A Template is a series of special 'ideas' that are applied to a character.
These 'ideas' take the form of Undead, Lycanthropy Celestial, Outsider, etc, and enhance your character is some way. Each template is one line only and the first field must be the template name.
Tag Name: BONUSFEATS:x
Variables Used (x): Number (Number of bonus feats)
What it does:
This is for granting additional feats.
Example:
BONUSFEATS:1
One bonus feat is given.
Tag Name: BONUSSKILLPOINTS:x
Variables Used (x): Number (Number of bonus skill points)
What it does:
This numeric value provided will be * (multiplied) by 4 at 1st level and granted each level after that.
Example:
BONUSSKILLPOINTS:2
Two bonus skill points are given.
*** New 5.7.7
Tag Name: BONUS:MONSKILLPTS|LOCKNUMBER|x
Variables Used (x): Number (Skill points)
What it does:
This will override the base skill points for monster HD. This tag will work retroactively.
Example:
BONUS:MONSKILLPTS|LOCKNUMBER|6
This template will set 6 as the base skill points for any monster levels.
Tag Name: CHOOSE:LANGAUTO:x|x
Variables Used (x): Text (Language Name)
What it does:
This is a | (pipe) delimited choice of Automatic Languages that do not count against the limit determined by a Stat.
Example:
CHOOSE:LANGAUTO:Abyssal|Infernal
"Abyssal" & "Infernal" are granted as bonus langauges.
Tag Name: CR:x
Variables Used (x): Number (Challenge rating adjustment)
What it does:
This is the amount the characters CR is increased by this template.
Example:
CR:2
The character's challenge rating is increased by two.
Tag Name: FAVOREDCLASS:x|x
Variables Used (x): Text (Class name or "Any")
What it does:
Example:
FAVOREDCLASS:Wizard|Fighter
The character's favored classes are Wizard and Fighter.
Tag Name: FEAT:x|x
Variables Used (x): Text (Feat Name)
What it does:
This is a | (pipe) delimited list of feats granted to a Race.
Example:
FEAT:Blind-Fight|Alertness
Gives the "Blind-Fight" & "Alertness" bonus feats.
Tag Name: GENDERLOCK:x
Variables Used (x): Text (Male, Female, Neuter)
What it does:
Sets the character's Gender and disables the ability to change it.
Example:
GENDERLOCK:Female
The characters gender is set to and locked as "Female".
*** Updated 4.3.8
Tag Name: HD:x
Variables Used (x): Calculation (range or minimum natural Hit Dice)
What it does:
Examples:
HD:1-3:DR:5/1
Grants Damage Reduction of 5/+1 if natural hit dice is between one and three.
HD:1+:SR:15
Grants Spell Resistance of 15 if natural hit dice is greater than one.
HD:2-7:CR:2
Grants an increase in Challenge Rating of two if natural hit dice is between two and seven.
HD:15+:SA:Uncanny Dodge
Grants the "Uncanny Dodge" special ability if natural hit dice is grater than fifteen.
HD:10+:FEAT:Alertness
Grants the "Alertness" feat if natural hit dice is greater than ten.
*** Deprecated, use HITDIE
Tag Name: HITDICESIZE:x
*** New 5.7.8
Tag Name: HITDIE:x
Variables Used (x): Number (Hit Dice size)
Variables Used (x): %+Number (Amount added to Hit Dice)
Variables Used (x): %-Number (Amount subtracted from Hit Dice)
Variables Used (x): %*Number (Amount Hit Dice is multiplied by)
Variables Used (x): %/Number (Amount Hit Dice is divided by)
Variables Used (x): %upNumber (Amount Hit Dice size is stepped up by)
Variables Used (x): %downNumber (Amount Hit Dice size is stepped down by)
What it does:
Specifies the new Hit Dice size the template grants to the creature. When using the step up function the steps are d4,d6,d8,d10 and stops at d12. When using the step down function the steps are d12,d10,d8,d6 and stops at d4. Regardless of the number it will never allow a hit die below 1.
Example:
HITDIE:12
The character now has a Hit Dice of 12.
HITDIE:%+2
Adds 2 to the current Hit Dice size.
HITDIE:%-4
Subtracts 4 from the current Hit Dice size.
HITDIE:%*3
Multiplies the current Hit Dice size by 3.
HITDIE:%/2
Divides the current Hit Dice size by 2.
