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This page should give you a better understanding, and compliments the 3.5/PF1e effects page on the Fantasy Grounds Wiki. Using both resources should help you for some of the more indepth classes.
All images are clickable for the full-view.
Overview
This guide assumes you are familiar with some of the effects coding procedures, either in D&D 5e, or in 3.5. Note that the syntax can be finicky, and testing on your own instance of FG should be done to make sure things operate how they should.
The Syntax for effects is as follows:
DESCRIPTION; EFFECT 1, source; EFFECT 2, source; EFFECT 3, source;
Where each effect is separated by a semicolon (;).
NOTE: I am using the included Simple Grey Theme for clarity. Your visual interface may look different, but the boxes et al. should be the same.
In addition, I’ll be using the D20PFSRD as a personal preference. The “Official” SRD is found at the Archives of Nethys site.
We will also be sticking as close to “Rules as Written” as possible for ease.
Basic Example: Shield Spell
We will be focusing primarily on the “Add Spell Action -> Add Effect” selections on the right click reticule for a spell.
If we load up the PFSRD spell “Shield”, we notice that it has no effect. We can change this easily:
Add a new Effect
Type
AC:4, shield;
Once you then drag the effect icon (usually to the left of the code) to your character, we now have the Shield spell working per normal, but it’s permanent. To adjust this to your level, we can do the following:
Open the magnifier glass to bring up the full effects UI
Put a “1” in the last column, “Fixed”
Select the Units category until it says “MIN”, short for Minutes.
This will give us the full shield spell at level 1.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a way for PF1e to call the “X per level”, so you will have to manually adjust the spell as you level up. A way to remember this is to put a star beside the name, so it reads “*Shield”.
Getting a Bit Trickier: Shield of Faith & Stacking
Shield of Faith offers a static bonus to AC, but increases per each level. Thankfully, FG can do basic math in its effect coding.
Follow the instructions above, but instead of putting:
AC:4, shield;
We will put:
AC:2, deflection;
This tells FG to add the static, then add one to the total. This secondary can be changed per level, so at level seven, it becomes:
AC:2+1,deflection;
If we stack both Shield and Shield of Faith, we will see that when a mob attacks, we have a bonus of BOTH. If we were to adjust Shield of Faith to have a Shield bonus (or if we are casting it on someone with a shield), they wouldn’t stack (as per PF1e rules).
Some spells will allow some level progression, but on odd/even levels. It’s of the writer’s perspective to have precise control over your spells, rather than chancing it in case FG doesn’t play nicely. Shield of Faith operates on every SIX levels–manual control is the only way we can do this.
Watch your step… Example: Adhesive Spittle
Sometimes spells require a reflex or will save before things can fire. We’ll take our Adhesive Spittle Spell/Extract.
Unless otherwise made or found in a module, Adhesive Spittle doesn’t appear in the SRD, but we can create it. We’ll pull up the spell.
This liquid functions as a tanglefoot bag, except you do not have to make a successful attack roll to hit your target. The DCs to counteract this adhesive (to avoid being stuck to the floor, to fly, to break the adhesive, or to cast a spell) use the spell’s DC rather than a tanglefoot bag’s normal DCs. The adhesive persists for 2d4 rounds after you spit it.
Let’s create this from scratch.
Add a new spell for the proper level (1).
Fill out the name of the spell in the left text box. The right text box will be your “squish text” that doesn’t show up unless someone clicks on your sheet. We’ll put in “As Tanglefoot Bag”.
Right click on the text box and hit “Add Spell Action > Add Cast”. This will bring up the casting specifics for the spell.
We don’t need to fill out the Atk box, but we do need to fill out our save. Click the expand/magnifier icon.
We should fill out the pertinent information in the second set of info, but we won’t cover that in this guide.
Under save, we need to fill out what they need to break. We’ll go ahead and fill in the REFLEX DC based on our spell DC, rather than the standard DC given by the item.
In the first box, select your save (Reflex).
Ensure the second box says “Class DC”. (If this was an actual tanglefoot bag, we’d select “Fixed”)
The third box should be blank for the spell, as this auto-calcualtes based on your level. (If you were coding an actual tanglefoot bag, we’d put in the DC of 15, given to us by the item info).
Close this UI/Menu, and verify that the DC shows the proper number.
Add a new “Spell Action > Add Effect”
In the Description, we want to type in “Target is Entangled (Spell DC); Entangled;”
Fill out the rounds by selecting the magnifier icon, and dragging 2d4 to the “Duration” section.
BUT WHAT DOES IT MEEEEAN?!
Target is Entangled (Spell DC); Entangled;
The red section in this example is purely descriptive text. Fantasy Grounds will show this bit in the combat tracker. The remaining part actually codes off of the predetermined (and lucky for us, precoded) “Entangled” status in the 3.5/PF1e ruleset (-2 to Attack, -4 Dexterity [-2 to AC]). You can use any of the statuses in the Conditions table in the 3.5 effects page.
“Wait, I know that!”: Skill Bonuses
Fantasy Grounds can change specific skill bonuses and saves, so long as the proper information is added. We’ll take the Pathfinder Trait “Eyes and Ears of the City.”
You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception checks, and Perception is always a class skill for you.
In order to code this, we actually need to do some bookkeeping. Note that this spell effect/trait will give you the +1 to Perception, but we’ll have to manually adjust our skills on the skill tab to have Perception as a class skill.
NOTE: It’s probably easier to add the +1 in the skills tab, but this effect coding will work for spells that give a bonus or for such things as Investigator Inspiration.
