Gestalt Heroes?

[af22man]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering, what is the best way to gestalt my heros up?

I am not very good with the editor but am willing to give it a try. I have looked at it but it seems like i need a one on one tutorial on it. does anyone have a good youtube resource or step by step guide on how to do it? i have done a lot of research but the only sources i can find are from people who are already skilled in creating these custom classes.

Thanks!

[Aaron]

The most common way to handle Gestalts I have seen folks talk about is through archetyping one class with the abilities of the second. I believe there are some youtube videos that introduce some editor concepts made by one of our fans. We also used to have an unoffical Q & A thing monthly, but it died for lack of interest, sadly.

My advice is to check out the tutorials included with the program and take it slow. Maybe don't jump into the deep end of the pool with gestalting right away. But if you must, the forum is probably your most valuable resource.

[delor317]

I have actually started making classes for them and am currently trying to do Rogue Summoner but can't get the eidolon companion to show up. I have already finished the Cleric Monk and Monk Fighter.

[RavenX]

Aaron, couldn't this be accomplished with a new class called Gestalt?
Just use a configurable to select two classes and have a series of eval scripts that writes the candidate tag expressions for the classes mixed? More scripts that just pick the better progression between the two chosen classes?

[Aaron]

Mmmmmayyybeee? It'd be pretty complex either way

[RavenX]

Maybe my coding is a bit more advanced than it was, but I just think it would be easier to implement a single class with a bootstrapped configurable that handled the classes to be added.

It's not that hard to construct a foreach loop to take the better hit die, better save, etc.

Yeah might be complex but I have had to think about this for multiclassing in 2e and it's basically the same kind of coding process for it.

[delor317]

I actually like your idea Raven and would really like to work with you on it. I just don't have the experience for that kind of coding and was only able to do what I did through trial and error.

[Dianae]

Depending on if you lock in the two classes chosen, or allow for the two classes to be chosen at each level you may need to include a counter for each of the chosen classes.

The eval scripts sound like the easiest route to take for creating Gestalt. A count to keep track of how many levels of any particular class, 6 script points to evaluate the better of Hit dice, Skill Points, Base Attack, and Each of the Saves. and an eval script to pull all of the special abilities for each class at the given level.

Compared to creating all of the archtypes (55 archtypes, if you only count core classes; 171 archetypes, if you count the base classes (not counting Alternate Classes which would bring it up to 210 archetypes) Double if the archetype can't be double applied ie; a Fighter(Cleric Gestalt) is coded differently from a Cleric(Fighter Gestalt)

Though Depending on how the bootstrapping is to occur, at worst, that's 20 Archtypes added to 21 different classes, if the Inverse match ups are coded differently.

Granted, I'm not sure what the complexity of said scripts and the timing of each are since I just started looking at editing things, but it seems like RavenX's plan it would be easier to code, In theory, at least.

[RavenX]

Originally Posted by Dianae

Depending on if you lock in the two classes chosen, or allow for the two classes to be chosen at each level you may need to include a counter for each of the chosen classes.

The eval scripts sound like the easiest route to take for creating Gestalt. A count to keep track of how many levels of any particular class, 6 script points to evaluate the better of Hit dice, Skill Points, Base Attack, and Each of the Saves. and an eval script to pull all of the special abilities for each class at the given level.

Compared to creating all of the archtypes (55 archtypes, if you only count core classes; 171 archetypes, if you count the base classes (not counting Alternate Classes which would bring it up to 210 archetypes) Double if the archetype can't be double applied ie; a Fighter(Cleric Gestalt) is coded differently from a Cleric(Fighter Gestalt)

Though Depending on how the bootstrapping is to occur, at worst, that's 20 Archtypes added to 21 different classes, if the Inverse match ups are coded differently.

Granted, I'm not sure what the complexity of said scripts and the timing of each are since I just started looking at editing things, but it seems like RavenX's plan it would be easier to code, In theory, at least.

Levels of the two classes wouldn't be an issue in my eyes. You gain experience with a gestalt as a combo of the two classes, not different rates. What I am proposing is a series of scripts that look at the two chosen classes and pull the tags, compare and take the better result. As far as I know, Base Attack Bonus and Save progressions are based on Tags. All that needs to be done is have the scripts assign the better tag to the Gestalt Class when the two classes are chosen.

I think that a single "Gestalt" Class could handle this kind of work based on what I know of coding. I've seen this come up many times and I think that having just one class that ran a few scripts could accomplish what needs to be done. It's a little more work but it would save hundreds of hours of building new archetypes and classes to cover all the possible permutations of classes that Gestalts can be.

[Nanan00]

Would you still retain the ability to apply archetypes though?