swade NPC assistant

[mrcomac]

As a DM I would like to have a npc assistant build similar to thr current character assistant builder.

This can provide a new view to help gms to build new creatures and npcs.

It can start asking what kind of npc it will be and it can load a list of archetypes or a list of creatures from a bestiary or even start from scratch.

It needs to ask me some questions like, is she a wild card? Does she have animal smarts? Those kind of configuration npc needs.

When I drag an actor( that first step), it will load all abilities to this new npc. After that I can start adding new characteristics and equipaments for this new npc.

[kristianserrano]

Just wanted to give you a heads up that I've been thinking on this for some time. I think it might be doable to a degree. I can see value in creating an app that surfaces some of the more buried data properties such as some of the things you see in Tweaks.

Here are some of the key things I'm considering so far:

• Wild Card (checkbox)
• Max Wounds (number field)
• Animal Smarts (checkbox)

Before continuing further, I'd like to better understand how this would be better than simply copying an Actor and making the modifications on the copy. Are there specific hurdles you've encountered? What problems does copying the original and modifying the copy present that this NPC builder would solve?

[kristianserrano]

@mrcomac have you given any more thought to other "switches" and settings for NPCs that might be appropriate for this feature?

[mrcomac]

Sorry @kristianserrano fir the delayed message. Usually, To create a npc I like to star from a template and after that I try to explore the options in the scenario, new edges, hindrances or skills. I do that because most of the time im trying to create unique npcs but tied to their reality. For example, an important bartender in deadlands will be a townsfolk with the extra abilities I want because his background, if they are a former bandit, I can use that as a template and expand from that. I do this way also because if something goes to a combat I already have the npc ready to fight.

Creatures are different, for monsters I like to explore the options related to abilities / rules in the scenario. I start checking which elements I can add from there. For example, if the settings hasa especific rule, how can I explore that in this monster. That is the reason I would like to see group of abilities, and to be honest I don't have a full list of categories. Another thing that I do, I compare my new creature to other creatures to make sure I didnt create something too crazy. For example, does make sense these attributes? Are values too hight or too low?

[mrcomac]

I think my key idea for create new npc/creature is bring to the table something that make sense in terms of numbers (to make this i need to compare to existing npcs) and that allow explore then rules if possible (that category think that I'm not sure how to do it, but it can give me better view of elements instead of going to attributes, after that skills, after power, a category may show me all elements for that category)

[kristianserrano]

No worries, @mrcomac! I've been preoccupied with other projects anyway. (I updated the Savage Worlds Dice Roller and ported the Raise Calculator to a Foundry VTT module.)

I totally get what you mean about using existing stat blocks and modifying them. That's a common technique that I and many others use as well. However, I think I'm still fuzzy on what you mean by "elements" for a "category."

The best I might be able to do is have the app open with a new empty NPC Actor, and let you drag and drop an existing NPC onto the app to copy its data to the new Actor. Then you can modify it as you please.

[mrcomac]

Let me try to explain my idea better. We have many skills, edges, and hindrances in the game, with additional ones in scenarios like Wise Guys or in the companions like Horror. Each category has its own section in the PDFs or a folder in its module. Despite this organization, these game elements can be related, with some relationships being stronger than others.

I was thinking that a good system to help build NPCs would be one that provides these relationships. It would show how an edge is related to a hindrance, helping me to create unique NPCs. Sometimes I'll use edges and hindrances that are related to each other, and other times I'll choose something completely different.

For example, a gunslinger could have the edges "Quick" and "Brave" and a hindrance commonly associated with gunslingers. However, sometimes you might want to add something unrelated, like a hindrance that suits a former gunslinger who is now a hotel owner.

For monsters, sometimes I want to create something dark but related to the forest, like a forest spirit that takes prisoners or steals souls. This might require mixing elements from two or more monsters.

What I'm suggesting, and I know it might not be feasible, is a way to build a folksonomy that allows GMs to filter these options based on their needs. For example, after create a NPCs and add some tags to them (I add the tag to the npc but actually the tag are attached to the items that the sheet has), the next time that I'll create my former gunslinger, i can search for gunslinger and bellhop and all those hindrances / edges / skills / equipaments will be visible to copy to the sheet.

like i mentioned, might not be feasible for npcs creation, but could be an idea to extend the module and help to search items. You don't need to provide the tags, the system will need to be feeded by the DM.

[kristianserrano]

OK, now I'm getting it! You want a tagging system for Items.

Unfortunately, the only way this would be possible is if you maintain those items in your own personal Compendia rather than in the premium module Compendia. As soon as a premium module is updated, all the tags on the items (stored via flags) would be lost.

As such, I'm not sure it'd be worth implementing that feature.

[kristianserrano]

From Fallayn: I think for a minimal set, thats already good. Some ideas beyond that:

1. Allow me to set that created NPCs also should have parry/toughness calculated automatically by default (I think it defaults to off?)
2. If I set the NPC to Wildcard, Bennys maybe should be set from 0 to 3 automatically; I should be able to edit it on the actor, but 3 or 2 is IMO a better default than 0 for wildcards
3. Add buttons to set token size and actor wounds based on size (I think SWADE Tools does something like this automatically?)
4. Give me an easy way to set all attributes at once, to set an easy baseline. "Initialize all to D6", or D8, or whatever.
5. Likewise for skills.
6. For each Item Table table (heh), allow me to create a favorite/shortlist to display at the top, for things I use often for NPCs (like personality handicaps/edges, things like Brute, Arrogant, Charismatic, or go-to weapons for the setting etc.).
7. Name generator! Bonus points if it draws from Foundry roll tables I can edit and select from, so I can press a button, select the button for the "Human Male" table and have it fill in the rolled name.
8. Give me a "update/sync from Item Tables" button, that removes and re-adds all items on the actor from the compendiums set in Item Tables if the SWID matches. I.e., let me take a module's compendium actor as a baseline, hit that button and have all powers, skills, weapons etc. updated to the updated versions from my compendums set in Item Tables. (Obviously, skip items with no matching SWID found; also obviously, add a confirmation popup, as this is a pretty destructive action for that actor)

The first 4-5 would maybe honestly be good to have in the core system, haha.

[kristianserrano]

@mrcomac the work I've done with the Actor Listings is the first step toward some of this functionality. The idea is that you'll be able to search for an NPC by name, Edge, Hindrance, etc (it just uses text search across the entire stat block), and drag and drop it onto a planned NPC builder app.

For example, if there's a special ability from a particular creature that you want, you could just drag and drop that specific ability onto the new NPC. If you want to use the whole creature as a baseline, you could drag the name to the app and it'll update the new Actor with all of the data from the dropped creature. From there, you'll be able to make modifications as needed.

[mrcomac]

Hi Kristian, It sounds good. Thank you