Heroes, NPCs, and Monsters¶

The Heroes, NPCs, and Monsters section contains all the base character records in the app. This is where you create, edit, and clone the records that can later be linked to adventures, places, and combats.

This page matters because DnDino uses multiple character layers, each with a different purpose:

the base sheet
the adventure character
the place occupant
the combat participant

These are not pointless duplicates. They exist so DnDino can keep contextual data separate, such as display name, hit points, conditions, initiative, and DM notes, while still preserving the link to the original source record.

Base Sheet¶

The base sheet is the main record stored in Heroes, NPCs, and Monsters.

Here you define everything that belongs to the character in a general sense:

name
type: Hero, NPC, or Monster
ancestry, class, size, alignment
ability scores
AC, maximum hit points, speed, initiative
description, abilities, attacks
linked images
linked spells
equipment and other reference data

The base sheet does not automatically mean the character is “present” in an adventure, a place, or a combat. It is the model from which the later layers are derived.

Creating, Editing, and Cloning a Character¶

To create a new record:

open Heroes, NPCs, and Monsters
press the add button
fill in the character form
save the record

You can create:

heroes
NPCs
monsters

The chosen type affects later fields and behaviors. For example:

for heroes, it makes sense to talk about campaign presence, inspiration, and contextual state
for monsters, CR, attacks, and repeated operational use become more important

When you open an existing sheet, you can edit the base record in full. Changes made here update the source record, but they do not always overwrite every contextual record already created in adventures, places, or combat. This is intentional.

Cloning creates a new base sheet from an existing one and copies linked elements such as:

sheet fields
linked spells
structured attacks
linked images

It is especially useful when you want to:

create similar variants of the same monster
start from a prepared NPC
quickly build several records with the same structure

Internal Links in Character Text¶

One of the most useful features of the base sheet, especially for NPCs and Monsters, is the system of internal links inside rich text fields.

This is especially valuable in Attacks, because it turns descriptive text into operational tools that are ready to use during play and in combat.

In practice, you can insert links that open:

a dice roll
an attack roll
a full attack with damage
a character
a place
a spell
a feat
a glossary rule

Where They Are Most Useful¶

Internal links are especially valuable in rich text fields such as:

Attacks
Special Abilities
Description
other descriptive fields where you want fast references

The most useful case is still Attacks, because it lets you make the following directly clickable:

the attack roll
the damage dice
a complete prepared attack

For monsters, this is extremely convenient because it cuts down the time spent reading formulas or rebuilding rolls by hand.

How to Insert a Link¶

The correct flow is:

open a rich text field in the sheet
select the text you want to turn into a link, or place the cursor where you want to insert one
press the Link button
choose the type of link in the picker
confirm creation

Depending on the selected text, the picker may already suggest some ready-made automatic links.

The Four Most Useful Roll Links¶

Free Roll¶

Free Roll is the most flexible link. It is always available in the picker and is useful when you want a configurable roll without following a rigid structure.

It is useful for:

a full formula like 1d6+3
a simple die like 1d20
a formula you may want to edit right before rolling

Roll Dice¶

Roll Dice only appears if the selected text is a valid dice formula.

Valid examples:

1d6
2d8+4
4d4 + 1

This link is ideal for single damage expressions, healing dice, random effects, and fast separate rolls.

Attack Roll¶

Attack Roll only appears if the selected text is a valid modifier, not a full 1d20 formula.

Valid examples:

+5
-1
0
2

When you create this link, DnDino knows it should roll a 1d20 using that modifier. It is perfect for readable attack lines such as:

Bite +6
Claws +4

Attack Roll and Damage¶

Attack Roll and Damage is the most powerful link for the Attacks section.

It is always available in the picker and opens a dedicated configurator where you can set:

attack roll modifier
critical threshold if needed
up to three damage formulas
labels for each damage component

It is the best way to build a full monster or NPC attack, because one link can contain:

the attack roll
primary damage
secondary damage
additional damage

In combat, this link is especially useful because the connected popover can also be used to apply damage to selected targets.

Practical Attack Example¶

A very effective way to write a monster attack is to keep the text readable for the DM and make only the useful parts clickable.

For example:

Bite +6, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8+4 piercing damage.

You can then turn:

+6 into Attack Roll
1d8+4 into Roll Dice

or create a single Attack Roll and Damage link on the attack name or part of the line.

Linking Places, Characters, and Other References¶

The link system is not only for dice.

