Tutorial Campaign Walkthrough

This built-in campaign is included with all installs of Fantasy Grounds VTT. Just install, Load Campaign, and choose the Tutorial 5E Campaign. It is meant to be interactive.

Introduction

Getting Started

Greetings, adventurers, and welcome to the Fantasy Grounds virtual tabletop! Whether you're a seasoned Game Master or a newcomer to tabletop roleplaying, this tutorial is designed to help you get started and familiarize yourself with Fantasy Grounds.

About Fantasy Grounds VTT

Fantasy Grounds is a powerful virtual tabletop (VTT) that allows your group to connect and increase the immersion - whether you're around a table or online. With its versatile interface, comprehensive features, and vast library of supported game systems, Fantasy Grounds VTT gives you the tools to create unforgettable tabletop roleplaying experiences.

About This Tutorial

In this tutorial, we'll guide you through the essential features and basics of Fantasy Grounds, using the 5th Edition ruleset. Whether you're a player looking to create a character, a Game Master preparing for a session, or simply curious about the capabilities of Fantasy Grounds, this tutorial has something for everyone.

IMPORTANT: This tutorial automatically resets with future releases. Feel free to modify things in this as you experiment with the app, but don't get attached to your changes. If you want to start a real campaign, create a new one and give it a unique name.

To reset the tutorial to its beginning state, delete the Tutorial 5E Campaign folder from your Fantasy Grounds campaigns folder, and then run a Check for Updates from the launcher.

What You'll Learn

*Accessing Modules - learn how to navigate and utilize the SRD game data modules and D&D Basic Rules modules within Fantasy Grounds.
*Using Assets - discover how to import custom tokens, images, and portraits to personalize your gaming experience.
*Creating Campaign Elements - master the art of building characters, modifying NPC records, and managing campaign details.
*Running Combat - dive into the mechanics of running combats, managing initiative, and resolving actions within Fantasy Grounds.
*Creating Reference Materials - explore how to create your own reference manual books and adventures for use in your campaigns.

Onward!

Use the table of contents to the left or the buttons below to navigate the rest of the tutorial. Adventure awaits!

Data Modules

What is a Data Module?

Data modules contain information and images that you can use within your campaign. Whenever you run a session, this will be included as one or more modules for you to load.

You may run as many modules as you would like within a single campaign. When you finish one adventure with your players and you move to a new adventure, it is common to close the old adventure module and open the new one. If you need to reference content in the old adventure, it is perfectly acceptable to leave the old module open as well.

There are built-in modules, purchasable modules, community-created modules, and you can even create your own modules. Any module you purchase is automatically available within Fantasy Grounds. There is no need to purchase any additional modules to run your 5E campaign unless you want the convenience those modules provide, or if you need access to specific assets that are only available from the publisher of that content.

DATA MODULES LOADED FOR THE TUTORIAL

1. Access or Load Modules, 2. Read Reference Manuals

To simplify learning how to use Fantasy Grounds, we have automatically loaded some of the built-in data modules for you. Arrow 1 will open the Modules screen, and it includes links to additional content in the modules (items, NPCs, spells, reference manuals, and more).

Arrow 2 will let you read a book-like format for any modules that contain a Reference Manual. Only modules that have a reference manual will show up in the Books section.

What Is Contained in Default Modules

5E SRD Data: This module contains all of the information in the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition System Reference Document (SRD). It includes rules for character creation, spells, equipment, and more, providing a comprehensive foundation for your adventures.

5E SRD Bestiary: Within this module, you'll find the full list of creatures and monsters from the 5th Edition SRD. From dragons to goblins, each entry includes stat blocks, descriptions, and other vital details to populate your encounters.

5E SRD Magic Items: Discover the treasure trove of magic items available in the SRD in this module. From enchanted weapons to powerful relics, these magic items add depth and the excitement of discovery to your adventures.

D&D Basic Rules - DM: This module contains essential rules and guidelines for Dungeon Masters / GMs, covering topics such as running combat, creating encounters, and crafting adventures. It serves as a valuable resource for DMs looking to run games.

D&D Basic Rules - Players: Designed for players, this module provides rules for character creation, class features, spells, and more. It's essential content for players seeking to create, track, and progress their characters.

