[Question] Turning all monsters from a source into character sheets

Hey folks, I'm planning on running a fairly extensive campaign in the near future, and I've been looking to see if I can somehow customize Roll20 to fit my needs. One issue that I just keep running into over and over is the following: Say: my players are in a tropical area. I've got a personal document that lists what monsters could be found in this area, picked from a variety of sources (basically MM & Volo's + Fifth Edition Foes + Tome of Beasts). The pary decides to go off into the jungle on a tangent and I'd like to generate a random encounter. I do a roll and 'Crocodile' comes up. Now, what I ideally want, is for me to type Crocodile into a search bar, get a result, drag that onto the map, and have a Crocodile token+attached sheet that I can use the macro's and hit point pool of to do attacks and take damage. I don't feel like this is such an absurd functionality I'm looking for, but no matter how hard I've looked, this does not seem to be possible with Roll20, nor does anyone seem to be asking for it. If you're a basic level user, the only way to do this is if you make a Crocodile sheet yourself, typing over all the stats from the monster manual. This takes too long to do during the session, so if you want to use a random encounter table with 20 different mobs, you better sacrifice an hour of prep time for hellishly boring manual data entry. I've been here, and I'm not going back. If you're a pro level user, there's some scripts that have import capabilities (such as the 5E Shaped Companion Script and this one ), but these seem to only be able to import one monster at a time, and they are highly specific about the way the data is presented. If I were to use these, I still could not just drag out my Crocodile, but would be forced to run the importer then and there, putting the game on hold. You'd also be forced to find a token for them right then. Originally, I thought that one way to get the above done was to simply buy the Roll20 Monster Manual , as it says that has 'drag and drop functionality'. However, based on my own findings with some of the free monsters in the Compendium and this video , "drag and drop functionality" means " If you use a specific sheet type, you can open the monster in the compendium and drag its sheet onto a fresh character sheet, and if you drag and drop that onto the map, you'll then have an actually usable monster ". This is probably closest to what I'm looking for, but it still requires me to take an extra step to get that damn Crocodile out there. And also: all MM and VG tokens are circular, which I hate. This isn't a huge issue, but considering the fact that I'd need to buy the Monster Manual, Volo's Guide, and Tome of Beasts all over again - despite owning them already outside of Roll20 - it does play a role in deciding whether I'd want to commit. Oh, and the Roll20 marketplace doesn't have Fifth Edition Foes either. So... I guess what I'm asking is this: is there any way for me to have my Crocodile in the way I want it within Roll20? Is there some sort of script I missed? I'd be willing to pay for the functionality, as long as it does the exact thing I'm looking for without still requiring me to take additional steps for every single monster. If not - does anybody know if any of the virtual tabletop systems out there have this functionality at all? Is my best option really to choose between entering 500+ monsters manually or blowing 100 bucks on the Roll20 modules, missing out on Fifth Edition Foes, using tokens I dislike, being forced into using a specific character sheet type, and having to pause my game whenever a random encounter with a yet unused mob occurs? I mostly use Roll20 for monster automation, and this is - sadly - exactly the point where it's failing me right now.

For 5e? No, the options you outlined are it. For pathfinder, using the Neceros sheet, The companion script will import multiple npcs at once, and will do it from standard statblock format. For Starfinder (I know, nowhere near what you are doing), the Starfinder HUD has a statblock importer built into the sheet, although you must do it one at a time.

Alright, in that case I'll ponder: why is nobody asking for this? I'm honestly confused there's so little buzz about such a feature. I get that peoples' reasons for using VTT programmes differ and that folks use Roll20 in different ways, but as a DM, my personal main usage is automatization. My players like being able to do their own rolls for the hype factor, but for me it adds nothing to have to roll six different saving throws when a PC throws a fireball - and to then have to remove health from six separate tokens. If I can just let the PC draw an AoE area and hit a 'Fireball' button and the system makes saves for me and removes HP, my mechanics are sped up significantly and I can get back to narrating the actual game. Scripts allow me to do this. In the same vein, I like the freedom of being able to pull up a random jungle terrain and flipping down some enemies within a few seconds. The page/map system already doesn't quite support that, but even after buying the Roll20 monster packs you're still not quite there. Just imagine how many DMs must have already made a sheet for the basic Goblin - why do we still have to do this on a per person basis?

To my understanding, "drag and drop functionality" with the Monster Manual means that you can just drag & drop the compendium entry directly to the tabletop, and it will create character sheet + token, no need for the extra step of dragging it to a fresh sheet . Also, you have the choice of using either the OGL sheet or the Shaped sheet with the Monster Manual (and similar products). If you have the Shaped script (+sheet), I think it will even set up your token settings the way you have configured them this way if you do not like the default. You still get the circular tokens, but I don't quite know how else you would do it. You either  find tokens you like one at a time (then you can use, say, the Shaped script for a one-step import), or  you want a pre-chosen list of tokens, and then you don't have a choice over which tokens you get (and the choice for the MM seems to be circular tokens).

That's interesting. Can anyone who owns the Monster Manual confirm that works? And what about Volo's, or Tome of Beasts? I figured only the OGL sheet worked, considering the fact that the marketplace description states that that's what the MM is designed to work with. In regards to the tokens: I get that this is practically an impossible task. If you allow drag & drop functionality, you've got to add basic tokens - and not everyone is going to like those. Unless you add a "pick a token for this monster" prompt for these situations - which would be great, but pretty extensive - there's no real avoiding it. That said, though - I am less willing to spend money for a bunch of tokens I dislike, obviously. I'm mainly naming that as an additional reasoning as to why buying the MM isn't a good solution for me, not as a criticism.

The Shaped Sheet also has a number of features in the Companion script that allow you to reset the token settings to your preferences, assign it as the default, and quickly assign classes of abilities to token macros. Token-mod can also quickly change any selected token graphic to be the default token. These could even be combined into a single step macro. You could even set up one button that processes PCs/NPCs, and one that does mooks. I understand your disappointment in the MM using the sort of token you don't prefer. It's a vastly cheaper method than commissioning all new art though, and almost certainly is influenced by the license granted by WotC. If you license your content to someone, you want to maintain some control over how it is presented.

I have both the Monster Manual and Volo's Guide. They both work simply by dragging the required monster out of the compendium and onto the tabletop. I use the OGL sheet but they are also compatible with the shaped sheet. The tokens are attached to the sheet and have their bars already set up. I use Token mod  because I prefer to roll for enemy health rather than taking the standard, but that is a quick and easy process. I'm really pleased with both of those purchases and will continue to buy books from Roll20. It has sped up my prep time significantly and if I need an unplanned encounter, I can have one set up in less than a minute.