What's The Difference Between Server/Local Characters?

What's the difference between creating characters on the 'local' side as opposed to creating characters under the GM side of FG?

Local characters are stored on the player computer alone. They are also preserved unchanged after you enter a game with one. Basically, the local character information is copied over to the host's database, and the host copy is used always when playing (meaning doing other things than just editing a local character). When you create characters on the GM side, they automatically become host copies, and aren't stored anywhere for the user doing it to take to a remote game someone else is hosting.

If you connect to a game, and create a character on the fly (i.e. use the "join game" mode instead of local mode), a local copy will not be made, but it will go directly into the host database.

Because local copies are preseved, you can take a character to a game, change it while you play, and still be able to take the 1st level version to another game.

For browsing in local mode, a copy of each server character is also made on the player's computer. This is a special case, and can't be modified, or sent to the host. But you can still use it to check out some things about your character during the time between sessions if you like.

It may be because I'm just not awake yet :lol: but why would I WANT to create Characters from the GM side at all if I couldn't use them for games I want to be a part of?

I'm just trying to keep everything straight in my head. :D

You could pregenerate characters for your players. Very useful for short campaigns or guest players. But it is more of an exception, normally players would bring along their own characters or there could be a character creation session so they can create them in the host database.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh ok. That makes sense to me now. Thanks! :D

I think if you were GMing for a group of people you don't know/trust, you might, as the GM, create the characters locally so that players can't tinker with their characters between sessions.

Or if you wanted to run a "Cleric only" campaign with certain skills and abilities - you could pre-gen those characters that way. :)

So if I wanted to have available the pregen characters from, say, a converted AD&D module, I would just list them as Server characters for the players to use?

that is exactly one use of it.

For my players, half of which are new to D&D, need help making a character, and if we cant meet in person this is the best thing. Also if a pc dies in mid sitting you can have him use a pregenned pc or make another while he waits.