FH Racial Packages in HD

**mudpyr8** · Dec 18th, '03, 10:02 AM

That is how I understood it. I've been able to use the REMOVE tag as well to eliminate powers & such that I don't even want showing up.

So, it goes as follows:

1. Create a campaign.hdt for campaign-wide settings. Have this exctend the main template.

2. Create a racial.hdt file for setting racial stats & NCM that extends campaign.hdt.

3. Create a racial.hdc file that contains all of the base abilities and skills which uses the racial.hdt file. This is the file that the player will use to create a new character based on that race.

MD can be created using DEF as outlined in the docs, and using costs similar to PD, but using EGO. I followed those instructions and created a couple of new characteristics.

***Simon*** · Dec 18th, '03, 10:54 AM

Originally posted by Hierax
OK, I've fiddled with the template and have got it to adjust the starting level (LVLSTART) of characteristics and the various NCM for various ages ... and it was really quite easy to figure out (Thanks Simon for using nice easy to decipher XML code for the program instead of some computer gobbldygook!).

But what else can, or should, I do other than setting the Characteristic starting values and NCMs for each Race?

What about movement, disadvantages, powers, talents, and all of the other things that all members of a race would have in common?

From the following quotes:

it seems like Characteristic starting values and NCM adjustments are that is all that should be done in the custom Template (HDT) and that the rest (Powers, Skills, etc.) should just be done in a regular character file (HDC) which should be saved and used as a starting point to open and create individuals of the race from. Is this correct?

I just want to make sure that I'm understanding this right so that I can do things in the proper way.

THANKS!

That's pretty much correct....just realize that you don't need a custom template to set the starting values for characteristics -- you can do that in the .hdc character file as well.

**Hierax** · Dec 18th, '03, 12:49 PM

OK, FWIW, I've played with it a bit, here's my first attempt at making a racial custom template and character sheet starting point combo:

Message Board Post under Fantasy Hero > My D&D 3e Arcane Magic Conversion

**Hierax** · Dec 19th, '03, 08:28 AM

The 2.06 Update is great!

It lets character information besides characteritics and NCM levels to be set in the template so now you can include all of the powers, skills, talents, disadvantages, etc.

This is going to make the racial templates a lot easier!

THANKS Simon!

***Simon*** · Dec 19th, '03, 08:33 AM

Originally posted by Hierax
The 2.06 Update is great!

It lets character information besides characteritics and NCM levels to be set in the template so now you can include all of the powers, skills, talents, disadvantages, etc.

This is going to make the racial templates a lot easier!

THANKS Simon!

No problem.

For my next trick, I'm working on custom characteristics. I'm just about done.....I've got things set so that you can define up to 10 custom characteristics without having to reuse things like DEF and the like.

**Hierax** · Dec 19th, '03, 08:43 AM

Sounds good!

When you do this new feature, is there a way to link making MD as a Figured Characteristic to the power, so that the Figured Characteristic can be included in the power?

Currently, when using the DEF = MD method the MD Characteristic and Power are completely separate.

I'm trying to create a racial template that has MD Figured as a base vs. all mental attacks/effects and bonuses to that base but only vs. other attacks -- i.e., Elves vs. Sleep and Charm.

I know it could just be built as a power but it would be so much better to do it as a characteristic as well.

Is there any way to get the new way of doing characteristics to work with this?

***Simon*** · Dec 19th, '03, 09:37 AM

Originally posted by Hierax
Sounds good!

When you do this new feature, is there a way to link making MD as a Figured Characteristic to the power, so that the Figured Characteristic can be included in the power?

Currently, when using the DEF = MD method the MD Characteristic and Power are completely separate.

I'm trying to create a racial template that has MD Figured as a base vs. all mental attacks/effects and bonuses to that base but only vs. other attacks -- i.e., Elves vs. Sleep and Charm.

I know it could just be built as a power but it would be so much better to do it as a characteristic as well.

Is there any way to get the new way of doing characteristics to work with this?

Hrrrm....good point.

I've just added in two new attributes that are available to all Characteristics and Powers in the template: MDINCREASE and MDINCREASELEVELS

Those should allow you to do what you need (just set MDINCREASE="1" and MDINCREASELEVELS="1" for your custom MD Characteristic).

