My goals
- Make the character sheet less arcane. All the abbreviations can be mind-boggling to a HERO novice.
- Make it eye-pleasing with more open space and hopefully better organization.
- Tune it for maximum compatibility with HERO Designer.
Let me know if I can improve this result to better meet these goals.
How to use the HD export
- Add the new Adobe Form export format to HERO Designer.
- Export the completed character to a folder with a copy of this PDF.
- You should name the PDF the same as your character name (including spaces, etc.).
- Double click the .XFDF file exported from HD.
- (If it can’t find the PDF, select ‘locate’ and select this PDF)
Your PDF will be filled in with the output from HERO Designer!
How to use the PDF
- You might consider not printing these first two pages to save ink and trees. Of course, this sheet works great interactively on tablets or laptop screens...
- The export prints all the fields from HD’s background tab (if included) under the Character Details section on page 1 with individual headings. This larger section is more flexible and should accommodate varying text. Careful on how much text you include - the field does not automatically resize. You may have to adjust a few times to get the right fit.
- Height, weight, eye color and hair color are included under the Appearance heading before the appearance text.
- The character portrait will not export via the XFDF file. You must select the Portrait field on the PDF and upload an image. It will resize the image to fit in the field.
- PD / ED are listed under characteristics and will display normal and resistant with a ‘|’ between them. Primary and secondary values are listed on each side of the pipe separated by a ‘/’. Other defenses like Mental, Power and Flash are listed in the Special Defenses box. DO NOT use Resistant Protection power to add special defenses! You must add them separately to show up in the box.
- All movement listings use “totals”; you can designate primary and secondary totals and they are listed here with a “/”. Glide is wrapped in with Flight (6e HD limitation) - use secondary totals if you don’t want it included in Flight’s primary value.
- Most sections are large open fields. The export builds lists and includes them in that one section. I’ve found this is much easier than trying to control individual entries. My hope is you will like the cleaner look as well.
- Senses & Complications are located on page 3 with several reference tables. Perception is listed in the Senses section. The first seven maneuvers will print under that table.
- There are three blank “statuses” for optional ones like bleeding, impaired or disabled.
- The Powers & Equipment each have a full page. Hopefully this is enough room to handle most characters.
- There is no longer an armor section. You should make notes under Equipment. You can add printable notes for armor so it appears under that entry in Equipment.
- The form’s Reset Form button clears all fields except the image. This button does not print.
Interesting Things of Note
- Currently, the XFDF format only works when you have Acrobat Reader installed. It is however basically an XML format if you can find use for that elsewhere...
- This HD export format only works for the Deluxe Character Sheet by TreChriron. However, any enterprising HERO-Phile could modify it to suit their own form-fill PDF. I encourage you to do so! (permission granted!) Hit me up on the unofficial HERO discord for instructions.
- Some outputs print odd characters. I tried to include a “rewrite” section to handle this but something odd might slip through. When you double click the XFDF file it might throw an error. Please report this to me (right here on DTRPG) with a copy of the output file so I can account for the new odd character in the programming (re: arcane ritual).
- Any other oddities, crashes, errors or strange supernatural calamities occurring while using this export format can be reported to me (right here on DTRPG) for resolution. All purchasers will receive updated versions at no charge.
Version 3 Change Log
- After more experience with HD I wanted to clean up some text displays. The first page “sections” were not big enough to contain a reasonable amount of text. Instead, I felt throwing it all in one box would allow some flexibility.
- Ditched the field boxes. They were ugly. Now only “values” have solid bottom line, everything else is dotted. Cleaner look.
- Made more room for skills, perks and talents.
- Removed the optional section for characteristics. Who’s going to use that?
- Combined Perks & Talents into one section for more flexibility. Needed the room to change where movement was located to make room for the “special defenses” box.
- I removed the combat tracking sheet to incorporate it in other sheets. Saved a page!
- The “senses” section on the official character sheet PDF gets cramped. I left it as open text on v2 of this sheet but ultimately didn’t like it. I feel like the new larger section will be useful and now it populates with sense powers!
- Fixed maneuvers to list each part in a field to fit on the table.
- Updated the “defenses” section so special defenses will printout in a box. Couldn’t add them like other characteristics.
- Hit location table is back to readable columns.
- FYI: HD export format has no tag for Flash Defense.
- FYI: HD has no Glide export tags in 6e. It rolls up into flight.
You can find me often hanging out on the unofficial HERO discord server (I’m the admin) by the handle TreChriron.
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