NPC creator and tracker for DMs
As a DM, I think it would be great if there was a way to create more fleshed out NPC character sheets so you can add them to a party long term and keep track of their stats and abilities. Currently we are escaping a dungeon in the Underdark with 11 escaped prisoners, it would be fantastic to be able to keep track of all these NPCs and view their stats/spells at a glance. Perhaps as a perk of being a subscribed member?
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BadEye, unlike the OP, I believe tracking all your NPC’s in your game would be the goal.
Just on a side note:
As a whole DDB seems to be focused on tools from the players point of view. A campaign should have all manner of tracking tools, from NPC’s, encounters (both combat and non-combat), locations, etc... with the ability to be inter-linked. Locations to NPC’s, Locations to Encounters, Encounters to NPC, etc.. Even linking to WotC material that has been purchased, as games range from 100% homebrew to 100% WotC content, and everywhere in-between, but they all require a DM to pull together info from multiple sources and as a DM it would be nice to use DDB as a single resource for that instead of having to use multiple tools/sites. Hopefully in the long run even a VTT...
These tools should allow the DM to share portions to the players as things are revealed (pictures and descriptions for instance).
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Having a folder of NPCs in character creation would be extremely helpful. I create all my important NPCs in dndbeyond and it's getting cluttered. Being able to separate my NPCs from the characters I play in other games would be a gift from the gods.
Also being able to see their stat-block like those of monster manual content would make it much easier to run encounters with them instead of having to search through all the info in a regular character sheet. This would also make NPC creation much more streamlined as you don't have to go through all the options of a regular player character.
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For me an NPC is not always a badguy so being able to add them to combat but on the PCs side would be nice. This is also for summoned monsters. Also If i make a character as a DM i want to be able to add them as a bbeg in the combat tracker at the moment that is not possible only as an ally.
And as mentioned sidekicks need to be there as well.
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I think another simple feature to help with general NPC organization would be to add a Folder/ file system to the My Characters Collection page. Instead of everything being out and open which makes us scroll through a bunch of characters regardless of campaign, PC or NPC. If there was a way that we could make our own folders to move characters in to better sort what we need to find it'd be very effective and I imagine not too difficult?
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Let me first outline an NPC, Monster, and Sidekick before getting into my bit.
An NPC is a character. They have the potential to grow and change as a campaign progresses. They may even be members of the party. An NPC could be the king of a realm or some character that requires much more information tracking. This information tracking can be as intense or more intense than PC characters.
A Monster or Creature just needs some stats and some simple management. These are typically thrown into an encounter and then once the encounter is over the entity is relegated to the halls of memory.
A Sidekick is a mix between an NPC and a Monster Stat Block. A Sidekick is anything that is living and is an extension of a player in some fashion. That henchmen that swears fealty to the heroic party, the pet cat, the parties horses…
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You ask “how this would be any different than the current functionality in the "Creatures" section of the character sheet?” and I answer that the “Creatures” section is far too limited to track what a GM needs in relation to a living breathing NPC in their campaign. The NPC Creator and Tracker would likely be just one element of what I call the GM’s Sheet. Also the “Creature” feature is tied to a character sheet. The NPC Creator and Tracker would be separate from the PLAYERS sheet because the players are not supposed to ever see the stats let alone the rest of the information on almost every NPC that a GM ever makes. These are entities the GM handles.
I’d like to point out that the character sheet is a wonderful tool. I love it! But it is a tool for the average player. It is not a tool for the GM. This does not mean that the GM can’t or doesn’t use the tool but that the GM must figuratively hack the tool to their own use. I can and do use the character builder to make NPC’s but then I must use separate notes to track relationships, location data, and other such information. A player only needs to really track their own character while the GM must track the whole world and every NPC that makes a regular appearance.
Many times an NPC is as complex and dynamic as a PC character. When there is just one or two it’s not too bad but what happens when you start to really bring your world to life? What happens when you start to have more and more of these NPC’s that you want to bring to life? I can create a static stat block for an NPC and ignore everything that makes them come to life… but I and my players prefer a dynamic world. We’re not just dealing with monster stats. We’re dealing with an ever changing world that we breath life into with our imagination.
An NPC is not a creature. They do not fit that mold. An NPC needs space for background information, a note section on favorability tracking, notes on where they live, ways to track their growth, notes on where to find them at what time of the day or even where to find them on what day of the week.
An NPC sheet is for the GM not the PLAYER. An NPC sheet/tracker might have many NPC’s on it for a given location so that it is easily accessible to the GM when the party goes to such and such town. A NPC sheet/tracker would save those little ticks, clicks, and small notes that the GM is constantly making.
The major difference between what is asked is that we want and kinda need a system that is engineered to facilitate the needs of the GM rather than the needs of the players.
I hope what I said makes some kind of sense.
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BadEye
I might be a bit late but I would like to weigh in as well.
While your suggestion is good, I have 2 Issues with it (which might have been mentioned before, so I'll keep it brief)Issue #01
You have to create a character sheet in order to use this feature, which in itself isn't bad but it can be confusing to navigate since a DM you don't have a character because you are every NPC etc.
If we could create a DM Sheet or Management Hub (per campaign) where you could add that functionality, then I'm happy.Issue #02
The current function isn't as detailed or modular as we might need it.
While HP, class etc is good to have, personally I would like to have additional info like passive perception for guards, or persuasion for merchants or performance for waiters etc.A way to custom build/adjust the entry to your liking (maybe even with interlinking to a specific entry from a book or such wouldn't bad either) would be awesome.
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I have done the NPC using PC sheet thing but art of what would speed my flow in Encounters is extracting the stat block like the current monster popout. or being able to open their sheet in a separate new tab so I can do the auto roll their attacks or saves as needed. Ideally that will integrate with future work to add conditions apply damage etc to PCs.
next priority for me are treat attitutude towards the PCs etc as mentioned above.
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