FG Battle Maps: A simple collection of above-ground and underground locations you can use when you don't have a map available. There are also image brushes you can use to draw out your own basic maps in the Fantasy Grounds image editor.

What is included in Asset Modules

Asset modules are available from the Assets screen. Search for FG Heroic to locate the asset modules below.

FG Heroic Females: Images and Tokens for female-presenting characters.
FG Heroic Males: Images and Tokens for male-presenting characters.

ACCESSING ADDITIONAL MODULES

To open additional modules, such as official Dungeons & Dragons content purchased for your account, follow these steps:

*1. Navigate to the Library: Click on the "Library" button located in the sidebar to access your available modules.
*2. Browse Available Modules: In the Library screen, you'll see a list of modules that are currently available for use. Scroll through the list to find the module you wish to add.
*3. Load the Module: Select the desired module from the list, then click on the "Load" button to add it. The module will now be accessible within your campaign.
*4. Managing Modules: If you wish to replace default modules with official D&D content, you can do so by unloading the SRD and basic modules and loading the new modules in their place. To unload a module, simply select it from the list in the Library screen and click on the "Unload" button.

By opening additional modules, you can expand your library of resources and customize your Fantasy Grounds experience to suit your preferences and gaming style.
The Modules Screen with the 5E SRD Bestiary Selected

1: Select a Module on the left to see what it contains on the right side of the Modules screen.

2: Click the Activation button to see a list of other available modules you can load for your campaign.

Basic App Actions

Navigating within Fantasy Grounds involves some simple interactions that are somewhat unique to the application. Some things are dragged and dropped, some things are clicked, and sometimes you will right-click on something to get a list of other options.

The example below highlights the various ways to interact with the basic interface, or visit our wiki to see more.

WIKI: Basic Actions in Fantasy Grounds (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]

CLICKING, DRAGGING, AND CONTEXT MENUS

Creating Characters - Sample Characters

For the tutorial, we have included a couple of premade characters you can use for this campaign, or for one-shot sessions.

If you want to build your own, refer to the section on creating additional characters. You can use the linked character or follow the Creation Guide for the character below each entry.

For detailed information on how to build a character for D&D, please refer to the Fantasy Grounds modules listed below, or refer to the same section in the D&D Player's Handbook.

*D&D 5E Basic Rules - Players: Step-by-Step Characters (free)
*D&D Player's Handbook: Step-by-Step Characters (requires purchase)

Creating Characters - Durin Stonefist, Dwarf Fighter

Open Durin Stonefist's Character Sheet from the Player > Characters menu window.

Stats:

Name: Durin Stonefist
Race: Dwarf
Class: Fighter
Level: 3
Alignment: Lawful Good
Background: Soldier

Ability Scores (27 Point Buy):

Strength: 17 (+4)
Dexterity: 12 (+1)
Constitution: 16 (+3)
Intelligence: 10 (+0)
Wisdom: 12 (+1)
Charisma: 8 (-1)

Skills:
Athletics (+5), Insight (+3), Perception (+3), Survival (+3)

Equipment:
Chain Mail, Battleaxe, Shield, Light Crossbow, Explorer's Pack,Soldier's Uniform

CREATION GUIDE

1. Click on the Player menu on the right and then click on Characters.

2. Click on the Character Wizard

3. Select Dwarf as the Race by clicking the green plus button

4. Review the features and make selections for any area marked with an Exclamation (!) point. Once complete, move to Class

5. Choose a Class of Fighter. By default it will be a level 1 character, but you can increase the level by adding them here.

6. Choose Abilities. You can choose Point Buy to generate the character as outlined, or you can choose Standard Array, or Dice Roll/Manual Entry as your preferred method.

7. Finalize Abilities. If you chose Point Buy, then use the up and do arrows next to each ability to increase or decrease the base stat for that ability. You can spend more points than is recommended. Fantasy Grounds does not enforce the limits in the books because you may have special rules for your campaign. It will note that you have overspent your points, however.

8. Choose a Background. For this example, choose Soldier and complete the rest of the selections.

9. Choose Equipment. We recommend you click the button to Select Starting Kit and then make your choices. If you prefer to buy them individually, you can do that instead.

