Issue with Racial abilities (secondary custom and otherwise)

[bertraze]

So, I'm working on building out a class that has a feature that is so very like an Eidolon that I can create my own Eidolon races for it and all the mechanics just work out -- except for the fact that it needs a completely separate list of racial custom special abilities.

So, I can give it 0 evolution points and create all my racial abilities as secondary ones -- except for the fact that there isn't a field in the editor for the count of secondary racial customs (though there is a field for the name). So I can create them (and even select them from the portfolio), but then I get told I'm over the amount of allowed ones.

This may or may not be a moot point. There aren't actual choices, so they could simply be racial specials that trigger at the appropriate level. I tried building one like that, but it bootstrapped the special ability right away even though I gave it a condition of count:Classes.Race >= 5. I have a hard time figuring out why that evaluated to true since there weren't that many copies on the thing. (I went with custom specials since they don't actually bootstrap things until you add them, but the racial special angle might be cleaner, if I can figure out how to do it. I didn't find a good example of a racial ability that doesn't kick in until a certain level.)

Bonus: I created a Minion Restrictions tag for my class and gave it to the four races I created (and my class). However, I seem to be able to select ones meant for my class as well as the base Eidolon races (and a Summoner can select the new races). Is there a way to restrict that short of replacing the Summoner class and Eidolon races with restrictions attached (which I really don't want to do)? Or do I just have to assume that players of the Summoner and Machinesmith classes will pick the right thing?

[bertraze]

I've been reading over the rules for the Mechanus (this thing that's almost an Eidolon but not) a little more, and I think most of it is doable. Even the optional size increase at particular levels could probably get handled with a menu on the ability.

The main question I have is that a couple of the abilities give a choice of one of a handful of bonus feats. I have no idea how to bootstrap a thing based on a choice (like in a menu). Is that doable? Or do I need custom abilities so I can offer one ability choice for each bonus feat (and incidentally for optional size increases)?

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by bertraze

So, I'm working on building out a class that has a feature that is so very like an Eidolon that I can create my own Eidolon races for it and all the mechanics just work out -- except for the fact that it needs a completely separate list of racial custom special abilities.

So, I can give it 0 evolution points and create all my racial abilities as secondary ones -- except for the fact that there isn't a field in the editor for the count of secondary racial customs (though there is a field for the name). So I can create them (and even select them from the portfolio), but then I get told I'm over the amount of allowed ones.

Make a copy of the tiefling race and look at it's eval scripts. You should be able to learn the ID of the field from there.

Originally Posted by bertraze

This may or may not be a moot point. There aren't actual choices, so they could simply be racial specials that trigger at the appropriate level. I tried building one like that, but it bootstrapped the special ability right away even though I gave it a condition of count:Classes.Race >= 5. I have a hard time figuring out why that evaluated to true since there weren't that many copies on the thing. (I went with custom specials since they don't actually bootstrap things until you add them, but the racial special angle might be cleaner, if I can figure out how to do it. I didn't find a good example of a racial ability that doesn't kick in until a certain level.)

I think that would be cleaner. Classes.Race is added once for each racial HD, does the race start with 5 or more HD?

Originally Posted by bertraze

Bonus: I created a Minion Restrictions tag for my class and gave it to the four races I created (and my class). However, I seem to be able to select ones meant for my class as well as the base Eidolon races (and a Summoner can select the new races). Is there a way to restrict that short of replacing the Summoner class and Eidolon races with restrictions attached (which I really don't want to do)? Or do I just have to assume that players of the Summoner and Machinesmith classes will pick the right thing?

Are you assigning the CompList tag to the Machinesmith Class in an eval script? If so, is the timing before First 497?

[bertraze]

Originally Posted by Aaron

I think that would be cleaner. Classes.Race is added once for each racial HD, does the race start with 5 or more HD?

It only starts with 1 HD. That's why I'm super confused about why the DR was already present. I guess I'll try again, but I was testing at a lower level than 5 when I was testing before.

Originally Posted by Aaron

Are you assigning the CompList tag to the Machinesmith Class in an eval script? If so, is the timing before First 497?

No, I assigned it to the class in the appropriate button in the editor. Does it get ignored if I'm adding the field cEidStart in a script at First/375, since the Eidolon is a secondary ability choice -- the class can also choose a couple different somethings that are very like Arcane Bond objects. Do I need to add CompList again in my script instead of adding it as a Minion Restriction in the editor?

[bertraze]

Originally Posted by Aaron

Make a copy of the tiefling race and look at it's eval scripts. You should be able to learn the ID of the field from there.

So, I took a look at the eval scripts on Tiefling, and saw this:

field[rGiveSp2nd].value = 1

In order to give more at higher levels, I assume I would need to use conditional statements to set this value based on the number of levels present, correct?

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by bertraze

I've been reading over the rules for the Mechanus (this thing that's almost an Eidolon but not) a little more, and I think most of it is doable. Even the optional size increase at particular levels could probably get handled with a menu on the ability.

The main question I have is that a couple of the abilities give a choice of one of a handful of bonus feats. I have no idea how to bootstrap a thing based on a choice (like in a menu). Is that doable? Or do I need custom abilities so I can offer one ability choice for each bonus feat (and incidentally for optional size increases)?

You can set up an array with the various feats as selections, then bootstrap those feats with conditions of selecting the correct row in the array (the usrIndex field).

For example, say your ability allows the user to pick Dodge or Power attack. You put Dodge on line 0 of the array, and Power attack on line 1. Then you bootstrap doge with this condition (at first 500)

fieldval:usrIndex = 0

and power attack with this one

fieldval:usrIndex = 1

If it's a class ability gained at higher levels, you might want to throw another restriction in there. For example, if it needed 3rd level rouge as well.

Classes.Rouge >= 3 & fieldval:usrIndex = 0

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by bertraze

So, I took a look at the eval scripts on Tiefling, and saw this:

field[rGiveSp2nd].value = 1

In order to give more at higher levels, I assume I would need to use conditional statements to set this value based on the number of levels present, correct?

Or an equation, if there is one that fits.

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by bertraze

It only starts with 1 HD. That's why I'm super confused about why the DR was already present. I guess I'll try again, but I was testing at a lower level than 5 when I was testing before.


No, I assigned it to the class in the appropriate button in the editor. Does it get ignored if I'm adding the field cEidStart in a script at First/375, since the Eidolon is a secondary ability choice -- the class can also choose a couple different somethings that are very like Arcane Bond objects. Do I need to add CompList again in my script instead of adding it as a Minion Restriction in the editor?

Why don't you send me what you're working with so far and I'll fiddle with it. Forum name at wolflair dot commune

[Aaron]

It looks like CompList tags weren't being handled correctly for Eidolons, and I believe I have it fixed for next release. In the meantime, you can have your machinesmith class push the CompList tag to their eidolon directly like so:

perform hero.childfound[cEidolon].minion.hero.pushtags[CompList.?]

That'll at least make it so that your machinesmith can't take the summoner eidolon forms. The converse will have to wait until we put out the next release.

[Aaron]

As for the bootstrap conditions wonkiness, it looks like that isn't in the version you sent me, so I can't test that.