E-Tools & Duplicate Spell Listings

[Dax Doomslayer]

Hi All,
Just want to say thanks to everyone's hard work with all the add-ons. It is great to see the people in the community generate splatbooks; tables etc. and share them with the rest of the community. I appreciate that (since I couldn't code my way out of a paper bag). I do have a question though. I also posted this on the MSN E-Tools Message Board but received no response (tried Fluid's boards but it doesn't let me post - keep getting an error message). I downloaded a good number of the files - especially the splatbooks stuff and the Forgotten Realms stuff found there. I am now finding a large number of duplicate spells in on the Spells Known screen in the top table "Known". When I select them, it seems they are from the same source with the same exact description. I have deleted the splat book and checked and the both entries will disappear and when I re-import the files, I again have 2 line items for the same spell. I have noticed that most of the duplicates are coded with the following: T&B; FRCS; DRA275; MOTW; D291; DaD; DOF and DF. I was wondering if there is a way to delete some of this stuff out as it looks like it is the actual coding could be buggy (not that I'm criticizing - as I'm extremely grateful of everyone's hard work - but I am trying to keep the database size down as ET loads slower as the database side increases). If anyone needs a comprehensive list of the duplicates (with "codes" I can provide it. Thanks again!

 

[colossus]

Dax
The problem happens inconsistently on different systems. I haven't yet found a workaround, but I hear it has something to do with a display bug in ethelper. (let me know if I'm wrong, Davin)

COLOSSUS

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

Thanks for the information Colossus. I guess I'll just have to deal with it! Other than that, I do like E-Tools. I just hope a patch is out soon!!

 

[Davin]

I am now finding a large number of duplicate spells in on the Spells Known screen in the top table "Known". When I select them, it seems they are from the same source with the same exact description.

I haven't yet found a workaround, but I hear it has something to do with a display bug in ethelper. (let me know if I'm wrong, Davin)

I'd have to see a sample to figure out if it's ETH-related, but it seems unlikely. ETH did have a display bug when you had two sets with identical codes, but that doesn't match these symptoms (if I'm understanding them correctly).

My first guess would be that he's creating a Wizard character and the file he's importing has the spells listed on both the Sorcerer spell list and the Wizard spell list. This shouldn't be done, as all Sorcerer spells are automatically also Wizard spells.

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

Hi Davin,
Thanks for the feedback. I got these files from the MSN E-Tools Repository. If you want, I could send you a sampling (let me know what you need on this). However, you may be able to recreate it by just downloading the T&B splatbook and then looking the spells. Just looking thru the 1st level spells there are 4 duplicates: Lesser Acid Orb; Lesser Cold Orb; Lesser Electric Orb; Lesser Fire Orb and Lesser Sonic Orb. All of these show up in duplicate. Actually, at this point, I'm kind of interested myself as to the cause. Thanks.

 

[Davin]

All of these show up in duplicate. Actually, at this point, I'm kind of interested myself as to the cause.

Yes -- the problem is how those spells were entered (by Greg Booth). He put each of those spells into both the Wizard's spell list and the Sorcerer's spell list. This is wrong. Spells should be assigned *only* to the Sorcerer's spell list. This is how E-Tools was built (not how I would have done it, but that's beside the point) and thus we must follow its rules for spell lists. Get Greg to change his file (perhaps all his files?) and everything should be fine.

 

[Therigwin]

Davin -

You forgot that your program easily fixes the problem.

Open up the set, then go to the Class Spell List.
Select Wizards and push the delete button.
All taken care off (unless of course the spell is only a Wizard Spell. You will notice that the core rules has 2 spells that are Wizard only.)

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

Thanks Davin & Therigwin,
Therigwin - thanks for your help. Actually, your suggestion pretty much cleared up the problem for me. It got rid of a lot of duplicates. (Although Body of the Sun in MotW is still duplicated - the descriptions are slightly different with a space between the page number on on and not on the other). Anyway, I appreciate all your help!

 

[Davin]

You forgot that your program easily fixes the problem.

Thanks Therigwin ...

Yes, ETHelperBSets can fix the problem (assuming no Wiz-only's) on his machine, but I was hoping to encourage him to take the problem back to the original author so he could fix the source file(s) properly so the next person to download them doesn't have the same problem all over again. (The same advice might apply to the semi-duplicate he seems to have found.)

 

[Dax Doomslayer]

Hi Davin,
I did post a message on the MSN E-Tools Message Board (under the Files Discussion). It is entitled "Buggy Spell Files in the E-Tools Repository". Thus far, Therigwen and AgentRock have responded (cleans up MotW; DotF and a couple of Dragon Mags from what they said). Once again, thanks !!