Savage Worlds NPC Sheet

Owned by Derek Batting
Last updated: Sept 14, 2021
6 min read

NPCs - Non-player characters

A Non-player character (NPC) is any character in a game that isn't a player character. In Savage Worlds this will include monsters, villains, allies and anyone or anything else that isn't usually controlled by the players. To open the list of NPCs in a module or campaign click on the personalities icon in the right hand menu. From here GMs can create new NPCs, edit existing ones and also create encounters. The option to create, view and edit NPCs is available only to the GM.

NPC Sheet Overview

A blank NPC sheet ready for editing

  • The sheet is divided up into 4 sections accessed by tabs down the right hand side of the sheet.

  • The NPC sheet is in effect a cut down version of the player character sheet and contains all of the necessary information to enable the NPC to be used within Fantasy Grounds

  • The Combat and Powers tabs can be used to make attack, damage and Trait rolls.

  • The GM can share the NPC sheet with the players by right clicking on any sheet and selecting 'Share Sheet'. An NPC can also be shared with one or more players by dragging and dropping the sheet into the player character's portrait at the top left of the screen.

  • An NPC can also be dragged and dropped onto the Allies section of the Character sheet.

Common Sheet

  • The top section of the NPC sheet is common to all tabs of the sheet.

  • From left to right the different parts of this section are as follows:

    • Token: Drag and drop a token from the tokens library onto this small icon to allocate a token to the NPC.

    • Drag Button: Use this small button to drag and drop the NPC into encounters, to the Allies section of the Player Characters sheet, to the Combat Tracker etc.

    • Name: Click in this area and type a name for the NPC.

    • Wild Card: Click on the symbol at the end of the name field to toggle the Wild Card icon on or off. If the NPC is designated as a Wild Card then it will get all of the benefits of the Wild Card feature just like the Player Characters. Fantasy Grounds will automatically deal with all of the Wild Card rules for an NPC with the Wild Card icon checked.

    • Attitude: The small face icon can be clicked to cycle through the various options for this NPC's attitude to the Player Characters. These are Friendly (green), Neutral (yellow) and Hostile (red).

    • Speech Bubble: This icon can be used by the GM to add this NPC to his list of speakers at the bottom of the chat box.

Combat Tab

The NPC sheet ready for play

  • At the top right of the Combat Tab there is a small check box which, if clicked upon, allows the user to designate the Space, Reach and Defeated Marker for this NPC. Space and Reach show how big the NPC is and how far away he can make a melee attack. These factors are used in battlemaps so that the NPCs size and how far his melee attacks can reach can be more visually represented. The defeated marker allows for selection of a marker for the NPC to be placed on the map when they are killed and removed from the Combat Tracker.

  • Attributes: Attributes on a new NPC default to a d4. This value can be edited either by CTRL+Mouse wheel up or down or by right clicking over the dice and selecting 'Dice/Bonus' and then 'Assign' from the radial menu.

 

  • Derived: Derived stats are not automatically calculated and should therefore be edited by hand. To edit use CTRL+mouse wheel or click and type in a value.

  • Skills: On a new NPC two skills will be shown by default 'Unnamed' and 'Unskilled'. The latter cannot be edited. Skills can be added by drag/drop from the source material, clicking and typing into an 'unnamed' skill box or by right clicking over the skill area and selecting 'Create Item'. The dice value can be edited in the same way as with attributes. To delete a skill right click over it and select 'delete' from the radial menu.

  • Attacks: By default one blank editable attack is shown on a new character. To populate attacks drag and drop weapons from the source material or right click over an attack line and select 'Create Item'. To edit the attack click on the small icon to the right of the line. Damage can be edited by middle mouse clicking over the damage dice. To remove an attack right click over it and select 'delete'. By right clicking over the small icon at the left of an attack a radial menu appears allowing for type of the attack to be edited and also for adding any bonuses to the attack.

  • Special: Type any special information into this area. To begin click on the blank line and start typing. To add a new line press return. A new line will also be added if text overflows from the current line being typed.

Using the Combat Sheet

  • To roll attributes or skills double click on the appropriate dice or drag and drop into the dice roller.

  • To attack double click on the attack icon or drag/drop into the dice roller if there is a target selected. If not drag the attack dice onto the target in a map or on the Combat Tracker.

  • Damage is applied in the same way as attacks.

  • Note that if the NPC is placed on the Combat Tracker then all dice rolls for the character can be made from there.

Main Tab

  • Use the main tab to enter a description of the NPC. To begin click near the top of the page and start typing.

  • You can record any edges and hindrances here as well as any other pertinent information.

  • NOTE: Text formatting is supported in this area of the sheet so text can be emboldened and italicized or put into text boxes. It is also possible to create links to items (images, story entries etc) in this area.

Inventory Tab

  • You can record information here about the NPCs inventory or about any special items that they might be carrying.

  • To begin click just below 'Gear' and start typing. To start a new line press return.

  • Note: This area does not support drag/drop or formatted text.

Powers Tab

  • Select a power type for the NPC from the drop down menu if applicable.

  • Once a power type has been selected a blank line will appear as well as a box for power points.

  • Drag a power onto the blank line to populate it.

  • To add another power right click over an existing power and select 'Create Item'. This will create a new line into which a new power can be drag/dropped.

  • Powers can also be added by simply editing a blank line. Type in a name and then click on the small icon to the right of the line to bring up the editing dialog.

  • Damage can be edited by middle mouse clicking over the damage box to bring up the editing dialog.

  • Click on the power icon on the left of the name to bring up a radial menu which will allow a bonus to be added to the power or for the type of power to be changed.

  • To use powers double click on the icon to the left of the name or drag/drop from the icon into the dice box or onto a target in a map or the Combat Tracker.

  • As with attacks, if the NPC is placed on the Combat Tracker any powers which do damage will be added and can be used from there.

Creating Encounters

  • Encounters are created from the NPC dialog.

  • To begin click on the 'Encounters' button at the top of the NPC list

  • To create a new encounter click on the small brown button at the bottom of this sheet and then on the green cross to bring up the encounter dialog.

  • Type a name for the encounter in the <<New Encounter>> box.

The Ogre has yet to be placed on the battlemap in this encounter

  • Now drag in whatever NPCs are required for this encounter from the NPCs list.

  • If you want multiple NPCs of the same type edit the number which appears to the left of each entry.

  • The tokens which appear under the NPC entry can now be dragged (if desired) onto a battlemap. Once placed onto a battlemap the NPCs token will be replaced with a tick indicating that they have been placed.

 

 

  • To the right of the NPC name is a small drop down menu. The options which can be selected from this menu are V, U and N which are used when the NPC is placed on the Combat Tracker as follows:

    • V = The name of the NPC and its Toughness and Parry values are visible to the players.

    • U = The name of the NPC comes up as 'Unknown' on the Combat Tracker and no stats are shown.

    • N = The name of the NPC is visible to the players but its stats are not.

  • Use the small down arrow at the bottom left of the dialog to place the encounter onto the Combat Tracker. If the NPCs in the encounter were pre-placed on a map then this action will also put them onto the map, but they will initially be invisible to the players.

  • Encounters can be linked to story entries or pinned to a map so that they can be quickly accessed. Use the small icon at the top left of the encounter dialog to drag the encounter and drop it into a story link or directly onto a map where it will appear as a pin.