Has anyone used Herolabs

[R-Hero]

Found this on the web:


Hero Lab - Lone Wolf Development



It looks like a good tool. Character and Monster generator, access to the rulebooks and regular updates.

I will probably buy the Pathfinder bundle when I can get the funds.
I was wondering if anyone here has used it.

 

[Alan Shutko]

One of the guys in our group has it and likes it well enough. But none of us like the pricing structure enough to buy into it. We like the idea of a builder that works with multiple game systems, but needing to buy game systems separately makes it less appealing. And then, just with pathfinder, you need to buy the Advanced Player's guide separately, other supplements separately, etc.

I'd be more inclined to support the "buy what you need model" if each of the add-ins were less expensive. But ~$10 for the APG? That's a quarter the cost of the hardcover. So it's not for me.

 

[Rhun]

[MENTION=29558]Mowgli[/MENTION] uses it. He created a custom class for one of my characters using it. Let's see if this summons will bring him around.

 

[falcarrion]

I use it all the time. I have no problems with there buy add ons. They are constantly improving there product. There updates are free. There support people are fantastic. And you can customize it. I'll create a character, print it to pdf file, and load it on my Ipad and I'm all set.

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

You rang?

I'm a huge fan. I keep both my characters and the characters for the games I run in it. It tracks pretty much everything; check the box for a condition and the modifiers cascade through the program.

As Rhun said, I've used the editor to make the custom classes and races for my games.

I use the Tactical Console for running combats; it keeps pretty much all of the relevant numbers for each combatant in a condensed view and in initiative order.

It is a little pricey, but considering all the work Lone Wolf puts into it very reasonable - especially considering it's not a subscription. You're buying a license to use the product; that license is good forever, you get an extra license for use on another machine, and the updates are all free.

Finally, as falcarrion said their customer support is top-notch. The developers monitor their forums and respond personally to requests for help, and there is a large group of users who are very helpful as well.

You can actually try it for free. The free version is core rules only (I think), but has full functionality other than saving (and maybe printing) your characters.

 

[Nebten]

My self and my group use it. At first we were slow to coming around, but after playing around with the demo we got hooked. Everything on it is so smooth compared to the excel based character sheets.

Adding custom feats & abilities are quite easy. If you like making or trying out new characters, it is very easy to use.

Try the demo. You'll know right away if its worth it for you or not. Pricey, yes, but if you game often it maybe worth it. Then again, there is ole PnP (which I'm trying to get back into using =v)

 

[IronWolf]

I use it and love how it speeds up character creation time. Their support is very responsive in most cases and any bugs I have reported on their forums have been fixed.

The pricing can seem pretty steep initially. I only have the core package for Pathfinder and the APG and I am able to do most of what I want with it. Point being you can spread the cost out a bit if you don't buy all of it up front, but only as you need it.

 

[R-Hero]

Good Info. Thanks to all.

I stumbled onto it while trying to research the viability of downloading the PDF versions of Pathfinder to an e-book. I lost most of my 3.5 after the recent storms and want to replace (and update) my library and I thought an e-reader would be easier to transport, etc...

What I've read seems to indicate that PDFs on e-readers are somewhat limited at best.

Many say the new Kindle DX handles them well, but for the price, I think a small laptop/notebook with Herolabs will be the way I go.

 

[falcarrion]

Good Info. Thanks to all.

I stumbled onto it while trying to research the viability of downloading the PDF versions of Pathfinder to an e-book. I lost most of my 3.5 after the recent storms and want to replace (and update) my library and I thought an e-reader would be easier to transport, etc...

What I've read seems to indicate that PDFs on e-readers are somewhat limited at best.

Many say the new Kindle DX handles them well, but for the price, I think a small laptop/notebook with Herolabs will be the way I go.

Depending on how you plan to use Herolab the laptop/notebook might be best for you. As for the kindle Dx I would go for an Ipad instead. I have both and the Ipad is great for gaming. I create or update my character in hero lab and put it out on dropbox in pdf format. Since I'm playing a barbarian I created two pdfs one regular and another with rage set to yes. that way I can switch between the two when he rages. That way I don't have to recalculate stats, attacks, hit points etc.
With the Ipad you get great battery life, various apps, email, and the internet.
I have been gaming with my ipad since October of last year and haven't regreted it one bit.
With pathfinder in mind. I can load the core book and any other books they have in pdf into Dropbox. Then load it directly into the Goodreader app( great app for pdfs). I can load a pathfinder character sheet from herolab the same way. If i want a dice roller i have my choice of apps to choose from. There is also two pathfinder related apps out there, Animal companion, and Summoner.
Now if your group uses Maptools, there is an app called Mapnakotic which lets me log into Maptools as a player. Its a free app by the way.
Basicly I can play with just bringing my Ipad with me.

I forgot to mention I can remotely log into my computer at home and run Herolab.

 

[IronWolf]

Depending on how you plan to use Herolab the laptop/notebook might be best for you. As for the kindle Dx I would go for an Ipad instead. I have both and the Ipad is great for gaming. I create or update my character in hero lab and put it out on dropbox in pdf format. Since I'm playing a barbarian I created two pdfs one regular and another with rage set to yes. that way I can switch between the two when he rages. That way I don't have to recalculate stats, attacks, hit points etc.
With the Ipad you get great battery life, various apps, email, and the internet.
I have been gaming with my ipad since October of last year and haven't regreted it one bit.
With pathfinder in mind. I can load the core book and any other books they have in pdf into Dropbox. Then load it directly into the Goodreader app( great app for pdfs). I can load a pathfinder character sheet from herolab the same way. If i want a dice roller i have my choice of apps to choose from. There is also two pathfinder related apps out there, Animal companion, and Summoner.
Now if your group uses Maptools, there is an app called Mapnakotic which lets me log into Maptools as a player. Its a free app by the way.
Basicly I can play with just bringing my Ipad with me.

I will just add that I agree with falcarrion. For gaming PDFs and gaming in general the iPad is hard to beat at this point. While the e-ink on the kindle is easier on the eyes to read, the PDFs play better on the iPad. And if I turn the brightness down in GoodReader when reading PDFs the eye strain is much less for me. But I have recently started trying to run my game from the iPad and it has worked pretty well so far.

And falcarrion, I can't believe I have never thought of just printing two character sheets for rage instead of scrawled notes in the margins. How embarrassing to have overlooked that!