "Aid; MAXHP: 5". This extension will do that okay, but the upcasting doesn't do anything different (so raises the max hp by 5 no matter what level of upcasting you do).

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the kind words, and I'm thrilled to hear the extension was a big hit during your live session!

Regarding the management of custom effects and spells that aren't currently fully automated or scalable with upcasting under the hood, I am already working on a major update addressing exactly this.

If everything goes smoothly with testing, that update should be ready to roll out in about a week or so. Stay tuned!

GKEnialb

May 27th, 2026, 01:28

Great to hear! Looking forward to trying that out.

Lo Zeno

June 5th, 2026, 09:38

In the last game we found an edge case that the extension doesn't manage properly:

when a cantrip has multiple choice of damage, for example Toll the Dead, it only applies the increased damage due to level according to the FIRST type of damage; moreover, the parsing is incorrectly applying the total number of dice as the "extra dice".

Explanation follows:
this is the text of the spell:

You point at one creature you can see within range, and the single chime of a dolorous bell is audible within 10 feet of the target. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 1d8 Necrotic damage. If the target is missing any of its Hit Points, it instead takes 1d12 Necrotic damage.

Cantrip Upgrade.
The damage increases by one die when you reach levels 5 (2d8 or 2d12), 11 (3d8 or 3d12), and 17 (4d8 or 4d12).
When clicking the "use power" icon, the extension writes this in the chat for an 8th level character:

[Toll the Dead] Cast as a cantrip [+2d8 due to 8° Character Level].
And it indeed adds +2d8 to the damage, for a total of 3d8; this is, as you can read in the description of the spell that 2d8 is the TOTAL damage, not the damage to add ("the damage increases by one die when you reach level 5").
Additionally, if the target is missing hit points and the character clicks the second damage action (the one with 1d12), it should roll 2d12, instead it rolls 1d12 + 2d8 (because the extension applies a +2d8 to all the damage actions of the spell).

Henix

June 6th, 2026, 14:45

This is an excellent catch, and it is actually the exact type of scenario I was referring to in my previous post when I mentioned: "Regarding the management of custom effects and spells that aren't currently fully automated or scalable with upcasting under the hood, I am already working on a major update addressing exactly this."

The current parser struggles with multi-option cantrips like Toll the Dead, miscalculating the base progression and incorrectly overlapping the scaling dice across the different damage actions.

The good news is that this is precisely what the new system fixes! I am currently putting the finishing touches on it, and I think I should be able to push this big update by tomorrow. Because it is a very massive update with a lot of structural changes, it will be accompanied by a video explaining all the new features and how the custom upgraded scaling logic works.

Thank you for the detailed breakdown, the fix is right around the corner!

Henix

June 8th, 2026, 20:00

Hi guys,

The massive update is actually postponed for a couple of days because I have some things to manage IRL. I will let you know as soon as it goes live!

SmackDaddy

June 10th, 2026, 03:58

Is this still in beta or will this be released as paid soon?

And how does this differ from the updated AoE Targeting extension recently updated?

Lo Zeno

June 10th, 2026, 11:00

And how does this differ from the updated AoE Targeting extension recently updated?
The AoE Targeting extension does just that, adds functionalities to target tokens with areas of effect spells instead of manually targeting each token.

This extension does what it says on the first post:
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?87374-5E-AoE-Spells-Auto-Targeting-amp-Upcast-(FREE-BETA)&p=763888&viewfull=1#post763888

Precise Template Auto-Targeting: Automatically calculates and selects tokens within spell templates instantly upon placement. No more dragging targets manually for Fireball!
Smart Upcasting: Handles spell upcasting mechanics perfectly, ensuring the correct damage and scale are applied dynamically for most spells.
Persistent Spell Management: Tracks ongoing, turn-by-turn spell effects seamlessly without cluttering your Combat Tracker.

The upcasting popup is the key differentiating point, IMHO. But also the way they handle AOE targeting is different.

Henix

June 10th, 2026, 18:32

Is this still in beta or will this be released as paid soon?
And how does this differ from the updated AoE Targeting extension recently updated?

The AoE Targeting extension does just that, adds functionalities to target tokens with areas of effect spells instead of manually targeting each token.

This extension does what it says on the first post:
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?763888-AoE-Spells-Auto-Targeting-amp-Upcast

The upcasting popup is the key differentiating point, IMHO. But also the way they handle AOE targeting is different.

To answer the first part: Yes, the extension is currently in beta while I work through these major feature implementations and ensure everything is rock-solid. I estimate it will remain in beta for roughly another month and a half before the official release.

Regarding the comparison, Lo Zeno explained it perfectly!

The core difference comes down to the scope and design philosophy. From what I understand, the other AoE Targeting extension is a good, more generalized targeting system. This extension, however, is built from the ground up to focus on COMPLETE automation specifically tailored for D&D 5e (fully supporting both the 2014 and 2024 rulesets).

Instead of just calculating token targeting on the map, this extension integrates the shapes directly into the underlying 5e mechanics. It handles the interactive upcasting popups, automates slot deduction, manages complex dynamic damage/effect scaling based on spell levels, and tracks ongoing persistent spell.

Essentially, it aims to be a comprehensive mechanical overhaul for how spells are cast and resolved in 5e, rather than just a targeting aid!

Henix

June 11th, 2026, 20:42

The Update v0.2 is LIVE!

The massive new update is officially live on the Forge!

I won't paste the giant walls of technical documentation here since you can find all the specific tag details on the Forge description page itself, but this update introduces a complete overhaul for spell management, advanced custom upcasting/tags, and full NPC Combat Tracker support.

I’ve put together an update video explaining all the major changes, new tags, and features in action, so be sure to check that out for the full walkthrough!

Watch the Showcase Video on YouTube (https://youtu.be/e858GJUOcIs)

I really hope this update addresses the edge cases we've been diving into and makes everyone happy with the new level of automation. Please pull down the latest version and let me know how it performs in your upcoming sessions!

Happy gaming!

MrDDT

June 12th, 2026, 06:11

Wow this is super awesome! Nice work.

MrDDT

June 12th, 2026, 06:57

Can you make it so that the targets when they are AOE permanent, can't be targeted? I can see when people using AOEs they might target stuff by mistake.

They can be targeted by AOEs and other AURAs. Maybe put an option in for it?

AOE Effect ext also has built in that if you have the creature type "Object" it will not be targeted by AOE Effects. Also using type Object, will not trigger on self (when it's the bearer of that). So if you are placing an AOE Effect on an "Object" NPC place holder. You can use the basic coding of

NameofAoE; AURA: 10 all; AOE Effect Name; Effect of AOE.

Example:

Flaming Sphere; AURA: 5 all; AoE Flaming Sphere; SAVEE: [SDC] DEX (M); SAVEDMG: 2d6 fire

When this is placed on a normal NPC that has a type other than "Object" it will trigger each end of turn, however, if the type is "Object" it will not place the "AoE Flaming Sphere" on that Object. Also it will not place that on any Object type.

