Hero Lab 4e

Community Data files update 2023-04-28

http://hl4e.cryptoknight.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=201

3rd Party - Zeitgeist character options

http://hl4e.cryptoknight.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=200

Community Data files update 2023-03-25

http://hl4e.cryptoknight.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=199

Community Data files update 2023-02-16

http://hl4e.cryptoknight.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=198

Warlord Scraper Error Fixes

http://hl4e.cryptoknight.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=197

For the last couple of days, I've been working on the vampire. It's almost done, but I'm having trouble with one class feature, which gives them a scaling bonus to damage with vampire class and vampire paragon path powers.

First - I've had to use a feat bonus - poking around a bit, it seems like there's no intended way to apply an untyped bonus? If anybody can provide insight into that (even just the valid name for a less common bonus type, since feat is pretty much the most likely to conflict with other stuff) that would be superb.

Second - The code below SEEMS to be working (for base class powers only, obv), but HeroLab reports it weirdly. Instead of reading like 1d8 + 5, power damage reads like 1d8  + 3 (Cha) +2. At level 5+, the damage breakdown line appears, and reads like Damage breakdown: +6 = Ability (+4), Hidden Might (+2).

The value IS right, but it's not being totalled up with the rest of the damage, which I thought it should be? It's not great what I'm used to seeing. I assume this means there's something wrong with my code, so if anybody can glance at it and tell me if there's something clearly wrong, I'd be very grateful.

Thanks!


      ~work out what our damage bonus should be
      var bonus as number
      if (hero.tagvalue[Level.?] >= 25) then
        bonus = (#attrbonus[attrCha] + 6)
      elseif (hero.tagvalue[Level.?] >= 15) then
        bonus = (#attrbonus[attrCha] + 4)
      elseif (hero.tagvalue[Level.?] >= 5) then
        bonus = (#attrbonus[attrCha] + 2)
      else
        bonus = #attrbonus[attrCha]
        endif

      ~Add bonus to class powers
      foreach pick in hero from Power where "PowerClass.clsVampire"
        perform eachpick.field[pwDamFeat].modify[+,bonus,""]
       nexteach


Hoping somebody with a more intimate knowledge of HL may know the answer to this -

For temporary/in-play adjustments to derived traits, the tracker seems to cap at +9. This is fine for most things, but like many players I use it to track temp HPs. I play a paladin, and pallies get Virtue - so this character gains ~35 temp HP at least once per fight.

Does anybody know a way to remove or increase the limit in question? I've tried, but beyond duplicating the Derived Trait adjustment and not seeing anything useful there, I can't even find the thing to edit.

Thanks for reading ^^

Cavalier Summon Steed Patch

http://hl4e.cryptoknight.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=196

Fey Beast Companions (HotF)

http://hl4e.cryptoknight.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=195

Blackguard (Paladin)

http://hl4e.cryptoknight.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=194

Soo, I've been trying to skin HeroLab 4e for ages, since I hate reading light text on dark background (I have a squished cornea in one eye, so light-on-dark text smears across the screen and gives me headaches). More accurately, I got MOST of the way through re-skinning 4e a couple of years ago, but there were things I could never get working and eventually I put it in a box and got on with things that seemed attainable.

Recently, I got interested in this again, and I've gotten further this time in that I think I've worked out the source of the quirks.

Here's a look at the WIP skin - it's a mix of icons/layout elements grabbed from the Pathfinder skin, and colour tweaked version of the default 4e stuff.


So, with graphical elements replaced and styles_ui.aug updated to reflect suitable text colours, it looks quite passable. However, there are certain elements that insist on using the old style. The problem areas are:

• Some (but not all) section/table headers. You can see in the screenshot that the "Health" section is using the new style, but "Tracked Resources" is using the old.
• Text that changec colour in context. In the example, "Add Temporary Adjustments" is the wrong colour, which happens for almost all "Add XYZ" in such tables; it also happens for all yellow "alert" text (for example, the count text when you choices available for powers/feats/etc) and red) and all red "alert" text (such as highlights illegal choices).

The first time around I couldn't work this out, because the colours for all these types of text are defined in the style file. I couldn't see why they weren't working.

This time around, I looked a little closer (read: scanned all text-based HL files for the hex values of the offending colours) and it seems to make sense: the .dat files are setting text colours absolutely, rather than obeying styles. Here's a section of code from the Rituals tab:

      <additem><![CDATA[
        ~set the color based on whether the proper number of slots are allocated
        if (hero.tagis[Hero.Monster] = 0) then
          if (field[resLeft].value = 0) then
            @text = "{text a0a0a0}"
          elseif (field[resLeft].value < 0) then
            @text = "{text ff0000}"
            endif
          endif
        @text &= "Add New Ritual"
        ]]></additem>
      </table_dynamic>
    </portal>


Sure looks like the hex values are hard-coded right in there. right Not good design philosophy, and - I suspect - quite possibly the main reason that Lone Wolf always waved off skinning as being too hard to implement. It's even weirder than that, though, because the colour I really want to get rid of is the yellow (ffff00), and that isn't referenced here despite the fact that it's also a conditional effect on this same text. The only reference I can find to that value is in data.hlz - the comp[iled file, right? - so I figure it must be deeper in the system even than that.

