[Mathias]

Version 4.9 of the Pathfinder files is now available from the automatic updates mechanism within Hero Lab.

The biggest addition this version is a bit of work on the Adjust tab - The Conditions table there has been moved to the new Status tab, and is joined by a table of Situations & Combat Actions - things like Charging, Mounted, Fighting Defensively, etc.

Back on the Adjust tab, the Permanent Adjustments were moved over to the Personal tab - that way, you can set up house rules like "You may pick 3 traits for your character" there, and then not have them cluttering up the Adjust tab while you're using it in play. The Temporary Adjustments have been split into three tables - one for spells, one for abilities conferred by others - like a Bard's Inspire Competence, or a Paladin's Aura of Courage.

I do have to warn you that these lists are not complete - I've only added a dozen or so spells so far, and only a few classes' worth of conferred abilities are available so far. The remainder will be added in future updates. If anyone wants to enter some of those themselves and donate them to the rest of the Hero Lab community, I'd be happy to integrate your work into the program.


The second big addition this update is the NPCs from the GMG - all 81 of them are entered and ready to go. To find them, select the Portfolio menu, either from within the main HL window or from the Tactical Console, and choose "Import Stock Hero" Then, choose one of the sets of NPCs, and select which of those characters you'd like to add, and how many.

Other changes in this update;

The faction system has been modified - characters can now take more than one faction, and prestige awards and spending are now tracked faction-by-faction. Since there are few factions available in HL, this probably won't be very useful yet - it was added so that the program is ready for the Faction Guide, once that book's ready for release.

In the editor, objects can be marked as valuables - if so, they're totaled with the character's cash at the top of the window ("Total Cash" has been renamed "Total Wealth"). You'll also find a "-Custom Valuable-" at the top of the list of gear to purchase - you can use this to represent any gems, jewelry, art objects, trade goods, etc. you come across, and these items will be incorporated into the total wealth.

All the equipment your character has is now totaled, and displayed next to the total wealth (you'll need to add some gear - this is hidden on a new character who hasn't bought anything). You can also move your mouse over this display to see a list of all those items, and see how your total wealth compares to table 12-4 (Core Rulebook, pg. 399) if the character is a PC, or table 14-9 (Core Rulebook, pg. 454) if the character is an NPC. I didn't have the time to set this up to sort the gear into the various gear categories, or to put a button on the configure hero form that sets a character's cash to the recommended value for that level - those capabilities will be added down the road).

For an NPC, a Familiar, or a minion added on the Other tab, a "Customize?" checkbox will appear on the Background tab, next to the race selection. Checking this will suppress all the pre-selected feats and pre-selected skill point allocations that were set up for that race, so that you can set them yourself.

Here's the full change list, copied from the FAQ:

Enhancements & Changes

• Added the NPCs from the GameMastery Guide as stock portfolios. These can be found in the portfolio menu within the main program or the Tactical Console, by selecting "Import Stock Hero".
• A "Customize" option has been added to the Background tab of NPCs, familiars, and minions from the Other tab, next to the race. If checked, any feats and skill points that are pre-assigned by the race will be suppressed so that the user can choose how to assign the character's feat slots and skill points.
• Added the Artifacts from the Core Rulebook.
• Characters may now select multiple factions, and track prestige awards and spending separately for each faction.
• The total value of a character's gear is now displayed on the information bar at the top of a character.
• Valuable objects, like gems or trade goods, are now incorporated into a character's total wealth.
• A "- Custom Valuable -" option has been added to the gear list, which can be used to add various valuable items to a character, for example gems, jewelry, art objects, or trade goods.
• The Conditions table has been moved off of the Adjust tab to the new Status tab, and has been joined by a new "Circumstances and Combat Actions" table for things like Charging, Fighting Defensively, etc. Many existing things have been modified so that they either modify the text of something on that table - for example, the Spirited Charge feat will add text to Mounted and Charging, and having 3+ ranks of Acrobatics will improve the effects of Fighting Defensively and Total Defense, but not all existing things have been modified yet. The remaining effects will be added in future updates.
• The Permanent adjustments table has been moved from the Adjust tab to the Personal tab.
• Tables for conferred abilities (for example, a Bard's Inspire Courage ability) and for spells have been added to the Adjust table. The lists of effects on these tables is currently incomplete, and the remaining spells and abilities will be added in future updates.

Bug Fixes

• The Ogre should have a base speed of 40', rather than 30'.
• The Drow and Drow, Noble were listed as having the Elven Magic ability.
• The Make Whole spell was not available to Wizards and Sorcerers.
• The prereqs for some of the Aspect of the Beast feat's versions from the APG were not requiring and forbidding the correct sets of vision types.
• The Trapfinding ability's effects were still being applied if it was replaced by an archetype.
• The Dragon Disciple and Sorcerer classes were not stacking properly for the Breath Weapon and Wings abilities.
• The claws and bite for a Draconic Sorcerer/Dragon Disciple were not properly changing damage with hero size.
• Weapons a hero was proficient with due to being part of a group (like Elven weapons, or a Monk's weapon proficiencies) were not showing up as proficient when selecting which weapon to base a "- Custom/Magic Weapon -" on.
• Other classes that are allowed to take Cleric Domains may now take the subdomains of the domains they are allowed.
• The "Hide Unarmed (in attacks)" option in the "Output Options" section will now only hide the unarmed strike and the gauntlets added by armor (but not gauntlets purchased as a separate item).
• Sickened was missing from the Monk's Stunning Fist ability's progression of conditions imposed.
• Updated the text of the Share Spells with Familiar ability to the Pathfinder version of that ability.
• The Monk's Wholeness of Body was reporting the 2*level HP/Ki point of 3.5, rather than Pathfinder's 1*level HP/2 Ki points.
• The human regional variants (Chelaxian, Shoanti, and Varisian) were not able to select the human's favored class options.

Data File Authoring

• The #TPA[faction's ID] and #CPA[faction's ID] macros have been added to provide quick references to the TPA and CPA of the specified faction.
• Gear can now be set as a valuable item - if so, it is totaled among the character's wealth, and the value of the item will be appended to the name. This could be used to define a specific trade good, or a specific gem, or a jeweled weapon.
• Added the abValue3 and abValue4 fields to all things that already had abValue and abValue2.
• Adjustments now have the abValue, abValue2, abValue3 and abValue4 fields.
• If you are creating a race, and the race assigns a bonus feat, make sure you assign that feat the thing.skipprereq tag, even if the feat has no pre-reqs - that way, the bonus feat will not be suppressed by the "Customize?" option on the background tab.