5E Character Sheet
NOTE: This 5e Character Sheet document is in the process of being updated which will take some time. There are quite a few changes that have been made since the 
NOTE: Some screenshots and older videos may use the Legacy - Leather theme, or Legacy - D&D theme. If you wish to use them instead of the current default Dungeons & Dragons theme, you can load them from the Fantasy Grounds VTT main menu under the EXTENSIONS section.
Applying different themes will not change underlying functionality.
NOTE: The images below are taken from the default Dungeons & Dragons theme that was updated for the 
Character Sheet Overview
The 5e Character Sheet consists of several individual sheets organized by tabs along the right-hand side of the window. The sheets contain the following information:
Main: Character Class and Level, Background and Race (2014) or Species (2024). It also shows ability scores, saving throws, Armor Class, hit points, wounds, speed, and senses.
Skills: Skill details.
Abilities: Feats, special abilities, class features and traits, proficiencies and languages.
Inventory: Equipment, coins and encumbrance.
Notes: Character background details, appearance and notes.
Log: Used for organized play
Actions: Weapon, spell and other action details
In order to create a charactCr, the user must first have opened any modules which contain character creation information - such as the
If you create a character using the Character Wizard or by manually typing in all of the information, then refer to the reference section of this article below for further information on how everything works in the Character Sheet.
Using the Character Sheet
Below, we’ll learn how to use the Character Sheet within Fantasy Grounds VTT in a real game of Dungeons & Dragons. We'll go through each of the tabs and pick out the pertinent information.
Let’s first have a look at some of the common fields and icons that you’ll find throughout the Character Sheet and what they do.
Icon | Description |
| This is a link icon. Clicking on this will open whatever the icon is linked to. In the main tab of the character sheet, for example, there are links to the character’s background, race and subrace. |
| This is the magnifying glass symbol, which when clicked on, will open a dialog box with more information and editable options. |
| The small dice icon in the bottom left of this box indicates a rollable box. Double click on the box to make this roll. You’ll see these boxes on the ability scores and saving throw boxes as well as in the initiative box. |
 
| The small ‘+’ button at the top-left of a box indicates that you can give this entry a temporary boost or penalty. Hover the mouse over the ‘+’ until the cursor changes to a hand sign. You can then hold the CTRL key and use the middle mouse wheel to add or subtract a bonus or penalty to the figure in the box. A small bubble will replace the ‘+’ showing what the bonus or penalty is. |
  | The “sparkle” icon in the lower-right of the boxes denotes Proficiency in that particular field. This can be clicked to toggle between Proficient (as seen in the first box) and Not Proficient (as shown in the second box). |
Main Tab
This is the Main tab of the Character Sheet. Below, we will highlight and explain all areas of the Sheet.
Window Buttons
The Window Buttons are part of the window frame and will remain at the top of the page no matter which tab you are on.
From left to right:
Record Link - You can drag this Record Link onto the hot bar at the bottom of the desktop for quick access to the corresponding Character Sheet, drag it into a Story entry, drag it onto the Chat region to show which character is being references, etc. Anywhere the Record Link is dragged and dropped, it should link to the Character Sheet.
Export Record - You can export your Character Sheet to an XML file that can be imported via the Import Character feature in the Character Selector (Character button from the Sidebar).
Speak As - This button changes the Speak As chatbox in the Chat window to your character’s name so you can speak as the character.
Find Token - This button will open any closed maps and locate your token on said maps.
Lock/Unlock - This will lock or unlock your Character Sheet. Locking the sheet prevents edits.
Open Help - This button, displayed as a question mark ( ? ), will open the corresponding wiki article in a browser outside of Fantasy Grounds VTT. You will be prompted to allow FGVTT to open an external link.
Minimize - This button, displayed as a minus sign ( - ), will minimize the window into a single, round icon on the Fantasy Grounds desktop. Click on the icon to restore the Character Sheet to its original size before minimizing.
Close - This button, displayed as an X ( X ), will close the window. You can open it again from the CHARACTERS button on the Sidebar menu on the right, or from anywhere the Record Link has been dropped.
Picture and Tokens
The Picture and Tokens section is located in the upper-right corner of the Character Sheet next to the Name field.