10. Commit. Review and commit your final character

11. Assign a name and any other information. Note that some abilities may require manual adjustments at this stage.

12. Assign a portrait, token, and Camera View image for your character by first clicking on the blank portrait section on your character sheet. Click on Assets on the right menu and then browse for content that you can drag to the appropriate section of your character sheet images. We recommend using the built-in FG Heroic images to start out.

Refer to your character class description for any other details about your class. You can use the links below to read up about the Fighter class. You can also access this at any time from your character sheet. Go to the Main tab and click on the Magnifying Glass icon next to your Class & Level field. This opens the details of all levels you have taken so far. Click on the record shortcut for the Fighter class.

LEVELING GUIDE

Levels 1 through 3 have already been done in the sample character.

Level 1 (Fighter): Starting Proficiencies (Armor: All Armor, Shields; Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons; Tools: None), Fighting Style (Defense), Second Wind.

Note: For the Fighting Style (Defense) , this was added manually to the character by expanding the details of the AC on the main tab and adding +1 to the Misc column for AC.

All Fighting Styles are added to the character Actions by default and the extra ones we did not select were manually removed. The Fighting Style features entry was edited to indicate that we chose Defense. You could remove the other descriptions if you prefer.

Level 2 (Fighter): Action Surge (One Use)

Level 3 (Fighter): Martial Archetype (Choose between Champion, Battle Master, or Eldritch Knight if you have the full D&D Player's Handbook). If you only have the SRD, then you only get the option for Champion. We chose Champion.

Note: I manually updated the feature entry for Martial Archetype to add (Champion) as the selection. The details for this can be found in the class description for Fighter on your Class & Level details available from the Main tab. I opened this description and then dragged this record link into my Martial Type (Champion) feature entry for ease of access. You can link any content anywhere you want to make it easier to access during play.

To enable the Champion's feature for Improved Critical , I expanded the details for the WEAPONS section on the Actions tab of the character sheet by clicking on the magnifying glass. I changed the Crit on fields for Melee and Ranged to 19, from 20.

Leveling from 4 to 5:

Level 4 (Fighter): Ability Score Improvement (Increase Strength or Constitution by 2, or two different ability scores by 1 each)

Level 5 (Fighter): Extra Attack

LEVELING UP

1. Open the character sheet and locate the Class & Level section.

2. Click on the Magnifying Glass to open the details. You can track XP here, but you can level up separately from XP. Some campaigns use milestone leveling and these do not use XP.

3. Click on LVL UP to open a sub-window

4. To continue leveling up as a fighter, click the Level Up button for the fighter to increase it to Level 4.

5. Click on Ability Score Increase (commonly referred to as ASI). Select the abilities you want to improve. You can also choose a Feat instead. If you have the D&D Player's Handbook or other modules loaded that contain feats, there will be many more options here. The SRD only includes a single feat as an example: grappler.

6. Repeat the process for the next level or any other levels you have.

Creating Characters - Elara Brightwood, Human Wizard

Open Elara Brightwood's Character Sheet from the Player > Characters menu window.

Stats

Name: Elara Brightwood
Race: Human
Class: Wizard
Level: 3
Alignment: Neutral Good
Background: Sage

Ability Scores (27 Point Buy):

Strength: 10 (+0)
Dexterity: 16 (+3)
Constitution: 12 (+1)
Intelligence: 16 (+3)
Wisdom: 14 (+2)
Charisma: 9 (-0)

Skills:
Arcana (+5), History (+5), Investigation (+5), Insight (+4)

Equipment:
Spellbook (Contains 6 Wizard Cantrips and 4 Wizard Spells of 1st Level), Quarterstaff, Component Pouch, Scholar's Pack, Traveler's Clothes, Ink Pen and Inkwell, A Small Knife

CREATION GUIDE

1. Click on the Player menu on the right and then click on Characters.

2. Click on the Character Wizard

3. Select Human as the Race by clicking the green plus button

4. Review the features and make selections for any area marked with an Exclamation (!) point. Once complete, move to Class

5. Choose a Class of Wizard. By default it will be a level 1 character, but you can increase the level by adding them here.

6. Choose Abilities. You can choose Point Buy to generate the character as outlined, or you can choose Standard Array, or Dice Roll/Manual Entry as your preferred method.

7. Finalize Abilities. If you chose Point Buy, then use the up and do arrows next to each ability to increase or decrease the base stat for that ability. You can spend more points than is recommended. Fantasy Grounds does not enforce the limits in the books because you may have special rules for your campaign. It will note that you have overspent your points, however.

8. Choose a Background. For this example, choose Sage and complete the rest of the selections.

9. Choose Equipment. We recommend you click the button to Select Starting Kit and then make your choices. If you prefer to buy them individually, you can do that instead.

10. Commit. Review and commit your final character

11. Assign a name and any other information. Note that some abilities may require manual adjustments at this stage.

12. Assign a portrait, token, and Camera View image for your character by first clicking on the blank portrait section on your character sheet. Click on Assets on the right menu and then browse for content that you can drag to the appropriate section of your character sheet images. We recommend using the built-in FG Heroic images to start out.

CHOOSE SPELLS

Choose Spells by opening the Spells window under the Character menu on the right. You can filter the spells by Source = Wizard, and by Level if you want to narrow the choices. Drag the spells onto your character sheet that you want to learn.

Refer to your character class description for the total # of spells that you know and can have memorized. You can use the links below to read up about the Wizard class. You can also access this at any time from your character sheet. Go to the Main tab and click on the Magnifying Glass icon next to your Class & Level field. Open the Character > Spells window and select the Source = Wizard to filter your available spells. Your choices will depend upon which of these modules you have loaded:

*5E SRD Data: Class: Wizard (free)
*D&D Basic Rules - Players: Class: Wizard (free)
*D&D Player's Handbook: Class: Wizard (paid)

You can read about Spellcasting from the entry on your Feature list. It describes how many spells you know by default, how many you can have prepared each day, and how many spell slots you get per level. You start with 6 1st level spells known, and 3 cantrips. I chose: Acid Splash, Light, Ray of Frost for the Cantrips, and Burning Hands, Charm Person, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shield, and Sleep for 1st level spells. I added more as the character leveled.

LEVELING GUIDE

Levels 1 through 3 have already been done in the sample character.

Level 1 (Wizard): Spellcasting (Cantrips: 3, Spells Known: 6), Arcane Recovery

Note: You start with 6 1st level spells known, and 3 cantrips. I chose: Acid Splash, Light, Ray of Frost for the Cantrips, and Burning Hands, Charm Person, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shield, and Sleep for 1st level spells.

Level 2 (Wizard): Arcane Tradition (School of Evocation), Evocation Savant, Sculpt Spells
Note: I added 2 new spells when I leveled.

Level 3 (Wizard): Spell Slots (2nd Level), Arcane Tradition Feature (Evocation Wizard: Evocation Evocation), Overchannel

Leveling from 4 to 5:

Level 4 (Wizard): Ability Score Improvement (Increase Intelligence by 2, or two different ability scores by 1 each)

Level 5 (Wizard): 2nd Level Spell Slot, Cantrips Known: 4, Spells Known: 8

LEVELING UP

1. Open the character sheet and locate the Class & Level section.

2. Click on the Magnifying Glass to open the details. You can track XP here, but you can level up separately from XP. Some campaigns use milestone leveling and these do not use XP.

3. Click on LVL UP to open a sub-window

4. To continue leveling up as a fighter, click the Level Up button for the wizard to increase it to Level 4.

5. Click on Ability Score Increase (commonly referred to as ASI). Select the abilities you want to improve. You can also choose a Feat instead. If you have the D&D Player's Handbook or other modules loaded that contain feats, there will be many more options here. The SRD only includes a single feat as an example: grappler.

6. Repeat the process for the next level or any other levels you have.

PREPARING SPELLS

Per the Spellcasting feature description, I must mark which spells are prepared each day. I went to the Actions tab and switched to Preparation mode. I marked the following spells as prepared: Burning Hands, Grease, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shield, and Sleep. After marking my Prepared Spells, I switched the view to Combat mode and the Display to Actions mode.

Creating Characters - Create Additional Characters

Feel free to experiment with creating additional characters to round out your party. You can try to duplicate the sample characters I provided or make entirely new characters.

