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ElementalAjah
December 24th, 2012, 06:43
Apologies if this is answered somewhere already, but I didn't come across anything while searching just now.

When putting together an encounter block by hand to be read by the 4EParser application such as:


ZEncounter
Some Encounter
Encounter Level 1 (300 XP)
Setup
2 goblin foos (F)
ZCategory
Encounters

If the module contains an NPC entry for "Goblin Foo" then the parser will correctly link it to the encounter. This doesn't work if "Goblin Foo" is contained in another module.

Some types of Parser files allow referencing other modules by formatting the reference somehow, but I don't see anything like this in the parser documentation for encounters. Is there some way to do this that I don't know about?

Zeus
December 24th, 2012, 08:41
Cross referencing Encounter block NPCs in different modules is not supported methinks by the Parser. I expect this is because *most* adventure modules for 4E are self contained i.e. stat blocks for monsters referenced in the adventure module are also contained within the module itself.

Whilst it is true that the common stat blocks get repeated across the modules, there's usually differences (most often with Powers) so its worth parsing them all.

However if you want a fast way of building adventure modules with NPCs for 4E, check out the 4E Module Workshop Tool I wrote to complement the Parser. Its basically an app that allows you to cut n paste adventure module content from a PDF but it also has some built in automation including an NPC database tool that allows you to build a database of NPC stat blocks that can then be referenced and included in any module that you build. Once the database is built =, you can query it to include stat blocks for NPCs in an npc.txt data file. As you add NPCs, the app remembers them allowing you to create Encounter stat blocks that reference the NPCs.

You can find the tool on my website.

ElementalAjah
December 24th, 2012, 09:37
Thanks for the clarification. It makes sense that porting and repeating stat blocks is the right solution since that's what happens in the published modules.

The tool sounds super handy since porting info from PDFs is basically what I'm doing a lot of right now. I'll check it out. Thanks again!

tdewitt274
December 25th, 2012, 18:09
DrZ, is there a tutorial or help file on the Module Workshop?

Also, the NPC database is looking for a location of an Access database. Is there a way to set up the database? The only thing I see that comes close is the NPCDatabase.dll file.

Thanks

Todd

ElementalAjah
December 25th, 2012, 20:40
I was messing with this just recently tdewitt. I don't understand everything that goes on behind the scenes, but I can tell you how to generate the database.

The NPC database is generated by the main parser application. When parsing a module with NPCs, in addition to specifying the monster stats data file (usually npcs.txt), you should also specify a database directory (the option is in the same category). With this set, the application will either generate the access database if it doesn't exist, or update it with the NPCs that you are parsing.

You may also need to install the microsoft ACE drivers (https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=7554f536-8c28-4598-9b72-ef94e038c891&displaylang=en) if you don't already have Microsoft Office.

Zeus
December 25th, 2012, 22:59
DrZ, is there a tutorial or help file on the Module Workshop?

Also, the NPC database is looking for a location of an Access database. Is there a way to set up the database? The only thing I see that comes close is the NPCDatabase.dll file.

Thanks

Todd

Unfortunately I never got around to writing a basic how to guide for the whole tool. I'll see if I can get one together over the holidays, watch this space.

As for the NPC Database, tdewitt274 is correct, the database is created using Tenian's 4E Parser tool (including the updated version from EugeneZ). Essentially any time you scrape/parse a module with NPCs you have the option to store the parsed creatures in a MS Access database as well as produce a FGII 4E compatible module.

The database was written by Tenian to aid in the functionality of the Workshop tool and to make it easier/faster to add NPCs to adventure modules.

For example, my database is about 30MB in size as it contains all the NPCs from all the rulebooks and published adventure modules as of Oct 2012. Using the Workshop and Parser tool allows me to create entire adventure modules in a single evening (minus any heavy duty graphics work for maps and images).

Using the Module Workshop tool - once you point the tool at the access database file, you can query the access database and extract creature stat blocks for inclusion in your npcs.txt file (ready for parsing). The DLL you referenced is a Library containing some subroutines for accessing and querying the database, Tenian provided it to me so that I could hook the database for use with the Workshop tool.

tdewitt274
December 27th, 2012, 02:17
[COLOR="DarkRed"]Unfortunately I never got around to writing a basic how to guide for the whole tool. I'll see if I can get one together over the holidays, watch this space.

If possible, that would be great! I've only messed with it a little. The "Merge Lines" is quite handy!


The database was written by Tenian to aid in the functionality of the Workshop tool and to make it easier/faster to add NPCs to adventure modules.

I looked for the database and can't find it. Does it matter your Office version? I'm running 2010 which uses a different database format (accdb).

Again, Thanks!

Todd