When clicking on the empty image space, or if a portrait or token was previously added, will open the Picture and Tokens window.
 Shown with no images |  Shown with tokens and portrait |
If you are a player, then click on the green + next to the portrait and this will open a menu showing what portraits you have available (this might be none – depending on what products you own and have loaded). Select one and it will be added to your character.
If you are a DM, then you can also allocate a Token – Flat and a Token – Camera to the character; again what is available here will depend on what products you own and have loaded.
You can learn more about portraits, tokens, and associated assets in the following article:
Link: Using the Assets Window for Tokens, Portraits and Images
Name, Inspiration (INSP) and the Speak As PC Icon
From left to right:
Name - This is the field where you can name your character. This is changeable at any time.
Inspiration - This button, with the abbreviation INSP above it, is used to denote if a character has inspiration. Click on the small circle to add inspiration and click it again to remove it once it has been used.
Class & Level and Proficiency
From left to right:
Class & Level - The Class & Level field shows which Class was selected for this character and what Level it currently is on the same line. In the example on the left, no Class or Level has been assigned. In the example on the right, Class is set as
Clericand the character is a Level1. Many classes also have Subclasses which may add additional abilities, bonuses, etc.
Inside this dialog box, you can see links to the Class and Class specialization, as well as being able to edit the current XP (experience points) and the XP to the next level, and also manually add in a Class and Level. You can also change the Caster type here by clicking on the box below Caster. This cycles through full (1x), half (½) and one third (⅓) caster. There is also a nill ( - ) option. The radial button next to the Caster field toggles Spellcasting and Pact Magic.Hit Die and Used fields denote how many hit dice are currently available, what die type they are, and what has already been used, if any. Dragging the Hit Die from the box into the Chat box will make a Recovery roll for the character.
Generally, apart from XP to the next level, you don’t need to edit anything in this dialog. You will also find the Level Up button here which you can click on to level up if you are using the Character Wizard. If you are levelling up via drag and drop, then just drop the Class you want to level up in on the Class & Level line.
 No Class is set, no level |  Class is Cleric and level is Level 1 |
Proficiency - The Proficiency modifier field, with the abbreviation PROF above it, is used to denote what the bonus is for Skills the character is proficient in, as shown on the Skills tab.
Background and Species
Background - Choosing a specific Background for you character usually offers a suite of additional Ability scores, Feats, Skill proficiencies, Tool proficiencies, and some additional equipment. Select Backgrounds from the Sidebar menu on the right and simply drag and drop a Background from the Backgrounds window onto the corresponding line on the Character Sheet.
NOTE: When dropping a Background onto the Character Sheet, you may be prompted to select Ability options, which Ability you prefer to use for Spellcasting (if applicable), Cantrips, Spells, Equipment, or other additional items related to that Background. This will all be added to the Character Sheet automatically once done.
Species - Clicking on the Species (previously known as Races in Legacy 2014) button on the Sidebar allows you to choose a Species for your character. Species denotes Creature Type, Size, Speed (movement rate), vision types, resilience, and possibly other perks or shortcomings.
When selecting Species, you can also click on the Ancestries button above the Group type to add additional information for your character, such as additional languages, weapon proficiencies, resistances, and other special abilities.
Abilities
Ability Scores (or Abilities), shown in the column of numbers along the left side of the Character Sheet, denote your character's base capabilities in each ability. You can edit ability scores by clicking inside the box you want to edit and typing in a new value. You can also make an ability check by double-clicking inside the box for the ability score you want to roll a check for, or by dragging from that box into the Chat box as shown below.
Saves
Saves, or Saving Throws, are the amount by which your character gains a bonus or suffers a penalty for each value.
If the character is proficient in a Saving Throw, the small star at the bottom-right of the box will be yellow. You can click on this star icon to add or remove Proficiency to a particular Saving Throw.
You can add a temporary penalty or bonus by placing the pointer on the ‘+’ arrow in the upper-right corner of a value box, then hold down CTRL and use the mouse wheel to increase or decrease the temporary value.
To make a saving throw, double-click in the box or by dragging from that box into the Chat box.
Senses and Perception
Senses - Any special Senses added to the Character Sheet, either manually or via Abilities, Backgrounds, Ancestries, etc., will be shown in this area. You can edit this line to add more or change the current senses.
