Key Our Cars

Wrote a quickly little app that can parse a .monster file and remove 1/2 level to the defenses, add 1/2 level to the damages and adds +2 static attack bonus to the attacks.

With the current iteration of the Monster Builder you have to have a custom version of any official monster in order to export it as XML which is slighly confusing but anyway.  You can edit a monster without any edits so you have a custom version.  Then you can export that as XML using the new feature just added which exports as a dot monster file.

My app parses the monster file (or files if you give it a folder path) and based on the check boxes massages the data.  It then renames the original file to .bak and writes the new file which can be imported back into the monster builder as either a new custom monster or as to update the original custom monster.

I’ve even got a rough level modifier which because most of the items in the creature file are based on level is pretty trivial to implement and unless you’re modifying a lot of creatures at once is kind of pointless since you can just change the level in the MB. Â  A lot of powers are not based on this and as a result modifying a creature’s level will have over or underpowered powers.  These are typically the “Deals +xdx damage when it has combat advantage” or the resistences/vulnerabilities.  But the standard attack and damage based powers level up and down pretty well.

So primarily the way I’ll be using it is I export the monsters I need, run them through the HR’ifier, then import them back into the MB and then print them out for my needs. Â  Should work out fine.

A more involved parser would check every power individually for tier appropriate special damages, force movement amounts and all that.

I think actually I’m going to add in a “convert Stun to Daze” checkbox since being stunned sucks as a player.

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