GMing with HL

[xenomega]

I've used Hero Lab extensively for making a character as a player and using the iPad app for in game math and such. But now I'm going to be running a Pathfinder game and I was wondering how it works for that. I've also got RealmWorks, but I'm having trouble getting that down and fully understood.

I would like to be able to open NPC info while gaming so I can manage hit points and reference AC and skills and all that. I'm not sure how I can open multiple NPCs or monster stat blocks and keep everything organized. Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way and should put everything in Realmworks and go from there.

I guess I'm curious what other people do in game to streamline everything.

Thanks!

[TheIronGolem]

Have you tried the Encounter Builder and the Tactical Console? Those are both accessible from the Gamemaster menu at the top of HL.

[Ualaa]

You can do the encounters and combat within Hero Lab, or use another application.

I generally do some preparation work, prior to the play of a given session.
The Encounter Builder is a fairly decent tool, but you could also just create a new Portfolio to basically the same effect.

With Encounter Builder, you have access to most of the monsters. You can type in Ogre, and it will sort out anything that doesn't have Ogre in the name, and then pick an Ogre from the left side, which adds it to the right side. You can repeat the process to add each type of monster that a given encounter needs. You can edit the number of each type of monster.
The Builder will show you how many experience points each are worth, and will calculate the total Encounter Level. So if you're group is level six and you want an EL 9 encounter, you can continue to add monsters until the combined challenge levels add up to an EL 9 encounter.

You can also do the like from within the main Hero Lab application. Create a new character, and then on the background tab, change the race to Ogre. Under settings, ensure 'Show Dashboard' is checked. The new character that you create should be set to Enemy most of the time, unless there are Allies of the party involved too.

I generally input one of each type of creature, whether a straight monster (from the Encounter Builder) or a character from a Portfolio. The community packages have a number of encounters pre-built for input, you can peruse them here: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras/commu...tions/hero-lab

Once I have them within the portfolio, I edit the individual types. Maybe my Ogres use their fists, in which case they're fine as is. But maybe these ones use human sized Greatswords (in which case I add medium Greatswords, from the Weapon menu) or maybe they have Ogre sized weaponry (so change the weapon size to Large, prior to adding the Greatsword).

Our current campaign utilizes the Gestalt rules, so I rework the bosses and mini-bosses of a level... basically anything that is supposed to be special and/or challenging... so that they're also built with the Gestalt options (from the Pathfinder Pack).

Once you're done the editing of a given type, decide how many you want in the encounter. In the Portfolio menu, choose the option to Duplicate and if you want there to be six Ogres in your encounter, choose five duplicates. Hero Lab will name the duplicates #2, #3, #4, etc..., up to however many there are in total. I like to manually rename the first to #1.

The Tactical Console can be used or another application. I've run combat both with 'Combat Manager' (a free app, that can 'import' Hero Lab's portfolio files) and with Hero Lab's own Tactical Console.

The Tactical Console allows you to apply changes on the fly. If the wizard casts a Haste spell, and gets three of the party members, you can apply that on the 'Adjust' window, and the Tactical Console will then apply the correct changes to each of the characters affected. Stacking can sometimes get a little crazy, as certain bonus types stack infinitely, while other bonus types stack to only the best/worst of several types. Hero Lab knows what should stack with another effect and what should not. You can check conditions, as they apply, or remove them as they no longer apply, and the changes take place to the portfolio instantly, with the Tactical Console reflecting those changes in real time.

The Tactical Console will role initiative for everything. You can edit the values. Most of my players prefer to role their own dice. So I go down the list, in the order Hero Lab placed characters and ask player's for their initiatives. It shows their current bonus to initiative, which can change is a Dexterity bonus (or penalty) was applied such as with an Enlarge Person buff (which lowers Dex slightly). I can readily tell a given player what their current bonus to just about anything is.
You can check a box to make the active character as the selected character of those in the portfolio, if you want to get a more in-depth look at their 'sheet'.

The Tactical Console is a nice tool generally, but you need to apply damage to everyone individually, which frankly sucks. I personally think it is better than 'Combat Manager' in that conditions and buffs can be changed as a combat progresses.