Perception - This field, with the abbreviation PERC above it, shows the character’s passive Perception score. You can add a temporary penalty or bonus by placing the pointer on the ‘+’ arrow in the upper-right corner of a value box, then hold down CTRL and use the mouse wheel to increase or decrease the temporary value. See Saves for examples.
Armor Class, Initiative and Speed
Armor Class - This field, with the abbreviation AC above it, shows the Armor Class of the character. This field can change based on bonuses, equipment, or anything that adds more defense to the character. The sparkle icon in the lower-right toggles Proficiency.
Initiative - This field, with the abbreviation INIT above it, shows the bonus that will be added when rolling Initiative. You can double-click the field to roll Initiative in the Chat box.
Speed - This field denotes the speed of the character, or how many spaces the character can move in a turn.
All three fields in this section can add a temporary penalty or bonus by placing the pointer on the ‘+’ arrow in the upper-right corner of a value box, then hold down CTRL and use the mouse wheel to increase or decrease the temporary value. See Saves for examples.
COMBAT CALC - Clicking on the gear icon will open the Combat Calc window. This allows editing of any of the values associated with Armor Class, Initiative, and Speed.
Special Move and Special Defenses - Special moves and defenses will be listed on their respective lines below the three AC, INIT, and SPEED fields. These can be edited at will for homebrew games.
Hit Points, Hit Dice and Death Saves
Hit Points - This area three fields pertaining to Hit Points (abbreviated as HP):
Wounds - This field, with the abbreviation WND above it, shows how much damage a character has taken, or how wounded they are.
Maximum Hit Points - This field, with the abbreviation MAX above it, shows the maximum number of Hit Points the character has when fully-healed / uninjured and under normal circumstances.
Temporary Hit Points - This field, with the abbreviation TMP above it, shows how many temporary Hit Points a character has. These Hit Points do not apply to the permanent MAX Hit Points and generally run our before the base Hit Points when damage is taken.
Hit Dice - Hit Dice, abbreviated as HD, are used to heal a character by the amount shown on the dice rolled. A player can double-click on the Hit Dice to roll them in the Chat box. Hit Dice often increase at certain level progressions.
HEALTH CALC - Clicking on the gear icon will open the Health Calc window. This allows editing of any of the values associated with the Hit Die Roll (Hit Dice).
Death Saves - Death Saving Throws, or Death Saves, have three fields each to keep track of which rolls made the save and which failed. Clicking on the dice icon next to the S (Saved) and F (Failed) boxes will roll a Death Save check in the Chat box.
Skills Tab
On the Skills tab, and all other tabs, the Portraits, Name, Inspiration and Speak as PC items will remain at the top of the window.
Skills
Skills - Under the Skills heading, you will see all Skills allowed as options for your Character. Here we will examine the columns shown and what features each has.
Name - The Name column, under the header NAME, shows the name of the Skill. Next to each name is a Proficiency toggle (the “sparkle” icon). Clicking on them will toggle through the following states:
If the icon is gray, there is no Proficiency bonus in that Skill.
If the icon is half gold, half gray, there is a half Proficiency bonus in that Skill.
If the icon is gold, there is a Proficiency bonus in that Skill.
If the icon shows two sparkles, the Character received a double Proficiency bonus in that Skill.
Stat - The Stat column, under the header STAT, shows which Ability the Skill uses for Skill checks. You can change the Ability that any Skill is based on by clicking on its Stat block. This will also change the bonus in the TOTAL field accordingly.
Stealth Disadvantage - The “Equipped icon” to the right of he Stealth Skill listing indicates that it is a special Skill and offers a visual reminder that the Character has Disadvantage on Stealth when wearing certain heavy armor types.
Miscellaneous - The Miscellaneous column, under the header MISC, shows a column of fields where miscellaneous bonuses can be added, such as those accrued from a magic item or similar.
Total - The Total column, under the header TOTAL, shows the total bonuses or penalties when all modifiers are taken into account, such as Proficiency levels, miscellaneous additions or subtractions, etc.
A player can double-click on the Total field of a Skill to roll it in the Chat box.
Clicking on the Link Icon for a Skill will open its text window with the details of that Skill.
