6 Simple Steps to Add Enemies for Combat in Fantasy Grounds

Fantasy Grounds is a virtual tabletop (VTT) that allows you to play tabletop RPGs online with your friends. One of the great things about Fantasy Grounds is how easy it is to add enemies to your combat encounters. With just a few clicks, you can add any monster or NPC from the game’s extensive database to your campaign.

In this article, we will show you how to add enemies to your combat encounters in Fantasy Grounds. We will also provide some tips on how to create custom enemies and how to manage your enemies during combat. So whether you are a new Fantasy Grounds user or an experienced GM, this article has something for you. However, if you are looking to add enemies to your combat encounters in Fantasy Grounds, you are in the right place.

The first step is to open the Combat Tracker. You can do this by clicking on the “Combat” tab in the top menu bar. Once the Combat Tracker is open, you will see a list of all the combatants in the current encounter. To add an enemy to the Combat Tracker, simply click on the “Add” button and select the enemy you want to add. You can also drag and drop enemies from the Combat Manager onto the Combat Tracker. Once an enemy has been added to the Combat Tracker, you can click on its name to view its stats and abilities.

Installing the Module

To begin, navigate to the Fantasy Grounds Community website and create an account or log in to your existing one. Once logged in, visit the “Downloads” section and select the “Combat Modules” category. Locate the “Enemy Add-on” module, click on it, and scroll down to the “Downloads” section. Here, you will find the module file in the format .mod or .zip. Download the file to your computer.

Next, launch your Fantasy Grounds application and click on the “Open Game” button located on the left-hand side of the screen. From the ‘Open’ window that appears, navigate to the location where you saved the enemy module file. Select the file and click ‘Open’. The module will now be loaded into Fantasy Grounds, and you can proceed to use it for your combat encounters.

To confirm that the module has been successfully installed, click on the “Modules” icon located in the top right corner of the Fantasy Grounds application. You should see the “Enemy Add-on” module listed under the “Installed” category. If you encounter any issues during the installation process, consult the Fantasy Grounds documentation or reach out to the Fantasy Grounds user community for assistance.

Creating a Character

1. Customizing Your Character

Begin by selecting a race (e.g., human, elf), class (e.g., fighter, wizard), and background (e.g., soldier, scholar). Assign ability scores (e.g., strength, intelligence) to determine your character’s capabilities. Choose proficiencies, skills, and equipment based on your background and class.

2. Creating a Detailed Character

Craft a backstory that provides depth and motivation for your character. Name your character, develop their personality, and give them physical descriptors. Determine their alignment (lawful good, chaotic evil, etc.) and the motivations that drive their actions. Create a memorable appearance by selecting clothing, hairstyles, and other visual traits that reflect your character’s personality.

For example:

Character Name	Race	Class	Backstory
Thorgrim	Dwarf	Barbarian	Orphaned warrior seeking revenge for his clan’s destruction.
Elara	Elf	Wizard	Arcane researcher delving into the secrets of ancient magic.

3. Leveling Up Your Character

As your character gains experience and levels up, you can enhance their abilities. Increase their ability scores to improve their strengths and weaknesses. Expand their proficiencies, skills, and equipment to diversify their capabilities. Consider taking feats to gain special abilities or improve your character’s combat potential.

Adding Enemies to the Combat Tracker

To add enemies to the combat tracker, first open the Combat Tracker window by clicking on the “Combat” tab in the toolbar. Then, click on the “Add” button in the top left corner of the window.

A window will pop up that will allow you to search for and add enemies to the combat tracker. You can search for enemies by name, type, or CR. Once you have found the enemies you want to add, click on the “Add” button in the bottom right corner of the window.

The enemies will be added to the combat tracker in the order that you added them. You can drag and drop enemies to change their order in the tracker. You can also right-click on an enemy to access a menu of options, such as editing the enemy’s stats or removing the enemy from the tracker.

Adding Multiple Enemies at Once

If you want to add multiple enemies to the combat tracker at once, you can use the “Import” function. To import enemies, click on the “Import” button in the top right corner of the Combat Tracker window.

A window will pop up that will allow you to select a file to import. You can import enemies from a CSV file or an FG module. Once you have selected a file, click on the “Import” button.