With Combat Manager, you need to save the Portfolio within Hero Lab. Then in Combat Manager you open a portfolio by clicking the file icon. Navigate to wherever the portfolio is stored (I use a root system, so I have the dungeon, and then a folder for each level, and each portfolio is named after the room that the players can go to... so if they go to room 3A that is the name of the portfolio).
Combat Manager allows you to apply damage to multiple characters at once. You can enter the total damage of a Fireball, and then check (the boxes) of everyone affected by the Fireball. Anyone with evasion (who made their save) has their box unchecked, as there is no effect from the fireball. Most who fail their saves, don't need any boxes checked, unless they have Improved Evasion and take half damage on a fail. Those without Evasion who save, also take half damage, so have the half damage box checked. You can then apply the damage, and it correctly deducts full or half damage from each of the affected targets.
Combat Manager would need to have damage applied once each to Allies and to Enemies, if both were within the blast. But you can apply it quickly once to each group. With the Tactical Console, if five PCs and three of the Ogres were within the blast, you'd need to apply that damage to each individually, which is a lot slower.

Combat Manager allows you to check each condition that applies to a creature, and you can mouse over a given condition for the definition of that condition. But the condition does not actually change the stats, you have to manually remember the changes and to apply them. Hero Lab will give a +2 attack bonus to a charging creature (if the Charge condition is checked), but Combat Manager will tell you that Charge is worth a +2 attack bonus (and an AC penalty), but you need to manually remember the extra +2 and apply it yourself as the attack does not gain that bonus, and is still listed as the default attack bonus without conditions/buffs applied.

If your group decides to apply two rounds of buffs, mid-battle, the Tactical Console handles that without any issues. Combat Manager requires some paperwork on your part... or to write the initiative orders down and current hit points... to re-save the portfolio with the conditions/buffs/etc applied... and then to re-open the portfolio with the changes and manually adjust hit points and initiative values to what they were.

If buffs occur before combat, and debuffs generally are not applied during combat... or you're okay to manually take -1 away from attacks for those monsters affected by the adverse effects of the Cleric's prayer spell, Combat Manager is a great tool... with the main superiority over the Tactical Console in that damage (or healing) can be applied to multiple creatures at once.
If buffs, debuffs, and conditions generally apply during combat and change as combat progresses, than the Tactical Console is the tool of choice.

Whether I use Combat Manager or the Tactical Console, the monsters get imported into the group's portfolio and then that is saved... for import into Combat Manager (no save necessary for the Tactical Console, which is another window from within the Hero Lab program). Any equipment on the corpses of the Ogres can be plundered by the group... you can 'give' an item to another member of the portfolio easily this way.

And in the case of treasure that no one has equipped, I create a new monster/character within the Portfolio called Treasure. The Journal Tab will allow you to add (with a positive value) or remove (by adding a negative value) coins (enter the value, and then click 'Earn'), and then money (from within the gear tab) tells you what that actually weighs. I will add each denomination of coins, record the weight, and then remove them. The treasure then gets a custom valuable added, with the name of each coin type.... for example 612 gold coins, which are then given the value 612gp and the weight (in this example 12.24 lbs). I find my players take everything down to the last copper, at lower levels, but generally disdain even silver (but still take platinum and gold) at higher levels.

Once the treasure has been dealt with, I note the experience for the 'Enemies' but don't award experience until the end of the session. You can note who participated, and award experience to each character on an individual basis, if that is how you do things. I generally pick one character and track experience for just that character.... so if the six Ogres are defeated, I note that the enemies are worth 4,800 experience. If the group has five characters, I'll at the end add up the total experience of the session and divide that by five. On the journal tab, you can add experience to each character, or just track it on one with each of the others having the same amount. Or simply tell your players what they earnt that session.

Then delete a character, and choose to delete all Enemies. When the next encounter is found, import the new bad guys (or friendlies) into the portfolio, if the characters interact with them in such a way that you want combat stats or to transfer equipment and money between the two groups.
Naturally, if there is no transfer of wealth/equipment and combat is not going to occur, you don't need to import the new portfolio, but can have for ease have several portfolios opened at once.

I will generally have three portfolios open during a session. One for the active group. One for summons, which can then be imported to the portfolio for use in a given combat. And one for opening each of the encounters, so I have the digital information on my laptop, if needed.