To the right of the SKILLS header above the columns, there is a green plus ( + ) icon. This is used to create a new Skill from scratch. Clicking the icon will create a new Skill entry where you can fill in the name of the Skill, what Stat it should correspond with, any Miscellaneous bonuses or penalties, and the total will be displayed in the TOTAL column as usual when done.
Clicking the Unlock button in the title bar allows you to edit the Character Sheet. In Edit List mode, listings that are hand-made or not locked can be deleted.
Abilities Tab
This tab is divided into several sections and what resides in this area will depend on your Class, Species, Background and Level. All the information in this sheet is for information purposes only. The primary sections of the Abilities tab are Feats, Features, Traits, Proficiencies, and Languages.
Feats
Feats are a special ability or talent that grants characters unique capabilities beyond their standard class features. Feats represent a character's training, experience, or expertise in specific areas. They can enhance abilities, provide new skills, or offer special bonuses that affect gameplay.
Features
Features are Character enhancements specific to certain Background, Class or Species choices. They provide information about certain abilities inherent to those choices.
Traits
Traits are characteristics that help define a character's personality, behavior, and motivations. They serve to differentiate characters and provide depth beyond just their statistics.
Proficiencies
Proficiencies represent a character's specialized skills and knowledge in various areas. They enhance a character's effectiveness in specific actions, allowing them to perform better than someone without those proficiencies. This can apply to armor types, weapon types, tool kit use, etc.
Languages
Languages play a crucial role in gameplay, influencing communication, interactions, and character development.
To the right of the FEATS, FEATURES, TRAITS, PROFICIENCIES and LANGUAGES headers above the columns, there is a green plus ( + ) icon. This is used to create a new Ability Type entry from scratch. Clicking the icon will create a new Ability entry under the desires category where you can fill in the name of the Ability.
NOTE: Ensure that languages are correctly spelled when entered since Fantasy Grounds VTT uses this information to determine whether a character can understand a language being used by the DM. If the character does understand the language, then a translation of what is being said will appear in chat. If the character has not set their languages correctly, then this will interfere with this process. If the character can speak multiple languages (such as when under the influence of a spell) adding ‘tongues’, ‘polyglot’, or ‘comprehend languages’ as a language will allow the character to understand any language.
To the right of the bottom bar, below all the columns, is the Edit List button, represented by a blue and white pencil icon. When clicked, it will toggle the user in and out of edit mode. In Edit List mode, listings that are hand-made or not locked can be deleted.
Inventory Tab
Equipment
Equipment encompasses a wide range of items that characters can use during their adventures. The main categories of equipment include armor, weapons, adventuring gear, magic items, mounts, and vehicles.
Equipment items can be added to the Inventory either by dragging and dropping them from the Items list accessed from the Sidebar menu on the right or by typing them directly into the inventory.
The Equipment header also includes A 0/3 and a cog.
The A 0/3 shows how many items in the inventory are currently attuned to the Character (the 0, which is currently none), and also the maximum number allowed to be attuned (the 3, meaning 3 total can be attuned).
The cog icon opens the Inventory Meta window, which allows you to modify the maximum number of attunements allowed as well as any bonuses or penalties.
The top part of the sheet under Equipment is divided into the following columns:
# - the number of the particular item carried. This number can be edited.
Note: Fantasy Grounds VTT doesn't automate usage in Inventory (since it can't know this), so if the Character uses equipment that would be used up (such as a torch, rations, etc.), the usage has to be recorded manually.
NAME - This is the name of the item and can be edited.
LOCATION - This is used to indicate where the item is kept on the character. You can type whatever is appropriate such as Right Hand, Legs, Feet etc. You can also type in the name of a container such as a Backpack and the items will be grouped up in that container. You may also have a container within a container which also contains items.
Attunement - This column shows what items the character has currently attuned to. It is represented by a capital A in a triangle. When an item that requires attunement is added to the inventory, a check mark will appear next to the item in this column. Clicking on the check box will attune the item and increment the number at the top of the list. You can click on a check mark to un-attune an item.
Weight - Weight, represented by the abbreviation WT, is the weight of a single copy of the item.
NOTE: If the character has more than one copy of an item, this number does not change, but see Encumbrance below.
Carried/Equipped - This row of icons, represented by the small image of a backpack, shows whether the item is Carried, Equipped or Not Carried. You can cycle through the states by clicking on the icon.
