Monster Builder?

[avin]

4E Monster Builder was absolutely fantastic for my 4E DMing days.

Now I have a Pathfinder one shot on the way and I'm looking for a similar product... is there any around?

Thanks in advance.

 

[joebobodo]

Hero Lab is an amazing tool for this. I use it all the time, and can't imagine life without it now.

 

[avin]

Does it works for advancing monsters, like a Goblin?

 

[Papa-DRB]

Try the following link. You have to use IE for it to work...

Monster Builder - Pathfinder_OGC

-- david
Papa.DRB

 

[avin]

It keeps loading the list forever...

 

[Steel_Wind]

Herolab is certainly the best program to use for Pathfinder RPG, either as a player or especially as a GM; however, the downside is cost. Herolab is free to try out, but you can not save or print your character or monster with the program in demo mode.

I would point out to others that are reading this that Herolab will be offering in early November a special pricing scheme for the Bestiary add-ons. Currently, the Bestiary add-ons are priced at $15 each for Bestiary 1 and 2. Those who wait for the release of Bestiary 3 in early November will be able to purchase Bestiary 1, 2 and 3 together for $30. That's a significant savings.

I really can't say enough about Herolab. It is, far and away, the most important toolkit for character creation and monster/encounter design for Pathfinder. The only downside to it is cost. For regular Pathfinder GMs, the cost is worth it. For those engaged in developing a one-shot, however, I think the cost is too high. You'll be happier with a book and a sheet of paper and a pencil, working out your modified monsters by hand.

Frankly, I would recommend all Pathfinder GMs try this by hand a few times even if they have a full blown install of Herolab with all add-ons as it will help a GM to understand how advancement and templating actually works.

Obviously, I'm posting this response as much for other people reading this as I am in responding to the OP.

One last comment: Colen McAllister, lead developer at Lone Wolf on the Herolab line is starting a regular segment on Herolab and will be a regular recurring guest on each episode of Chronicles: Pathfinder Podcast beginning with Episode 016 (should be out next weekend). So if you have any questions/complaints on working with Herolab -- you can send your questions to me or post on our forums and Colen can address your question directly on the podcast.

 

[enrious]

I agree with the suggestions for Hero Lab, however if all you're interested in doing is making some simple changes (Advanced template, celestial, etc.) then download Combat Manager (Combat Manager) for free.

Since you indicated it's for a one-shot, then it's the best free option I know of. Should you start running Pathfinder games, then maybe the Hero Lab cost is justified, but for me, there's no way I'd spend any money to support a one-shot.

 

[avin]

Downloaded both.

HeroLabs seems very nice for creating PF chars, but is not as easy to use for monster building as 4E's MB... fair enough, monster creation is not the same in PF and 4E.

Combat Manager also seems to lack auto-updating tools...

I'm probably spoiled with 4E's EZ mode monster creation

But I've bought HL's license and will play more with both of them later.

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[joebobodo]

Steel_Wind hits the nail on the head. I was going to come in and elaborate on my initial recommendation, but that is no longer necessary!

As to your specific question about advancing something such as goblins, like you said, monster building is significantly different in PF. The way you'd most easily advance such a creature in pathfinder is by giving it class levels, which Hero Lab makes exceptionally easy. Or you could just throw an Advanced Creature Template onto it, which is also doable in HL.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Downloaded both.

HeroLabs seems very nice for creating PF chars, but is not as easy to use for monster building as 4E's MB... fair enough, monster creation is not the same in PF and 4E.

Combat Manager also seems to lack auto-updating tools...

I'm probably spoiled with 4E's EZ mode monster creation

But I've bought HL's license and will play more with both of them later.

Thanks for your suggestions.

In order to play with monster modifications, you'll need at least one of the Bestiary add-ons for Herolab as well.

You advance it by increasing size/hit dice, adding templates or class levels or combinations of all of these. This is not immediately intuitive in Herolab - but that's how it works. Once you get the hang of it you'll appreciate the flexibility of the system.

One of the most significant changes to the approach 4E took with foes in the game are in the way that monsters and foes are designed. Unlike 3.xx, in 4E, monster designs are decoupled from the way those rules are applied to PCs. This allows for more ad hoc monster designs and things like minions (this is a rule I like, actually, but many are not fans of the 4E/SW:Saga minion concept). It makes thing like Monster Builder easier to code as the interdependency of stats, powers and other values are far less rigidly encoded into the game rules that apply to PCs.

Whatever the case, in Pathfinder the rules for monster design are NOT decoupled from the rules for PCs. While there are different rules for advancing monsters based upon their type in terms of skill points and feats and so forth, the rules are still essentially the same on both sides of the GM screen. This adds to verisimilitude and accuracy of estimating CRs -- but at the cost of increased complexity.

Learning exactly how this works for monsters is the reason I recommend every Pathfinder GM plays with the system in the Appendices with a pencil and a sheet of paper so that they "get it". You will be able to adjust on the fly and just eyeball it during play if you need to with FAR more accuracy if you understand the key concepts in how monsters change as their size and levels and hit dice are increased under Pathfinder RPG. Many GMs try to eyeball CR advancement during play by just bulking up monsters on the fly and then do not award appropriate XP to characters after the fact. They either overestimate or underestimate the CR -- or forget about something else that ought to have been increased when the to hit/ damage was increased or the hit points are bulked up. Usually this doesn't matter for a combat encounter -- but often it can. That's why it's better to know how monsters are put together rather than just deleting one value and substituting another ad hoc.