HL DnD 5e SRD Workflow for Idiot DMs

[MNBlockHead]

Okay, I suppose I'll receive (and deserve) some RTFM comments in response to this, but I'm wondering if someone can give me an example in plain English, dumbed down those of us who are a little slow, on how to work HL in your DM workflow.

Here is where I am now. I am a heavy RealmWorks user and run my games from there. What's missing is a tactical tool, which I am hoping HL will help with. I just use a Paizo wet erase Combat Pad right now.

I've re-created all my players' characters from their paper sheets in HL. I have a separate POR file for each character.

I just downloaded and imported the new SRD monsters release, though I have not idea how to access monsters yet.

I know how to connect a POR file to a topic in RW. Right now, I've only linked the POR files for the characters from their Person/Individual topics in RW.

So, how can HL help ME, as a DM? I see the how it is helpful for players, but I'm still working out how DMs use in play.

If I have a Scene in RW, I'm guessing I would create a POR that has the caracters and the monsters in it and then launch it in HL from RW when the time comes and then launch the tactical console...but by the time the character get to that scene, a lot of stuff on there character sheets will not be up to date. If I have to update all that on the fly, well, that's not going to work.

I thought I could instead have a POR with all the characters in the party in it, and update as we go along, and then use the tactical counsel from HL, ignoring RW and add baddies ( which I'm still figuring out how to do), but again, still seems easier to just have the players manage their own characters. What am I adding by duplicating that effort?

Again, I'm not asking you to regurgitate the manual, and I know I have to spend more time reading the help material. I just want a better understanding of the big picture from GMs who use HL to help manage their games. Where does it fit in? What does your prep and in-game workflow look like?

[daplunk]

My HL Journey...

Step One - Make sure you can make all your players characters and monsters
Step Two - Ask exactly the same question
Step Three - Win?

[Mathias]

I'd create a portfolio of all the monsters for an encounter - store that in the location/event entry in Realm Works.

Then, during the game, load all the PCs into one portfolio, and keep them updated as you play.

When you want to start an encounter, in realm works, tell it to launch that portfolio in Hero Lab - since you already have HL open, and already have a portfolio open there, that will add all the monsters to the same portfolio. Then, in the gamemaster menu, launch the tactical console, use that to run the combat, and at the end, delete all the monsters. Then you're ready to go for the next encounter you want to import.

[MNBlockHead]

I'd create a portfolio of all the monsters for an encounter - store that in the location/event entry in Realm Works.

Then, during the game, load all the PCs into one portfolio, and keep them updated as you play.

When you want to start an encounter, in realm works, tell it to launch that portfolio in Hero Lab - since you already have HL open, and already have a portfolio open there, that will add all the monsters to the same portfolio. Then, in the gamemaster menu, launch the tactical console, use that to run the combat, and at the end, delete all the monsters. Then you're ready to go for the next encounter you want to import.

Thanks, that helps a lot. I'm assuming I'll need the encounter builder to create the POR with the monsters? Right now I see no way to add a monster to the tactical console and I understand that to be because the enounter builder in not ready for the SRD yet.

[ShadowChemosh]

Thanks, that helps a lot. I'm assuming I'll need the encounter builder to create the POR with the monsters? Right now I see no way to add a monster to the tactical console and I understand that to be because the enounter builder in not ready for the SRD yet.
Monsters are "races" and are added on the "Race" tab.

What LW has not released yet is the .stock files. These files are only helpful for adding the "equipment" a monster may have. In example if you start a NPC goblin race it won't have its standard shortsword so you will have to add it right now. Once done you save the file as a .por as "Goblin.por". Or maybe you want to have a Goblin wizard so add wizard levels and save the it as "Goblin, Wizard.por".

[MNBlockHead]

Awesome. Thanks!

[MNBlockHead]

Okay, now it is coming together. I'm seeing how this will be very helpful once the rest of the Monsters are available. Soooo much nice to just create a POR file and link to it with HL snippet in RW.

[Farling]

If the tactical console is the same as for Pathfinder, then the image appears on the left of the console for allies (PCs), and the right of the console for monsters. This makes it quick to see who's turn is coming up.

[MNBlockHead]

Yes, this is starting to look like it could be quite useful. The main hurdle for me will be custom monsters or monsters from outside the SRD, such as third-party publishers. Creating my own monsters is a bit daunting. Last night I tried creating a monster that was loosely based off Animated Armor, which is already in HL. For the most part, I could change stats and such. But I ran into the issue of being unable to increase the proficiency (since I couldn't increase the level) and also I needed to alter the "anti-magic susceptibility" which I couldn't do.

Creating a new race from scratch is looking to be more work than just pasting a statblock in RW. I probably just need to play around with the editor some more until I get more proficient with it.

[MNBlockHead]

Okay, so my prior post was a bit too pessimistic. Doesn't make sense to take a creature and try to edit within the main interface. Copying a race and making the edits in the editor are pretty easy, especially when working from a similar race.

[ShadowChemosh]

Okay, so my prior post was a bit too pessimistic. Doesn't make sense to take a creature and try to edit within the main interface. Copying a race and making the edits in the editor are pretty easy, especially when working from a similar race.
Correct and the more of them you do the more you will get the hang of it. After a while you should start picking up in the script logic and being able to do all sorts of fun monsters! :) ;)

For my pathfinder games I also found it helpful to make special "Templates" that can be applied to any monster to give unique abilities from a list. In example one template causes a new tab to appear where I select from among dozens of special Boss abilities I have created. This allows me a very quick method of making "unique" monsters.

Most of the mechanics for Templates I think is in 5e even if its called something else. This is more advanced but features like this could also be built into special parts of the 5e Community Pack for sharing then. ;) :eek: