Topic: ERA for Rolemaster - Creating characters and managing adventures

[Voriig Kye]

New update! Now, when installing a book module that includes creatures, all of them will come preloaded with the spell lists indicated in the corresponding book.
If you have already purchased please re-download and re-install to get the latest version.
You will also need to update the base product.

Thanks for the suggestions that made this feature a reality in ERA.

While we wait for RMU, I am now working on adding an injury recovery section.

[Voriig Kye]

Most of you already now there's a new version by now.
I have also sent Nicholas another update, which should be available in the short term, where ERA is now a 64 bit application on all Operating Systems.
If anyone requires a 32 bit version of a specific update, please write to the support account to request it.
I will also keep updating the 32 bit version for Raspbian.

The changes in the current version are:

• Injury Recovery: while in the Adventuring Module, the critical, attack fumble, and spell failure dialogs offer a new button that opens the Injury Recovery dialog. In here you can specify the wound type and severity, review the character recovery multiplier, and get the official time for recovery. This also means that the character's recovery multiplier is now a part of the Character Sheet module, starting at the value for the race. This in turn means that all races indicate the recovery multiplier, which means that you should re-download and re-install any packages which include races. For existing characters you should edit this manually and save the character.
• The default character sheet CSS can be edited at ERA/Server/Resources/printableCharacterSheet.css
• New custom categories can be added in RMFRP without preventing existing professions from being used.
• Other minor fixes that you can read in the changelog

[Ginger McMurray]

How do I update? And is there a way to get automatic notifications when there's a new version, or is it enough to mark this thread as "notify?"

[Voriig Kye]

Updating ERA is just downloading the latest version from DriveThruRPG and installing over your existing version. The same for all book packages, you obtain the new versions, start ERA, use the book installation feature, and choose the new files.
As long as you didn't make any changes to the files includes in ERA, that is all that is required. This scenario will keep all off your saved characters and adventures intact.

If you edited the sample configuration files, or customized the skills, categories, etc, you should install to a different directory and then overwrite it with your changes + bring back your characters and adventures. Or the other way around, move your current version somewhere else, install to the original location, and then bring back your personal content.
Some of the updates will require less files instead of more, which is the case in this version, since a lot of image files are no longer needed. For those situations it is also recommended to do the fresh install and only recover your characters, custom files, etc.

In any case, it is always a good idea to do a backup before updating, to check that everything is working as you need it before committing to the new version.

As regards notifications, I always try to post here with a summary of the more relevant changes as soon as the update is available in DriveThruRPG, but you should also get an e-mail from them once the files are uploaded.

[Ginger McMurray]

I'm cross posting this question from the feature request thread since this is a btter place for it. Feel free to ignore the copy there. I'm also adding a second one because I'm a veritable font of confusion in my old age.

• How do I use an NPC in a future combat after creating it based on a blank template? Example:
  
  • Start adventure
  • Toggle combat
  • Add NPC based on blank template
  • End combat
  • Start new combat
  • Add that same NPC to the current combat
  
  Step #6 eludes me. I can't load from a file because the file doesn't exist. The NPC doesn't show in the creature templates. He also can't be copied since he isn't in the combat already.
  
  Do I need to create him as a full character and load from there? What about if there are wounds or other effects that carry from combat to combat?
   
• On the character status screen (for players to follow the combat) is it possible to change it so it shows the numbers along with percentages for hit points and power points? For example 25 / 50 (50%).

[Ginger McMurray]

And another... sorry for the barrage.

What is the underlying method for calculating initiative being used? In the character status I see numbers for movement and static. The only init system I've ever used is the alternate one from RoCoI where you roll d100 and add your quickness stat.

Given how great ERA is, I'll probably switch to how it does it there but would like to be able to read about it first.

[Voriig Kye]

Given how great ERA is, I'll probably switch to how it does it there but would like to be able to read about it first.

Thanks! 

• If you an NPC that's recurrent in subsequent combats and adventures, I'd go for the option of making a full character, even if it's just to give them basic skills, DB, RRs, and a nice avatar. The NPC feature is a fallback for when you quickly need to whip up a target or source of an attack (like a wall receiving a fire bolt, an arrow trap firing) or just roll an RR on a random villager. The situation where you reuse an existent NPC and want the wounds to be kept from the last time they were used had never come up.
• The status screen percentage is always a percentage, but I will see about adding it in future versions and leaving it as an option.
• The initiative is supposedly the official ruling for RMC and RMFRP: 2d10 + Quickness - Penalties. I'm never sure if penalties should be reduced like they are in RMU. Also, for spell casting maneuvers and concentration actions, self discipline is used instead of quickness, but without racial penalties. This is a ruling from a companion in RM2.

