First off I apologize if this question is addressed else where, I could not find this topic during my search.
I was wondering if there is anyway to create a NPC in a campaign and not have the players be able to see this character? I have NPCs that will have "abilities" but do not want the players to know what/whom they'll meet/run into yet.. Even if they can only see the level, race, and class.
Is there a way to hide these characters on a campaign or no?
not currently, no - you're better off just keeping them in your own account and not adding them to the campaign, if you don't want the players to be able to view them.
There should be changes in the future around this, allowing much more control over npcs/monsters within a campaign and who can see what.
it would be super useful if there was an NPC button a DM could click to basically obscure this information on the character screen.
I currently have 3 campaigns running and it would be great to be able to sort through NPC's used for each campaign without the players being able to see the information like Name, class level etc.
Would really love to have this as a feature to use with the Encounter Builder. I have 4 players, and they are usually accompanied by 1-2 regular NPCs that they like having along. One of those NPCs is a key plot character who has amnesia, and so revealing anything about her is a no-no.
Bumping this again. This is really, quite a necessary feature. I want to be able to place my NPC's within the campaign and I don't want my players to see them before they're introduced/understood. As it is it just takes any suspense out of it or I have to have another campaign going. Surely, given the public private option, it can't be that hard to add NPC options for the GM as well.
Bumping this as well. About to start running my first game for my group, and I don't own the content so I have to use a player's content sharing to create NPC's they might encounter. Already had one potentially spoiled because they saw it in the unassigned area.
Would be great to be able to hide NPCs from them, even if it just obscures level and class.
Started my DM:ing my first campaign, and this was literally the first question players had about dndbeyond. Hopefully it get's added soon. I pay a lot for this service, and want to see it develop based on the users needs :)
I guess the workaround is to create another campaign for said NPCs and don't invite your players to it. If you don't have access to shared content you need outside your game's campaign I think you could create the characters in the campaign, copy them, then delete the original from the campaign. A fair bit of jumping through hoops there, but hopefully it would work.
You could also use the character builder to setup the basics then create a homebrew monster for your NPC. This can range from quite simple to frighteningly complex, but it's worth a try. If you're new to it definitely copy existing creatures first. In fact I've found it useful to copy creatures temporarily when I wanted to borrow things from their stat blocks which I could then copy/paste into my homebrew and just delete the temporary copies I don't need.
I'd still like to be able to just hide characters, though.
I guess the workaround is to create another campaign for said NPCs and don't invite your players to it. If you don't have access to shared content you need outside your game's campaign I think you could create the characters in the campaign, copy them, then delete the original from the campaign. A fair bit of jumping through hoops there, but hopefully it would work.
You could also use the character builder to setup the basics then create a homebrew monster for your NPC. This can range from quite simple to frighteningly complex, but it's worth a try. If you're new to it definitely copy existing creatures first. In fact I've found it useful to copy creatures temporarily when I wanted to borrow things from their stat blocks which I could then copy/paste into my homebrew and just delete the temporary copies I don't need.
I'd still like to be able to just hide characters, though.
Most certainly a 'workaround' but a ridiculous one. No, not your suggestions, just the process. I can add an NPC and hide/private the character so that my PC's can't see their stats, but it still shows up (greyed out) in the campaign. That does me no good whatsoever. I'm trying to prep an NPC or two for the next game but can't add them until they actually join the party. Then I would need to go through the invite process to get them to join the party. It's just unbelievably shortsighted that an NPC can't just be added/shown and/or hidden to the PC party at the flip of the switch.
As the person posted before you, I'm paying top tier to DnDBeyond for all of the options I want, and for them to not have addressed this incredibly rudimentary option reads as lazy.
Just to bump this thread. As the DM, I dislike that players can see each other's race and class on the main screen, as an example, it takes an annoying level of trickery to surprise other players if someone wants to play a changling, and have it revealed in-game, not just ... " Frank's a changing rogue"
This is something I would love to see as well. The DM should be able to "hide" their characters in a campaign from the other players until they are ready to reveal. I've had my players see a new character in the campaign screen and say "Looks like we are going to be working with 'X' today." I know we can invite and add the characters during the game but that's pretty clunky and I have enough trouble keeping it all going without extra pauses in the gameplay.
This does not seem like a hard or complicate issue to resolve, and it's been 4 years since this thread began. I wonder why DNDBeyond doesn't resolve this?
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Hello.