For a full guide, visit our wiki page below:

*Creating Additional Characters (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]

Step 1: Click on the Characters menu

Step 2: Click on the Character Wizard Button

Character Wizard Screen

The Character Wizard can be completed in any order you want. Look for exclaimation points that indicate that action is required to continue.

1: Character Wizard Navigation - the Exclamation Points (!) indicate that this step is incomplete.

2: Select with the Add Button - click on the add button next to the #2 arrow to select a Dragonborn. Don't worry, you can undo your selection and choose another if you want.

3: Source Selection - if an entry is provided in multiple sources, you can choose the specific version you want for your character. In this example, there are some sources provided in the 5E SRD Data module and others provided in the D&D Basic Rules - Players module.

4: View a Record Entry - you can hover over the name to see an underline. The underline indicates that it is a link you can click for more information.

QUICKSTART GUIDES ON OUR WIKI

*Creating Melee/Ranged Characters (URL)
*Creating Spellcasting Characters (URL)
*Creating a Custom Lineage (URL)
*Character Advancement

Preparing to Play - Prepping the Party Sheet

After your players have created characters, you will want to drag any active players into the Party Sheet. The Party Sheet allows you to see the party members at a glance, track and award XP, award treasure, and set up a default marching order.

For a full guide, visit our wiki page below:

*Using the Party Sheet (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]

You can access the Party Sheet by clicking the Party Sheet button under the Tools menu.

Preparing to Play - Prepping the Combat Tracker

The Combat Tracker manages the health of players in your party, as well as the health of any NPCs you encounter. From this screen, you also manage any effects on players or NPCs granted from spells, abilities, and items.

Open the Combat Tracker from the Tool sidebar menu and then drag the players into the screen from the Players > Characters window, or from the upper left of the screen if they are showing up there after adding them to the Party Sheet.

For a full guide, visit our wiki page below:

*Using the Combat Tracker (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]

Preparing to Play - Turning on Effects for Players

Elara Brightwood has a spell effect for Mage Armor that she will want to activate during play. To turn this on, navigate to the Actions tab of the Character Sheet and click on the Effect for Mage Armor.

To apply it to Elara, you can drag the Effect icon to her portrait in the upper left of the screen or onto her entry in the Combat Tracker. You will see the effect added to the Combat Tracker once done.

Drag this icon to the Combat Tracker for Elara

Note the effect has been added

This has been done for you automatically in the Tutorial Campaign, but you can remove it and readd it whenever you need. To do so, click on the Effects button on the Combat Tracker and then the Delete icon.

How to Show and Remove Effects

Advanced Effects (5E)

What is an Advanced Effect?

One of the most powerful features of the built in 5e ruleset is effects. It is also an area with one of the steepest learning curves. In Fantasy Grounds, an effect is anything which gives the character either a bonus or penalty of some kind to a dice roll they are about to make. In order for the effect to be properly executed, the character must be on the Combat Tracker (CT) and either they or another actor must make a dice roll that involves the character.

In other words, effects are checked when a character attacks, does damage, makes a saving throw (including death saves) or makes an ability or skill check. Effects are also checked when that same character is attacked, or damaged or has a saving throw, ability check or skill check forced on them (such as from a spell).

Many effects are created automatically for you in the 5E ruleset when you level up or choose a new spell. Not every situation is handled automatically, however, but you can manually create additional effects to enhance your play experience.

See this WIKI page for more information:

*5E Effects for Advanced Automation (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]

Preparing Your Campaign - Creating Story Entries

Stories hold key moments in your Adventure. You can create your own stories, and you can often duplicate and/or edit stories contained in adventures you purchased or got from the community.

From the Story sidebar section, you can find a sample Advanced Story Entry (Recommended) and a Basic Story Example you an use as a reference. A good place to start is opening the Sample Advanced Entry and trying to edit and familiarize yourself with that option. You'll find a group called Tutorial to store all the sample story entries and to keep these separate from entries found in other modules. You can change the Group dropdown list at the top, and you can create or rename groups from there as well.

*Story: Sample Advanced Story Entry


1: Group dropdown to choose a new group or create your own group

2: Indicator if a story is a Basic Story entry (text only) or an Advanced Story entry (images and frames)

3: The plus button will add a Basic Story entry and the book button will create an Advanced Story entry.

