Bestiarys from the Adventure Paths

[bodrin]

The Amalgam creature NPC in The Six Fold trial is causing me headaches. I think I'll just have to improvise using the adjustments mechanism to fabricate a viable workaround. The datafiles will be delayed until I enter this.

 

[Lord Magus]

The Amalgam creature NPC in The Six Fold trial is causing me headaches. I think I'll just have to improvise using the adjustments mechanism to fabricate a viable workaround. The datafiles will be delayed until I enter this.

Amalgam Creature is one the most complicated templates ever devised, it takes 4.5 pages of Advanced Bestiary to fully describe. Better off coding that NPC as a unique creature than trying to code the template itself

 

[Paris.Crenshaw]

I agree with Lord Magus. Just make it a unique creature. Theoretically, an amalgam creature seems like turning a base creature into a eidolon, but even if you can get it all coded, applying a template like that in the portfolio seems like it would be complicated.

 

[bodrin]

Amalgam Creature is one the most complicated templates ever devised, it takes 4.5 pages of Advanced Bestiary to fully describe. Better off coding that NPC as a unique creature than trying to code the template itself

That's my intention for a later date, but for ease I'll add adjustments to a standard creature to emulate the stats!

 

[Umarian]

Carrion Crown AP Beastiary

I was able to finish the Carrion Crown AP Bestiaries and have just e-mailed them to ShadowChemosh. There were some minor changes in some of the .user files so if you downloaded them before, you will need to get the new ones.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

I really really really wish when you guys create your UniqueID you add a special 2 letter ID to represent yourself. This will increase the odds that you do NOT run into duplicate thing errors with official data sets.

With more and more data sets being put out by LW the possibility increase greatly that you will name something that is the same. Then the data sets won't load and changing the ID at that point causes characters (.por) files to not work correctly. Its a big mess.

Especially as I am usually the one that has to support the .user files when it has an issue I know I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[tatteredking]

I really really really wish when you guys create your UniqueID you add a special 2 letter ID to represent yourself.

Yeah this is something I realized very quickly. I've gone over to coding stuff for Savage Worlds as you all seem to have Pathfinder under control. But it definitely is something that needs to be done. My schtick is to put a two letter code in that pertains to the campaign setting I am working on. SS for Sundered Skies, RP for RunePunk, HF for Hellfrost...

 

[ShadowChemosh]

So what does anyone have any thoughts on Combining all the AP stuff into one single download? I would want to include Chiefweasel's Kingmaker stuff also.

It seems like most people are downloading all the data sets not just specific ones. So instead of me trying to maintain several data sets one big one would be easier.

I could then be willing to put this up into the Secondary Update URL, the same used by d20 and normal HL Updates, so that people just subscribe to a URL and would be auto-notified when we did updates/fixes to the data set.

How does this sound with everyone?

Thanks

 

[ValaraukarU]

I think this would work out fine as long as we can still submit updates to selected AP by author.

For example if I want to transmit an update to the CotCT AP to fix the Lesser Necrophidius' missing Dance of Death ability (yeah that is a real bug). I want to be able to submit just my parts.

I personally have only gotten the downloads I use and don't get all the APs, but I don't have an issue with grouping them if it is easier for you to handle or easier for the community to get updates.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

For example if I want to transmit an update to the CotCT AP to fix the Lesser Necrophidius' missing Dance of Death ability (yeah that is a real bug). I want to be able to submit just my parts.

This is a very good point. The only thing that can cause a little issue is I have started to rename the .user files to give them a consistent naming convention. I also in cases have started to MERGE the data files together into single .user files. Again to make it easier to deal with.

So your fix would have to be done in one of two ways:
1) You do the fix in the renamed/latest version of the .user file so I can just drop it right in over writing the current file.

2) Open the .user file in notepad or something and copy/paste out the RAW XML for the THING you fixed so I can just find it and drop it in the data set .user file.

Personally I like number 1 myself. If we go that way I would also recommend the use of DropBox then like we use for the d20 community project. It makes keeping all the files easier and it means everyone will have a backup copy of the software.

I already have a shared folder for Pathfinder. I can just send email invites out to people for it and we can work that way.

The only other benifit of keeping it all together like this is that people can use stuff others make. Like how Bodrin tried to use your new DR thing. Which brings up another point that "Ability" things should not be source marked as that prevents others from reusing your work.

Monsters and stuff should be source marked but even the Racial Specials should not as again why reinvent the wheel if another monster has the same Racial Special be nicer to just bootstrap the ability and move on.

Last note I think we need a warning for using/installing these .hl files as many of the monsters use abilities from the Bestiary data set so without them they don't work.

 

[ValaraukarU]

So your fix would have to be done in one of two ways:
1) You do the fix in the renamed/latest version of the .user file so I can just drop it right in over writing the current file.

2) Open the .user file in notepad or something and copy/paste out the RAW XML for the THING you fixed so I can just find it and drop it in the data set .user file.

Personally I like number 1 myself. If we go that way I would also recommend the use of DropBox then like we use for the d20 community project. It makes keeping all the files easier and it means everyone will have a backup copy of the software.

I can do either one, whichever is easier for you.

I wasn't in a hurry to fix the modules I have since I already ran past it in my game and don't need it anymore.

 

[bodrin]

Shadow I'd prefer the single user file method for the update, however I'd also request that the different authors be credited to their own user files and not merged into one.

I realise this would mean hosting duplicate data but as we found out with regards to Nikmal and myself the Council of Thieves data had already been started resulting in duplicated data.

Whilst it's a pain, when I work upon anything I only try to utilise the custom info that I have added, the Damage Reduction special was an oversight on my part due to tiredness and a desire to finish the job!

