Savage Beastiary - Adding NPCs to a datafile

[SeeleyOne]

Also, while I never finished it, I did start to create a Custom race for my own data set. This works for characters, not creatures though (unless enough is added as per Step 4 below).

Step 1: Made a race that displays as Custom Race in the Race drop-down.

Step 2: Bootstrapped an Edge that requires it, called "Custom Race Name" which then allows you to enter the name of the race in its Domain, then it makes it so that the Domain replaces the names so that they will change on the screen and on the print-out.

Step 3: Give it 2 "Rewards Points". These will be used to purchase abilities from the list of rewards.

Step 4: (this is the part that I am not done with, and may never be) Make options in the Rewards section. Most of them are unique, and some of them preclude one another. For example, you cannot have +1 strength die, +2 strength die, and -1 strength die. Just pick one of them.

4a: For that part I am thinking about simplifying it and just making a dropdown that looks for the "Simples" and then making adjustments in an eval script based on what is selected. Doing this cannot bootstrap things to a character, but they can modify them. Also, only Edges can have the dropdown so the Reward would need to bootstrap an appropriate Edge.

There are many things that can be done with Edges. Some of them I make free or bootstrap just because of their usefulness. You can make it so that they do not print out so it helps to keep clutter down at least for a printed out character.

[Paragon]

At least the standard .stock files don't show as text files when you open them (in fact, they don't open properly in the text editor at all); that may have to do with some specific coding in the program since they're official product material and not end-user products.

[charlieluce]

.stock files are Zip archives; I can open them fine in 7-Zip.

[Dami]

In Pathfinder and 3.5 the .stock files are created by saving a portfolio and changing the .por extension to .stock - that should work for other game systems. Then they will be seen by the encounter builder.

[Paragon]

Ah. That explains it.

So does that mean you can essentially just do a multi-character portfolio and change it to .stock?

[zarlor]

If you look at a .user file it's just an xml file, perfectly readable in any text application. .stock files, however, are zip archives, not just an xml file. However according to this Wiki article presumably a .stock file could also just be a portfolio, so maybe a multi-character portfolio would work, or maybe you would make multiple portfolios and zip them up. I think the only way to really find out is by playing around with that a bit.

If you figure it out, however, definitely let us know what seems to work!

[salcor]

Thanks for the update. So I will probably just start working on the playable character races from the savage bestiary documents. Maybe even work on the custom race mechanic from ScifiComp.

Salcor

[SeeleyOne]

I have not played around with it more than a few minutes quite a while back, but I know that something does let you make a creature that selects things in the Racial Properties (like the things from the Sci Fi Companion). I know because I did it once. I was just playing around and seeing what was available.

But I only use Hero Lab for character management, not monsters or NPCs, so I am not much more help in that regard.

I do know that Configure Hero settings (source) do not always play nice with the animals / creatures / NPCs, which is the biggest reason that I don't touch them. I just write my NPCs by hand or make them more like characters.

I have a mod (yeah, yeah, I have many) that lets me choose between Extra, Competent Extra (an Extra with a wild die, and maybe one or more wounds and maybe one or more bennies, they are on the path for becoming a full Wild Card), and Wild Cards. I use the Group option for this.

[Paragon]

Let us know what you find out, Salcor. Like I said, when I did my XCOM game I just dumped the Portfolios in the main SW directory, which worked, but is really messy. It'd be good to know what the more compact way to do that would be.

[CapedCrusader]

A .stock file is equivalent to a .por file.