That make sense?

So much good stuff in this update. Thank you for the video.

Lo Zeno

June 12th, 2026, 13:37

The Update v0.2 is LIVE!

Watch the Showcase Video on YouTube (https://youtu.be/e858GJUOcIs)

Massive update indeed! I'm still going through the video but it already looks like a lot of great stuff

SmackDaddy

June 12th, 2026, 18:50

I am still doing some testing to figure out the conflict, but with this update, me nor my players get the pop-up (or shapes that pop-up) any longer when clicking use power. My player said he was getting this in his logs:

[6/12/2026 11:20:52 AM] [WARNING] window: Anchored static width ignored for control (targeting_add_button) in windowclass (ct_section_targets)
[6/12/2026 11:20:52 AM] [WARNING] window: Anchored static width ignored for control (targeting_clear_button) in windowclass (ct_section_targets)
[6/12/2026 11:20:59 AM] [WARNING] window: Anchored static width ignored for control (targeting_add_button) in windowclass (ct_section_targets)
[6/12/2026 11:20:59 AM] [WARNING] window: Anchored static width ignored for control (targeting_clear_button) in windowclass (ct_section_targets)
[6/12/2026 11:21:00 AM] [WARNING] window: Anchored static width ignored for control (targeting_add_button) in windowclass (ct_section_targets)
[6/12/2026 11:21:00 AM] [WARNING] window: Anchored static width ignored for control (targeting_clear_button) in windowclass

UPDATE: Disregard - I ended up not realizing the name changed and it was unloaded in my extensions (normally if the name stays the same, it doesn't unload it) I loaded it, and it's working now. Thank you! (maybe this will help someone else which is why I left my post intact)

Vaall

June 12th, 2026, 21:13

Congratulations again on the extension. This latest update is impressive.

I'm still testing and trying to adapt my modules to use your new tags.

Here's a small note:
Regarding cantrips for NPCs (2014 version), there is no automatic upcasting.

Example with the mage (2014):
Spellcasting. The mage is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). The mage has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand, prestidigitation

==> The mage is a 9th-level spellcaster --> Fire Bolt should roll 2d10

Do you think it would be possible to search for spell level cast for NPCs and use that value if it is defined for HCULVL or the upcast of cantrips?

Henix

June 12th, 2026, 23:19

Wow this is super awesome! Nice work.

Can you make it so that the targets when they are AOE permanent, can't be targeted? I can see when people using AOEs they might target stuff by mistake.

They can be targeted by AOEs and other AURAs. Maybe put an option in for it?

AOE Effect ext also has built in that if you have the creature type "Object" it will not be targeted by AOE Effects. Also using type Object, will not trigger on self (when it's the bearer of that). So if you are placing an AOE Effect on an "Object" NPC place holder. You can use the basic coding of...

That is actually a fantastic idea! Handling the "Object" creature type to prevent self-targeting and accidental AoE clutter makes perfect sense, especially for placeholder tokens. I will absolutely look into integrating this logic or adding an option for it in a future build. Thank you for the detailed suggestion!

Massive update indeed! I'm still going through the video but it already looks like a lot of great stuff

Thank you so much! I'm really proud of this update and glad to hear you are liking the new features and the showcase video. I appreciate the support!

UPDATE: Disregard - I ended up not realizing the name changed and it was unloaded in my extensions (normally if the name stays the same, it doesn't unload it) I loaded it, and it's working now. Thank you! (maybe this will help someone else which is why I left my post intact)

Glad you got it sorted out! Just out of curiosity, did the name actually look different to you in the FGU launcher? It shouldn't have changed between the old version and the new one, but I'm happy to hear it was just a quick loading issue and that everything is working perfectly for you and your players now. Thank you for leaving the post up to help others!

Congratulations again on the extension. This latest update is impressive.

I'm still testing and trying to adapt my modules to use your new tags.

Here's a small note:
Regarding cantrips for NPCs (2014 version), there is no automatic upcasting.
==> The mage is a 9th-level spellcaster --> Fire Bolt should roll 2d10

Do you think it would be possible to search for spell level cast for NPCs and use that value if it is defined for HCULVL or the upcast of cantrips?

Thank you for the compliments, Vaall!

And thank you for the excellent report. Since the NPC support feature is brand new, there are bound to be a few edge cases like this that pop up. The parser isn't currently checking the NPC's descriptive text line to grab their overall spellcaster level for cantrip scaling. I will definitely look into the code to see how I can account for this and pull that caster level properly for NPC cantrips. Thanks for catching it!

SmackDaddy

June 12th, 2026, 23:39

Glad you got it sorted out! Just out of curiosity, did the name actually look different to you in the FGU launcher? It shouldn't have changed between the old version and the new one, but I'm happy to hear it was just a quick loading issue and that everything is working perfectly for you and your players now. Thank you for leaving the post up to help others!

Name is too large in the extension screen so I am not sure. The only other extensions that do this are the WOB (World of Bethica) extensions....each new version shows at the bottom of my screen (because "W" is the last letter in the extension list) -- I just didn't think yours would have changed, but I am glad it wasn't a conflict, because my entire party have been shown what this can do (5 of 6 party members are spellcasters), and are super excited for Sunday's game day!

GKEnialb

June 14th, 2026, 01:10

Used this for today's session and it worked beautifully - great job! Preparing for a different group for tomorrow, I found an issue with Searing Smite. It has damage that does increase with upcasting and damage that doesn't increase with upcasting, but there's nothing in the config, so I can't do any mods to make it work correctly. And even though it says it's going to increase damage with upcasting, it doesn't.

67826

Looks like that's true of all paladin spells.

Henix

June 14th, 2026, 08:49

Name is too large in the extension screen so I am not sure. The only other extensions that do this are the WOB (World of Bethica) extensions....each new version shows at the bottom of my screen (because "W" is the last letter in the extension list) -- I just didn't think yours would have changed, but I am glad it wasn't a conflict, because my entire party have been shown what this can do (5 of 6 party members are spellcasters), and are super excited for Sunday's game day!

That's awesome to hear! I really hope your group has a blast with it. With 5 out of 6 players running spellcasters, your table is the ultimate proving ground for this kind of automation! Please let me know how Sunday's game day goes, how your players enjoy the extension, and if there are any specific areas where you feel it can be improved.

Used this for today's session and it worked beautifully - great job! Preparing for a different group for tomorrow, I found an issue with Searing Smite. It has damage that does increase with upcasting and damage that doesn't increase with upcasting, but there's nothing in the config, so I can't do any mods to make it work correctly. And even though it says it's going to increase damage with upcasting, it doesn't.

Looks like that's true of all paladin spells.

Thank you so much! I'm thrilled to hear it worked beautifully for your session today.

Regarding Searing Smite and certain other Paladin spells, you've hit on an edge case that the default automatic parser can't perfectly automate on its own.