In descriptive fields you can also create links to other app content, such as:

a Place
another Character
a Spell
a Feat
a Rule

This is extremely useful when you want the text to become navigable.

When you press Link, the picker also tries to use the selected text as an initial filter:

if it finds a real match in record names, it opens already filtered
if it finds no real result, the initial filter is cleared and you see the full list

Adventure Characters¶

The adventure character is the layer that links a base sheet to a specific campaign.

This record stores values that only make sense inside an adventure, such as:

current hit points
temporary hit points
conditions
state
heroic inspiration

In other words:

the base sheet says who the character is
the adventure character says how that character currently stands inside a given campaign

Place Occupants¶

The place occupant is another distinct record. It exists to say that a character or creature is present in a specific place, with a local name and possibly a local state.

In the Add occupant to place form there are two possible origins:

Adventure Character
NPC / Monster

Occupant from Adventure Character¶

If you choose Adventure Character, the place record is linked to a character already present in the campaign.

In this case:

the occupant remains linked to the adventure character
it does not create a separate autonomous copy
the same adventure character cannot be added twice to the same place

Occupant from NPC / Monster¶

If you choose NPC / Monster, the place creates a local cloned occupant from a base sheet of type NPC or Monster.

This local record has its own place-specific data, such as:

display name
current HP
temporary HP
conditions
state
disposition
DM notes

The behavior then depends on the type:

Monsters can have multiple local instances in the same place
NPCs remain unique within the same place and are not offered again in the picker there

When you add multiple instances of the same monster, DnDino automatically proposes an incremental name such as:

Goblin 2

Why Display Name Exists¶

Both place occupants and combat participants include a Display Name field.

This field exists to preserve a contextual name without renaming the base sheet. It is useful, for example, when you want to:

distinguish similar copies of the same creature
give an NPC a specific name in one place only
use a different name in combat without changing the source record

Combat Participants¶

The combat participant is the operational layer used during a fight.

A participant can come from three different sources:

an adventure character
a place occupant
a base sheet

Each combat participant has its own combat-specific record, with data such as:

display name
initiative
AC
max HP
current HP
temp HP
conditions
state
death saves
round order

Participants from Adventure Characters¶

If the participant comes from an adventure character:

it stays linked to that campaign character
at the end of combat, final values are synchronized back onto the adventure record

Participants from Place Occupants¶

If the participant comes from a place occupant:

it stays linked to that place record
if the occupant uses local state, combat can synchronize HP, conditions, and state back to the place record

Participants from Base Sheets¶

If the participant comes directly from a base sheet:

the combat record uses that sheet as its source
the behavior regarding multiple instances depends on type

In the combat picker:

a base record of type Monster can be added more than once
a base record of type NPC or Hero is not offered more than once in the same combat

Synchronization Between Layers¶

Some values are synchronized across layers, but not everything is always overwritten.

From Base Sheet to Contexts¶

The base sheet provides:

the identity of the character
reference statistics
spells
attacks
images

From Contexts Back to Linked Records¶

Operational layers may instead synchronize situational data, especially:

HP
conditions
state
some local notes

In combat, for example, final values may be pushed back to:

the linked adventure character
the linked place occupant, if that occupant uses local state

Practical Difference Between the Layers¶

An easy way to remember the logic is:

Base Sheet: the general model of the character
Adventure Character: the state of that character inside the campaign
Place Occupant: the contextual presence of that character in a specific place
Combat Participant: the operational version of that character inside the fight

When to Use Each Layer¶

Use the base sheet when:¶

you need to create the character
you want to edit structural data
you need to link images, spells, or attacks

Use the adventure character when:¶

you want to link a hero to the campaign
you need persistent HP, state, conditions, and inspiration inside the adventure

Use the place occupant when:¶

you want to populate a place with characters or creatures
you want contextual names for NPCs and monsters
you want separate local instances inside a place

Use the combat participant when:¶

you are preparing or running a fight
you need initiative, HP, and battle conditions
you want combat to work on contextual records without directly dirtying the base sheet

In Summary¶

The Heroes, NPCs, and Monsters section is not just an archive of sheets. It is the source layer from which all contextual character management inside the app is built.

The overall logic is:

the base sheet defines the character
the adventure character places that character inside a campaign
the place occupant contextualizes that character in a place
the combat participant makes that character operational in a fight

Tip

If you want to avoid confusion, always remember this distinction: the base sheet describes the character, while adventure, place, and combat describe that character's state in a specific context. You don't need to focus too much on the abstract separation itself; what matters is that some fields only exist in their own context.