[Voriig Kye]

An update of ERA has been uploaded, where the Mac version is the only change.
It should now be working in the Catalina (10.15) once you execute the command indicated in the updated installation instructions:

sudo xattr -d com.apple.quarantine [LOCATION OF ERA.app]
sudo xattr -d com.apple.quarantine [LOCATION OF ERA-RMC.app]
sudo xattr -d com.apple.quarantine [LOCATION OF ERA-RMFRP.app]

For example:
sudo xattr -d com.apple.quarantine Downloads/ERA-Mac/ERA.app
sudo xattr -d com.apple.quarantine Downloads/ERA-Mac/ERA-RMC.app
sudo xattr -d com.apple.quarantine Downloads/ERA-Mac/ERA-RMFRP.app

Please report any issues you find in this update and we'll do our best to review them.

[Ginger McMurray]

Given how great ERA is, I'll probably switch to how it does it there but would like to be able to read about it first.

Thanks! 

• If you an NPC that's recurrent in subsequent combats and adventures, I'd go for the option of making a full character, even if it's just to give them basic skills, DB, RRs, and a nice avatar. The NPC feature is a fallback for when you quickly need to whip up a target or source of an attack (like a wall receiving a fire bolt, an arrow trap firing) or just roll an RR on a random villager. The situation where you reuse an existent NPC and want the wounds to be kept from the last time they were used had never come up.
• The status screen percentage is always a percentage, but I will see about adding it in future versions and leaving it as an option.
• The initiative is supposedly the official ruling for RMC and RMFRP: 2d10 + Quickness - Penalties. I'm never sure if penalties should be reduced like they are in RMU. Also, for spell casting maneuvers and concentration actions, self discipline is used instead of quickness, but without racial penalties. This is a ruling from a companion in RM2.

Thanks!

For those following along at home, I had another question. I asked how to add a bolt attacks for creatures which use them. The answer was to add it as another attack type so you'd cast the spell so PPs were tracked and then make the attack roll for damage. Makes perfect sense.

[Voriig Kye]

ERA has been updated.

Not only the base product, but most of the book packages require a re-download and re-install so that you get the latest content.

- All professions now show a description during character creation. It can also be specified for custom professions.
- Added option to see remaining/total hits and power points instead of percentage in the Character Status module.
- Improved configuration for applicable stats in the Character Sheet module.
- Removed the need for subcultures when creating custom cultures.
- Corrected RMC initiative for creatures.
- Corrected RMC update of hit points after level up.

[Ginger McMurray]

Awesome, thanks!

[Voriig Kye]

Just so you know, the latest ERA for RMFRP is creating characters with extra ranks. All category ranks awarded by the culture are doubled. This will be fixed in the next version, which we'll publish ASAP.

[Voriig Kye]

it's been fixed. You should be able to download it now.
Also it has default costs for categories, should anyone find that interesting.
And it also updates the default table for treasure generation to the letter code given by creature loot. So that's a new table you get in RMC treasures and RMFRP treasure companion.

[Pazuzu]

Having seen the success of the random treasure generator, I am curious if there are plans for adding a random encounter generator in the future?

[Voriig Kye]

I can plan about it, and it can be done. The thing is there are way too many things on the plates right now, so I wouldn't even guess at a time frame for that. You can keep reminding us about it, but the most efficient way to get it sooner is to prove that there's more interest in that feature than the others currently planned for the short/middle term: RMU, Construct companion, custom realms for races, (Spacemaster?)

[Ransak]

Hi

I would like to know if another realm can bee added to the races with a power point progression.
I have added
<Realm name="Psionics" >    as a realm and it shows up for the character with no problem. You can also choose it as the realm for the profession.
The problem I'm having is that I added in the realm to a race with a progression for power points and I keep getting this error.
RaceXMLPullParser class reports: while reading Common Man.race.XML
key 'PsionicsPowerPointProgression' not found in Dictionary

I have done other edits to custom races with no problems but I cannot seem to add a realm power point progression to my custom races

Thanks

[Voriig Kye]

I have done other edits to custom races with no problems but I cannot seem to add a realm power point progression to my custom races

Thanks for bringing that up. There is currently no support for new realms to add their own progression in the races. It is on the short term ToDo list. If it's not there the next time we release an update for ERA, then surely the one after that. Please hold... 

[Ginger McMurray]

Question: when I click to cast a spell it shows the power point cost. When I'm done casting, either by a king the attack roll, spellfailure roll, etc. it doesn't seem to be subtracting from the character's available point. I've been doing it manually through the status window.

What am I doing wrong?

[Voriig Kye]

In this part of the tutorial the process is shown.

Are you using the quick cast or the normal spell casting dialog? After a normal successful casting both dialogs should reduce the remaining power points for the character.

When the spell fails the power points are not subtracted since not all failures cause the PPs to be lost, you have to indicate it in the boxes related to the failure.

[Ginger McMurray]

RMC

• click the character
• click "cast spell."
• pick the spell
• pick the targets
• click accept

This doesn't reduce PPs.

However, if I use Quick Cast instead, it does

• click the character
• click "quick cast."
• pick the spell
• click accept

I see the difference. If I don't roll the dice for "Cast spell" and instead just accept then it doesn't reduce them. If I click the roll button before accept everything is fine. I'll try to remember that in the future. Thanks!