However, you can manually adapt these spells right now using the new custom effect features introduced in the latest update! You can code the upcast damage modifier directly into the effect line like this:

DMG: 1[+1/HSULVL]d6 fire

Here is how that works under the hood with the new system:

When cast at its base level (1st level), HSULVL (Henix Spell Upcast Level) evaluates to 0 because it is cast at its base slot, so it adds 0 to the 1 before the tag and remains 1d6 fire.
If you upcast the spell to a higher slot, HSULVL will equal the number of levels it was upcast by (1, 2, etc.), which dynamically updates the dice count—adding 1 die for every upcast level, resulting in 2d6, 3d6, and so on.

I hope this helps clear up your doubts and gets it working perfectly for your group tomorrow! Let me know if you run into any issues.

Vaall

June 14th, 2026, 18:44

Hey, first of all, great job!

I had a lot of fun testing your extension all weekend from every possible angle.
I can confidently say that ASD has become completely unnecessary given the quality of what you've built here.
Here are a few notes and suggestions:

Effect duration on caster (persistent AoE)
Would it be possible to automatically add a duration to the effect applied to the caster of a persistent AoE spell ("Spell Name (x° Level)")?
Ideally, this duration could be pulled from the "Duration" field in the spell description.
Another point: even when I manually set a duration (e.g. 1200 for 2 hours), a short rest removes the effect entirely.
I observe the same behavior when advancing time (https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/2931/view).

Concentration tag (C)
I noticed that the "(C)" tag is automatically added to this effect, even when the spell does not require concentration.
This isn’t a major issue (and maybe no non-concentration persistent AoE spells even exist), but it might be better to only add it when the spell actually requires concentration.

Template effect on summoned NPCs
Regarding the template effect: applying it directly to the summoned NPC is a great idea, and it works very well
However, this effect does not go through the standard FGU pipeline, so other common tags are not interpreted.
That’s not really a problem since your system already covers most use cases — I’m just stress-testing edge cases 

Aura visualization on temporary NPCs
This might not be possible due to the temporary nature of the summoned NPCs, but aura visualization doesn’t seem to work.
Whether using default or custom colors, even with an effect like:

AURA: 20 !self, all, green; X
the aura keeps the original actor color instead of the defined one.

New AoE type (rectangle)
All existing AoE types (cone, cube, line, sphere, emanation) are working perfectly
Do you think it would be possible to add a rectangle type?
The idea would be something similar to line, but with the origin point centered instead of placed at one end.
This would allow behavior closer to the 3DRect shapes from AoE Effects (and thus have an exact visualization of the walls of fire, for example)

AoE Automator window trigger
Small detail (maybe already documented and I missed it):
For the AoE Automator window to appear, the "School" field must be filled in.
Otherwise, nothing happens when clicking Use Power.
Once defined, it works perfectly for all spells and even powers with limited uses.
The automatic popup on click feels really great

bwatford

June 14th, 2026, 22:16

Aura visualization on temporary NPCs
This might not be possible due to the temporary nature of the summoned NPCs, but aura visualization doesn’t seem to work.
Whether using default or custom colors, even with an effect like:

AURA: 20 !self, all, green; X
the aura keeps the original actor color instead of the defined one.

Aura visualization will be baked into the AoE Effects extension on the next version 1.1 released on this coming Tuesday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eViydHtsQb0&lc=UgxirKf15pyKsdWQKcl4AaABAg

GKEnialb

June 15th, 2026, 03:09

I hope this helps clear up your doubts and gets it working perfectly for your group tomorrow! Let me know if you run into any issues.

Works great - thanks. It was a big hit today.

Vaall

June 15th, 2026, 07:01

Aura visualization will be baked into the AoE Effects extension on the next version 1.1 released on this coming Tuesday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eViydHtsQb0&lc=UgxirKf15pyKsdWQKcl4AaABAg

Yes, I was a bit hasty in my description; I meant "Auras Visualized."
https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/620/view

I'll update this point when you release version 1.1 of AoE Effect ;)

Lo Zeno

June 16th, 2026, 09:29

Speaking of AoE Effects and auras visualizations... I don't know how feasible it is, and it's not something of a "must have", but it would be kind of a killer feature if you could do it: if 5E AoE Spells Auto Targeting could be compatible with AoE Effect in a way that would allow to add the aura visualization effects to the spell targeting template for permanent spells, that would be HUGE. AoE Effects includes visualizations for more than just auras (see Web, Grease, Silence...) and allows to define custom visualizations (including animations) so allowing this extension to apply those same visualizations (assuming AoE Effects is active at the same time) would make the targeting templates much more immersing during play.

nephranka

June 17th, 2026, 13:57

bwatford

June 17th, 2026, 14:23

@Henix, let me know if you need anything from me as far as AoE Effects go to make this work. We are just placing a bitmap image in the area and letting them customize graphics by keyname in the Aura itself, should be pretty easy to tap into for you.

nephranka

June 17th, 2026, 16:50

Additionally, I notice the token is dropping off the CT but staying on the map if you log out and return?

Henix

June 18th, 2026, 13:35

Hey, first of all, great job!
I had a lot of fun testing your extension all weekend from every possible angle.
I can confidently say that ASD has become completely unnecessary given the quality of what you've built here...

Thank you so much Vaall! Hearing that this extension has made ASD completely unnecessary for your table is an incredible compliment. I'm thrilled you had fun stress-testing it! Let me address your notes:

Effect duration on caster & Concentration (C) tag: I will definitely look into these. It should be fairly simple to extract the duration dynamically from the spell description text and ensure the "(C)" tag only applies if the spell actually requires concentration.
Template effect on summoned NPCs: Could you give me a few specific examples or the exact text/steps you are using for this? I'd love to try and reproduce it on my end to see exactly why it's skipping the standard FGU pipeline.
New AoE type (rectangle): Fair point! Having a centered-origin rectangle for exact wall spell visualizations (like Wall of Fire) is a great idea. I'll do some testing and see how feasible it is to implement alongside the current shapes.
AoE Automator window trigger: I may have left this out in the showcase video, but you are 100% correct. The "School" field is the key database node the automation checks to enable the upcast popup. Great catch! I will absolutely add this requirement explicitly into the documentation so others don't get tripped up by it.

---

Aura visualization on temporary NPCs ...

Speaking of AoE Effects and auras visualizations... if 5E AoE Spells Auto Targeting could be compatible with AoE Effect in a way that would allow to add the aura visualization effects to the spell targeting template for permanent spells, that would be HUGE...

I second this request. The new AoE Effect ext adds an inline command to add graphics to the AoE and this ext adds the token with the Aura code but the graphic is not coming through.

Regarding the aura visualization issues on temporary AoE spell tokens, I am already actively working on it! I noticed this exact visual behavior during my own testing. Bringing those immersion graphics, maps overlays, and custom animations directly into the targeting templates would be an absolute killer feature. I'm currently preparing another cool update that tackles exactly this, I'll share more specific details a bit later once it's closer to ready! ;)

---

@Henix, let me know if you need anything from me as far as AoE Effects go to make this work. We are just placing a bitmap image in the area and letting them customize graphics by keyname in the Aura itself, should be pretty easy to tap into for you.