If the item is armor or a shield, and the icon is set to Equipped, that item or shield will be used to calculate the character's Armor Class.
If the item is a weapon, and the icon is set to Equipped, the weapon will be added to the Weapons section of the Actions tab.
If an item is Not Carried, then it is not added to the character's Encumbrance total. This is useful for setting up such things as pack animals.
PRO TIP: You can add a new entry, give it a suitable name, and set the icon to Not Carried. Now enter the same name into the Location for any items that the character uses their pack animal to carry and make sure the Carried / Equipped icon is set to Not Carried. This can also be used for things as a Bag of Holding or similar magic items.
Clicking on the Link Icon for an Equipment item will open its text window with the details of that item.
Treasure
The Treasure section records the treasure carried by the character. Each of the boxes will fill up with coins of different values and accumulate from the Party Sheet when the DM distributes treasure. The player can edit any of the values manually as well, when spending gold for example.
Clicking on the green plus ( + ) icon to the right of the TREASURE heading will create a new entry field that can be used for coins, gems, or anything deemed valuable.
Players can also enter treasure items below the coin slots simply by typing into the blank line. Pressing return brings up a new line.
Encumbrance
Encumbrance is calculated at the bottom of the sheet. There are three fields in this section as shown in our example Character, but there could be more or differently-named fields depending on other factors, such as special traits, such as Bugbear’s Powerful Build.
Maximum - This field denotes the maximum amount of weight the Character can carry before becoming completely encumbered.
Lift / Push / Drag - This field denotes the maximum amount of weight allowed for these and similar abilities.
NOTE: If the DM is using the Variant Encumbrance rules, then Encumbered and Heavy boxes will also be present.
Current - This field denotes the current amount of weight that is being exerted upon the Character based on the items carried. This encumbrance is fully calculated so, for example, if 10 torches, each weighing 1 lb., are marked as Carried, the weight will be 10 lb. This weight changes dynamically whenever an item is added or deleted, the number of a particular Carried item changes, or the Encumbrance box is checked or unchecked against a particular item.
NOTE: These numbers are presented for the player's reference only. Fantasy Grounds VTT does not use these numbers automatically to, for example, make a heavily-encumbered Character roll attack rolls at disadvantage.
To the right of the bottom bar, below all the columns, is the Edit List button, represented by a blue and white pencil icon. When clicked, it will toggle the user in and out of edit mode. In Edit List mode, listings that are hand-made or not locked can be deleted.
Notes Tab
The Notes tab contains informational text about your character. Text can be entered manually or dragged from table entries or from the chat box and dropped into the appropriate section. The SIZE value is automatically entered into this section from the Character’s Species selection.
Log Tab
The Log tab is used to record information about D&D Adventurers League game play. If your D&D Adventurers League character is using either Faction or has a DCI number, the information can be entered here.
Clicking on the green plus ( + ) icon allows you to create a new D&D Adventurers League adventure log entry as shown above.
NOTE: As of the writing of this entry, the latest D&D Adventurers League Player's Guide is on v14.0 and things may have changed since the Log tab was created. Please fill out the information in accordance with the latest guidelines.
Actions Tab
The Actions tab is where players will spend the majority of their time during combat. It can be divided up into three distinctive parts; Weapons, Spells and Powers.
Weapons
Weapons appear under the WEAPONS heading when the weapons in the character’s Inventory are set to Equipped.
When a weapon is dragged and dropped directly into the Actions tab, it is also added into the Inventory. If a weapon already exists in the Actions tab, then no new entry will be created in the Actions tab, but another instance of the item will be added to the Inventory.
Weapons can also be manually created directly in the Weapons section by clicking on the sword icon at the bottom of the window and typing the information into the dialog that opens.
Weapon Types
The weapon type will be recognized by Fantasy Grounds VTT and an icon showing Melee, Ranged or Thrown will appear next to the attack roll. If a weapon can be used either in melee or ranged (such as a dagger), two entries will appear; one for each possibility. This icon can be clicked on to change the weapon type if needed.
If the weapon is a Ranged weapon (or can be used in that way) an Ammo box will be created below the weapon name. Entering a number into this box will cause that number of check boxes to appear beside it. This allows the player to keep track of how many units of Ammo have been used or spent.