Add a new Spell Class, call it “zTraits”.
Add in a level zero spell slot under the “Level 0” box.
Drag over any spell, and delete ALL the Spell Effects or Castings under it.
Add a new “Spell Action > Add Effect”.
Put the following in, make sure SKILL is in all caps, and perception is all lower case.
SKILL:1 perception;
Add it to your character as an effect, and roll perception. You will see that “[EFFECTS +1]” will appear by your roll.
NOTE: Just putting “SKILL:1;” will give you a bonus to ALL skills, so the qualifying “perception” is important.
“Wait, I REALLY know that!”: Investigator Inspiration
We can stack various Investigator free Inspirations by adding more specific skills to the effect. We’ll say that an investigator gets free inspiration to sleight of hand, perception and disable device.
Go through the previous steps until you get to step 5. Use this instead:
SKILL: 1d6 perception, sleight of hand, disable device;
Rolling this skill will then actually roll a d20 AND a d6, and will produce the effect.
“Hah Hah!”: Saves
The same sort of procedure as the skill effects will work with saves. We’ll look at the “Resistance” spell, which gives a +1 to all saves, and will dissect it.
Add the Resistance spell. This is missing the effect.
Add a new “Spell Action > Add Effect”.
Click the magnifier to bring up the UI.
The easiest way to code this is to bring up the 3.5 precoded “SAVE” variable.
SAVE:1;
Set the duration as per the spell.
“Hah Hah! v2”: Mesmerist’s Gaze
In the Occult classes book, the Mesmerist can gaze on an enemy to reduce will scores. We have a case-specific way of doing this.
Follow the instructions in the previous section until step 4. Use this instead
SAVE: -2; WILL;
Note that FG bypasses its own coding to an extent, using a semicolon to designate the specific save. This could be done by replacing WILL with FORTITUDE or REFLEX, once again, all caps.
Edge Cases
Generally using the examples and syntax above, you can piece together whatever you need based on the effects on the 3.5 effects page, and this entry on the FG Forums. (Reprinted here as a backup).
Barbarian’s Rage; STR: 4; CON: 4; SAVE: 2 will,morale; AC: -2
Greater Rage; STR: 6; CON: 6; SAVE: 3 will,morale; AC: -2
Mighty Rage; STR: 8; CON: 8; SAVE: 4 will,morale; AC: -2
Inspire Courage; ATK: 1 morale; DMG: 1 morale
Charge; AC: -1 – there is also a +2 bonus to a single attack
Fight Defensively; ATK: -4; AC: 2 dodge
Total Defense; AC: 4 dodge
Aid; ATK: 1 morale
Barkskin; AC: 2 natural armor
Bear’s Endurance; CON: 4 enhancement
Bless; ATK: 1 morale
Bull’s Strength; STR: 4 enhancement
Cat’s Grace; DEX: 4 enhancement
Divine Favor; ATK: 1 luck; DMG: 1 luck
Divine Power; STR: 6 enhancement
Eagle’s Splendor; CHA: 4 enhancement
Enlarge Person; STR: 2 size; DEX: -2 size; ATK: -1; AC: -1
Fox’s Cunning; INT: 4 enhancement
Haste; ATK: 1; AC: 1 dodge; SAVE: 1 dodge,reflex; SPEED: 30 enhancement
Heroes’ Feast; IMMUNE: poison; ATK: 1 morale; SAVE: 1 morale,will
Heroism; ATK: 2 morale; SAVE: 2 morale; SKILL: 2 morale
Heroism, Greater; ATK: 4 morale; SAVE: 4 morale; SKILL: 4 morale
Holy Aura; AC: 4 deflection; SAVE: 4 resistance
Invisibility – this is already built in to FG
Mage Armor; AC: 4 armor
Magic Fang; ATK: 1 enhancement; DMG: 1 enhancement
Magic Fang, Greater; ATK: 1 enhancement; DMG: 1 enhancement
Magic Vestment; AC: 1 enhancement
Magic Weapon; ATK: 1 enhancement; DMG: 1 enhancement
Magic Weapon, Greater; ATK: 1 enhancement; DMG: 1 enhancement
Owl’s Wisdom; WIS: 4 enhancement
Prayer (allies); ATK: 1 luck; DMG: 1 luck; SAVE: 1 luck; SKILL: 1 luck
Prayer (foes); ATK: -1; DMG: -1; SAVE: -1; SKILL: -1
Protection from Evil; AC: 2 deflection; SAVE: 2 resistance – but note that the bonuses only apply against evil creatures
Rage; STR: 2 morale; CON: 2 morale; SAVE: 1 will,morale; AC: -2
Reduce Person; STR: -2 size; DEX: 2 size; ATK: 1; AC: 1
Resistance; SAVE: 1 resistance
Righteous Might; STR: 4 size; CON: 2 size; AC: 2 natural armor; DR: 3 evil; AC: -1; ATK: -1
Shield; AC: 4 shield
Shield of Faith; AC: 2 deflection
Shield Other; AC: 1 deflection; SAVE: 1 resistance
Transformation; STR: 4 enhancement; DEX: 4 enhancement; CON: 4 enhancement; AC: 4 natural armor; SAVE: 5 competence fortitude
Unholy Aura; AC: 4 deflection; SAVE: 4 resistance
I’m Sorry, Minsc, I Can’t Do That:
Sometimes there is no easy way to code some items. The best thing to do is to put the pertinent information in a new “Spell Action > Add Effect” so that it shows up in the combat tracker for you and the GM to review.