Custom Backgrounds

[MardukBathory]

I feel so stupid.

Every time I've asked around online about how to make custom backgrounds, in the last few days, I'm told "Just go to the editor."

I'm IN the editor. NOW WHAT?

I click on "edit" by "Starting Weapons", but no weapons to choose from. Do I type it in? How will it know what weapon stats to associate with it?

Same story for armor and gear.

I go to add a background special ability, it gives me the option to "add another bootstrap". 'BOOTSTRAP?'' And then none of the options it gives for this are any of the feats from the background. I'm inclined to think this 'special ability' has nothing o do with the feat.

I think, 'fine, I'll start work on the personality options!' But have no idea what any of the buttons mean except "fields."

I try adding my bonds in the fields. I save and try testing them by using them on a new character. No new options for the test background appear.

At the end of the day I don't *mind* filling in a custom background every time, I would just rather I didn't have to, that I can save and load them just like I can with the acolyte.

Can somebody please explain the process to a spanner like me??

[Aaron]

Have you checked out the tutorials? They are available through the Help menu in the editor and explain some of the terminology and how you can copy the existing background to see how it does things.

Yes, starting armor/gear/weapons are just text fields so you would type in what the suggested gear is there. I'm not sure what you mean by knowing weapon stats? The text is displayed to the user and then they add whichever piece of gear they prefer.

[MardukBathory]

Originally Posted by Aaron

Have you checked out the tutorials? They are available through the Help menu in the editor and explain some of the terminology and how you can copy the existing background to see how it does things.

Yes, starting armor/gear/weapons are just text fields so you would type in what the suggested gear is there. I'm not sure what you mean by knowing weapon stats? The text is displayed to the user and then they add whichever piece of gear they prefer.

Thanks, I have checked the tutorial.

It shows you how to make a basic character, but that much I'd already worked that out, I've put in a custom background using with the traits, bond, flaw, etc, that my PC has but I can't figure out how to make more that I can use whenever I roll a new PC without having to copy in all of the specific details.

The same for class archetypes.

The tutorial offers nothing to help with either

I really hope LWD offer a video tutorial for either or both of these for dumbasses like me soon.

[DrKwang]

In the Tools menu, run the Editor. Then in the Editor's Help menu, look at that tutorial to see how to add custom stuff to the data set that will be available for all characters.

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by DrKwang

In the Tools menu, run the Editor. Then in the Editor's Help menu, look at that tutorial to see how to add custom stuff to the data set that will be available for all characters.

Yes, I think you may have been looking at the wrong tutorials. For adding your own content, you want the ones accessable from the editor's help menu. If you're more of a visual person, we also have some youtube videos, including the seminar I gave on adding your own content last year at GenCon. They are dealing with the Pathfinder system, but many of the concepts are transferrable between the systems at least.

[MardukBathory]

Yeah, I think I was. (It's one of those days-weeks-months-years... *sigh*).

I found them and I've started with subraces, as the tutorial does. But I've hit a snag on creating special abilities.

Drow Magic. I started with "New (Copy)" and altered the text for "Infernal Legacy" to have the same spells for Drow Magic but I can't find how you alter the relevant spells so they appear on your final, printed character sheet after choosing a dark elf.

Originally Posted by Aaron

I'm not sure what you mean by knowing weapon stats? The text is displayed to the user and then they add whichever piece of gear they prefer.

I mean, take a look at the pics I attached to this message. One shows the options to add gear such as weapons, etc. The other shows exactly what I see when I click on those fields.

How is that gear going to end up on my sheet's inventory? Will it show up there if I just type it in? And the weapons (not that backgrounds have many/any, to my knowledge)? Will the dice and modifiers, etc., be shown in the right spot if I add a weapon to the background?

[Elindor]

I'm on a train right now, so I can't pull out my laptop to check, but look at the tags and bootstraps on Infernal Legacy - the spells should be there with additional tags indicating the level they are earned.

[Elindor]

Oh, and gear sets are just text fields, which display on the equipment tabs that are relevant (if you sort them properly). You have to manually add the gear in character creation.

[Hollis]

Originally Posted by MardukBathory

Yeah, I think I was. (It's one of those days-weeks-months-years... *sigh*).

I found them and I've started with subraces, as the tutorial does. But I've hit a snag on creating special abilities.

Drow Magic. I started with "New (Copy)" and altered the text for "Infernal Legacy" to have the same spells for Drow Magic but I can't find how you alter the relevant spells so they appear on your final, printed character sheet after choosing a dark elf.

I mean, take a look at the pics I attached to this message. One shows the options to add gear such as weapons, etc. The other shows exactly what I see when I click on those fields.

How is that gear going to end up on my sheet's inventory? Will it show up there if I just type it in? And the weapons (not that backgrounds have many/any, to my knowledge)? Will the dice and modifiers, etc., be shown in the right spot if I add a weapon to the background?

Starting equipment isn't automatically added to the character. It's there as a reminder of the equipment your character can take as their free starting equipment from your class and background. Anything you put in the "Starting Weapons" field, for example, appears on the weapons tab, but only at first level. It disappears after you've added a second level. The All Starting Equipment field is displayed at the top of the description when choosing a class or background.

[Aaron]

Elindor is correct. Those fields are for display to the user, who then chooses to manually add one or the other sets.