The enemies will be imported into the combat tracker in the order that they appear in the file. You can drag and drop enemies to change their order in the tracker. You can also right-click on an enemy to access a menu of options, such as editing the enemy’s stats or removing the enemy from the tracker.

Customizing Enemy Stats

Once you have created an enemy for Combat Fantasy Grounds, you can customize their stats to make them more challenging or interesting for your players. The following table gives an overview of the stats that you can customize, along with a description of what each stat does:

Stat	Description
Name	The name of the enemy
HP	The enemy’s health points
AC	The enemy’s armor class
Damage	The amount of damage the enemy deals with each attack
To Hit	The enemy’s chance to hit an opponent
Special Abilities	Any special abilities that the enemy possesses

In addition to the stats listed in the table, you can also customize the enemy’s appearance, personality, and backstory. This will help to make your enemies more memorable and engaging for your players.

To customize an enemy’s stats, simply select the enemy in the Combat Fantasy Grounds editor and then click on the “Stats” tab. From here, you can change the enemy’s stats by entering new values in the appropriate fields. You can also use the “Copy” and “Paste” buttons to copy the stats from one enemy to another.

Once you have customized the enemy’s stats, click on the “Save” button to save your changes. The enemy’s new stats will now be used in all future encounters.

Using Enemies in Combat

Enemies are essential for creating a challenging and engaging combat experience in Fantasy Grounds. They provide a variety of obstacles and challenges for players to overcome, and can be tailored to fit the specific needs of any campaign.

Creating Enemies

There are two main ways to create enemies in Fantasy Grounds: by using the built-in enemy library or by creating your own custom enemies. The enemy library contains a wide variety of pre-built enemies that can be easily added to your campaign. These enemies are fully statted and have all the necessary information, such as their AC, HP, and attacks.

Creating Custom Enemies

If you want to create your own custom enemies, you can do so by using the Enemy Editor. The Enemy Editor allows you to create enemies from scratch, or to modify existing enemies to fit your needs. You can specify the enemy’s stats, attacks, and even its appearance.

Adding Enemies to Combat

Once you have created your enemies, you can add them to combat by using the Combat Tracker. The Combat Tracker is a tool that allows you to track the initiative order of all the combatants in a combat encounter. You can add enemies to the Combat Tracker by dragging and dropping them from the enemy library, or by using the Add Enemy button.

Enemy Options

Once an enemy has been added to the Combat Tracker, you can click on it to open the Enemy Options dialog box. The Enemy Options dialog box allows you to view and edit the enemy’s stats, attacks, and other information. You can also use the Enemy Options dialog box to control the enemy’s behavior during combat.

Enemy Targeting

One of the most important things to consider when adding enemies to combat is how they will target the player characters. There are a number of different targeting options available, including:

Targeting Option	Description
Random	The enemy will randomly select a player character to target.
Closest	The enemy will target the player character that is closest to it.
Farest	The enemy will target the player character that is farthest away from it.
Weakest	The enemy will target the player character with the lowest HP.
Strongest	The enemy will target the player character with the highest HP.

Managing Multiple Enemies

When running a combat encounter with multiple enemies, there are a few things you can do to make it easier to manage.

1. Group Enemies by Type

If you have a large number of enemies, it can be helpful to group them by type. This will make it easier to track their stats and abilities, and it will also make it easier to decide which enemies to target first.

2. Use the Combat Tracker

The Combat Tracker is a tool that can help you keep track of the initiative order and the status of each enemy. You can drag and drop enemies onto the Combat Tracker, and you can use the buttons on the Combat Tracker to track their hit points, conditions, and other status effects.

3. Use Macros

Macros can be used to automate many of the tasks that you need to perform during combat. For example, you can create macros to roll attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws. You can also create macros to apply conditions and other status effects to enemies.

4. Use the AoE Tools

The AoE Tools can be used to quickly and easily apply area of effect spells and abilities to multiple enemies. You can drag and drop the AoE Tools onto the map, and you can then select the enemies that you want to target. The AoE Tools will automatically calculate the damage and other effects that the spell or ability will have on each enemy.

