NPC Flavors v2

Fantasy Grounds Unity, ruleset agnostic, extension that adds template-based descriptive flavors to NPC names in the combat tracker.

Example: "Zombie" → "Decayed Zombie (pale flesh)"

Building the Extension

1. Install dependencies (one-time setup):

   npm install

   (Minimal installation - only 1 package, without a ton of unnecessary node_modules)

2. Build the extension:

   npm run build

The extension package will be created at build\releases\[version]\npc-flavors.ext

Adding Words

Words are organized in scripts/data/words/ by category. Each file exports a Data table with three-level structure: category.subcategory.archetype

Example - Adding physical conditions:

Edit scripts/data/words/physical.lua:

Data = {
    conditions = {
        general = { "wounded", "scarred", "battered" },
        undead = { "rotting", "decayed", "risen" },
        construct = { "damaged", "cracked", "corroded" }
    }
}

Available Word Categories:

Category	Subcategories	Purpose	Examples
physical	conditions, size, texture	Physical state and characteristics	wounded, scarred, towering, rough
appearance	colors, features, skin	Visual appearance	crimson, pale, scarlet, ashen
items	clothing, armor, weapons	Equipment and gear	cloak, armor, blade, shield
anatomy	body parts by creature type	Body features and parts	claws, fangs, tentacles, wings
behaviors	actions, sounds, movements	Actions and behaviors	prowling, growling, shuffling, stalking
social	roles, relationships	Social context	alpha, chieftain, scout, veteran
environment	terrain, weather	Environmental context	rain-soaked, frost-covered, storm-battered
emotions	states, expressions	Emotional state	angry, nervous, determined, weary

Archetypes:

• general - applies to all creature types
• humanoid, beast, undead, construct, elemental, dragon, celestial, fiend, fey, giant, plant, ooze, monstrous (aberrations + monstrosities)

Type Aliases

Type aliases enable cross-ruleset compatibility by mapping ruleset-specific type names to standard archetypes. This allows the extension to work seamlessly across D&D 5E, Savage Worlds, Pathfinder, and other rulesets.

Example:

Edit scripts/data/templates/metadata.lua:

Data = {
    TemplateTypeAliases = {
        ["beast"] = { "animal", "aquatic" },  -- Maps "animal" to use beast archetype
        ["undead.corporeal"] = { "zombie", "ghoul", "skeleton" }
    }
}

Adding Templates

Templates define flavor patterns for creature types. Each template uses {category.subcategory.archetype} placeholders.

Example - Humanoid templates:

Edit scripts/data/templates/humanoid.lua:

Data = {
    {
        pattern = "{physical.conditions.general:capitalize} {name}",
        weight = 40,
        description = "Condition prefix"
    },
    {
        pattern = "{name} ({appearance.colors.general} {items.clothing.general})",
        weight = 30,
        description = "Colored clothing"
    }
}

Weight: Controls how often each template is selected (higher = more frequent). Weights are relative - a template with weight 40 is twice as likely to be chosen as one with weight 20.

Result for "Goblin":

• "Scarred Goblin" (from first template)
• "Goblin (tattered cloak)" (from second template)

Pattern Modifiers:

• {var:capitalize} - Capitalize first letter
• {var:upper} - ALL CAPS
• {var:article} - Prepend "a" or "an"

Special Variables:

• {name} - The NPC's name

Template Hierarchy

Templates use type-based organization with automatic fallback:

1. undead.zombie (most specific - subtype)
2. undead (parent type)
3. generic (universal fallback)

Creating subtypes: Add new template files with dot notation like undead.intelligent, dragon.chromatic, or fiend.demon

Attribution

Logo and flavor button by Icon by Azbandar