It's recommended that you use the Advanced Story entry for almost everything. It provides the most versatility and functionality. Basic entries can be scaled down in size very small and might be appropriate for shorter notes used in your campaign.

USING TEMPLATES TO CREATE CUSTOM STORIES

A Story template is a special kind of record that can generate new story records from other information in the same campaign. They can be used for any purpose to generate descriptions of places, NPCs, items or anything else pertinent to the campaign.

Learn more here:

*Using Story Templates to Create Random Stories (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]

Preparing Your Campaign - Creating and Accessing NPCs

NPCs, or non-player characters, often represent monsters and other creatures your players will encounter during the game. The default modules we loaded for this campaign include a variety of example NPCs. You can modify or use these however you like, and you can also create your own NPCs from scratch.

For a full guide, visit our wiki page below:

*5E NPCs and Encounters (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]
*Preparing Encounters and Random Encounters (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]



1: Show alternate views of NPC lists alphabetically, by CR (combat rating), or by type.
2: Link to the NPC entry - you can drag this to encounters, stories, hotkey bars, etc. or click to open.
3: Filters for Type and CR you can use.
4: Import text, import a record, and add or edit an NPC. Import Text is a nice option if you are copying from a PDF source.

REFERENCING AN NPC

Below is a read-only version of a goblin NPC from the 5E SRD Bestiary. It is usable directly from this window, but can also be dragged into the Combat Tracker to get ready for combat. You can also add it to an Encounter as part of your campaign prep and then the encounter can be added to the Combat Tracker when you are ready to run that encounter.

The NPC is flagged as read-only by default, so you can't make changes to this record. If you want to edit this record, see the info below.

NPC: Goblin (link available in tutorial)

Read-only NPC record that is Locked

1: The C buttons next to any stats will perform an Ability Check if you click on them. The S buttons will peform a Save related to that ability.

2: This is auto-recognized text for an attack string. Clicking it or dragging it to the chat window will roll an attack. Dragging this and dropping it on a target (such as a player character) in the combat tracker, on their portrait section in the upper left part of the screen, or on a map will initiate an attack against that target and tell you if it hit or missed.

3: This will auto-recognize the damage related to the attack. You can drag it around similarly to an attack.

Additional text may be recognized to create an effect automatically on a target or to make a roll. Experiment with several different NPCs to see this.

Notes: Click on the Notes tab to read about the character. Keep in mind that the SRD Bestiary monsters don't have descriptions, but content from other modules normally do.

The images and tokens for many NPCs can be seen in the upper right window. You can click this to open it further.

The Token - Flat image is what is used to represent the NPC on top-down maps, in encounters, the combat tracker, and in the initiative bar.

The Full Body image can be shared with players to show them what it looks like.

The Token - Camera image is used for camera view mode on maps and theater of the mind style images.

DUPLICATING AN NPC TO EDIT

If you want to edit an NPC or monster that is marked as locked, you simply need to unlock it by clicking on the lock icon in the section header. If the record is also marked as read-only, then this will be blocked and you must first duplicate the record.

To duplicate an entry, first open the NPC record. Next, drag the record link (upper left corner) to your NPC window. For our example, this will create a new entry called Goblin (copy). You can then close the original record and open the copy to edit.

*NPC: Goblin (Copy)

You can edit this goblin entry and give it new stats, abilities, names, and even images. Once you are satisfied, you can move it into a new group by expanding your group selection in the dropdown and then dragging the record link onto the name of the group.

EDITING AN NPC

An editable and unlocked version of the goblin NPC record

Preparing Your Campaign - Creating Items, Vehicles, Quests

Adding new items, vehicles, and quests uses similar steps to what you did for creating NPCs. For items, you will be presented more field options based on the type of item you enter (Armor, Weapon, or other).

For a full guide, visit our wiki page below:

*5E Item Sheet and Treasure Parcels (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]

Magic Items

You can create magic items directly or by using Item Templates. Click on the Templates button and then click on the Forge. This is a powerful way to create magic items that combine features from multiple magical properties, such as a +2 armor of fire resistance .


Treasure Parcels

Treasure Parcels are collections of items and coins that your players may find. You can create these and drag them to the Party Sheet to easily distribute them.

An advanced feature of Fantasy Grounds allows you to create a treasure parcel automatically from a random table, such as those found in the D&D Dungeon Master's Guide .

