Adding dice expression to number

[Bobson]

I'm working on implementing some things from Legendary Games' Ultimate Rulership for a game I may be running, but I'm stymied by the best way to implement a Consumption modifier of 1d4 or 2d4. Since consumption is a numeric value, I can't simply append "+ 1d4". And even if I wanted to use it, there's also no equivalent to a regular character's "Specials" or "In Play" tabs to add an ability to describe the random cost.

Anyone have a suggestion? Is this at all possible? Is this why there isn't already a UR data file?

[ShadowChemosh]

Hmmm I have re-read what you wrote a few times and I think I know what your asking.

You would like do display a value represented as dice 1d4, 2d4 on all characters using Ultimate Rulership?

So assuming that is correct what I would do is a create a new Racial Special called "Consumption" and write your evail script to change the livename to include this Dice Value.

Then to get it onto all characters create a new "Mechanic" and bootstrap the new Racial Special to the new Mechanic. You have to restart HL to get Mechanics to Work right "Test Now" does not. Mechanics are automatically attached to all characters and what it has bootstrapped will then come along also.

This will cause the new Racial Special to appear on all characters past and present that turn on the "Ultimate Rulership" source option.

This is exactly what I did recently for "Fire as She Bears" package I created for my home games. This way players are able to check mark "Getting the Gauge" and "Aboard a Ship" on their iPads.

That is my thoughts...

[Chemlak]

I think you've almost completely covered the answer, there, Shadow, but just to mention: the consumption detail he's referring to is a feature of certain Edicts a Kingdom has in the Kingdom building rules.

I know that Kingdoms are, to a large extent, "characters", as far as HL is concerned, so that makes the majority of what you've said perfectly sensible, but Consumption as a characteristic is in the nature of Melee Attack Bonus on a PC - there are many, many, many things that can affect it, and they all get wrapped up by HL in a tidy package. The problem is that Ultimate Rulership introduces the concept of variable consumption for certain decisions, such that if I make choice A, consumption is modified by +0. If I make choice B, it's modified by +1d4, choice C is +2d4 and choice D is +1d12 (these choices are all mutually exclusive, so would be selected by drop-down, and would have to replace existing mechanics in the Kingdoms).

I don't envy anyone trying to figure out how to make it happen. On the other hand, if someone does get a viable URule HL data set up and running, let me know - I'd love it!

[ShadowChemosh]

Thanks Chemlak. I know very little about Kingdom building rules. So all I can give is some general thoughts. Their maybe a better type than a Racial Special then for Kingdom's to bootstrap. Without looking I have no idea.

I would make sure whatever that "Thing" is that it has abValue 1 to 4. You will need those to store the bonuses and dice. So you may want to use abValue as follows:

abValue = Number of Dice
abValue2 = Dice Size (ie d4,d6)

Unless these are all linked directly to dice only sizes that actually match Weapon Dice. Then you could use the wMain tags from weapons and store them on your Thing so you can easily figure out the dice values. That depends on what kind of dice you have to support.

You may also want to look at making "Custom.?" tags so you can assign them to your Thing to dictate special exceptions.

Sorry I can't give more detailed info but those my thoughts for how I would proceed with this.

[Bobson]

Whew... Definitely sounds over my head. I'm just starting to dip my toes into any serious data file editing. This is as much a learning project for me as it is an attempt to make this useable.

Cheklak does have the right of it, but since AFAIK Consumption isn't used anywhere, just displayed (since it's on a monthly basis and there's no "By month" mechanic built in), something that simply changed how it displayed without changing how it's internally stored might do it. BAB and saves are used in lots of calculations, but I don't think Consumption is.

If there even is any way to do something like that.

Edit: Alternatively, some way to add a new attribute to a Kingdom along the lines of Consumption (which I'd then call 'Variable consumption') would be helpful in more ways than one. Are there any d20/Pathfinder data files which add in a 7th attribute? Again, is that even possible?