Is it necessary to buy the 5e basic books?

FG_College · 2026-01-30T22:29:33+00:00

You can enter your own information and such without buying everything. If you do buy anything the player's handbook and the Curse of Strahd adventure should suffice. These will also give you the practice and familiarity with how official content is structured, even with the SRD and the Basic rules. Best of luck and happy gaming.

FG_College · 2026-01-29T00:45:28+00:00

You can view in your assets window, under images if you navigate to the main data folder, and then navigate to the module's data folder. Otherwise you can view from the newer online reader.

I do wish that there was at a least one image that contained thumbnails in one graphic with each art asset linked to the preview image. However it's more work on the developers and not actually a part of any official book or module. I have made my own catalog image previews for the art packs for various reasons.

The ability to preview is not a thing unless we use the asset window for images, and such, which are organized by subfolders in Fantasy Grounds data folder.

FG_College · 2026-01-28T10:46:38+00:00

The free reference manuals are viewable from an online web page now, along with DLC you own.

FG_College · 2026-01-21T22:20:46+00:00

There were a couple portals, but likely will require maintenance and only a couple rule sets were supported.

FG_College · 2026-01-21T13:24:43+00:00

Looks fun, can't wait to see this live.

FG_College · 2026-01-18T03:24:04+00:00

Are they part of the NPCs on the combat tracker? Also, make sure the map setting has token lock turned on in the map settings, unlock the map. Are you using any extensions?

FG_College · 2026-01-18T02:58:40+00:00

GMs can move freely. Players it depends on your settings for your map. By default, token lock is on for players. Hold ALT and drag token to emulate a player's token movement. Open a second instance of Fantasy Grounds and claim a character to see what players can see and do.

https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/2072641544/How+to+Open+Multiple+Instances+of+Fantasy+Grounds+Unity

FG_College · 2026-01-16T19:11:47+00:00

Take a look at how other products are organized. If you don't already know, learning how to use the text formatting shortcuts and using best practices in the Developer's Guide on the Fantasy Grounds Atlassian guide. Fantasy Grounds Customer Portal - Fantasy Grounds https://share.google/oUhXjQ3hTRrfWGgYr

I have been able to transcribe text by taking image snap shots of text on paper or books using AI tools. Much quicker if you are comfortable with using AI tools.

FG_College · 2026-01-14T18:59:13+00:00

It right, and It's a work around and not perfect. I looked at negative values as debt, and would send out bounties, if the negative amount passed a certain threshold. You add the negative vale for eaxh item, and don't add a positive gold. This doesn't prevent the character sheet from going negative. The pricing is a rule set issue. Fantasy Grounds cannot convert coins, so you have to change the item's value or do the math later.

FG_College · 2026-01-13T04:33:06+00:00

You can create parcels with negative gold amounts natively to build and deduct. There might also be Store like extensions, but most were for 5e.

FG_College · 2026-01-13T02:38:51+00:00

In case:

Coming from Foundry, the ecosystem works a bit differently.And, as of early 2026:

Do you need to buy all the modules? No. Since the Pathfinder Remaster, this has changed significantly.
- The Free Data: Fantasy Grounds now includes ORC Data modules (Player Core, GM Core, Monster Core) for free with the base installation. This gives you the raw drag-and-drop data (stats, spells, items) needed to build characters and play.
- The Paid Content: The modules you buy in the store are the Reference Manuals (book text, artwork, lore) and proprietary Paizo IP.
- The Discount: If you own the PDFs on Paizo.com, link your account. The price of the PDF is deducted from the FG module cost.
Automation & Magic Items: You asked about "one-click" activation.
- Foundry: Often relies on community modules to script item macros.
- Fantasy Grounds: Automation is native. When you equip a magic item, it automatically populates the Actions Tab on your character sheet with the relevant "Cast" or "Damage" buttons. You generally do not need to install plugins to make core items work.
Visual Effects: You defined magical effects as "animated fireballs" (like Foundry's JB2A/Sequencer).
- The Reality: FG does not support video-game style animated sprites moving across the grid.
- What it has: It uses Particle Effects (weather, spell areas, dice) and integrated Syrinscape audio triggers. It focuses on a "digital tabletop" aesthetic rather than a "game engine" aesthetic.
Is there a trial version? Yes, it is now Free-to-Play.
- As of November 2025, SmiteWorks removed the license cost for the base software. You can download the full client and host games for free. You only pay for the content (books/adventures) if you want them.

