Question about Hero Lab

[Waffles]

So I was thinking about getting Hero Lab, it seems like a neat program and i thought $30 is a fine price... but then I read the add-on stuff and is it true that if i want the pathfinder stuff it will cost me $115... because.. and I may be wrong but it seems like it costs $30(base cost)+$85 in add-ons... then when new books come out it'll cost even more...

Is that really how it works? 'cause that seems kinda ridiculous for a character creator... I mean people pay $60 for a blockbuster game that cost $200million dollars to make...

 

[UndeadDan]

I'll admit I felt pretty much the same way before I bought Hero Lab. But, I listened to a friend who told me how much it helps in game prep and combat, so I took the plunge.

Never regretted it since. HL has saved me so much time and taught me so much about the Pathfinder system. I can't conceive of running a game without it.

 

[Angela2013]

When you get Hero Lab you can chose the Pathfinder core package. all the add-ons are option. You can add the Information in yourself for all those books.

The price for the add-ons are for the additional work they have to do to get that information into a data package that some one can use.

The $30 is for the program, one core data package, and the ability to add whatever you want.

 

[RavenX]

If you don't want to have to write the code to put the data in yourself, yes you have to pay for the extra data. Not all of the extra data is necessary though. I don't own all the campaign setting licenses and module licenses as they are unnecessary for my campaigns. Ultimate combat and magic and the bestiaries were necessary to manage my campaign but beyond those books I don't need alot of the extra stuff. You don't have to buy it all at once either. You can start with the core and pick up other data packages over time like I do. I buy a new book and spend the extra to get the license for that book. Its not that bad honestly.

 

[Fntsyfnatk]

Waffles,

HeroLab is not just a character creation program. It is so much more than that. Ultimately, that was the reason I purchased the program, to make characters easily and to have a combined spell program with it, unlike several of the other programs I have tried for Pathfinder.
HeroLab is also a game tool for the Dungeon Master and a living character sheet for the players. These functions alone surpass many of the older style character creation programs used.
HeroLab is also fully functional and constantly updated by Lone Wolf, and not just one person who may or may not get around to updating a excel spreadsheet.
As for the expansions, they are completely optional, and you must remember: Time is Money. The time it would take you to learn how to put the monsters from a bestiary into the game file, would be far more costly than the $15.00 it takes to buy it already added. At least that is how I look at it. You are talking hours of time to code the monsters at a rate close to minimum wage, or $15.00 bucks, you decide. I know what I would do. Besides, really the only extra book you need is the bestiary, if all you want to play is core rules. The extra fluff is to further detail your world that you run or play in.
HeroLab will save you countless hours of time in character generation, game play, and character updating.
Don't analyze the cost before you begin to use it. Once you get it, and start to use it, you will see, throwing $15.00 here or there to add-on a book or books will be the best way to grow your library enough as your game experience grows.
In a year, I have been able to purchase all the supplements, and I continue to read new things from them as I try to create new characters for different games that I plan to run and play in from our group.

HeroLab is well worth its price!

 

[Duggan]

The other factor to consider is that, in some cases, buying the data package can replace buying the actual books when what you're looking for isn't the fluff, but rather the lists of feats and spells added.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

living character sheet for the players.

I have to 100% agree on this topic. The Hero Lab application is made with actual game play in mind. This means that it can be used during an actual game on Laptop, and soon tablets, to make all those fun adjustments that happen during the game. You know like any of the dozen conditions or any of the thousands of spell buffs or debuffs on your character. HL also has the adjustments already for many "Class" abilities that are in Pathfinder. Standing next to the Summoner's Eidlon then boom just click on the "Shield Ally" and it will correctly adjust your stats checking the "Bonus" type for you.

During the end of my RotRL AP the players where 17th level and without the aid of HL to remember and track all the different "Bonus" types the game would have come to a crawl. Plus the ability to click a spell on/off with a single mouse click was a LIFE saver when it came time for all the Dispel magics that get tossed around at these levels.

Totally saved my games hour and hours of waiting on players to manually "update" there sheets.

 

[RavenX]

I used to spend hours writing this stuff out by hand. With Hero Lab, I just point, click, repeat and turn what would be hours of handwriting into a few minutes of game preparation time. My NPC building goes ridiculously quick, even for high level campaigns.

The fact that I no longer have to spend a week just building NPCs means I can get more notes done quickly, and I anticipate Realm Works will eventually speed that process along too.

TO put it bluntly I can do all this by hand and spend hours doing it, or spend an hour to two hours on it with Hero Lab. I really cannot live without this software as a Dungeon Master. It saves me that much time.