Editor help: Recreating the Ephemeral Echo from "Tears at Bitter Manor"

[Paris.Crenshaw]

Hi, All.

I'm trying to help out a friend who wants to use the subject creature for a different game.

First: Is there a helper that will force Hero Lab to ignore any strength bonuses on a melee attack's damage? If not, what script or tag could I use?

I'm trying to set up a monster with an incorporeal touch ability that deals 1d6 Cold damage plus 1d6 Charisma damage. I can get the incorporeal touch to show up, but the incorporeal creature curiously has a +3 strength bonus. And when I select 1d6 for the damage and use the wDamExtra tag to apply the " cold plus 1d6 Charisma damage" description, it applies that bonus to the 1d6. If I select "None" for the "incorporeal touch" damage, then the wDamExtra info doesn't even show up.

Second: The creature becomes corporeal after dealing Charisma damage to a creature. It gains a Strength score equal to its Charisma score, its deflection bonus to AC becomes a natural armor bonus, and its incorporeal touch attack is replaced with two slam attacks. It loses its fly speed and replaces it with a land speed. I had planned on doing this with an In-Play check box similar to the hybrid form modifications applied for a lycanthrope. I'd appreciate any suggestions you might have for the scripting to change the relevant aspects of the creature when the box is checked.

Thanks for your help.

[bodrin]

Originally Posted by Paris.Crenshaw

Hi, All.

I'm trying to help out a friend who wants to use the subject creature for a different game.

First: Is there a helper that will force Hero Lab to ignore any strength bonuses on a melee attack's damage? If not, what script or tag could I use?

I'm trying to set up a monster with an incorporeal touch ability that deals 1d6 Cold damage plus 1d6 Charisma damage. I can get the incorporeal touch to show up, but the incorporeal creature curiously has a +3 strength bonus. And when I select 1d6 for the damage and use the wDamExtra tag to apply the " cold plus 1d6 Charisma damage" description, it applies that bonus to the 1d6. If I select "None" for the "incorporeal touch" damage, then the wDamExtra info doesn't even show up.

Second: The creature becomes corporeal after dealing Charisma damage to a creature. It gains a Strength score equal to its Charisma score, its deflection bonus to AC becomes a natural armor bonus, and its incorporeal touch attack is replaced with two slam attacks. It loses its fly speed and replaces it with a land speed. I had planned on doing this with an In-Play check box similar to the hybrid form modifications applied for a lycanthrope. I'd appreciate any suggestions you might have for the scripting to change the relevant aspects of the creature when the box is checked.

Thanks for your help.

Off the top of my head, I think there is a "wOverDMG" tag that can be used to override the ability used for Attacks.
So in this case wOverDMG.CHA would use charisma, instead of Strength.

[Paris.Crenshaw]

Originally Posted by bodrin

Off the top of my head, I think there is a "wOverDMG" tag that can be used to override the ability used for Attacks.
So in this case wOverDMG.CHA would use charisma, instead of Strength.

Cool. So, is there an option to use the wOverDMG tag and not apply any ability score at all?

[Paris.Crenshaw]

Originally Posted by Paris.Crenshaw

Cool. So, is there an option to use the wOverDMG tag and not apply any ability score at all?

So, this was actually pretty easy. I was able to use the wMaxStrBon.0 tag to eliminate the strength bonus on that attack. Since the creature won't have this attack when it's corporeal, there's no reason to remove the bonus from other attacks.

I was going to use the following code:

hero.child[Damage].field[tDamStr].value = 0

But that turned out to be unnecessary.

[bodrin]

Originally Posted by Paris.Crenshaw

So, this was actually pretty easy. I was able to use the wMaxStrBon.0 tag to eliminate the strength bonus on that attack. Since the creature won't have this attack when it's corporeal, there's no reason to remove the bonus from other attacks.

I was going to use the following code:

hero.child[Damage].field[tDamStr].value = 0

But that turned out to be unnecessary.

Sorry I didn't reply sooner, real life work took over again!

