Realm Works to Hero Lab Online Integration

[daplunk]

Now that we know Hero Lab Online is coming...

I'd really like to see more integration between Realm Works and Hero Lab Online.
Ideally... I would like to not have to use Hero Lab Online to create monsters at all.

Currently we need to maintain 2x copies of all the monsters, items and spells. One in Realm Works and one in Hero Lab.
I'd love to see a world where we create something in Realm Works and it becomes available in Hero Lab.

Especially in relation to Monsters...

In it's current state Hero Lab takes numbers and calculates them to return the stat block. This is obviously necessary for player characters where lots of changes occur over the life of the character. But for monsters it's closer to a static stat block.

For this reason I'd like to suggest functionality that simply reads the Realm Works Creature Templates into Hero Lab and makes them look like stat blocks. They don't need to function with all the bells and whistles. I don't need to be able to modify the monster further in Hero Lab. Just parse the info from the Realm Works stat block in a way that it can be listed in the active Hero Lab Portfolio and tracked in combat.

Would be lovely if this worked with Spells and Items as well... but I understand the PC characters would have a great reliance on those items so it may need to work differently.

This would be such a huge improvement for getting monster created within Content Market content. Right now you need someone to create the Hero Lab files before you can complete monsters in Realm Works. This change would make it so you only need to create them in Realm Works and reduce the over-head in the content creation process. Reduce the need to store 2 separate products to make the single Realm Works product work.

I think this would really be an improvement.

[Farling]

Originally Posted by daplunk

For this reason I'd like to suggest functionality that simply reads the Realm Works Creature Templates into Hero Lab and makes them look like stat blocks. They don't need to function with all the bells and whistles. I don't need to be able to modify the monster further in Hero Lab. Just parse the info from the Realm Works stat block in a way that it can be listed in the active Hero Lab Portfolio and tracked in combat.

When running an encounter in Hero Lab, I need the stats to work since the creatures will be getting modified by spells, other abilities, and possibly even have the "wound thresholds" in play.

I would prefer for Realm Works to display the stat block from a HL portfolio directly in the topic listing, rather than having to click on the portfolio icon to open a separate tab/page. This would mean I don't need to dissect all monsters into individual snippets within Realm Works.

[daplunk]

What system do you play? In 5e spell's can't be 'cast' on creatures.

[Farling]

Pathfinder allows you to put spell effects, like Prayer (+1 to hit for allies, and -1 to hit for enemies) on characters. Hero Lab will automatically adjust the numbers displayed for your attacks when the spell effect is applied to your character.

[Silveras]

In Pathfinder, there are also a number of adjustments because class abilities can buff allies ("Conferred Ability Adjustments"), such as Bards' being able to bestow combat bonuses or skill bonuses or other bonuses with Bardic Performance.

Likewise, with a class that includes a Pet/Minion, there are abilities that buff the Pet/Minion or spells that only affect a Pet/Minion.

Overall, in order to remain "game agnostic", the integration will probably need to remain light and defer most if not all of the work to HeroLab.

[daplunk]

Sounds like you guys have to do too much math

[kbs666]

That's why we use HL. It does all that stuff for us.