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chipmafia
August 10th, 2008, 04:19
I'm new to DMing with the FG client, and I'm still figuring out how to run combat and other encounters. How can I put the 4e monsters into the Monster Guide provided so that it has accurate stats?

I have done some research on this, and it seems one needs some level of programming knowledge, of which I have very little. If someone could point me in the right direction or tell me how they do it, that would be great.

I'm sure it is in the works to upgrade the whole client to 4e, but until then, I would like to be able to make little adjustments to make my campaign run smoother.

Thanks,

mafia

icedcrow
August 10th, 2008, 04:36
Xorn has many guides on this but the short story is:

Make a main campaign.

Step 2 - Your adventures are child campaigns you import into the main.

Step 3 - Inside of the child campaign add the monsters you will use as personalities

Step 4 - Any reoccuring NPCs add to personalities in main campaign.

Alternatively you need to learn how to edit XML files and you canmake your own mod files, which is a route I'm looking at, but I am a programmer so that makes things easier for me.

Xorn
August 10th, 2008, 05:13
I'm new to DMing with the FG client, and I'm still figuring out how to run combat and other encounters. How can I put the 4e monsters into the Monster Guide provided so that it has accurate stats?

I have done some research on this, and it seems one needs some level of programming knowledge, of which I have very little. If someone could point me in the right direction or tell me how they do it, that would be great.

I'm sure it is in the works to upgrade the whole client to 4e, but until then, I would like to be able to make little adjustments to make my campaign run smoother.

Thanks,

mafia

To get started, you need the 4E_JPG ruleset. You can find it at Four Ugly Monsters in the 4th Edition group. (You have to register, it's free.) It's got all the templates you need to play 4E over FG2.

chipmafia
August 11th, 2008, 15:35
Thanks for the info. I'll try it out when I get home from work. I don't know much about programming but I can usually figure things out using common sense.

BTW, Xorn, thanks for your token tutuorial.

chipmafia
August 11th, 2008, 22:22
I got the modified rules, and I am thankful for them. However, how do I enter monsters into the MM? For instance, my next game has Goblin Blackblades. How would I go about putting them into the file.

Thanks.

Griogre
August 11th, 2008, 22:43
This is really a question you should ask over at the FUM site. They did release some sample files over there - one of which was a monster one.

chipmafia
August 11th, 2008, 23:48
I have read through the posts on FUM, and apparently, entering 4e monsters into FG isn't all that easy, at least for someone with very limited programming knowledge.

Thanks for the help though.

Xorn
August 12th, 2008, 00:09
Entering monsters into a library module via Tenian's parser isn't that simple, but just adding a Personality entry for a Goblin Blackblade is simple. You do that in-game.

Making a monster manual (without the parser) isn't horrid, but it does involve unpacking a master modfile (like the ones at FUM) and seeing where to put the text. When you're first getting started, you might just want to use Personality entries. And you don't need programming knowledge to modify the sample library modules, you just need a basic understanding of XML. (Really basic--I couldn't XML my way out of a hacked website.)

P.S. That is probably the stupidest attempt at a joke I have ever typed.

Griogre
August 12th, 2008, 02:32
Like Xorn says there's no programming. Also I'll let you in on a secret - the personality XML listings and Library Monster Book listings are *identical* except for the top level tags (and token paths - though those won't hurt). This means that you can use the new personality window in a campaign to do data input for "one-off" monsters.

Then all you have to do is open the XML for the campaign and copy the XML from the personality into a monster entry in a monster library book. Conveniently for you, they have a sample monster library book at FUM which you could paste into.

In fact this is how I input most of the Monsters used in H1 into a library book – since it is easier to input into the personality than into the raw XML. It may take you a while to figure out how to get this to work the first time but after that, once you have the personality input it will take less than a minute to copy over a monster to put in the book.

chipmafia
August 12th, 2008, 11:48
I like the idea in your tutorial about making a Monster Manual campaign, and just exporting what you need from that. I plan to do that as I GM more. I found the personality entry easier than wading through the XML. I don't even know what file does what. At least with the personality entries, it is very plain and you literally enter it just like the MM, and it works.

Thanks for all the help.

3darkman
August 12th, 2008, 13:51
I am entering all monsters of the MM with Tenian's Parse. If you want then put here when finished. :)

chipmafia
August 13th, 2008, 05:17
I figured out how to use the Parser. Fantastic tool. Nonetheless, I can't figure out what I am doing wrong on the fluff file. I can get the other info, but I can't get flavor, tactics, etc.