Computing Attack and Damage Rolls
The weapon's attack roll will be computed based on the default ability for the type of attack, such as Strength (STR) for melee, Dexterity (DEX) for ranged, etc., and will include the character's Proficiency (PROF) bonus.
The weapon's damage roll will also be computed using the default ability modifier, and will also show the damage type.
If a weapon has the 'finesse' property, Fantasy Grounds VTT will use whichever ability (STR or DEX) has the best bonus to calculate attack and damage rolls. If the weapon is magical, any magical bonuses to attack and damage rolls will also be correctly computed by Fantasy Grounds VTT.
Additionally, if the weapon has a property such as Magic or Silver, this will be automatically added to the damage line, thus allowing the weapon to overcome immunities or resistances to its damage type.
If a weapon has the Crit Range property, then Fantasy Grounds VTT will automatically use that range when determining whether a hit is a critical hit. For example, some weapons have a Crit Range of 19-20 instead of just 20.
Primary Hand, Off Hand and Two Hands
The Hand icon to the left of the attack roll box can be clicked on to cycle through the options for this weapon. A weapon can be designated as Primary Hand, Two Hands, and Off Hand. If a weapon has the Versatile property, the damage will correctly change to the dice used by the weapon when used in two hands. Similarly if a weapon is used off hand, then any Ability bonus to damage will be removed.
Weapon Meta Window
If you click the cog icon to the right of the WEAPONS header line, you open a dialog where you can edit the Crit Range of Melee and Ranged weapons, and specify additional dice for Melee and Ranged weapons on a critical hit.
NOTE: Settings changed in the WEAPON META window will apply to all weapons of the type selected and not just single weapons, which might have such special abilities.
In Preparation mode (see Mode and Display below), an icon to the left of the weapon line shows if the weapon is Carried, Equipped or Unequipped. Only weapons which are noted as equipped will appear here in Combat mode.
NOTE: Fantasy Grounds VTT defaults all weapons entered into the Actions tab by dragging and dropping to Proficient. This is indicated by the small yellow star in the bottom-right of the Attack roll box. You can click this icon to make the Character Not Proficient should this be the case.
Making An Attack Roll
For a weapon attack to be effective, the Character must have been properly placed on the Combat Tracker (the DM will do this) and must have a target selected.
See the 5E Combat Tracker page for details of how to do this.
To make the attack, double-click on the Attack dice. You can also drag this dice into the Chat box, or you can drag and drop it directly onto a target either on a map or on the Combat Tracker.
If you hold down SHIFT whilst making the attack (either by clicking or drag/dropping), you are telling Fantasy Grounds VTT that this is an Attack of Opportunity.
If the Attack uses Ammo, such as a bow or multiple thrown daggers, then one of the ammo check boxes will be automatically checked off as seen in the example above.
If the character has no ammo left, the attack roll will still be made but a message indicating that the character has run out of ammo will be displayed in the Chat box.
NOTE: If you use the Attack from a slot in the Hot Bar at the bottom of Fantasy Grounds VTT, Ammo depletion will not be automatically calculated.
Fantasy Grounds VTT will now calculate your Hit roll, taking account of all relevant bonuses and penalties. It depends on what Options the DM has chosen as to how much information players will see in the Chat box about the roll. One way or another, players will find out if they hit their target.
Making A Damage Roll
As with Attack rolls, the Character must have been properly placed on the Combat Tracker (the DM will do this) and must have a target selected.
See the 5E Combat Tracker page for details of how to do this.
To make a Damage roll, double-click the Damage box or drag the Damage box into the Chat box, or onto a target token in the Combat Tracker, or on a map.
If you scored a Critical Hit from your Attack roll, Fantasy Grounds VTT will automatically roll all the additional dice necessary. If, for some reason, you want to roll critical damage manually, hold down the SHIFT key as you make the roll or drag/drop the dice.
Fantasy Grounds VTT will then apply the damage to the target taking into account any resistances or immunities that the target might have.
Spells
A new section with Spell Slots and Spells is created in the Actions tab when a spell-casting class is added to the Main tab, such as Cleric, Wizard, etc.
If a second spell-casting class is added, a new spell casting group will be created for that class.