I've started the next part of CoT and I'll adjust my naming conventions to include an identifying 2 digit moniker in future additions as requested! Once complete I'll dropbox them into the pathfinder folder!

 

[NeoFax]

Anyone working on Legacy of Fire? I would love to have the last book as my group is nearing that stage.

Also, is this only Paizo AP material, or could I possibly make one for ENWorlds War of the Burning Sky or WotC's Red Hand of Doom and submit it?

 

[bodrin]

Anyone working on Legacy of Fire? I would love to have the last book as my group is nearing that stage.

Also, is this only Paizo AP material, or could I possibly make one for ENWorlds War of the Burning Sky or WotC's Red Hand of Doom and submit it?

I think Unseelie is working on Legacy of Fire.

Feel free to start converting anything into the community, I have red hand of doom on my shelf awaiting HL treatment whether it's for PFRpg or D20 V3.5 but it's way down on my to do list afte the CoT data input.

But by all means don't hold back inputting anything, I for one like to compare custom data as it reveals other methods of applying logic to problems!
I'm certain the whole community would appreciate more campaign system choices too!

 

[ShadowChemosh]

Feel free to start converting anything into the community.......

Yes but remember that if not OGL which allot of WotC stuff is not it can not be shared. Well at least I won't be able to post it to d20pfsrd and it is illegal to share it. Of course if you can find a different site to host that is up to each person.

Of course if it is OGL then I would be happy to post it to d20pfsrd with the other pathfinder stuff. We do have stuff already from SGG and other 3PP publishers.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

Shadow I'd prefer the single user file method for the update, however I'd also request that the different authors be credited to their own user files and not merged into one.

I had only planned to merge together the .user files per AP. So in example right now I sort of the following:

PFRPG_Council_of_Thieves_Bestiary.user
PFRPG_Council_of_Thieves_AP.user
PFRPG_Rise_of_the_Runelords_Bestiary.user
PFRPG_Rise_of_the_Runelords_AP.user

So it would still be separate per AP but it would shrink things down for say Carrion Crown where I have:
PFRPG_Carrion_Crown_Bestiary_AP43.user
PFRPG_Carrion_Crown_Bestiary_AP44.user
PFRPG_Carrion_Crown_Bestiary_AP45.user
PFRPG_Carrion_Crown_Bestiary_AP46.user
PFRPG_Carrion_Crown_Bestiary_AP47.user
PFRPG_Carrion_Crown_Bestiary_AP48.user

When a fix comes in I think its allot easier to have to update just one .user and not have to search through several .user file to find the issue.

So in the end I then combine everything into one .hl that would allow for the community, I think IMHO anyways, to be able to download and install a single file with all the current AP community created material. Plus it would make it more guaranteed that the different data sets will play nicely with each also.

Plus I think its wrong to not "reuse" code as it just makes it easier for the next person then make the same exact Thing 5 different ways. Especially sense it seems like allot of these .user files eventually fall to me to "maintain" as peoples real lives get in the way.

That is just my thought anyways.

 

[bodrin]

I had only planned to merge together the .user files per AP. [snip]

And I agree with the single user file AP update. I also agree with re using existing code, however if I were to see a complete AP set by one author as opposed to a number of different authors, I'd just download the single author set, to ensure that everything played nice and to minimise the risk of duplicate data too.

Once merged into one file there is a danger of duplicated Por file contents for example my Scabby the dog data would be duplicated with the Npcs created by Nikmal.

I would then re use the codes contained within that single AP set rather than duplicate abilities again!

 

[Aldaron]

Ookay...I'm feeling like an idiot now; I know I'm missing some vital step, but I'm buggered if I can figure out what it is.

I downloaded the "Carrion Crown v1.0 (2011.09.19).hl" file from d20pfsrd.com, and ran it. It told me it was importing a pile of .por files (all the vairoud Carrion Crown critters, by the look of it), .user files, and various others.

The import was successful...but I can't, for the life of me, find where the files have been placed. If I open Hero Lab and try to find, say, a "Beheaded" or "Alchemical Ooze Swarm", they're not in the list of creatures for import, and there doesn't seem to be a separate folder in the "Import Stock Hero" dialog.

There are a bunch of .user files that have been added in the "pathfinder\data" folder, such as "PFRPG_Carrion_Crown_BestiaryAP43.user", which of course have the critters in them in xml form, but I can't find any of the .por files.

Appreciating any suggestions of why I'm an idiot!

 

[ShadowChemosh]

The import was successful...but I can't, for the life of me, find where the files have been placed. If I open Hero Lab and try to find, say, a "Beheaded" or "Alchemical Ooze Swarm", they're not in the list of creatures for import, and there doesn't seem to be a separate folder in the "Import Stock Hero" dialog.

Not everyone made .stock files. So the .por files where placed in your portfolios\pathfinder\Carrion Crown folder. By default that should be now in My Documents\Hero Lab if memory serves.

Also when searching in HL itself by say race you have to have check marked the "Carrion Crown" AP or you won't see the "Ooze Swarm" and stuff.

Hopefully that helps.

 

[ValaraukarU]

I had only planned to merge together the .user files per AP. So in example right now I sort of the following:

PFRPG_Council_of_Thieves_Bestiary.user
PFRPG_Council_of_Thieves_AP.user
PFRPG_Rise_of_the_Runelords_Bestiary.user
PFRPG_Rise_of_the_Runelords_AP.user

I completely misunderstood what you meant by merging the files. I think the CotCT was already complaint with this except for the name of the files not matching your conventions which I will gladly comply with.