Thank you so much, bwatford! I really appreciate you reaching out and offering to help make these two extensions play nice together. For now, everything is going smoothly as I dig into it, but if I run into a wall or need a specific help from your end, I will definitely drop you a message. Thanks again!

---

Additionally, I notice the token is dropping off the CT but staying on the map if you log out and return?

Regarding the token dropping off the Combat Tracker but remaining on the map upon logging back in: I've run several tests on my end and I unfortunately cannot reproduce this behavior in a clean environment. It sounds like it might be an extension conflict. If you manage to narrow down which other extensions are active when this happens, please let me know so I can investigate further!

nephranka

June 18th, 2026, 19:18

Thank you for the update.

MrDDT

June 18th, 2026, 20:42

67882@Henix

I love this ext so far, I've been really testing it out and so far this is the closest I've seen to working how I expect automation should work, gives a lot of options and whatnot.

I did have a question in this picture this is a "LINE" attack AOE. Much like Lightning bolt (this one is called Aganazzar's Scorcher which is only 30ft).

But the AOE targeting is not targeting any of the creatures in the image. Now my question is how are you ruling/judging/determining what creatures are being targeted? It appears you are using the FG targeting system of where it must reach the center of the creature to be targeted. I'm not sure why FG uses this as no rules I know use this rule.

Is there going to be options for targeting better in the ways that normal game play works? From my understanding normal gameplay is "If a creature is any part in an affected area it is affected". Then you can also look the 5E rules of a circle have a clear view of what a circular (like spheres also). It says "If a grid is at least 50% or more affected the whole grid is affected", now this makes it hard to figure out this in FG, how we did it in AOE Effects EXT is we calc'd the distance from the center of the token to the corners.
We also gave people some options to choose how refined they want to be. Default is 25% of the token in the AOE, but it can go up to refinement of less than .1 overlap (AKA .1 of the creature in the AOE is affected).

In the image, I would expect in normal gameplay all these creatures would be affected by this line attack spell.

bwatford

June 18th, 2026, 23:25

That’s exactly why configurable options matter. On my table, I wouldn’t rule that a 5-foot line barely grazing the edge of a square affects the creature in it.

The standard D&D 5e grid interpretation is that at least half of a square must be covered by the area of effect for it to count as affected. The approach you ask for in the image is quite generous to the players by comparison.

Because exact coverage can be ambiguous on a grid (as we’ve already seen with the AoE Effects extension), it would be ideal if this feature could either replicate those same user-configurable options or automatically use AoE Effects’ settings when that extension is installed. That would let every table choose the method that matches their preferred style.

The options from AoE Effects are:

- Edge
- Close to Edge
- Quarter (default)
- Center

That would get my vote.

MrDDT

June 18th, 2026, 23:41

The standard D&D 5e grid interpretation is that at least half of a square must be covered by the area of effect for it to count as affected. The approach you ask for in the image is quite generous to the players by comparison.

I agree this is the 2024 rules, the 2014 rules are not the case.

I think the best option is to have options of how people play, which is why I like how AOE Effects ext does it.

Henix

June 20th, 2026, 11:19

I love this ext so far, I've been really testing it out and so far this is the closest I've seen to working how I expect automation should work, gives a lot of options and whatnot...

But the AOE targeting is not targeting any of the creatures in the image. Now my question is how are you ruling/judging/determining what creatures are being targeted? It appears you are using the FG targeting system of where it must reach the center of the creature to be targeted... Is there going to be options for targeting better in the ways that normal game play works?

The standard D&D 5e grid interpretation is that at least half of a square must be covered by the area of effect for it to count as affected... Because exact coverage can be ambiguous on a grid (as we’ve already seen with the AoE Effects extension), it would be ideal if this feature could either replicate those same user-configurable options or automatically use AoE Effects’ settings when that extension is installed. The options from AoE Effects are: Edge, Close to Edge, Quarter (default), Center.

Thank you both for the incredibly detailed feedback and for diving into the grid math!

To answer your main question: yes, I was actually already planning to introduce customizable targeting settings! Because our two extensions complement each other so well, my ultimate goal is to keep the targeting behavior as consistent as possible across both systems so GMs don't have to manage conflicting behaviors during play.

@bwatford, looking ahead at that integration, I actually have a proposal/request! Do you think we could add a dedicated targeting mode that explicitly mirrors the official 5e 2024 ruleset (the "at least half a grid square must be covered" rule)?

The reason I'd love a native "50% Grid Square Coverage" option comes down to a mechanical quirk with token scaling. Personally, I play with "Token: Auto scale to grid" set to 100%. When you use a token-percentage overlap calculation (like Quarter) on standard 100% scaled tokens, the targeting behavior for Large, Huge, and Gargantuan creatures starts to act very weirdly because of their multi-square footprints.

If we add an option to calculate the threshold based strictly on the percentage of the grid squares covered by the template rather than scaling it based on token boundaries, it would perfectly resolve the 2024 rule for tokens of all sizes without clashing with the user's token scale preferences. Essentially, if X% of a square is covered by the template, we count that entire square as influenced—and if a token is sitting on that square, it gets targeted by the effect.

Let me know what you think about that approach! I'd love to hear your thoughts on implementing it.

MrDDT

June 20th, 2026, 11:44

If we add an option to calculate the threshold based strictly on the percentage of the grid squares covered by the template rather than scaling it based on token boundaries, it would perfectly resolve the 2024 rule for tokens of all sizes without clashing with the user's token scale preferences. Essentially, if X% of a square is covered by the template, we count that entire square as influenced—and if a token is sitting on that square, it gets targeted by the effect.

I would love this setting, we've talked about it a lot but how to achieve it is the problem without massive lag or making a premade template for each type of size variable there could be, which is not just sizes but also placement based on the intersection of a grid or based on "aura" types which would be based on the center of a grid square.

I personally also play with 100% token sizes, plus I use tokens that are highly transparent, so they don't have pixels per say all the way to the edges. (Because they don't have rings/circles).

I believe you are on the right track with it being that you are focusing on the rule (for 2024 at least) that % of the grid space is what says if it's an affected area. Any part of a creature in an affected area should trigger it.

bwatford

June 20th, 2026, 15:20

@Henix

Thanks for the detailed proposal — I appreciate you thinking about how this interacts with the 2024 rules and token scaling.

The current system uses a geometric point-in-shape test (sphere, cylinder, oriented 3D rect/cube, or cone) combined with an adjustable token size offset (GetAdditionalTargetDistance + the INTERSECTION_OF_TOKEN setting). This lets us handle all the advanced aura shapes (including rotated 3D ones and height-based cylinders) with fast math that runs smoothly during token drags.