Spells are added to the Actions tab by either being created by the user or by dragging and dropping from the source material. The latter method is highly recommended.
In the case of multi-classing into more than one spell-casting class, it is important that spells are dragged and dropped into the correct group.
When dropped into the Actions tab, spells will be separated automatically into their correct level, within their group.
As far as is necessary, Fantasy Grounds VTT will automatically 'parse' the spell and create one or more effects, allowing the attack, damage, healing, saving throws and effects to be applied automatically to the target. Not every spell has or needs effects, especially those spells which are 'Theater of the Mind' in nature.
A number of possible icons could be present depending on what the spell does. To use any of them, make sure that both caster and target are on the Combat Tracker, and that a target has been selected. A single click will then cause the action to take place.
The possible icons and their function are:
Icon | Function |
 | This 'casts' the spell onto the target. A cast can cause an attack to be made or a saving throw to be forced on the target. |
 | This is used to make an attack on the target. The detail after the button tells the user whether the attack is Ranged or Melee, and what the bonus or penalty to the attack is. |
 | This forces a saving throw on the target. The boxed text indicates the type of saving throw to be made, and the difficulty of that save. If the target takes only half damage on a successful save, then an (H) will appear after the DC. |
 | This is used to allocate damage to the target. The line following the button shows the number and type of dice which will be thrown, any bonus or penalty that might apply and the damage type. |
 | Using this button will heal the target of wounds. The line following the button details how many and what type of dice are thrown together with any bonus or penalty. |
 | This applies the effect shown in the box following the button, to the target or to self, depending which is selected. |
NOTE: The buttons above may have the text on them with the field following the button, or may simply be the icon version with no text. There are different spell casting Modes that change the way these items are displayed and interacted with, which we will cover in the Mode and Display section below.
Link: 5E Character Sheet | Mode and Display
Spell Power Group
When the first spell is dragged into the Actions tab, it will create a new spell power group (Spells (Cantrip), Spells (Level 1)) etc.
Provided the class has already been dragged into the Main tab of the Character Sheet, the correct ability modifier for that Class will have been allocated to the group automatically.
By clicking on the Settings (cog) icongon any of the headers, the power group dialog can be opened and, if necessary, edited.
In the Ability box, click through the options until the correct ability modifier for the class shows, if necessary. Here, it is denoted as Wisdom (Wis).
The Attack box defaults to Base and, if the correct ability is shown in the Ability box, then this does not need to be altered. However, it can be edited to show the exact ability if this is desired. The large yellow star shows that the character can use their proficiency bonus in the calculation of the attack roll. Click this to set it to Not Proficient if, for some reason, they should not get this bonus. The additional box at the end is used to enter any bonus that the character might have to any of their spell attacks such as from a magic item.
The Save DC box also defaults to Base and can also be left as is, if the Ability option is correct. Again, the proficiency star can be unchecked if proficiency is not available and the additional box can be used to record any bonus to the saving throw DC from a magic item.
In the final box of the dialog marked Prepared, the number of spells that the character can prepare can be noted. If the character was created using drag and drop, then a number will have automatically been added to this box.
NOTE: Fantasy Grounds VTT does not use this box to limit the number of spells that the character can have either in the character sheet or prepared. However, it is necessary to have an entry in this box so that unprepared spells are hidden in combat mode - see below for more information.
Spell Slots and Preparation
The number of spell slots that a caster has available are noted as small boxes in the Spell Groups section.
Fantasy Grounds VTT does not automatically check off spell slots when a spell is cast because the caster has the option of casting some spells at a higher level slot and the program cannot know that. Therefore, when the player casts a spell, they must check off the appropriate slot manually.
When the player takes a long rest, or in the case of certain classes, a short rest, all spell slots are recovered. If spell slots are recovered by any other means, such as the Wizard's Arcane Recover trait, then this must be done manually, again because Fantasy Grounds VTT cannot know what the player's intentions are.
If the character is multi-classed, then the correct number of spell slots are automatically calculated in accordance with the rules in the Player's Handbook.
Players can manually change the number of spell slots by first clicking the Mode box at the bottom of the page until Preparation appears, then editing the numbers under each spell level.
