Encounter templates — Campaign Guide

What a template is

An encounter template is a named bundle of references to NPCs in your catalog, each with a count (three goblins, one boss, one very confused cow). Locations can reference a template by name; in Play you can start that bundle as a running encounter.

Index-card mode: sketch the scene on paper, keep the stat blocks in the app. Templates + a complete NPC catalog are enough to run fights even if your zone graph is just one room called "somewhere".

The template list

On Edit campaign, expand Encounter Templates. The table shows:

Name — template display name.
Members — how many NPC lines are in the bundle.
Actions — Edit, Delete, Export this template.

Transport bar (same pattern as NPCs):

Add template
Import (clipboard)
Export selected (N)
Export all

If the catalog has no NPCs yet: "The campaign catalog has no NPCs yet. Add some in the NPCs tab first."

The template editor

Add template or Edit opens the editor:

Identity — Name and Description.
Members — pick an NPC from the catalog, set how many, Add member, then Save member or Cancel.

Footer: Save template or Discard (same commit-or-bail pattern as NPCs).

Import and export

Exporting a template also exports the NPCs it references, so a co-GM (or your tablet) can import one clipboard payload without hunting missing goblins.

Import uses the same bulk overwrite dialog as NPCs: Overwrite existing encounter templates? with Cancel / Overwrite. Colliding NPCs inside the bundle follow the NPC import rules.

Empty clipboard: "Clipboard is empty. Copy an encounter template export first."

Common mistakes

Renaming an NPC after building a template. Templates reference by catalog identity; renames in the catalog are fine, but deleting an NPC breaks the reference until you fix the member list.
One template per room obsession. Reuse templates — "forest patrol" can visit many hexes.
Skipping Save template. Like NPCs, Discard is the escape hatch, not a silent autosave.

Ready to build

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