[E-Tools] What about Were's, Vampires, and other template based races

[Lord Darmeen]

I can't believe that they didn't put anything in et for Were's and other template based races...I am getting around to imputting some of my old characters and I have a Weretiger character that I now have to create a race for his hybrid form...I for the most part don't mind playing with the program, and I don't think that E-Tools is crap by any means...but if they are going to say that all the info that is in the 3 core books is in et...it should be...C'mon fluid and wotc, just make good on the product you told us about before you released it...

 

[Therigwin]

This is the biggest problem I have with eTools.

Sure I have found ways to get around it, but it would have been great to just be able to apply a template to a rac or even have the option to combine 2 races into one. (Isn't that what templates in essance are?)

I am hoping that it is something that is addressed as it is part of the core rules.

 

[Klintus Fang]

The lack of templates really upset me a lot too. The suggestion made on Fluid's boards early on about how to handle this is, in my opinion, absurd.

That suggestion was to create a separate race for each type of ghost. Let's see, there are easily 50+ different monsters/humanoids that might become ghosts. Each ghost chooses 1d3 special attacks from the set of six possible special attacks. That's 38 possible combinations of special attacks. So if you wanted to implement every possible ghost you would have to manually add 1,900+ new races to the data base. Which is silly.

Are you aware of another way to work around this problem Therigwin?

 

[Grazzt]

Easiest way to work around it until they include them in the software is to simply create the base creature and then manually apply the template to it. Take a few extra minutes, but isnt really all that difficult or time consuming.

 

[Luke]

This is the biggest problem I have with eTools.

Sure I have found ways to get around it, but it would have been great to just be able to apply a template to a rac or even have the option to combine 2 races into one. (Isn't that what templates in essance are?)

Pretty much. This is how I handle templates in RPM.

 

[Klintus Fang]

Easiest way to work around it until they include them in the software is to simply create the base creature and then manually apply the template to it. Take a few extra minutes, but isnt really all that difficult or time consuming.

Yes. But as I just pointed out, in the case of the ghost that's easily 2000 different configurations that you have to manually do by yourself.

Obviously you could just do the manual work in question only "when you need it". But that takes longer then it takes to just create the ghost with pencil and paper. I don't mind adding things to the database like that. I like the fact that I can do that. But the purpose of manually adding things to a data base is so the things you add can be re-used. If I have to add it AGAIN every time you want to create a ghost from another race or with a different set of special attacks then that's no longer easy to use.


I have a side thought. Functionally, a template is really identical to a prestige class that has only one level. Is it possible to implement some of these templates as prestige classes by manually going inside the data base and adding the appropriate prestige class???

Therigwin?

 

[Therigwin]

You could do a PRC in theory, but it would only work for some of them. Those that change HD, well, you are out of luck there.

I am really hoping this is something Fluid addresses and fixes, but right now I have stopped holding my breath for even a patch. (If I kept on holding it, I would be dead from the lack of air)

So, I am hoping it is something to be seen in the future.

Over at Fluids board we have been discussing about putting the data in XML files or in the actual database. If this was accomplished, it would be easier to apply templates.

Nice thoughts, a dream, so who knows, another 2 years we may be able to do templates....

 

[Klintus Fang]

Alas, you are correct.

A template can evoke changes in the character that a PrC will never do. Oh well.

So that is probably the root of the problem on Fluid's end I would guess. As you pointed out, a template can modify the base hit-dice of a creature. Which goes all the way down to modifying the core properties of the creature's underlying race. eTools probably isn't set up for handling that possibility easily. Which is why they suggest "create a separate race for each template".

***sigh***