This will be available in 2.07

**Killer Shrike** · Dec 19th, '03, 09:53 AM

Ok, sitting down to get to work on this. One quick question b4 I delve into this.

If I want to define a custom Weapons Group (such as Elven Weapons Group: WF: Blades, Spears, Bows for 2 points in this case) do I need to override/copy the entire Weapon Familiarity element into my custom template to include a new adder sub element, or is there a way I can just extend the Weapon Fam element by exception without needing to include all the other sub elements?

***Simon*** · Dec 19th, '03, 09:56 AM

Originally posted by Killer Shrike
Ok, sitting down to get to work on this. One quick question b4 I delve into this.

If I want to define a custom Weapons Group (such as Elven Weapons Group: WF: Blades, Spears, Bows for 2 points in this case) do I need to override/copy the entire Weapon Familiarity element into my custom template to include a new adder sub element, or is there a way I can just extend the Weapon Fam element by exception without needing to include all the other sub elements?

If you want to redefine an item in your template, you habe to redefine all of it (i.e. you should copy the whole list).

I'm a little confused in what you're looking to do, however.....why not just purchase those categories in a WF Skill for the character?

**Killer Shrike** · Dec 19th, '03, 10:07 AM

Originally posted by Simon
If you want to redefine an item in your template, you habe to redefine all of it (i.e. you should copy the whole list).

Ok, thats what I expected, but thought Id ask JIC.

Originally posted by Simon
I'm a little confused in what you're looking to do, however.....why not just purchase those categories in a WF Skill for the character?

I want to make a new group for the three weapons costing 2 points rather than 3. I did it w/ a negative "discount" adder as I want to do this in several places, both Race and Professions (ie a Druid Weapons group, and Wizard Weapons group, etc), and think it will probably prove more consistent to do it in a similar fashion rather than 1 way for Race Packages (done w/ a custom template) and another way for Profession Packages (done w/ prefabs).

Finished building the first template. I did the same one as Heirax for comparison purposes.

The new functionality is hereby deemed "very cool". Thanx!

EDIT: Caught a few glitches in the file, and corrected them.

***Simon*** · Dec 19th, '03, 10:10 AM

Originally posted by Killer Shrike

I want to make a new group for the three weapons costing 2 points rather than 3. I did it w/ a negative "discount" adder as I want to do this in several places, both Race and Professions (ie a Druid Weapons group, and Wizard Weapons group, etc), and think it will probably prove more consistent to do it in a similar fashion rather than 1 way for Race Packages (done w/ a custom template) and another way for Profession Packages (done w/ prefabs).

You may want to try keeping those three separate, but grouping them under the same "category" of, say, "Elf Weapons" (or whatever). Set the cost for the category to 2 points and it won't matter how many of the individual weapons they select, the cost will not exceed the cost for the category.

It should give you greater flexibility that way.

**Killer Shrike** · Dec 19th, '03, 10:44 AM

Originally posted by Simon
You may want to try keeping those three separate, but grouping them under the same "category" of, say, "Elf Weapons" (or whatever). Set the cost for the category to 2 points and it won't matter how many of the individual weapons they select, the cost will not exceed the cost for the category.

It should give you greater flexibility that way.

Ya, thats what I was going to do, but didnt want to copy the entire WF tree into each Race Template to add 1 group per.

Hmm....on further reflection I could do a custom template just for Weapon Familiarity, couldnt I? And then all the odd-ball special race and profession weapon groups I want to do would be in one place.

***Simon*** · Dec 19th, '03, 10:47 AM

Originally posted by Killer Shrike
Ya, thats what I was going to do, but didnt want to copy the entire WF tree into each Race Template to add 1 group per.

Hmm....on further reflection I could do a custom template just for Weapon Familiarity, couldnt I? And then all the odd-ball special race and profession weapon groups I want to do would be in one place.

You're starting to realize the joys of a hierarchical template structure

**Killer Shrike** · Dec 19th, '03, 11:02 AM

Originally posted by Simon
You're starting to realize the joys of a hierarchical template structure

Resume excerpt (under applications developed):

"An XML Generator that converts and transforms over 300 large and dissimilar databases on reoccuring release schedules into hierarchical XML ideal for Data Streaming and searchable storage of diversely structured source data."

Ive done a lot of work with hierarchical XML in the past, writing several tools to either make it, read it, manage it, or some combination. Its just been a few years