A true “50% grid square coverage” mode (template covers ≥ half a square → token on that square is hit) would be more literal for classic circular templates, but it creates some real problems for this extension:

Performance: On every token move we’d have to check many grid cells per aura and calculate actual % coverage of each square by the shape. That gets expensive fast with cones, rotated rectangles, or multiple auras active.
Advanced shapes & 3D: Grid-square coverage works great for flat circles, but it doesn’t cleanly handle cones, oriented 3D walls/cubes, or auras that have vertical height ranges. The current point tests do all of that in one unified system.
Large tokens: The size-based offset already scales automatically for Large/Huge/Gargantuan creatures. The “weird” behavior you sometimes see is a known limitation of using a single center + isotropic adjustment, but it’s still fast and consistent across all shapes.

We already give GMs control with the Center / Quarter / Near Edge / Edge options plus the global AURA_ADJUST setting. Most tables find “Quarter” or “Near Edge” gives a good playable middle ground that feels close to “half covered” without the extra cost.

A pure grid-square mode would be a nice addition for people who only use simple radius auras and want strict 2024 grid behavior, but it would be a significant new subsystem rather than a small change. Right now the geometric approach is the best balance of speed, features, and flexibility.

If you have specific examples where large tokens are behaving badly even with “Near Edge” + a small negative AURA_ADJUST, drop them here and I’ll take a look at whether we can tighten the offset logic. With the setting at "Quarter", a significant portion (25-30%) of a huge or larger token needs to cross the aura's edge to trigger it.

Dax Doomslayer

June 20th, 2026, 19:31

Hi Henix,
First, I'm just starting to finally play around with this and love it. If you can incorporate Auras, that would be amazing!

On to business :). I'm trying to set up Toll the Dead. I've got it to work with the correct dice for level and if hurt or not but I've run into something really odd and I can't figure this out. The PC is a level 5 wizard with an 18 intelligence. For the d8 roll, it does the proper 2d8 when the target is not damaged but for some reason it continually is subtracting a 1 to the damage (i.e. 2d8-1). However, oddly enough, when the target is damaged, and it rolls the 2d12 damage, the roll doesn't subtract the 1 (i.e. 2d12). For the life of me, I cannot figure out why it is doing this. Attached is a screen shot. I've done this with a brand new campaign with only your extension and BCEG activated.
67924

Henix

June 22nd, 2026, 18:38

I would love this setting, we've talked about it a lot but how to achieve it is the problem without massive lag or making a premade template for each type of size variable there could be... I believe you are on the right track with it being that you are focusing on the rule (for 2024 at least) that % of the grid space is what says if it's an affected area.

Thanks for the detailed proposal — I appreciate you thinking about how this interacts with the 2024 rules and token scaling. The current system uses a geometric point-in-shape test... A true “50% grid square coverage” mode would be more literal for classic circular templates, but it creates some real problems for this extension: Performance, Advanced shapes & 3D, Large tokens... Right now the geometric approach is the best balance of speed, features, and flexibility.

@bwatford and @MrDDT, thank you both for this fantastic technical breakdown.

I’ve actually been messing around with the code over the last couple of days trying out a few different calculation methodologies, and after seeing your explanation, I completely agree with you.

The geometric point-in-shape approach combined with the token size offsets that you are using is a sweet spot. It strikes a beautiful balance between speed and precision. Plus, a massive bonus of your geometric system is that it works flawlessly even on maps where a grid hasn't been set up at all. Good job to everyone who worked on developing and refining that math.

Henix

June 22nd, 2026, 18:41

Hi Henix,
First, I'm just starting to finally play around with this and love it. If you can incorporate Auras, that would be amazing!

On to business . I'm trying to set up Toll the Dead. I've got it to work with the correct dice for level and if hurt or not but I've run into something really odd and I can't figure this out. The PC is a level 5 wizard with an 18 intelligence. For the d8 roll, it does the proper 2d8 when the target is not damaged but for some reason it continually is subtracting a 1 to the damage (i.e. 2d8-1). However, oddly enough, when the target is damaged, and it rolls the 2d12 damage, the roll doesn't subtract the 1 (i.e. 2d12). For the life of me, I cannot figure out why it is doing this. Attached is a screen shot. I've done this with a brand new campaign with only your extension and BCEG activated.

Hi Dax Doomslayer,

Thank you for checking out the extension! I'm really glad to hear you're loving it so far.

As for your report, that is an incredibly weird and specific bug! I honestly have no idea how a random -1 modifier is creeping into just the d8 damage line while the d12 option resolves perfectly fine, especially since an 18 INT character should have a +4.

Thank you so much for taking the time to test this in a completely fresh campaign with only this extension and BCEG active. Ruling out other extension conflicts right off the bat makes debugging infinitely easier for me!

I will dive deep into the parsing logic for multi-option and conditional cantrips to investigate exactly where that ghost modifier is getting attached under the hood. Thanks for the great catch and the screenshot!

Henix

June 23rd, 2026, 10:13

⚠️ Quick Progress Update: Next Release Coming Soon!

Hey everyone, just wanted to drop a quick sneak peek at what’s coming down the pipeline!

I have almost finished the next build, and the headline feature is that it will let you customize your ???visual??? spell templates and targeting behaviors even more! I'm implementing the refined geometric logic we discussed recently to ensure perfect consistency with the AoE Effects extension, giving you much more granular control over how shapes, tokens, and grid interactions overlap during play.

If everything goes smoothly with final testing, I should be able to release both the official Forge update and a brand new video walkthrough around the end of this week!

Thanks again for all the incredible feedback, bug reports, and collaboration over the weekend. Stay tuned, the next build is just around the corner!

Best regards,
Henix

MrDDT

June 23rd, 2026, 19:24

This sounds exciting.

GKEnialb

June 24th, 2026, 02:24

Very cool - looking forward to it!

Henix

June 28th, 2026, 16:46

The Visual & QOL Mega-Update (v0.3) is Live on the Forge!

Hey everyone! I am incredibly excited to announce that **Version 0.3** is officially live. This is a massive milestone update focused heavily on next-level map visuals, major layout engine optimizations, and highly requested Quality of Life improvements.

I’ve put together an update video to explain all the major changes and features in action (I might have forgotten a few things because there is always so much to cover, XD!), so be sure to check that out for the (maybe full xD) walkthrough!

▶️ Watch the Showcase Video on YouTube (https://youtu.be/4NgZ40WIhHU)

---

Here is the complete, summarized changelog for v0.3:

✨ 1. Custom AoE Widgets & Visual Templates

Custom Image Underlays: You can now completely replace default FGU geometric borders with custom image textures (like fire graphics, ice textures, etc.) mapped directly to your spell pointers.
Asset Configuration Tab: GMs now have a dedicated configuration tab inside the AoE Automator popup to easily define, import, and export custom spell-to-widget templates.
Granular Transformation Controls: Independently adjust X/Y scaling offsets, rotate graphics, and tweak positional coordinates to ensure your custom textures fit the map grid perfectly.
Smart Name Fallback: No need to manually assign assets everywhere! The graphics system automatically falls back to matching the Spell Name out of the box.
Opt-Out Flexibility: Leave the custom token field blank or type "NONE" to entirely bypass custom visuals for specific spells and revert to default FGU layouts.
Opacity Control Sliders: Added advanced sliders for border and token opacity management, giving GMs total control over visual map clutter.

