Sidekicks in Hero Lab?

[spannclann]

Are sidekicks in HL? I can't seem to find where I create them, nor am I smart enough to figure out how to code them apparently, since I have tried (just not sure where to start). Are there any hints, tips, tricks, files, etc. that someone/anyone can give?

 

[Provos]

On the content selection there seems to be a checkbox for Sidekicks under Essential Kit. Sidekick also seems to be available as a Race there are 4 of them. One for expert, spellcaster, healer, and warrior.

 

[spannclann]

Thanks, I totally missed that. I am curious, each Sidekick "race" states humanoid. Are these still used for animals, such as bears, wolves, tigers, etc?

 

[Provos]

I know is Tasha's it says they can be other creatures but it doesn't seem like it has been set up yet.

 

[spannclann]

Okay. I did find the way they did it was VERY clunky...

 

[Provos]

Unfortunately D&D only allowed the basic rules to be sold for character creation. The community has to get things to work while not having access to the base files. Maybe someone else knows a different way to use it or know how it works better then I do and they can answer.

 

[spannclann]

I would think to keep the Sidekick race, but set up "Variants" that would be the actual race of the Sidekick.

 

[Fenris447]

I set them up. Add any NPC/monster block from the encounter builder. Go to that NPC's configure hero screen and add Tasha's as a source. Then go to the class tab and add any of the three sidekick classes as a class level.

If anyone can think of a simpler way to implement that, I'd love to hear it.

For future reference, any time there is a new feature that isn't obvious, I try to add an explanation in the patch notes.

 

[Fenris447]

I would think to keep the Sidekick race, but set up "Variants" that would be the actual race of the Sidekick.

That would require "variants" of every single possible monster in 5e. Like...thousands of them. They'd have to each go in and modify the base sidekick race to match the stats of the race/monster they represent.

The way I set it up follows the way it's described by the text; pick a monster and grant it the sidekick features. You're describing a way where you pick the sidekick and grant it race features.

 

[spannclann]

How do you pick a race and grant them a sidekick feature?

I chose the race, selected the sidekick healer and get this error. The only way to not get the error is to choose the Sidekick Healer as the Race.

 

[spannclann]

I figured it out. Seems an incomplete Community Pack file is causing the error and confusion.

 

[Fenris447]

I figured it out. Seems an incomplete Community Pack file is causing the error and confusion.

Yeah I couldn't reproduce your error using the steps I posted. Is the incomplete file on your end, or is there something wrong with the files as they're available?

 

[spannclann]

I haven't found the exact file in question. What it looks like to me is that the COM_5ePack_TCoE - Sidekicks.user file is fine, but there may be another file where someone tried to fix/streamline Sidekicks.

The dark Expert, Spellcaster, and Warrior are from TCoE. The discription says "Appears In: Tasha's Cauldrin of Everything".

The greyed ones "Appears In: Sidekicks".

 

[Fenris447]

Wizards has made two versions of sidekicks; those in the Essentials Kit and those in Tasha's. Both are programmed into the Community Pack.

The Essentials Kit ones are NOT designed to be added to any race, neither by WotC nor by the Community Pack. Those are the ones labeled with the "Sidekicks" source.

The Tasha's ones ARE designed to be added to anything.

I've said this before; I highly recommend not selecting every source for every hero/monster in your portfolios, and instead just selecting the sources for things you know you want or need. Selecting it all inevitably makes problems like this, because the system has gotten so big as to create confusion.