Whilst in Preparation mode, note that there is a small check-box beside each spell (except Cantrips). By checking these boxes, the player can determine which spells they will prepare.
When the Mode is changed to Combat, if a number has been entered into the spells prepared meta data section of the spell power group any unprepared spells will be hidden.
If the player has entered a Prepared number in the Spell Power Group, then when they use their last spell slot, all spells (except Cantrips) will be removed from the Actions tab.
If the character is a Warlock (or a multiclass character has some Warlock levels), then instead of (or in addition to) spell slots, they will have Pact Magic slots. These operate in the same way as spell slots in terms of usage and recovery.
Powers
The final group which can appear on the Actions tab is Powers. These are generally everything which is not a weapon or a spell; it could include Traits or features from the character's Species or Class, Feats, magic items and a great deal more. Powers can also be set up to keep track of items such as a Monk's Ki points, a Sorcerer's sorcery points or a Fighter's Superiority dice.
To set up a new Power group, click on the Edit List (pencil) icon at the bottom of the window, then the Add Power (hand) icon next to it at the bottom of the window. This will create a new group with two blank boxes; in the left hand box, type in a name for the power. In the right hand box, type in a name for the Power Group. When you tab out of the right hand box, the name you added here will appear as the Power group header.
Once a Power group has been added, new Traits or Powers can be added to that group by using the green plus icon at the end of the group header.
Click on the Settings (cog) icon at the end of the Power group line to bring up the editing dialog.
In Group Type, users can toggle the sword or spell icon to show whether this is a spell or attack group.
Click on the box next to Ability to cycle through the various abilities that can be set for this group. Once set, all attacks and saves will use this Ability to calculate attack and save DCs. Attack and save DCs can also be individually set by clicking on the 'Base' box and cycling through the options. If either of these are set to Base, then the attack or save will use the Ability shown in the Ability box.
The yellow star indicates proficiency in the attack or save for the power group. Click this to remove it if the character is not proficient.
A number can be entered into the box beside the star to give a bonus to attacks or save DC if the character has such a bonus form, for example, a magic item.
Users can also set up a number of uses for the Group by number of uses Daily (long rest), per Rest (short rest), Dual, or Once (one use only). Such uses will be restored if the character takes a long or short rest depending on the setting. Single use items are not restored on a rest of any kind.
Mode and Display
At the very bottom of the Actions tab, there are two buttons 'Mode' and 'Display'. Together these make the actions tab show different information depending on what they are set at. In each case you can cycle through the options y clicking on the box.
Mode
At the bottom of the page, there is a Mode button which defaults to Standard. Clicking on the box will cycle through the options Standard, Preparation, and Combat.
Preparation Mode: In this mode, players can check off prepared spells, edit the number of uses a power has, and edit spell slots. The status of any weapons can also be edited in this mode (carried, equipped, or not carried).
Standard Mode: This is the mode used to edit powers on the Actions tab.
Combat Mode: This is the most used mode and, as its name suggests, sets up the Actions tab for combat. Various symbols will appear next to each Power or Spell allowing for casts, attacks, heals, and the application of Effects. In Combat mode, only Spells that have been prepared and weapons that have been equipped will be shown.
Displaying Information
The Settings (cog) icon to the right of each item listed in Power and Spells will expand it to show the full names of the icons, each Effects box, the target of the Effect, and more.
It also makes it possible to edit any box or toggle displayed by clicking on its specific Settings icon.
When the Spell / Ability Effect box opens, you can adjust the descriptions, conditions, modifiers, duration, who to target with the Effect and expenditure.
When the Spell / Ability Use box opens, you can edit the Attack type, Base, Bonus (if any apply), state whether it is Magic, and on a save, how much Damage is saved.
When the Spell / Ability Damage box opens, you can set which dice to use for damage rolls, multipliers, what Stat the roll is tied to, bonuses to apply, if any, and the Type of damage it is (piercing, radiant, etc.).
When the Spell / Ability Heal box opens, you can set the targeting and the type of healing, generally set to HP for restoring Hit Points. You can also change the dice used to roll the amount of healing, multipliers, what Stat the roll is tied to, and bonuses to apply, if any.
Other specific type of Spell / Ability boxes may be available for different type of Spells, Powers or Effects, but this covers the basics of how the boxes look and are used.