For now, I'm not trying to make any further adjustments to files, since I'm getting into "clashes with future updates" territory. But if somebody who's more familiar with the code could help me out by adjusting these things to use styles, not hard values, that would be superb. I'd love to be able to have a finished skin that I could share, cus I know I'm not the only one who has problems with the default ^^;

Last session, my Artificer mentioned to me that his implement - crossbow, by way of the Crossbow Caster feat - had never worked in HeroLab. I hadn't realised this, although obviously a few minutes poking around here has shown me a bunch of issues with various implements, superior implements and "weapliments".

The idea right now seems to be to patch individual items, so I thought I'd do that for weapons that can be used as implements. Then I remembered Monks, because I've actually played one of those, unlike all the other implement users, and went "hey, wait a  minute...". Sure enough, the Monk in HeroLab has a major error in its Implement Proficiencies. Sure, it gets all the weapons Monks receive automatic proficiency with, but that's not the actual rule - monks can use any weapon they're proficient with as an implement, not just the ones they get by default. So any proficiency they acquire with feats, background, racial bonuses, theme, hybrid or multiclassing options, whatever.  Literally any weapon in the game.

My point being, "weapons which can also be implements" is the same as just "weapons".

I know this is a biiiig task, and that parts of it are all being worked on, but I didn't see any discussion of its overall scope, so I wanted to raise it as a whole. I wanted to find out more about how people are approaching this, and how it should be approached.

I saw people fixing certain weapliments by adding them to an "Implement type" group. Will this work for all weapons without a change to the underlying files? I mean, is it just a matter of tagging items so the program "notices" that they can be implements, or is the program not able to use them correctly even if they include such a tag? In particular, since non-magical weapon properties (Proficiency bonus, damage dice, Reach etc) don't apply when a weapon is used an an implement, I assume HL isn't "looking" for such properties when it connects an implement to a power. Is it able to apply the magical properties safely and ignore the mundane characteristics?

And, if simply tagging all weapons is the way to go, do folks think it would be better to for all weapons to be in one big "weapons" implement group? Or should weapon groups be mirrored to implement groups? I'm happy to put in the effort, just not sure what the better approach would be.

Ardent Trigger Bugfixes

http://hl4e.cryptoknight.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=189

Ardent Bootstrap Fix

http://hl4e.cryptoknight.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=188

Warden Power Fixes (Guardian Forms and Misc)

http://hl4e.cryptoknight.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=187

Skald

http://hl4e.cryptoknight.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=135

Priority: 4000
Phase: Final
(I don't understand timing very well, so the above may not be optimal - however, they do work in my HL).

Somewhat borrowed from Cryptoknight's script to assign highest attribute, but I needed something that would work on powers that already had an attribute, such as might ne modified by a feat or build option.

Example is for a homebrew feat that allows a certain race to convert strength-based Warlord powers into Wisdom-based instead.


foreach pick in hero from Attack where "PowerClass.clsWarlord"
    if (eachpick.tagis[Attack.attrStr] <> 0) then
      perform eachpick.deletestr["DamageAttr.attrStr"]
      perform eachpick.deletestr["Attack.attrStr"]
      perform eachpick.assignstr["DamageAttr.attrWis"]
      perform eachpick.assignstr["Attack.attrWis"]
      endif
   nexteach


Better scripters might know of a "replace" action that could tidy up the delete/assign pattern, but this is still functional.

Obviously you can check for other situations by replacing "PowerClass.clsWarlord" and "Attack.attrStr" with your desired conditions, and changing the deleted/assigned attributes appropriately. Official (and less ablative) in-game uses would be for things like Skald's Deceptive Duelist feature, Half-Elf's Adept Dilettante feat, which I am working on adapting it to now.

I'm really glad to see this place One of the reasons I was bummed out at the announcement of D&D Next is because I figured 4e tools would immediately fall by the wayside, so I'm super happy that you fine people are all still giving it the time of day

Unfortunately most of my HeroLab experiments have been homebrew, so not a great deal of help. I do have a cumulative bugfixed userfile that might come in handy though - it's just a grab-bag of things I noticed had gotten a bit mangled between Compendium/Downloader/HeroLab, like Goliath greatweapon prowess, and some Guardian Form Warden powers. If it's wanted, I'll double-check it to make sure I actually fixed everything, and see if there are related things I can add, then share it here ^^

Anyway - hi folks, thanks for all your work Now I shall shamelessly benefit from it.