Prepping your Campaign - Importing Maps and Images

*Working with Images as the GM (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]

Maps and images form a central part of any RPG campaign.

Fantasy Grounds Unity supports any JPG and PNG images, as well as Google’s next-generation media-rich WEBP and WEBM formats, and Universal VTT file formats – DD2VTT, DF2VTT and UVTT used by such applications as Dungeoncraft, Dungeon Fog, Dungeon Alchemist, Hero Forge, and others.

These will appear in the Assets window under Images when you add them to your campaign. From there, you can copy them into your campaign, set a grid, define line of sight and use them in your campaign.

Images within Fantasy Grounds are either Assets or Campaign Images. All campaign images start out as Assets and then you decide which of these should become a part of your campaign. Once an image is in your campaign, you can modify it further.

IMPORTING A MAP OR IMAGE ASSET

Method 1 - Import File (Recommended)

1. Open the Images window using the sidebar button for the ruleset you are using.

2. (Optional) Click on the Group dropdown and choose which group to place the image or create a new group and choose that.

3. Click the Import button (the blue and white “up arrow” button next to the All button).


Method 2 - Bulk Import Assets

1. Open your Assets window.

2. Click on the Folder button to open your Data folder.

3. Navigate to your campaign’s image folder.

Default paths to campaigns:

Windows: C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\SmiteWorks\Fantasy Grounds\campaigns\[YourCampaign]\images

macOS: /Users/[YourUsername]/SmiteWorks/Fantasy Grounds/campaigns/[YourCampaign]/images

Linux: /home/[username]/.smiteworks/campaigns/[YourCampaign]/images

Note: the .smiteworks folder may be hidden by default. Enable "Show Hidden Files” in the file manager settings.

4. Place any images you want to use there. This will add a folder called Campaign to your Assets window under Images.

5. Open the Images screen from the Sidebar buttons.

6. (Optional) Click on the Group Dropdown and choose which group to place the image or create a new group and choose that.

7. Click on the Create From Campaign Assets button at the top and answer Yes at the prompt.

Step 2.1 - How to Access your Assets (such as Images)

1. Folder button, 2. Images Mode, 3. Campaign image folder, 4. Refresh

Using the Assets folder and Image Preview

Once you have a link to your campaign image folder in your operating system, you may find it easier to simply add new images there, refresh, and then open it into your campaign. When you click on any asset image, you will be presented with options to use the image as a map record, quick map, background decal, or to simply share the image with the players.

Running a Game - Rolling Dice

Rolling dice will probably become one of your favorite things to do in Fantasy Grounds! There are several different methods you can use. See below for examples. For a full walkthrough of all the things you can do with dice and dice strings, see our wiki.

*All Things Dice (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]

To roll a die, grab the 3D die on the tabletop and drop it on the chat window.

Note: You can fling dice anywhere, but only rolls into the chat window count as official rolls.

To quickly add another die to your roll, just right click while dragging the 3D die.

To select multiple dice of the same type at once, right click on the 3D die and select the number of dice you want from the menu.

CREATING DICE BUCKETS

Drag whatever dice you need to a hotkey and then click to roll those dice

ROLLING FROM CHARACTER SHEETS

Note that rolling from an NPC sheet is handled in a very similar way.

MODIFYING DICE ROLLS

You can use the modifier stack to add or subtract values to your rolls. You can also indicate whether or not the next roll benefits from advantage or suffers from disadvantage. Advanced effects will combine and show on the final breakdown of your roll.

An example that will add +2 and roll with advantage on the next roll

CHANGING YOUR DICE

You can access all the built-in sets of dice and see available dice set purchases from the Dice Menu.

You can read more about the Dice Window below, but it allows you to swap out your current dice set and it has links to more advanced options such as linking a specific dice set to damage types or assigning unique dice sets to NPCs by name or creature type.

*The Dice Window[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]

Running a Game - Chat Window

The chat window is where the action happens for the campaign. Everything from dice rolls to conversation to game element record sharing occurs there. You can head to our wiki for a deep dive.

*Using the Chat Window (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]


1: Current Speaker - if you have multiple speakers enabled, such as from an NPC record.