HITDIE:%up2
Steps up the Hit Dice size by two steps. If the creature has a Hit Die of d6 it will be stepped up to d10.
HITDIE:%down1
Steps down the Hit Dice size by one step. If the creature has a Hit Die of d6 it will be stepped down to d4.
Tag Name: LANGAUTO:x,x
Variables Used (x): Text (Language Name)
What it does:
This is a comma delimited list of languages that the character automatically gains.
Example:
LANGAUTO:Common,Gnome
The characters gains the "Common" & "Gnome" languages automatically.
Tag Name: LANGBONUS:x,x
Variables Used (x): Text (Language Name)
Variables Used (x): Text (TYPE=<Language Type>)
Variables Used (x): Text ("ALL")
What it does:
This is a , (comma) delimited list of the languages a character can choose from based upon their Intelligence stat
Example:
LANGBONUS:TYPE=Spoken,Draconic
Add all "Spoken" type languages & "Draconic" to the list of languages that can be taken when creating a character.
*** Updated
Tag Name: LEVEL:x:y:z
Variables Used (x): Number (Level at which the benefit is granted)
Variables Used (y): CR:z (Challenge Rating)
Variables Used (y): DR:z (Damage Reduction)
Variables Used (y): FEAT:z (Feat)
Variables Used (y): SA:z (Special Ability)
Variables Used (y): SR:z (Spell Resistance)
Variables Used (z): Number or Text (Must be valid for the tag used)
What it does:
Examples:
LEVEL:1:DR:5/1
Grants Damage Reduction of 5/+1 at Level 1.
LEVEL:2:SR:15
Grants Spell Resistance of 15 at Level 2.
LEVEL:3:CR:2
Grants an increase in Challenge Rating of two at Level 3.
LEVEL:4:SA:Uncanny Dodge
Grants the "Uncanny Dodge" special ability at Level 4.
LEVEL:5:FEAT:Alertness
Grants the "Alertness" feat at Level 5.
LEVEL:6:FEAT:TYPE.Fighter
Produces a popup menu at Level 6 from which a PC can choose a fighter feat.
*** Updated 5.4
Tag Name: LEVELADJUSTMENT:x
Variables Used (x): Number (Level Adjustment)
What it does:
Raises the Effective Character Level (ECL) of the creature by the number supplied.
This is factored in when determining how much experience is needed to raise a characters level. For example, a 1st level character with a Level adjustment of 3 would need the same amount of experience to reach 2nd level as a 4th level character with no level adjustments would need to reach 5th level.
The Level Adjustment is added to Monster Hit Dice and/or Character Levels to determine the Effective Character Level (ECL) of the creature.
Example:
LEVELADJUSTMENT:1
Effective Character Level is raised by one.
*** Deprecated 4.3.8. Use BONUS:MOVEADD or BONUS:POSTMOVEADD
Tag Name: MOVEA:x,y
Tag Name: NATURALATTACKS:w,x.x,y,z|w,x.x,y,z
Variables Used (w): Text (Natural weapon name)
Variables Used (x): Text (Natural weapon type)
Variables Used (y): Number (Number of attacks)
Variables Used (z): Text (Natural weapon damage)
What it does:
This tag is used to define non-equipment attacks a race may possess.
This is a , (comma) and | (pipe) delimited list of the natural attacks a creature has. If the creature has multiple attacks pipes are used to separate the entries. Commas are used to delimit variables within a single attack listing. All four variables separated by three commas must be present or PCGen will hang when attempting to load the .pcc file.
The first variable (w) is the name of the natural weapon.
The second set of variables (x) are the natural weapon types. Types should be delimited with periods (.). This must always start with "Weapon" and "Natural" and must be followed by either "Melee" or "Ranged". After that the weapons damage types are listed which can be "Bludgeoning", "Piercing" or "Slashing" or any combination of the three.
The third variable (y) is the number of attacks of this type that the creature possesses. If the is an asterisk in front of the number it indicates that the number of attacks is non-iterative, that is it is not based on the creatures attack progression but rather how many of the natural weapons it possesses.
The final variable is the damage the natural weapon does. This is entered in the standard dice notation such as "1d8" and "4d10".
The NATURALATTACKS tag creates a proficiency for the its attacks on the fly
which allows the use of the BONUS:WEAPONPROF tag to effect it. For example, if you used the
NATURALATTACKS tag to create a Bite attack you could then use
BONUS:WEAPONPROF=Dagger|DAMAGE,TOHIT|2
to add 2 to the attack and damage rolls.
