NPC played as a PC

I've followed the rules on how your supposed to drag an NPC over the players to give them limited control of it in the map - but truth be told? I've only ever seen it work once. I don't know if its because I'm running Fantasy Grounds Unity with a modified Death Extensions module or if it just doesn't work in FGU at this moment. Even then - it does not really let them fully play the NPC. So I figured something out - that probably every one else knows - but will share it just in case some don't.

I have created the following groups under the following character creations buttons:

Classes: NPC as PC fake classes
Races: NPC as PC fake races
Backgrounds: NPC as PC backgrounds
Items: NPC as PC weapons

The new groups in each category will help me quickly get to special NPC critter class/race/background/weapons in order to make a PC of them.

For my test case, which is actually a real need in my current campaign - I wanted someones hawk familiar to be fully playable with minimum look-ups (because you know - its slow to do that and I like things fast for the players and myself). In this case its a hawk. So I brought up the NPC and set it to unlock so I could see all the fields and started creating things I needed to make all that stuff appear in a PC character sheet. I made the following things in the above relevant groups (Yes, you would do it better and have more detail and variety - but I was just trying to get it done and usable for my campaign):

Created New class:

Hawk

Other:

HD Per Level: 1d4-1
Skills: Perception +4

Main:

"This is the NPC hawk defined as a PC so that a player may fully control it."

Created New Race:

Hawk

Other:

Traits: Keen Sight (clicked link it created and added - "The hawk has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. ")

Main:

"This is the NPC hawk defined as a PC so that a player my fully control it. "

Created New Background:

Celestial Familiar

Other:

Features: Got to Pocket Dimension (clicked link it created and added the find familiar spell's description of this feature)
Features: Spell by touch (clicked link it created and added the find familiar spell's description of this feature)

Main:

Put in link to spell Find Familiar
"This is a Celestial Familar subject to all the above links rules for the owner. "

Created new Item:

Talons

Type: Weapon
Subtype: Simple Melee Weapons
Bonus: +6
Damage: -2 slashing
"NPC defined as PC for a hawk's talons. Thrown off by automatic PC bonuses applied to damage so need to add one to bonus and subtract 2 from damage in order to match the NPC hit/damage of the hawk."

Now I create a new PC with the name Hawk (familiar) and add the hawk class, Celestial Familar background, hawk race, and give his inventory the weapon talons. Change all the Abilities in main page to numbers matching NPC page. Go to skills and set perception as proficiency so that it matches the +4 in the NPC description. Change the max HP to 1 (cause familiars are pitifully weak). Add my hawk icon... and wala...

A very detailed playable hawk familiar that has all the links built in for fast easy reference and access without any delays.

And I try to make sure my sessions have 0 delays by links being preset for everyone. At least in FGU that is a requirement currently.

Anyway - sure everyone "knows this" but as a newbie it irritated me that I could not find anything other than "you can create a PC". Sure.

You don't need to create the class and background and all the other stuff. Just create a new PC sheet and manually enter the fields you need like abilities and actions. Don't really need a background or a class or skills etc. You can manually enter those if you want, but if your NPC as a PC is static, no need.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LordEntrails

You don't need to create the class and background and all the other stuff. Just create a new PC sheet and manually enter the fields you need like abilities and actions. Don't really need a background or a class or skills etc. You can manually enter those if you want, but if your NPC as a PC is static, no need.

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Static vs dynamic. May as well state you don't need those things in characters either, you can just put in the info in directly. But for me, I want the main page to tell me stuff at a glance. To have links that can actually explain things without having to look them all up (FGU version of pulling teeth for search speed). I want to be able to automatically create familiars on the fly simply by selecting a background for the critter. Together with the class/race/weapon that gives me a simple way to share things I've previously done for playable NPCs .

But really, having the consistent links players are familiar with in PC's is what I'm after. I can click on background and find it all. I can add a background to an NPC critter and have stats updated for me. Even though I did not go there - certain feats for critters would also be common and shareable to create an NPC on the fly. Without me having to figure out and recreate things. Gist is - showing a common character sheet that has all the expected links is what I'm after. Or an NPC sheet that is completely playable like a PC. But since that isn't possible, as quick searching for info is not possible in FGU, this is where I end up.

No problems if you just want to static things on the fly leaving most of the PC sheet blank.

But I was going for more convenience to the players.

Not convenience for myself. Well truth be told once I'm done with setup, its more convenient for me also having everything they need description wise at their fingertips (no searching).

[Plus I'll probably do it for things like bigby's hand and other spells that can take form and are controlled by a player, have hit points, and can move around as an icon on the map.]

If you are going to do it more than once a year (or whatever), yea, absolutely create stuff so you can automate it. Just wasn't sure you were aware you could do it the quick and dirty way :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LordEntrails

If you are going to do it more than once a year (or whatever), yea, absolutely create stuff so you can automate it. Just wasn't sure you were aware you could do it the quick and dirty way :)

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Appreciate the tip. I actually started to try that first and it just didn’t look or feel right in character sheet to me. Just personal preference I suppose.