⚠️ 2. Advanced Map Geometry & Targeting Rules

New Geometry Templates: Full native support added for Wall shapes (with customizable thickness and length) and Ring shapes (targets a hollow band, completely ignoring the center area).
Global Token Intersection Options: Added a new global option to dictate targeting overlap tolerance (Center, Quarter, Near Edge, and Touching), giving you precise control over how much of a token's space must intersect with the template boundary to count as a hit.
Pixel-Perfect Rebuilds: Re-engineered the underlying math for Line and Cone templates to ensure near pixel-perfect alignment and precision on the grid.
3D Aura Rotation Sync: Integrated with 3D Aura effect structures. Pointers and auras now flawlessly sync rotationally on 3D maps using advanced 3drect translation formulas, squashing old rotation offset bugs.
Aura Vis Bypass: If you prefer using external Aura Vis graphics over the native textures, simply set token and border opacities to 0 to seamlessly hand over visual processing.
Smart "Object" Type Filtering: Permanent AoE spell tokens are now natively flagged as "Object" types, allowing proper Aura tracking and completely removing the need for clunky !self string filtering.
Targeting Safeguards & "All but NOT self" Mode: Non-permanent (instant-cast) spells like an instant Fireball will now automatically ignore "Object" types (so instant blasts won't target persistent spell tokens). Also formally added the "All but NOT self" targeting cycler option to exclude the caster during template placement.

✨3. Player Control & Persistent Spell Automation

PC Token Ownership: Players are now granted full database and token instance ownership of their persistent spells. This allows players to select, move/drag, rotate, and delete their own persistent spell tokens directly on the map!
Spell Multi-Template Chaining: Individual spells now support up to 4 chained templates. Added [1]-[4] template index buttons, a dynamic "+" button to add templates, and a trash button to delete templates (with automatic shifting to close gaps).
Deferred Token Activation: Dummy Combat Tracker entries and concentration are now deferred to a map-token double-click rather than triggering instantly during initial spell cast resolution.
Default Token Visibility: Persistent dummy CT entries now default to Visible so players can instantly see their permanent AoE tokens and attached widgets on the map.

⚔️ 4. Fixes & Layout Optimization

Synchronous Layout Driver: Fixed long-standing FGU anchoring issues. The indented faction boxes now natively expand and contract instantly and smoothly without throwing console warnings.
Dual-Axis Dialog Resizing: The AoE/Upcast configuration window now supports dragging to resize in both directions with custom minimum boundaries. Separators and padding scale dynamically to match.
Duration & Concentration Tags: Added automatic effect duration tracking on the caster for persistent AoEs pulled straight from the spell description, and corrected the (C) tag to only apply to spells that actually require concentration.

⚡ 5. Performance, Integrations & General Polish

⚡ 80% Load Time Boost & Database Sync: Highly optimized extension initialization and campaign load speeds. The AoE spell templates list is now server-synchronized (read-only for players, GM editable) and JSON import/export is restricted to the Host.
"Jack of all Things" Integration & Item Casting Fixes: Added compatibility to trigger templates when casting directly from items or scrolls. Item-based spell node resolution was also improved to support martial characters without spell slots.
Private NPC Chat Avatars: NPC spell slot usage and fizzle chat messages are now routed privately to the GM and display the NPC's actual Combat Tracker token avatar in the chat log.
Precise Micro-Rotation: Restored the micro-adjustment rotation step via SHIFT+CTRL+Scroll to a precise 1-degree increment (down from 3).
Double-Scaling Fix: Resolved a bug where reloading FGU would repeatedly shrink permanent spell tokens due to reapplied multipliers. Scaling is now locked exactly once inside a persistent campaign database node.
NPC Cantrip Scaling: Fixed calculation bounds to properly resolve character-level thresholds for NPC cantrips.
Runtime Debug Command: Added the /aoedebug [on/off/true/false] chat command to toggle debug logging at runtime (defaulting to off for public releases).
UI Polish: Enhanced metadata panel vertical heights and control spacing to completely prevent text truncation.

Please pull down the latest build from the Forge, check out the walkthrough video, and let me know how it performs at your tables. I hope these changes make everyone very happy!

Happy gaming!

nephranka

June 28th, 2026, 16:49

I am noticing a strange and hard to replicate issue. It is only on the player side. I can not recreate it as a host player or as host. After a player casts a cantrip like eldritch blast the future damage rolls for that player no longer have a target and therefore do not register. Additionally, all healing rolls seem to target all things in the combat tracker for all players. Only a reboot fixes the issue. I will try to get exact steps when we play again.

Henix

June 28th, 2026, 17:19

Henix

June 28th, 2026, 17:47

nephranka

June 28th, 2026, 18:27

I identified the problem and fixed it immediately! Thanks for reporting it, nephranka!

Thanks!

jonesdaadi

June 28th, 2026, 19:43

nephranka

June 28th, 2026, 19:47

I am see that the SHIFT + Scroll is not rotating the target area now.

Henix

June 28th, 2026, 20:22

So right now i have some spells which come from 3rd party creators. these spells are marked with the ritual tag, but the Automator does not give me the option to cast this spell as a ritual. i also have characters with abilities that allow them to cast some spells that are not normally rituals as rituals. the spells are flagged on the character sheet's spells as rituals. does this have no support for homebrew or 3rd party spells as rituals?

The extension absolutely supports homebrew and 3rd party spells! However, it depends entirely on how the spell record data is structured.

Could you clarify what you mean by "marked with the ritual tag"? For the Automator to recognize a spell as a ritual and display the ritual checkbox option, the keyword "Ritual" must be written directly into the spell's "Casting Time" field (e.g., "1 minutes or Ritual"). If 3rd party modules or other extensions are flagging it with other fields, my parser won't look there. Double-check the text inside the Casting Time field of those spells and let me know how they are written!

I am see that the SHIFT + Scroll is not rotating the target area now.

I am unfortunately unable to reproduce this issue on my end. I just jumped into a clean campaign and tested it across all the default shapes, and standard SHIFT + Scroll rotation is working exactly as normal.

Could you give me a bit more detail on what's happening? For instance, does it happen with a specific shape, or is it affecting every spell template? If you have other extensions loaded, it might also be a conflict with another tool hooking into the mouse wheel tracking. Let me know!

jonesdaadi

June 28th, 2026, 20:31

nephranka

June 28th, 2026, 20:54

The extension absolutely supports homebrew and 3rd party spells! However, it depends entirely on how the spell record data is structured.