First off I apologize if this question is addressed else where, I could not find this topic during my search.
I was wondering if there is anyway to create a NPC in a campaign and not have the players be able to see this character? I have NPCs that will have "abilities" but do not want the players to know what/whom they'll meet/run into yet.. Even if they can only see the level, race, and class.
Is there a way to hide these characters on a campaign or no?
Thanks!
- Brett
Hi Brett,
not currently, no - you're better off just keeping them in your own account and not adding them to the campaign, if you don't want the players to be able to view them.
There should be changes in the future around this, allowing much more control over npcs/monsters within a campaign and who can see what.
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Hey Stormknight,
Thanks for the information! I'll keep an eye out for those updates and until then I'll just place the NPCs in a separate campaign. Thanks again!
it would be super useful if there was an NPC button a DM could click to basically obscure this information on the character screen.
I currently have 3 campaigns running and it would be great to be able to sort through NPC's used for each campaign without the players being able to see the information like Name, class level etc.
Any word on this? It's been a couple years.
This is still a feature I'd like to see. More as a player wanting to hide things like race/class from the other players.
I hope it's still a planned change.
Still hoping for this as a DM that likes to have NPCs interact with the party at different times and even participate in their adventures
Would really love to have this as a feature to use with the Encounter Builder. I have 4 players, and they are usually accompanied by 1-2 regular NPCs that they like having along. One of those NPCs is a key plot character who has amnesia, and so revealing anything about her is a no-no.
Bumping this again. This is really, quite a necessary feature. I want to be able to place my NPC's within the campaign and I don't want my players to see them before they're introduced/understood. As it is it just takes any suspense out of it or I have to have another campaign going. Surely, given the public private option, it can't be that hard to add NPC options for the GM as well.
Bumping this as well. About to start running my first game for my group, and I don't own the content so I have to use a player's content sharing to create NPC's they might encounter. Already had one potentially spoiled because they saw it in the unassigned area.
Would be great to be able to hide NPCs from them, even if it just obscures level and class.
I guess this is never happening...
It is absolutely ridiculous that this can't be done with a simple toggle option in our Campaigns. This was brought up over 3.5 years ago... SMH.
Started my DM:ing my first campaign, and this was literally the first question players had about dndbeyond. Hopefully it get's added soon. I pay a lot for this service, and want to see it develop based on the users needs :)
I guess the workaround is to create another campaign for said NPCs and don't invite your players to it. If you don't have access to shared content you need outside your game's campaign I think you could create the characters in the campaign, copy them, then delete the original from the campaign. A fair bit of jumping through hoops there, but hopefully it would work.
You could also use the character builder to setup the basics then create a homebrew monster for your NPC. This can range from quite simple to frighteningly complex, but it's worth a try. If you're new to it definitely copy existing creatures first. In fact I've found it useful to copy creatures temporarily when I wanted to borrow things from their stat blocks which I could then copy/paste into my homebrew and just delete the temporary copies I don't need.
I'd still like to be able to just hide characters, though.
Most certainly a 'workaround' but a ridiculous one. No, not your suggestions, just the process. I can add an NPC and hide/private the character so that my PC's can't see their stats, but it still shows up (greyed out) in the campaign. That does me no good whatsoever. I'm trying to prep an NPC or two for the next game but can't add them until they actually join the party. Then I would need to go through the invite process to get them to join the party. It's just unbelievably shortsighted that an NPC can't just be added/shown and/or hidden to the PC party at the flip of the switch.
As the person posted before you, I'm paying top tier to DnDBeyond for all of the options I want, and for them to not have addressed this incredibly rudimentary option reads as lazy.
Just to bump this thread.
As the DM, I dislike that players can see each other's race and class on the main screen, as an example, it takes an annoying level of trickery to surprise other players if someone wants to play a changling, and have it revealed in-game, not just ... " Frank's a changing rogue"
This is something I would love to see as well. The DM should be able to "hide" their characters in a campaign from the other players until they are ready to reveal. I've had my players see a new character in the campaign screen and say "Looks like we are going to be working with 'X' today." I know we can invite and add the characters during the game but that's pretty clunky and I have enough trouble keeping it all going without extra pauses in the gameplay.
Just adding another paying voice to the choir that wants this feature.
This is needed
This does not seem like a hard or complicate issue to resolve, and it's been 4 years since this thread began. I wonder why DNDBeyond doesn't resolve this?