5e OGL NPC Sheet Macros: ELI5 :(

Hello, I finally understand how NPC Sheets work... but now creating macros with them is being very difficult. I look on the 5e OGL Roll Template site and see things like How do I make a macro that is a token action for all of the custom NPCs I have created that does the above? Also, how do I make a macros reference saves on the NPC sheet? And how do I get them to look pretty like the box above? I guess I just don't understand this template stuff. Putting &{template:npcatk} in the macro doesn't help, nor does copying the whole template format. All I want is an easy explanation for how to reference NPC sheets into token actions so I don't have to open the sheet every time. Thank you!

The roll template that you show above, is just a formatted output of some input values. In general terms, each variable in a roll template has the following format "{{variable_name=variable_value}}". Say you wanted to call your attack "Attack" and the character is "NPC 1" you would put in "{{rname=Attack}} {{name=NPC 1}}". If you want to see some of these templates already in use, click on one of your NPCs actions or attacks from within the NPC sheet, and then hit the up arrow in the chat log. This will display the roll template that was sent to chat before it was formatted to look nice.

If all that you are doing is moving the NPC's attack actions into clickable token macros, you could simply make the macro %{selected|repeating_npcaction_$X_npc_action} where X is how many entries the attack is down from the top (Remembering number for these entries start with 0, not 1)

Thanks! That is very simple to understand and it works now :)

One more question! The below macro puts out everything I want for the macro, EXCEPT I'm not sure how to reference the attack name. What is the command to input the selected token's attack name/damage type? I'll bold the parts I mean. @{selected|wtype}&{template:npcaction} {{attack=1}} {{damage=1}} {{dmg1flag=1}} {{name=@{selected|npc_name}}} {{rname= Sword }} {{r1=[[1d20+(4+0)]]}} @{selected|rtype}+(4+0)]]}} {{dmg1=[[1d6+2+0]]}} {{dmg1type= Slashing }} {{dmg2=[[+0]]}} {{dmg2type=}} {{crit1=[[1d6+0]]}} {{crit2=[[+0]]}} {{description=}} @{selected|charname_output}

With roll templates, there is no command to input anything. It is all just text until you push enter and the chat log converts into into the format. Could you give me more information as to what you are hoping to accomplish?

If I use the above macro as a token action for all tokens, then regardless of the token, whether it is a goblin or a dire wolf, it will say "Sword" and the damage will be "Slashing." What I want to do is have the macro reference the action name and damage type on the NPC sheet and print it out into chat. The rolls in the macro above are referenced fine, but I want to reference the action name and damage type as well. To put it simply (I hope!): I want a Token Action that says "Attack," and when I click it it will reference the selected NPC's Sheet, do all the rolls, and be labeled as the attack name (Scimitar/Shortbow etc.) as well as damage type, in the above format. I hope this makes sense :P

The problem with what you're trying to accomplish is that all of the NPC actions are labeled as %{selected|repeating_npcaction_$X_npc_action}, where X is how many entries the attack is down from the top, which sometimes is an attack, sometimes is a multiattack description, sometimes its a spell description.  so for a creature with: Multiattack Bite Claw %{selected|repeating_npcaction_$0_npc_action} would simply output the multiattack description. For a creature with: Scimitar Javelin %{selected|repeating_npcaction_$0_npc_action} would run the scimitar attack. Since the abilities are all repeating NPC actions, there's no way to dynamically reference the right attack, or call the correct name, damage type, modifiers etc, without setting up a specific macro for each monster. Now, if you're custom making your NPC sheets, all you have to do is make sure that the first NPC action is the attack you plan on using with the macro, and make a macro that simply says: %{selected|repeating_npcaction_$0_npc_action}

To add to Franky's post, I would advise you to take a look at&nbsp; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrbqdkGIa00&t=376s" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrbqdkGIa00&t=376s</a> on how to set up the token macros for NPC's. This follows Franky's suggestion and works for actions