2: Text Entry Area - type whatever you want to say here or use it for creating advanced commands. Type /help for a list of available options.

3: Language Selection/Display - this dropdown shows you a list of languages for rulesets that support it, such as D&D. If certain active players in your campaign are connected and playing, it will show which players know the language you used.

4: Chat/Emote/OOC/Story - change the chat mode by holding modifier keys: Alt, Shift, Control.

Running a Game - Adjusting Options

How your play session operates by default can be modified from the Options menu you can open from the right sidebar. You can control what sort of information is presented to the players, how initiative is handled for NPCs and groups, whether or not every NPC has random hit points or a fixed amount, and many other features.

See our wiki for more information:

*5E Campaign Options (URL)[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]


Campaign Options Window

Running a Game - Additional Tips as You Begin

Take advantage of the hotkey bars at the bottom of the screen to save important records, stories, or images you need for your next session. Almost anything can be placed in the hotkey bars, so click and drag key details you want to remember and actions you want to access quickly. You can even create a basic story entry that has links to other items to keep everything neatly organized.

Don't get hung up on automating everything fully when you first start. Remember that you can always roll dice into the chat window and edit and track resources used, damage taken, or anything else just like you can around the table. When you get more comfortable with Fantasy Grounds, you can start adding in more automated features and effects.

More advanced details:
*Advanced 5e Effects and Automation[fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net]

Using Extensions

Extensions within Fantasy Grounds are the way that your play experience can be customized within a campaign. Extensions can be used to add new visuals (such as a desktop decal or full theme replacement) or to modify mechanics behavior (such as house rules or new features).

Like modules, a few extensions come built-in with Fantasy Grounds that provide different themes you can apply to the Fantasy Grounds interface. You may have noticed the images used in this tutorial are from the 'Core - Dark' theme, but you can choose whatever you would like to use. Most rulesets have built-in default themes that will be applied whenever you make a new campaign in that game system.

Extensions are installed in your Fantasy Grounds folder under the 'Extensions' subfolder, and they can be accessed from the extensions area of the launcher whenever you create or load a campaign.

The Fantasy Grounds Launcher Extensions Section

Running Combat - Sample Combat Encounter

For this example, we will use the map from the FG Battle Maps module, and a simple encounter with some goblins and a wolf. The two players should already be placed on the map in the Tutorial 5E Campaign, but if not, simply drag them from the Combat Tracker to the desired squares.

Note that Durin has darkvision and Elara has been provided with the effect for a Lantern that generates a light radius around her. The underground cavern is dark by default, so your players will need a light if they don't already have one. You can add that from the Tools > Effects window.

Fight a Simple Combat

Step 1: Open the map titled NoGrid_Underdark_tunels_D from your Campaign > Images window

Step 2: Drag on any new player characters you want to use.

Step 3: Open the Encounter from the Campaign Encounters window or note that it is linked to the map.

Step 4: Click Add to Tracker. Open the Combat Tracker and click on the Visibility icon to Show All NPCs, or do it individually for each NPC.

Step 5: Ask players to roll their Initiative to determine who goes first. NPCs will already be set.

Step 6: Move the players around when their turns come up in the turn order.

Step 7: Drag attacks from players' action tabs to the target NPC (or CTRL+Click on the target) and then roll the attack dice. If it hits, roll damage.

Step 8: Repeat the same approach for NPCs, but you can roll attacks from the combat tracker or from the NPC records directly.

Switch from Party Tabletop List to Combat Tabletop List

Your players are shown in the Party Tabletop List in the upper-left corner of Fantasy Grounds. When you are in combat, you can toggle this to display the upcoming initiative order instead. You can freely toggle back and forth between these two modes.

Toggle from Party Tabletop List to Combat Tabletop List

Switching Maps between Top-Down View (2D) and Camera View (3D)

You can toggle between a traditional top-down view of the map and combat, use a "camera" view, first-person view, or skip the map altogether and simply use the combat tracker to manage combat.

Traditional Top-Down View. Right click and draw a pointer to show distance.

The same map in first-person view once the enemies closed in

QUICKSTART COMBAT GUIDES

*Combat Tracker - DM's Point of View (URL)
*Combat Tracker - Player's Point of View (URL)
*Combat Tracker Example Encounter (URL)