Extension to Make NPCs UI similar to PCs UI?

[Mad Nomad]

Is anyone aware of any kind of extension or mod or something that would make the NPCs (monsters) UI work like a PCs character sheet?
As a DM I find the PC charater sheets SOOOO much easier to use in combat than the NPC sheets. Rolling the attacks, applying the effects, and tracking what spells and abilities were used is so much easier to do from the PC sheet. Am I crazy? Am I the only one who feels that way?

Why couldn't the monsters UI work the same as a PCs?
In theory, I could create a PC sheet for the NPCs and add them to the tracker (but that is not practical), so I am wondering if that means there is the possibility that an extension could do something like that automajically? Not actually created a ton of characters, but jsut makign the UI look and function like the PC sheets do.

[Moon Wizard]

Suggestion
If you have a handful of "boss" style NPCs that you want to have the more complex PC-style UI, create them as PCs and take ownership as GM. Then, the PCs won't see them in the character selection list, and you can add them to combat tracker when needed.

Relating to Extension
In every game system out there, especially D&D and derivatives, NPC stat blocks are different than PC stat blocks. This is because NPCs are not supposed to be as complex to create or manage as PCs. The FG interface for each game system mirrors the stat block format provided by the publisher, since that makes data entry of creatures easier for the majority of users.

Depending on the game system (which you didn't mention), the UI would have to be built to support NPCs with a more complex interface, as well as fixing all the automation code to work with the new NPC data format to match. This is not a minor undertaking, since many, many files would need to be updated and maintained.

Regards,
JPG

[Mad Nomad]

Ya, I was afraid that might be the answer. I could see how it would be a lot of work.
However, I do think its a very reasonable thing to want and would enhance the game for DMs. I know the stat blocks are different and not as in depth. And you certainly don't need as complex a character sheet as PC (no need for inventory, notes, etc.) But I don't think there is a conceptual reason not to have the same kind of buttons to cast spells/abilities, apply effects, track them, etc. Basically the actions page is what I think is really needed. If every npc had an actions page, it would be really nice. But ya sounds like it'd be hard to do.

[Zacchaeus]

Indeed, you don't mention the game system but I've never had to open an NPC sheet during combat in 5e. Everything I need for attacks, saves etc is on the Combat Tracker.

[LordEntrails]

In short, every NPC does have an actions page, it's on the Combat Tracker and it expands when its the NPC's turn.

The games I run as GM I use D&D 5E. I would absolutely abhor it is I had to interact with NPC actions like I do for PCs'. Having to have ten or fifteen PC style sheets open for the NPC's to trigger their actions would be horrible. Their is not enough screen space for it and I would never know if I had the right NPC instance open.

As Moon and Mr. Z mentioned, I trigger all their actions off the Combat Tracker. I do often open up an NPC sheet during combat, but only to read the details of actions that I'm not familiar with the details of (especially spells and special attacks).

[Mad Nomad]

Yes I'm talking about 5e. Its a lot of work, ok, thats perfectly understandable and reasonable answer. But often when I post an idea on these forums that I am pretty confident would be an improvement, people feel need to tell me it is not needed or I shouldnt want it. So I'll give further examples why it would be useful, since people often can't imagine how things can be better...

- Ease of use and learning for new Dms... a good user interface doesn't have two totally different ways to perform the same types things, unless they are just both available all the time for options sake. This is a simple UX principle.
- When I am creating a new custom NPC, if I had a actions page simialr to a PCs, I could create actions just like with a PCs, by just naming it, clicking on the Add damage, or add effect options. These make it really easy to add things to a PC. Adding those to an NPC is much more difficult. You have to type it out in text and try to remember the exact wording needed to get it to show up right in the combat tracker as an action or be clickable. And some things you can add as actions and effects on PC sheet I am pretty sure you can not even do at all with the text format.
- Also this would allow you to add missing effects coding onto imported NPCs, not just ones created from scratch. Like for example, take drow house gaurd. He has parry ability which adds to AC. I could use effects coding to easily add this if it were on actions tab of NPC. Save it, then it would always be an option for that npc. But not as currently is. (that particular effect maynot be best example, but you get idea)
- Also, add drow mage to your combat tracker and tell me you wouldnt rather have that in an action page. Thats way too much info to be in the combat tracker, which is designed to provide an overview of the combat. You can't see anythign else when its that guys turn. If it could just show the little sword icon and dice icon like combat version of PC actions page, it would be a lot cleaner.
- Targeting things. I cant just cntrl click on a pc and then click the attack. I have to drag that text over onto the map, requiring a somewhat percise mouse movement. Which is tedious and annoying. Or I can open the targeting tab every turn, and drag that over. why not just cntrl click on the PC name in combat tracker or token, liek the PCs can do. Or like I can do for a PC when I choose a PC in the combat tracker.

And I totally get the need to be able to easily import the stat blocks from official material. However, the code could have imported stat blocks in the format they are in the manuals, but doesn't mean the UI put on top of that data couldn't have been formated into same design as PC sheets. The text could be turned into buttons rather than using the text as buttons.

Anyway, not criticizing. It's generally still pretty good as is. So no need to be defensive about how things are.

[Zacchaeus]

If you are looking to add effects to NPCs (and I agree that this would be useful) then you may get some mileage out of this extension https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forum...cs-characters)

[Trenloe]

- Targeting things. I cant just cntrl click on a pc and then click the attack. I have to drag that text over onto the map, requiring a somewhat percise mouse movement. Which is tedious and annoying. Or I can open the targeting tab every turn, and drag that over. why not just cntrl click on the PC name in combat tracker or token, liek the PCs can do. Or like I can do for a PC when I choose a PC in the combat tracker.

You can use normal CTRL+Left-click for NPC targeting - both on the combat tracker and via the tokens on the map. The key thing is that the NPC is the currently active NPC in the combat tracker (the tracker entry indicator is on that NPC) if using CTRL+left-click in the combat tracker (and click on the token to the left of the name in the CT, not the name itself) or that you left click on the source NPC token on the map and CTRL+left-click on the target token/s on the map.

[LordEntrails]

I didn't mean to come across as defensive, sorry about that.

[Mad Nomad]

Lord Entrails, no worries, I actually wrote my response before I even saw yours, so wasn't even refering to your post. Was just making general statement.
I also didn't do a great job framing my original proposal/quesiton.
Anyway, thank you all for the suggestions and references.
Trenloe, if the ctrl click thing does work for NPCs from combat tracker that would indeed certainly help. But it doesn't seem to work for me. Maybe I have some kind of bug or glitch. I just double checked it. I have an npc monster as active on combat tracker and control clicking PCs or other monsters won't alter its target. Not using tokens or the tracker. Yet when I switch to PC as the active person in tracker, and do the same things, it targets things as expected. For this reason I assumed it had something to do with the way PCs had different character sheets than NPCs and the way the acitons are shown and rolled etc. Odd that it works for others but not me. I'll have to spend more time investigating that.