5. Pause the Combat

If you need to take a break from combat, you can pause the combat by clicking on the Pause button. This will stop the combat timer and prevent any further actions from being taken. You can use this time to review your strategy, check your notes, or do anything else that you need to do.

6. Split the Party

If you have a large party of characters, it can be helpful to split the party into smaller groups. This will make it easier to manage the combat and it will also give each player a chance to shine. You can assign each group of characters a different objective, or you can simply have them fight different enemies.

Method	Advantages	Disadvantages
Group Enemies by Type	Makes it easier to track stats and abilities, decide which enemies to target first	None
Use the Combat Tracker	Keeps track of initiative order and enemy status	Can be cumbersome to use with a large number of enemies
Use Macros	Automates many tasks, speeds up combat	Requires some setup time to create macros
Use the AoE Tools	Quickly and easily applies AoE spells and abilities	Can be difficult to use with complex AoE effects
Pause the Combat	Allows you to take a break from combat to review strategy or check notes	Can disrupt the flow of combat
Split the Party	Makes it easier to manage combat, gives each player a chance to shine	Can make it difficult to coordinate between groups

Using Macros for Efficiency

Macros can automate repetitive tasks, making combat more efficient. Here are some examples:

Creating Macros for Specific Monsters

Create a macro for each unique monster type. This macro should include attributes like name, initiative bonus, hit points, saving throws, and attack options. By dragging and dropping the macro onto the combat tracker, all necessary information is automatically populated.

Macros for Common Attacks

For frequently used attacks, create separate macros that include the attack roll, damage calculation, and any modifiers. By clicking the macro, you can quickly perform the attack and add the results to the chat log.

Damage Calculation Macros

Create macros for calculating damage based on different damage types. Include common damage types such as bludgeoning, slashing, piercing, fire, and psychic. This simplifies the process of applying damage to players or enemies.

Initiative Roll Macros

Create a macro that generates a d20 roll for initiative. This can be used for all characters, including multiple enemies. By clicking the macro, the initiative rolls are displayed in the chat log, and the combat tracker is automatically updated.

Advantage/Disadvantage Macros

Create macros that automatically apply advantage or disadvantage to rolls. This is useful for situations where characters or enemies have circumstances that affect the accuracy of their attacks.

Condition Macros

Create macros to quickly apply or remove conditions from characters or enemies. This can help track statuses such as blinded, poisoned, or restrained, and automatically adjust the DCs of saving throws.

Linking Tokens to NPCs

Linking tokens to NPCs allows you to represent your in-game characters with visuals, enabling you to easily track their location and status on the battle grid. Follow these detailed steps to link tokens to NPCs:

Select the Token: Click on the token you want to link to the NPC.
Access the Token Wizard: Right-click on the selected token and select “Edit Token”.
Associate with NPC: In the “General” tab of the Token Wizard, select the “NPC” option from the “Link To” drop-down menu.
Choose the NPC: In the “Linked NPC” box, click the “Browse” button to select the NPC you want to link the token to.
Confirm Linkage: Once the NPC is selected, press the “OK” button.
Visual Representation: The token will now display the name of the linked NPC, indicating that they are connected.
Multiple Tokens: If you want to link multiple tokens to the same NPC, repeat steps 1-6 for each token.
Benefits of Linkage: Linking tokens to NPCs enhances combat encounters by providing visual representation, easy tracking of NPC positions, and the ability to apply effects directly to linked tokens.

Step	Description
1	Select the token to link to the NPC.
2	Access the Token Wizard by right-clicking and selecting “Edit Token”.
3	Choose “NPC” from the “Link To” drop-down menu in the “General” tab.
4	Click “Browse” and select the NPC to link the token to.
5	Confirm linkage by pressing “OK”.
6	The token will now display the linked NPC’s name.
7	Repeat steps 1-6 to link multiple tokens to the same NPC.
8	Linked tokens provide visual representation, easy NPC tracking, and direct effect application.

Advanced Combat Techniques

To enhance the combat experience in Fantasy Grounds, consider implementing the following advanced techniques:

Rolling Dice with Modifiers

When rolling dice, modifiers can be added or subtracted. For example, a character with a +2 bonus to attack would roll an extra +2 on their attack roll.

Targeting Specific Opponents

Players can target specific opponents in combat. Right-click on the target’s token to bring up the context menu and select “Target Selected Token.” This focuses all attacks and abilities on that particular enemy.

Using the Combat Tracker

The Combat Tracker helps manage turn order and track initiative. Click on the “Combat” tab and add all combatants to the tracker. The tracker will automatically determine turn order and display the current turn’s participant.

Applying Effects

Effects, such as buffs or debuffs, can be applied to characters. Right-click on the character’s token and select “Apply Effect.” Select the desired effect from the list and specify its duration and any other relevant parameters.

Using Macros

Macros can automate actions and commands. Create a macro by clicking “Tools” > “Macros” and entering the desired script. Once created, macros can be activated through hotkeys or custom buttons on the toolbar.

Ranged and Melee Combat

Combat ranges are essential in Fantasy Grounds. Ranged attacks can be made against targets within a specific distance, while melee attacks are limited to targets within a short distance. Characters can choose to engage or disengage from melee combat as needed.

Movement

Characters can move around the battlefield during combat. Right-click on their token and select “Move.” Enter the desired movement distance and direction. Movement can be used to gain positioning advantages or avoid enemy attacks.

Line of Sight and Cover

Line of sight and cover play a crucial role in combat. Line of sight is determined by drawing a line from the character’s token to the target’s token. If there are any obstacles in the way, the character does not have line of sight and cannot attack the target. Cover provides partial or total protection from enemy attacks.

Damage and Healing

Characters can deal damage to enemies and heal themselves or others. Damage is calculated based on the weapon’s damage dice and any applicable modifiers. Healing is typically achieved through spells or potions.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you are experiencing difficulties adding enemies to your Fantasy Grounds combat, try the following troubleshooting tips:

Check the “NPC” checkbox: Ensure that the “NPC” checkbox is ticked off when adding an enemy to the combat tracker. This will grant access to all the NPC-specific features, such as initiative and health.
Verify your character’s level: Some enemies may only be available to characters of a certain level or higher. Confirm that your character meets the required level to encounter the enemy.
Select the correct enemy type: Fantasy Grounds offers a vast selection of enemy types. Ensure you choose the appropriate enemy type that corresponds to the creature you are trying to add to combat.
Disable “Ignore Level Restrictions”: Under the “Options” menu, make sure the “Ignore Level Restrictions” option is disabled. This will prevent you from adding enemies that are not within your character’s level range.
Check for updates: Fantasy Grounds releases regular updates that include new content and bug fixes. Ensure that you are using the latest version of Fantasy Grounds to avoid compatibility issues.
Report bugs to the community: If you encounter persistent errors or glitches when adding enemies, submit a bug report to the Fantasy Grounds community forums. This will help the developers identify and resolve any underlying issues.
Use the “Add Foe” button: In some cases, you may not be able to manually add enemies via the combat tracker. Try using the “Add Foe” button on the Combat Manager panel.
Consult the Fantasy Grounds wiki: The Fantasy Grounds wiki is a comprehensive resource that provides detailed documentation on all aspects of the software. Refer to the wiki for specific instructions on adding enemies.
Join the Fantasy Grounds Discord server: The official Fantasy Grounds Discord server is a valuable platform where you can connect with other users and get help from experienced GMs.
Contact customer support: If all else fails, reach out to the Fantasy Grounds customer support team. They can provide personalized assistance and resolve any complex technical issues.

How To Add Enemies For Combat Fantasy Grounds

To add enemies for combat in Fantasy Grounds, you will need to first create a new encounter. To do this, click on the “Encounters” tab in the top menu bar, and then click on the “New” button. In the “New Encounter” dialog box, enter a name for the encounter and select the campaign that you want to add it to. Once you have created a new encounter, you can start adding enemies to it. To do this, click on the “Enemies” tab in the top menu bar, and then click on the “Add” button. In the “Add Enemy” dialog box, you can select the enemy that you want to add to the encounter. You can also specify the number of enemies that you want to add, and the level of the enemies. Once you have added all of the enemies that you want to the encounter, you can click on the “OK” button to save the encounter.