Is there any way to have weapons/shields organised into "groups"?
For instance, I know a Ranger that has two bludgeoning weapons (one normal and one light), two piercing weapons (again one normal and one light) and two slashing weapons (also matching normal and light) that he uses in pairs as required - for instance to overcome damage reduction. He also uses a a shield if he thinks he needs more protection...
So being able to have weapons customised as a discrete group "if required" would be an advantage, as you'd then be able to have the correct To Hit and Damage bonus variables calculated correctly, especially where feats apply. I have found Hero Lab to be quite inflexible with respect to multiple weapons. As HL stands, you can specify what gear you have, but unless you take a laptop with you, there is nothing to help you with your weapon use calculations.
Of course, you could get used to it as it is, but it'd be much easier for you to simply look at you character sheet, and there is a section where he can just look at the list of blocks for the weapon group, and there are the attacks, all worked out depending on what feat he has and the attack bonus(es), and also showing the damage for each weapon (also accounting for Double Slice or any other combat feat).
Additionally, there should be a clearly stated AC modifier based on feats and equipment that are active. Shields should be dealt with down here, as I have seen players using two handed weapons just reading off their base AC from a paper sheet - which has a shield equipped. Also, there is Two Weapon Defence which modifies AC when certain conditions are met. I got around this problem by writing up weapon stat blocks on system cards, but it is a pain when you have to carry around six cards... which change when you have a spell cast on you. For now, I'd not have a final AC at the top of the page; I'd have a list of modifiers, but only have the final AC listed next to/within each weapon group the player has to prevent confusion. In the distant future when everyone at our gaming table has an electronic device, then this sort of thing won't be needed... but for now, it'd be a far more happy Pathfinder group.
Also, it would be advisable for each weapon group to be able to have a custom name; 32 characters should be plenty, 16 is possibly enough.
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This would also potentially extend to the Ring Of Force Shield, which (in HL) does not equip as a proper shield. It is listed correctly under "Magic", however when it is equipped I believe HL should be creating a 'Force Shield' item under "Armor" - which cannot be sold or dropped - that is automatically equipped if possible as long as the ring is equipped in the "Magic" tab, and confers a +2 shield bonus to AC.
As the Ring Of Force Shield would not be active if someone were wielding two weapons, then in the previous scenario of having weapon groups, the Ring would only be active if the character only had one 1-handed item equipped in that group, and the AC calculated accordingly.
For instance, I know a Ranger that has two bludgeoning weapons (one normal and one light), two piercing weapons (again one normal and one light) and two slashing weapons (also matching normal and light) that he uses in pairs as required - for instance to overcome damage reduction. He also uses a a shield if he thinks he needs more protection...
So being able to have weapons customised as a discrete group "if required" would be an advantage, as you'd then be able to have the correct To Hit and Damage bonus variables calculated correctly, especially where feats apply. I have found Hero Lab to be quite inflexible with respect to multiple weapons. As HL stands, you can specify what gear you have, but unless you take a laptop with you, there is nothing to help you with your weapon use calculations.
Of course, you could get used to it as it is, but it'd be much easier for you to simply look at you character sheet, and there is a section where he can just look at the list of blocks for the weapon group, and there are the attacks, all worked out depending on what feat he has and the attack bonus(es), and also showing the damage for each weapon (also accounting for Double Slice or any other combat feat).
Additionally, there should be a clearly stated AC modifier based on feats and equipment that are active. Shields should be dealt with down here, as I have seen players using two handed weapons just reading off their base AC from a paper sheet - which has a shield equipped. Also, there is Two Weapon Defence which modifies AC when certain conditions are met. I got around this problem by writing up weapon stat blocks on system cards, but it is a pain when you have to carry around six cards... which change when you have a spell cast on you. For now, I'd not have a final AC at the top of the page; I'd have a list of modifiers, but only have the final AC listed next to/within each weapon group the player has to prevent confusion. In the distant future when everyone at our gaming table has an electronic device, then this sort of thing won't be needed... but for now, it'd be a far more happy Pathfinder group.
Also, it would be advisable for each weapon group to be able to have a custom name; 32 characters should be plenty, 16 is possibly enough.
-
This would also potentially extend to the Ring Of Force Shield, which (in HL) does not equip as a proper shield. It is listed correctly under "Magic", however when it is equipped I believe HL should be creating a 'Force Shield' item under "Armor" - which cannot be sold or dropped - that is automatically equipped if possible as long as the ring is equipped in the "Magic" tab, and confers a +2 shield bonus to AC.
As the Ring Of Force Shield would not be active if someone were wielding two weapons, then in the previous scenario of having weapon groups, the Ring would only be active if the character only had one 1-handed item equipped in that group, and the AC calculated accordingly.