Herolab Questions

[Kyle]

Does anyone here use Herolab for running Pathfinder?

[Tahlvin]

I use it for several games I've played in, including the Runelords game Darcs is running.

[Kyle]

I'm using it for my upcoming PF: Giantslayers campaign and I really like what I'm seeing- especially the convenience of having the encounters all preloaded and waiting to set up. My question is: are there things I need to look out for or be aware of when I use it in my game? I've generally figured out that almost the whole thing is customizable-- so, for example, I don't use encumbrance rules and there's an option to turn those modifiers off. Even though it will roll initiative for everyone in a combat, I can let my players roll their own and enter their's manually.

I also think the thing that I'm really grooving on is that all the information is right there on the computer. You want to know what a player's skill check is- hover over it and it will explain the modifiers it's included (armor check, lack of tools, etc.)

[Tahlvin]

I haven't used the GameMaster tools that much; I've mostly used it as a player to track my character. But I really like it. Similar to using some of the more powerful features of Roll20, it allows you to automate quite a few things. With one click of a checkbox, it will automatically update the attack and damage rolls to reflect the bard's Inspire Courage ability. Creating custom magic items is pretty easy, as long as you're using standard abilities/enchantments. They do offer a really good set of house rules, like you've pointed out, as well as a number of good methods for generating character abilities, etc.

The desktop interface for players is a bit clunky, in my opinion; I have the app on my iPad as well, and that interface is much more user-friendly. But the capabilities are pretty much the same on both platforms. Unfortunately, I believe the iPad version is just for players, and does not include the GM tools.

The last time I used the GM Tools was quite some time ago, when running a game for my kids. From a quick look at what's available right now, they've come a long way and added quite a few features since that time.

As for whether there are things you need to be aware of, my only warning would be regarding the content. You do get one free game system when you purchase a Hero Lab license, but for Pathfinder, many of the add-ons cost extra. If there's an ability you want to load in Roll20 from a source you don't own, it's possible to program it yourself, but programming your own special abilities, etc., can take a lot of time and effort to get it to work right, if you want it to do more than just display text (i.e., you want to be able to turn it on/off like other abilities). Or you could purchase the source material from Lone Wolf, which can add up to a pretty penny depending on how many you need to purchase.

Other than that, I love Hero Lab, and highly recommend it!