Fate: Newbie Creating NPCs

Cerebrolator · September 5th, 2015, 07:08 AM

I'm very inexperienced with Hero Lab, so I hope I don't bug people with my question.

I don't know how to create an NPC in Hero Lab's Fate Core. How do you create NPCs without stress tracks and with perhaps only one aspect and one skill so that they can be used in the tactical console?

AndrewD2 · September 5th, 2015, 07:18 AM

Easiest thing is just create them and ignore the validation errors.

Cerebrolator · September 5th, 2015, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewD2

Easiest thing is just create them and ignore the validation errors.

Is there a way to make the stress boxes stop showing to reflect that many NPCs don't have a stress track?

AndrewD2 · September 5th, 2015, 08:33 AM

Not sure, but can't it just be ignored?

Cerebrolator · September 5th, 2015, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewD2

Not sure, but can't it just be ignored?

Andrew, thanks for responding to me.

Yes, it could be ignored. It's just easier when I'm tracking a lot of things to not have to remember to ignore the stress boxes. I was hoping for a more seamless implementation of Fate in Hero Lab.

I don't mean to be sarcastic but I am wondering how useful the current version of Fate is for the GM. It doesn't actually deal with opponents in a way that matches the Fate Core book. I'm not sure how to build encounters with it (or with any product; as far as I can tell, Pathfinder has actual encounters that can be used in the encounter library but I don't play Pathfinder). I don't know how to use the editor and I don't have experience with programming. I'm just not experienced enough to see how to utilize Hero Lab with Fate. (This wasn't meant to be a rant. I'm just wondering how to effectively use Hero Lab with Fate.)

(I need to clarify on the encounters. I know how to create a portfolio that has allies and enemies in it so that I can use it in the tactical console. Fate doesn't have any stock characters and I'm not sure how to make them so I can import them easily. I don't know if there is a way to build my own encounter library either. This isn't a failure of Hero Lab, it is simply that I don't know how to do these things.)

Mathias · September 6th, 2015, 09:23 AM

For instructions on adding characters to the encounter builder, in the help menu, choose "Hero Lab Manual". Then in the Gamemaster Tools section, find the Encounter Builder topic. Click on that, and then click on "Adding your Characters to the Encounter Builder".

Here's a thread about creating encounter libraries: http://forums.wolflair.com/showthrea...ounter+library

Cerebrolator · September 6th, 2015, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mathias

For instructions on adding characters to the encounter builder, in the help menu, choose "Hero Lab Manual". Then in the Gamemaster Tools section, find the Encounter Builder topic. Click on that, and then click on "Adding your Characters to the Encounter Builder".

Here's a thread about creating encounter libraries: http://forums.wolflair.com/showthrea...ounter+library

Thank you, Mathias! I will definitely look into it.

Cerebrolator · September 7th, 2015, 07:40 AM

I still can't figure out how to make an encounter library. I tried using the savage worlds encounter builder to put a few skeletons and a necromancer into an encounter. I then opened the HLExport. I really can't tell what goes into the dialogue box after that. What am I supposed to enter here? I've tried several things but always get an error message that says .pkg files can't be included.

I guess that link to the discussion on Encounter Libraries is over my head. I'm missing something.

Paragon · September 9th, 2015, 06:19 AM

I just do that by saving the encounter as a portfolio; if there's another way to do it, I never even realized it.

(Caveat: I have no idea what happens when you have a portfolio set up already--with, say, all the PCs in it--and try to import another portfolio with multiple participants into it. I've never done it that way so that may be a problem or may not).

ShadowChemosh · September 9th, 2015, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paragon

(Caveat: I have no idea what happens when you have a portfolio set up already--with, say, all the PCs in it--and try to import another portfolio with multiple participants into it. I've never done it that way so that may be a problem or may not).

Unless Fate causes HL to work very differently you will end up with a .por file with all the PCs and NPCs together. This is how many for Pathfinder do it and then activate the Tactical Console to run the encounter.

Cerebrolator Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Potato Fields of Idaho Posts: 11 September 5th, 2015, 07:08 AM	I'm very inexperienced with Hero Lab, so I hope I don't bug people with my question. I don't know how to create an NPC in Hero Lab's Fate Core. How do you create NPCs without stress tracks and with perhaps only one aspect and one skill so that they can be used in the tactical console?
#1

AndrewD2 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Muskegon, MI Posts: 2,975 September 5th, 2015, 07:18 AM	Easiest thing is just create them and ignore the validation errors.
#2

Mathias Senior Member Lone Wolf Staff Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 13,215 September 6th, 2015, 09:23 AM	For instructions on adding characters to the encounter builder, in the help menu, choose "Hero Lab Manual". Then in the Gamemaster Tools section, find the Encounter Builder topic. Click on that, and then click on "Adding your Characters to the Encounter Builder". Here's a thread about creating encounter libraries: http://forums.wolflair.com/showthrea...ounter+library
#6

Paragon Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 874 September 9th, 2015, 06:19 AM	I just do that by saving the encounter as a portfolio; if there's another way to do it, I never even realized it. (Caveat: I have no idea what happens when you have a portfolio set up already--with, say, all the PCs in it--and try to import another portfolio with multiple participants into it. I've never done it that way so that may be a problem or may not).
#9