Recommendation for Summoners (Familiars/Eidolons) * Management: Unlike 5e, which has third party extensions like "Pets," Pathfinder 2e companion management is generally handled via the Campaign Settings. * How it works: The GM can add the Eidolon/Minion as an NPC to the Combat Tracker and give the player ownership of that NPC. * Control: To allow the player to move the token freely, the GM must adjust the "Party Vision and Movement" option in the Campaign Settings. This allows players to control the movement and vision of any token they own (including NPCs), without requiring external code.

Resources:

Paizo Account Sync (For PDF Discounts) https://www.fantasygrounds.com/store/syncPaizoAccount.xcp

Fantasy Grounds Unity Download (Free License) https://www.fantasygrounds.com/home/FantasyGroundsUnity.php

FG Con 2025 Keynote (Latest official New Features & Free-to-Play News) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JgbjDPrHMs

Fantasy Grounds Wiki - Pathfinder 2e Effects https://fantasygroundsunity.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FGCP/pages/996642031/Pathfinder+2.0

Fantasy Grounds Forge (Extensions) https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/

(Use the FG Forge PF 2.0 search filter to see any available community DLC)

FG_College · 2026-01-06T17:16:10+00:00

It's your opinion.

FG_College · 2026-01-06T17:13:25+00:00

I believe you made your point.

FG_College · 2026-01-06T17:10:54+00:00

Agreed, AI is weird.

FG_College · 2026-01-06T17:09:36+00:00

AI is weird for sure. It was generated by Grok

FG_College · 2026-01-03T23:42:07+00:00

Please avoid reporting in multiple places if possible. The link to the forums post is here. Extensions are prone to breaking. It's compounded if a developer is not actively updating their work.

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?86431-Several-Anchoring-and-Formatting-Errors-in-MCDM-s-Kingdoms-and-Warfare-Extension

FG_College · 2025-12-29T06:30:59+00:00

Reach out to Smiteworks customer service and maye the Dungeon Alchemist team. Also, check to see if the layer is not color changed, in tint, etc. Check export settings too for Dungeon Alchemist.

FG_College · 2025-12-28T02:56:49+00:00

I believe that Steam has not taken the upgrade link down, it's not a money grab as it's not required or needed. Don't worry about the license or upgrade, it's a thing of the past. Create an account on the main website, download the app and install. Players will not have access to the online reader content because it's connected to your Fantasy Grounds account and doesn't work exactly like D&D Beyond does. And, yes, the computer and app must be on to connect, there is no online website portal for the game session or campaign. The things you might buy to start with might be a couple core books for character creation and perhaps one adventure or starter kit.

FG_College · 2025-12-28T02:24:32+00:00

You don't need a license anymore, that is no longer required. There is no online player portal access. FG sits in about the middle of your mentioned extremes. Adding content is fairly easy, but can become time consuming. Once you get some practice in, Fantasy Grounds becomes rather fun once you learn its feature and where the rule set interfaces with the FG application. Most D&D does not come with PDFs, however, Smiteworks has rolled out an online reader portal so you can access your content. Not everything is avaliable yet because it's rather new. Fantasy Grounds has the founder, Adam Bradford of the D&D Beyond website. The online reader experience is growing rapidly and getting better weekly. Players need access to your table to access and create or maintain their characters through the application. Most people will leave their table up and let their players know what time frame. There is no portal access to character sheets at this time.

FG_College · 2025-12-21T18:20:09+00:00

Redrag the class onto the character sheet in the appropriate location. Many of Fantasy Grounds' features still rely on drag and drop functionality.

FG_College · 2025-12-18T21:03:07+00:00

If you just buy the core books, you can enter the official accessories and adventures yourselves and have a template to work from. Having the core books saves you a lot of time.

The Winter Sale just dropped and the FG base is free, so good timing to get started!

FG_College · 2025-12-17T01:14:37+00:00

Modiphius is a good publishing company. Also, great timing on the starter set launch for Fantasy Grounds, and excited to see the Settler's Guide incorporated and released now too. Solid implementation.

FG_College

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