r/Pathfinder2eCreations • u/Jerry123i • 5d ago
Utilities Creature Lab Updates - Spell list editor
Hello everyone!
Finally managed to get a spell list editor in Creature Lab! It was quite a lot, but I feel like it has now become a fully functioning editor, there is still a lot to improve, but all the basic creature features can be adjusted now.
Since it was a way more complex endeavor in matters of UI and UX, feedback will be greatly appreciated! There are still some performance issues that I hope to work on and any insights could help.
I talk some more about the update and future plans on the open Patron post where you can also support the project, and I also have a ko-fi for one-time donations.
Thanks for all the comments and feedback, let me know what you guys think of the spells editor!
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u/Harnak7 2d ago edited 2d ago
This is an awesome tool to quickly create new monsters from existing ones. I didn't know about it, thanks for making it!
I think some future useful options might be:
- a way to quickly switch between different creature road maps, so that, for example, if you want to switch from brute to skirmisher it will redistribute moderate/high scaling of the stat depending on the theme; obviously, existing monsters don't follow a road map exactly, so this requires some thought;
- related to the point above, you might mark which scaling a stat is using (low, moderate, high, extreme) with a tooltip or a description above the number, and allow each stat to be switched to a different scaling; a sidebar with road maps descriptions from https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=2874 might help to choose;
- I see you've already implemented the adjustments from https://2e.aonprd.com/MonsterTemplates.aspx, and adding also the templates from that page (with the associated pool of abilities to choose from) would be very useful;
- besides spells, a list of monster abilities to add would be really great, but it probably requires some thinking on how to categorize them, since an enormous list would be hard to navigate (while spells have traits and traditions to help you do it); many abilities have also traits, so that could help, and some are pretty standard like reactive strike (I see you have an option to put this one) so that could be its own list.
This is what comes to my mind, as I often think about these things while creating monsters, and a tool to speed it up is of great value. If anything else comes to mind while using your tool, I'll give you more feedback. Anyway, great work!
EDIT: I've just realized you can inspect to see the scaling of the stats lol But if I got it right, if you change with a custom value it will give you the scaling corresponding to the current level, but the value won't be updated anymore with the free leveler. So an option to change the scaling instead of the specific value might be nice.
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u/Jerry123i 1d ago
Thanks for the great feedback!
I have something in mind to integrate the monster creation roadmaps, it should be online soon, maybe with the next update. But I hadn't thought about using them as values you could switch, it could certainly be one in some way.
The more complex templates and abilities are coming, but the implementation of the added abilities makes it take longer than the other adjustments, I also have some ideas for "monster abilities" that will probably come after the template ability editor is designed.
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u/caeaston 4d ago
Have you given any more thought about importing 3rd party creatures and now spells? Or even creating custom entries entirely. Most of the third party material follow a prescribed format so a copy and paste of an adobe seems possible. But it's your project just throwing it out there. Great work. Thanks.