Glad you got it sorted

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by Paris.Crenshaw

These abilities are based on the creature dealing Charisma damage to another creature. When it does, it's Corporeal Form ability kicks in for 1d4 rounds (or longer). It loses the incorporeal subtype, changes its deflection bonus to a natural armor bonus, trades its fly speed for a land speed of equal value, gains a Strength score equal to its Charisma score, and replaces its incorporeal touch with 2 slam attacks.

So the main thing you need to do is disable the incorporeal subtype. Lucky Aaron added easy logic for this. Though I would also make this ability activatable on the In-Play tab so the DM can turn it on/off as needed.

Run this script at First/510:

~ If ability not active get out now!
doneif (field[abilActive].value = 0)

~ Remove the incorporeal subtype
perform hero.assign[NoTypeAbil.stIncorpor]

Then we need to set Str to be same as Cha:
Pre-Attributes/100:

~ If ability not active get out now!
doneif (field[abilActive].value = 0)

~ Set the starting Str modifier to the same as the Cha score
hero.child[aSTR].field[aStartMod].value = hero.child[aCHA].field[aStartMod].value

Now then we have a tag on the "hero" that now tells us if we are incorporeal or not. So lets use that to our advantage.

I assume you set the Incorporeal Touch Attack as an "Other Melee Weapon" on the race. So add a bootstrap condition to it:
First/600

!NoTypeAbil.stIncorpor

Add the above logic to the "xFly" helper also so we lose fly when not incorporeal.

Then add Two Slam Attacks with the following bootstrap condition:
First/600

NoTypeAbil.stIncorpor

Originally Posted by Paris.Crenshaw

Additionally, its Stolen Power ability grants it a +2 profane bonus on attack attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks until the end of its next turn. The echo also gains 5 temporary hit points that last for 1 hour.

So these can be added to the same Racial Special of "Stolen Power". You can now easily add typed bonuses to the character for attack and damage:

      ~ If ability not active get out now!
      doneif (field[abilActive].value = 0)

      hero.child[Attack].field[BonProfane].value += field[abValue].value
      hero.child[Damage].field[BonProfane].value += field[abValue].value

In this example I preset the field abValue to be 2. This way if ever needed its easy to adjust this value up or down using an Adjustment.

I had to write a little of this so if I can I will finish out this module to be added to the GM Pack. Or happy to take other stuff you have done. Attached is an example source of this monster.

[tampasatyr]

Originally Posted by Paris.Crenshaw

Cool. So, is there an option to use the wOverDMG tag and not apply any ability score at all?

I want to create a Shillegah weapon to have on my sheet. I've made a copy of a Magic Weapon and have the Strength zeroed out. I am trying to figure out how to make it use Charisma. I see the wOverDMG tag comment above, but not sure how to continue.

The other comments in this thread appear very different than the built in editor in Hero Lab I am using.

I'd basically like to make one that uses the characters Charisma for To Hit and Damage. Then I'll just New (Copy) that one and change it Wisdom.

All these comments seem to be using coding instead of the Hero Lab editor so I am very lost.

Sorry for my ignorance...

[Dami]

Originally Posted by tampasatyr

The other comments in this thread appear very different than the built in editor in Hero Lab I am using.
All these comments seem to be using coding instead of the Hero Lab editor so I am very lost.

Within the HL editor, "coding" is still required for "scripts" in order to tell HL what you are actually doing or changing.

There is already a 'Spell Adjustment' for Shillelagh can be selected under the Adjustment tab on a hero. That might be helpful to you.
Unfortunately, I can't help you with using CHA/WIS for attack and damage other than to suggest looking at any feat in the editor that changes the stat used with a weapon.

[ShadowChemosh]

Originally Posted by Dami

Unfortunately, I can't help you with using CHA/WIS for attack and damage other than to suggest looking at any feat in the editor that changes the stat used with a weapon.

On the adjust tab HL has adjustments called "Weapon Damage Attribute Override" and "Weapon Melee Attack Attribute Override" that can allow anyone to change a weapon to use Cha/Wis.

[tampasatyr]

Originally Posted by bodrin

Off the top of my head, I think there is a "wOverDMG" tag that can be used to override the ability used for Attacks.
So in this case wOverDMG.CHA would use charisma, instead of Strength.

Where do you put, "wOverDMG"?