Could you clarify what you mean by "marked with the ritual tag"? For the Automator to recognize a spell as a ritual and display the ritual checkbox option, the keyword "Ritual" must be written directly into the spell's "Casting Time" field (e.g., "1 minutes or Ritual"). If 3rd party modules or other extensions are flagging it with other fields, my parser won't look there. Double-check the text inside the Casting Time field of those spells and let me know how they are written!

I am unfortunately unable to reproduce this issue on my end. I just jumped into a clean campaign and tested it across all the default shapes, and standard SHIFT + Scroll rotation is working exactly as normal.

Could you give me a bit more detail on what's happening? For instance, does it happen with a specific shape, or is it affecting every spell template? If you have other extensions loaded, it might also be a conflict with another tool hooking into the mouse wheel tracking. Let me know!

Looks like cube is not rotating. I can get line to rotate. Only this extension loaded.

Also, found the steps to create an orphan token. 1. Click the AoE button and leave the spell window open. 2. Logout. 3. On return the spell window is strange and the token is on the map but no shape around it.

Henix

June 28th, 2026, 21:27

Looks like cube is not rotating. I can get line to rotate. Only this extension loaded.

Ah, yes! That is actually completely intentional. Cube/square templates are explicitly blocked from rotating by design.

According to standard 5e grid rules, cubes are meant to align face-to-face with the grid. Allowing a cube template to rotate freely or at off-angles creates extremely weird, unpredictable targeting edge cases on the map. To keep the calculations clean, robust, and performant, I locked the rotation for cubes entirely so they stay perfectly snapped to the grid.

Also, found the steps to create an orphan token. 1. Click the AoE button and leave the spell window open. 2. Logout. 3. On return the spell window is strange and the token is on the map but no shape around it.

Thank you so much for providing those exact reproduction steps! That is incredibly helpful for tracking this down.

Leaving the AoE Automator UI window active alongside an unplaced or active spell template right when the session closes definitely creates a database desync when FGU reloads. I followed your steps to test this on my end: when I reload, the AoE Automator window itself does definitely get into a weird state (which I will fix by forcing it to close automatically on a reload/logout), but interestingly, the map token and its custom template graphic/targeting area remained completely intact and visible for me.

Regardless, I am going to dive into the session cleanup and window-management logic to ensure that any pending, open AoE Automator windows are cleanly swept away on logout to prevent that strange UI behavior from happening.

I'll get this all sorted out for the next patch! Thanks again for the meticulous testing and helping me squish these edge cases!

nephranka

June 29th, 2026, 00:10

Ah, yes! That is actually completely intentional. Cube/square templates are explicitly blocked from rotating by design.

According to standard 5e grid rules, cubes are meant to align face-to-face with the grid. Allowing a cube template to rotate freely or at off-angles creates extremely weird, unpredictable targeting edge cases on the map. To keep the calculations clean, robust, and performant, I locked the rotation for cubes entirely so they stay perfectly snapped to the grid.

Thank you so much for providing those exact reproduction steps! That is incredibly helpful for tracking this down.

Leaving the AoE Automator UI window active alongside an unplaced or active spell template right when the session closes definitely creates a database desync when FGU reloads. I followed your steps to test this on my end: when I reload, the AoE Automator window itself does definitely get into a weird state (which I will fix by forcing it to close automatically on a reload/logout), but interestingly, the map token and its custom template graphic/targeting area remained completely intact and visible for me.

Regardless, I am going to dive into the session cleanup and window-management logic to ensure that any pending, open AoE Automator windows are cleanly swept away on logout to prevent that strange UI behavior from happening.

I'll get this all sorted out for the next patch! Thanks again for the meticulous testing and helping me squish these edge cases!

Thanks for the updated information. I accept the limitations of the system for the rotation of the cube. As for how that aligns with the 2024 rules. There are only two places to refer, DMG and PHB. Neither would prohibit the rotation to the cube from my reading.

DMG:
Areas of Effect
p44
An area of effect must be translated onto squares or hexes to determine which potential targets are in the area. If the area has a point of origin, choose an intersection of squares or hexes to be the point of origin, then follow its rules as normal. If an area of effect covers at least half a square or hex, the entire square or hex is affected.

PHB:
Area of Effect
PHB'24
p361
Core Rule

The descriptions of many spells and other features specify that they have an area of effect, which typically has one of six shapes. These shapes are defined elsewhere in this glossary:
Cone
Cube
Cylinder
Emanation
Line
Sphere
An area of effect has a point of origin, a location from which the effect's energy erupts. The rules for each shape specify how to position its point of origin. If all straight lines extending from the point of origin to a location in the area of effect are blocked, that location isn't included in the area of effect. To block a line, an obstruction must provide Total Cover.

If the creator of an area of effect places it at an unseen point and an obstruction—such as a wall—is between the creator and that point, the point of origin comes into being on the near side of the obstruction.

Cube [Area of Effect]
PHB'24
p364
A Cube is an area of effect that extends in straight lines from a point of origin located anywhere on a face of the Cube. The effect that creates a Cube specifies its size, which is the length of each side. A Cube's point of origin isn't included in the area of effect unless its creator decides otherwise.

Source: PHB'24, page 364. Available in the SRD 5.2.1 and the Basic Rules (5.5e/2024).

Vaall

June 29th, 2026, 17:50

Hello,

First of all, congratulations on this fantastic update — it addresses many requests and is really wonderfull.

I would like to share a few small remarks:

HAOE Spell Templates – Rotation
Would it be possible to add an option for a random rotation value?
The idea would be that, for non-symmetrical templates, the rotation is randomly determined each time the template is used, providing a slightly different visual effect at each cast for more immersion.

Multiple Spell Templates (e.g. Wall of Fire)
Thank you for implementing support for multiple spell templates — it’s very useful for spells like Wall of Fire.
However, I couldn’t find a way to automatically generate both templates in the AoE Automator window (for example, combining an X-foot radius and an X-foot line from the spell description).
Should I assume that the second template needs to be created manually each time an NPC has such a spell?

Template Parameters Embedded in Spells
Related to the previous point: do you think would it be possible to define the template parameters directly within the spell itself (in the global spell list) , so that they are automatically applied when the spell is assigned to a PC or NPC?

Scaling Effects (every two spell levels)
I was unable to configure an effect that increases by +1 every two spell levels (e.g. Magic Weapon in D&D 5e 2014).
I can achieve the inverse [+2 / HSULVL], but not something like [+1 /2HSULVL].
Is there currently a way to implement this kind of scaling?

Powers Using Spell Slots (e.g. Divine Smite, Combat Wild Shape)
Some class features (like Divine Smite of paladin or Combat Wild Shape of druid - moon specialisation) allow the use of spell slots to enhance their effects.
Since these are defined as powers rather than spells, there is currently no option to select a spell slot level.
Would it be possible to introduce a keyword or option allowing powers to also use spell level selection?

