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How do I create a PoW archetype?

E

EldritchWeaver

Well-known member
I've been looking into creating an archetype for a non-PoW class, so that class has access to disciplines and maneuvers. In the editor I see some PoW related entries under the zCommunity tab, but it seems either something missing or I can't see what I'm supposed to do next. Any pointers, please?
 
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In a nut shell any "PoW" class has three pieces:
1) The class itself (Classes->Class). Which normally for spells or psionics you can fill in that information on the "Class" tab in the editor. I can't change existing editor tabs so this is not possible.

2) The "Configurable" (General->Configurable) which you should do a New (Copy) from an existing PoW class to make sure its setup correctly and calls all the correct procedures. This allows the Maneuvers Tab to display in HL. You must manually bootstrap this to your Class.

3) The "PoW Maneuver List" (zCommunity->PoW Class Setup) which allows you to A) Link the Class to the Configurable and B) To easily setup the levels the class gains Maneuvers and Stances. This is then manually bootstrapped to the Configurable.

Those three things work together to create a class or PrC that can have maneuvers. Be sure to highlight the "?" in the editor when working with the zCommunity stuff as I tried my best to put in "Help" text to help people understand what the stuff does.

I am sorry this stuff is broken out in separate Pieces but I can't as nicely integrate into existing LW logic for Editor Tabs. Meaning some stuff will always be "separate" pieces linked together.

Hope that helps.
 
It helped a lot. Still I just don't get the actual archetype to show up in the menu, where I choose the archetype for the class. I've attached my file, maybe you see what I've done wrong there.

The archetype is called Warshifter for the Shifter class (from Spheres of Power).

Edit: As it seems that other people download my file as well, I've updated it with a working version. Though no guarantee that this or the rest works as it should (actually, some stuff is just a workaround), so consider yourself warned. :)
 

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I'm AFHL at the moment, but looking at your file I believe the problem is you have "show only" checked, which is what you do for "fake" archetypes that only act as section headers in the archetype picker. So actually your archetype is showing up, it just isn't selectable.

This is partly my fault, as I really should have added header archetypes to the classes in the core package. I'll put that on my to-do list for version 1.4.
 
TheIronGolem said:
I'm AFHL at the moment, but looking at your file I believe the problem is you have "show only" checked, which is what you do for "fake" archetypes that only act as section headers in the archetype picker. So actually your archetype is showing up, it just isn't selectable.
Click to expand...
That totally would cause an issue. :)
 
Opps... I forgot about this. I will try and take a look tonight. I wish there was a way to "Flag" a thread to review later. I gets marked as read and often falls down the page. :(
 
EldritchWeaver, I've just posted the 1.4 update to SoP, which includes the header archetypes. Once you've updated, I suspect your archetype will show up (assuming you've left the "show only" off).

I hadn't known this until today, but it turns out that a header archetype doesn't display unless there is at least one non-header archetype for the same class in the display list. That would explain a lot of the issue here.
 
Short version: In the Warshifter archetype, hit the Bootstraps button. In the menu that appears, hit "click to add another bootstrap". A new row of controls will appear, which includes a textbox for a thingid. In that textbox, enter "cCfgSoPWSh" without the quotes. Click the OK button, then hit Test Now to compile the changes. If the "Warshifter Maneuvers" tab doesn't appear on the character right away, do a CTL-R to reload the game system and it should be there.

Longer version: cCfgSoPWSh is the ID for the Configurable that you created, and it's the Warshifter Maneuvers tab itself. A Configurable's job is to track how many of one or more thing types (usually abilities or feats) that can be added to a character, and to give the user an interface for adding them to the character and viewing them afterwards.

With PoW classes, the Configurable in turn bootstraps a "maneuver list", which is a custom component that ShadowChemosh wrote. The maneuver list is what tracks the number of stances/maneuvers a class gets at each level and what Disciplines are allowed for that class. The Configurable refers to the maneuver list to determine what maneuvers/stances to display to the user as valid choices.

"Bootstrapping" is the process of taking some element (a race, feat, class ability, whatever) and adding it to the character programatically. For example, a class bootstraps all the class abilities that class gets - which is why adding a level of Rogue gives you Sneak Attack without you having to manually add that ability.

So in the case of PoW classes (or PoW archetypes for non-PoW classes), the chain goes Class/Archetype->Configurable->Maneuver List. The user adds the class/arch by hand, the class/arch adds the configurable so that its maneuvers will show up, and the configurable adds the maneuver list so it knows what maneuvers it's allowed to show. You were missing the first link in that chain - the archetype bootstrapping the configurable. Once I added that bootstrap and compiled/reloaded, the maneuvers tab appeared and I was able to add maneuvers to it. I didn't look too deep to validate the Discipline choices or anything, but it did seem right at a glance.
 
I've been trying to make a Medic class (which works good enough for me right now, but is missing some stuff) and the Angel of Mercy archetype because I need that for a character. But the archetype gives me problems.

The one fitting this thread is regarding the disciplines. Angel of Mercy exchanges Broken Blade with Silver Crane. Assuming I did everything correctly according to the posts here, I would have expected that a new Angel of Mercy maneuver tab would appear or that it replaces the Medic maneuver tab. But there is neither a new tab nor the old tab has its disciplines changed. So what I am doing wrong?
 

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I am AFHL and also not terribly familiar with the Medic. But usually if you're not seeing a new tab from a recently-added Configurable, all you need to do is reload the game system with CTL-R (or, occasionally, restart Hero Lab entirely).

That said, if all you're trying to accomplish is a discipline swap then you don't need to set up a whole new maneuver tab. Discipline swaps are already handled by adding/removing discipline tags in a script. The Steelfist Commando is a good example.
 
Pretty much as TheIronGolem said. I went ahead and updated the .user file to make the changes in the Tags for you. I fixed some Source issues I found and scripted the "Cura Te Ipsum" ability also.

Here is the type of script that was needed on the archetype. This removes one disciple and adds a different one:
Code: 
      ~ Remove Broken Blade and add Sliver Crane
      perform hero.childfound[mHelpPWMdc].delete[Discipline.BrokenBlad]
      perform hero.childfound[mHelpPWMdc].assign[Discipline.SilvrCrane]

The above causes the Medic Maneuver tab to no longer display Broken Blade and instead show's Silver Crane.

See attached for the updated .user file.
 

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