Pre-Purchase Questions
 

Hi folks, had several questions about HLO that I couldn't quickly find answers to, so I thought I'd compile them in a thread and see if anyone could help answer them for me.

1. I really like the idea of using HLO for my player's character sheets during play, but I want to make sure that the site is 100% functional from iOS devices like an iPad. Is that going to be an issue? (I've run into issues with free alternatives not being optimized or even usable on smaller screens)

2. As the GM, I don't mind paying for a Patron account as I think the cost isn't prohibitive. However, do my players also have to pay for an account to get access to my shared content or join my campaign? Or is there a free account they can use?

3. How quickly does new content from Paizo for PF2e become available on HLO? Example: Dark Archive is about to come out, is material available on release day or within a few days of release? Or is there a longer build period where new content is out, but not available?

4. Do I have to use campaigns to be able to see my player's key stats like AC, Perception, etc. or can they share their sheet with me in some way that I can reference if I end up not wanting to use Campaigns?

Thanks for all your help!

1. I play exclusively on my iPad. I even used my iPhone in a pinch once. The design resizes very well for various screen formats, even if it was a bit tight on the phone.

2. No. They would need to create free apprentice accounts. They would need to use the campaign tab and create their characters inside your campaign. Outside the campaign, they'd have access to a limited subset of options (Core Rulebook, I believe) and couldn't level up beyond 1. At least, I think that's the current restrictions for apprentice accounts.

3. Varies greatly. It seems like rulebooks have been keeping up with release date for awhile now, but player content for 2e APs might still show some gaps. I guess we'll know this week about Dark Archive.

4. Yes. All characters need to be built within your campaign if you're using free accounts and patron content sharing. They could send you the PDF, I guess. But I find it easier to look at their character in HLO. You don't have to run the game in HLO but you'll need to set up campaigns, invite them, etc.

I too use my iPad to GM games. I use campaign theatre for the game, and prepare scenes ahead of time, but pen and paper could be used instead. I also look at my players characters at other times to help me understand them.