Just a reminder that these are merely suggestions, not mandatory requirements ;)
Thanks for your work

Ludd_G

June 30th, 2026, 16:40

Lo Zeno

June 30th, 2026, 17:56

Hi,

thank you for this extension, brilliant work!

I may be doing something wrong, or have something wrongly set in options, but when I populate my characters' spells from the Automatic Effects libraries, rather than the Player's Handbook etc., the spell descriptions don't show up in the 'Use Power' pop up box, just the source heading. Will it be possible to rectify this, or is there something i'm doing incorrectly?

Cheers,

Simon

I think it's because of how the spells in the Automatic Effects libraries are made: they aren't actually spells, they contain only the link to the source material (so if it's a spell in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, for example, and you don't have loaded TCoE, then you can't see the text). If I remember right, this was done to avoid infringing copyright. That also mean that they aren't (probably) structured in a way that AoE Spells Auto-Targeting can parse to recognise the text.

Ludd_G

June 30th, 2026, 18:11

I think it's because of how the spells in the Automatic Effects libraries are made: they aren't actually spells, they contain only the link to the source material (so if it's a spell in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, for example, and you don't have loaded TCoE, then you can't see the text). If I remember right, this was done to avoid infringing copyright. That also mean that they aren't (probably) structured in a way that AoE Spells Auto-Targeting can parse to recognise the text.

I feared it would be something like that. Still, I'll remain hopeful someone can find a fix as it's quite a negative for my players, who can never, ever (even after 3 years with these characters) remember any of the info about their spells... *sigh*

I will say though that all my spells were previously taken from the Rob2e libraries rather than from PHB etc., which used to suffer the same restrictions with regards needing to use links rather than copied text, but these do populate the info field for this extension correctly, so there may be hope? Fingers crossed.

Cheers,

Simon

MrDDT

June 30th, 2026, 18:27

I feared it would be something like that. Still, I'll remain hopeful someone can find a fix as it's quite a negative for my players, who can never, ever (even after 3 years with these characters) remember any of the info about their spells... *sigh*

I will say though that all my spells were previously taken from the Rob2e libraries rather than from PHB etc., which used to suffer the same restrictions with regards needing to use links rather than copied text, but these do populate the info field for this extension correctly, so there may be hope? Fingers crossed.

Cheers,

Simon

Do you have the source book open and not just the 5eAE module?

Ludd_G

June 30th, 2026, 18:35

I've just double checked and all WotC sourcebooks are loaded.

Cheers,

Simon

Henix

June 30th, 2026, 20:25

Ok, i thought that all i needed was the Ritual tag, i did not realize casting time was necessary. my fault. working perfectly with that fix. everything in this is a major improvement to spellcasting. i will purchase on day one as my players find this invaluable. thank you for your hard work.

Thank you so much for the kind words! Hearing that the extension is actively improving your table and that your players find it invaluable makes all the hard work entirely worth it. I really appreciate the early vote of confidence and support!

Thanks for the updated information. I accept the limitations of the system for the rotation of the cube. As for how that aligns with the 2024 rules. There are only two places to refer, DMG and PHB. Neither would prohibit the rotation to the cube from my reading...

Haha, well it looks like I might have been completely hallucinating that restriction! xD I was so certain there was a strict structural rule against it, but you absolutely brought the receipts from the 2024 books.

Since the official rules don't actually prohibit it, I'd be happy to open up rotation for the square/cube templates in an upcoming patch. Quick question for you and anyone else following the thread: would you prefer if cube rotation snaps strictly to 45-degree increments (allowing for a clean "diamond" style layout), or should I just open it up to completely free rotation like all the other shapes?

Hello,
First of all, congratulations on this fantastic update — it addresses many requests and is really wonderfull.
I would like to share a few small remarks...

Thank you so much, Vaall! I am happy to hear you're enjoying v0.3. Your "small remarks" are always incredibly insightful, so let's break them down:

HAOE Spell Templates – Random Rotation: That is a really cool flavor idea for map immersion! For non-symmetrical custom graphics, having an option to randomize the deployment angle would look great. I will definitely look into adding a toggle for this.
Multiple Spell Templates (Auto-Parsing): You are spot on. Right now, the automatic text parser is still a bit basic—it handles standard single-shape spells beautifully but struggles with multi-clause descriptions like Wall of Fire (which requires both a ring/radius and a line). For now, the secondary templates do need to be added manually, but enhancing the parser to read complex multi-template spells natively is on my radar for a future automation update.
Template Parameters Embedded in Spells: Haha, you completely spoilered my next major QoL update! xD I am actually already working on exactly this. I won't spoil anything more, but it is a work in progress!
Scaling Effects (Every two spell levels): That is indeed a bug with how the parser is handling fractional scaling steps under the hood. I will investigate it and make sure a fix for syntax like [+X/YTAG] is shipped out in the next patch.
Powers Using Spell Slots (Divine Smite, Wild Shape): I hadn't thought too deeply about expanding this to the generic Powers tab yet, but it's an incredibly smart feature request for class abilities that burn slots. I will dive into the code to see how feasible it is to introduce a keyword that triggers the upcast/slot-selection window for standard character powers. That said, I might end up integrating those specific features directly into my other dedicated Class Automation extensions instead since they fit the class-specific theme perfectly.

Honestly, all of the feedback and suggestions across these FG threads are always so well-scoped and practical that they feel practically mandatory for a premium extension! Thank you all so much for the exceptional testing, bug reports, and creative ideas, you are doing a fantastic job helping me refine this!

Henix

June 30th, 2026, 20:34

I may be doing something wrong, or have something wrongly set in options, but when I populate my characters' spells from the Automatic Effects libraries, rather than the Player's Handbook etc., the spell descriptions don't show up in the 'Use Power' pop up box, just the source heading... Still, I'll remain hopeful someone can find a fix as it's quite a negative for my players, who can never, ever (even after 3 years with these characters) remember any of the info about their spells... *sigh*

I think it's because of how the spells in the Automatic Effects libraries are made: they aren't actually spells, they contain only the link to the source material... That also mean that they aren't (probably) structured in a way that AoE Spells Auto-Targeting can parse to recognise the text.

First of all, thank you Simon (@Ludd_G) for the kind words! Also, as a fellow DM, I completely sympathize with the struggle of players not remembering what their spells do after three years, that is a universal D&D experience right there! 🤣

@Lo Zeno is exactly on the right track here mechanically. To stay compliant with copyright guidelines, some community modules use reference shortcuts or link pointers instead of copying raw spell text directly into the local spell record. My extension's popup window looks for text inside the standard database nodes (like text or description). If a module leaves that text block blank and relies purely on an external link to populate the native FGU window, my popup reads it as empty.

Since I don't personally own the 5e Automatic Effects (5eAE) modules, I can't look under the hood to see exactly how their internal database nodes and link structures are set up. Because of that, I'm not entirely sure how I could fix this behavior for now, but thank you so much for bringing this to my attention! I'll keep it on my radar in case I can get a look at their architecture down the line.

Thanks again for the feedback!