Example:
NATURALATTACKS:Claw,Weapon.Natural.Melee.Piercing.Slashing,*2,
1d4|Bite,Weapon.Natural.Melee.Bludgeoning.Piercing.Slashing,*1,1d6
Race has 2 Claw attacks and a Bite attack.
Tag Name: NONPP:x
Variables Used (x): Number (Non proficiency penalty)
What it does:
Sets he character's penalty for non proficiency in a weapon to the specified numeric value (This can only be a negative number or zero).
Example:
NONPP:-2
The non proficiency penalty is minus two.
Tag Name: REGION:x
Variables Used (x): Text (Regoin name or "Yes")
What it does:
Example:
REGION:Timbuktu
Character is from "Timbuktu".
Tag Name: REMOVABLE:x
Variables Used (x): Boolean (YES or NO)
What it does:
This denotes whether a character can remove a template once it is chosen.
Example:
REMOVABLE:NO
The template may not be removed if taken.
*** New 5.8
Tag Name: REMOVE:FEAT(x)y
Variables Used (x): Text (Name of feat)
Variables Used (x): TYPE.Text (Name of feat type)
Variables Used (x): CLASS.Text (Name of feat type)
Variables Used (x): CHOICE (pops a chooser box)
Variables Used (y): Number (Number of feats to remove, Optional)
Variables Used (y): ALL (Removes all indicated feats without prompting)
What it does:
Provides options for removing feats, this works with hidden feats as well as standard feats but not on those applied with the VFEAT or MFEAT tags. The (y) variable is optional, if not present the tag simply removes whatever feats are specified in variable (x).
Where it can be used:
Works in class and template files.
Example:
REMOVE FEAT(Alertness)
Removes the Alertness feat, no choice is presented, the feat is simply removed.
REMOVE:FEAT(TYPE.Fighter)3
Presents a list of Fighter type feats and allows the removal of up to 3.
REMOVE:FEAT(CHOICE)2
Presents a list of all feats the character has and allow removal of 2 of them. If a feat has a COST:# associated with it, it returns that # back to the feat pool.
REMOVE:FEAT(CLASS.Paladin)ALL
Removes all feats that have been granted/taken by the Paladin Class.
Tag Name: SIZE:x
Variables Used (x): Text (F,D,T,S,M,L,H,G,C)
What it does:
Size is used in determining TO-HIT, AC, and affects some skills (F=Fine, D=Diminutive, T=Tiny, S=Small, M=Medium, L=Large, H=Huge, G=Gargantuan, C=Colossal).
Example:
SIZE:M
Character is "Medium" size.
Tag Name: SUBRACE:x
Variables Used (x): Text (Subrace name or "Yes")
What it does:
Example:
SUBRACE:Monkey Ooze
The character is part of the "Monkey Ooze" sub race.
Tag Name: SUBREGION:x
Variables Used (x): Text (Sub region name or "Yes")
What it does:
Example:
SUBREGION:South Side
The character is from the "South Side" subregion.
Tag Name: TEMPLATE:x|x
Variables Used (x): Text (Template Name)
What it does:
This is a | (pipe) delimited list of templates that are granted to the character.
Example:
TEMPLATE:Incorporeal|Undead|Celestial
The character is given the "Incorporeal", "Undead" & "Celestial" templates.
Tag Name: TEMPLATE:CHOOSE:x|x
Variables Used (x): Text (Template Name)
What it does:
CHOOSE will supply a popup window of the choices presented in the tag that are | (pipe) delimited (The user is allowed only ONE choice from the list.
Example:
TEMPLATE:CHOOSE:Celestial|Outsider
The character is given the choice between "Celestial" or "Outsider".
Tag Name: TEMPLATE:ADDCHOICE:x|x
Variables Used (x): Text (Template Name)
What it does:
This is a | (pipe) delimited list of template choices that are added to the list presented by the original TEMPLATE:CHOOSE tag found here or in other lst files.
Example:
TEMPLATE:ADDCHOICE:Demihuman|Beast
The character has "Demihuman" and "Beast" added to the choice list.
Tag Name: TYPE:x.x
Variables Used (x): Text (Template type)
What it does:
Example:
TYPE:Outsider
Is a "Outsider" if this template is selected.
*** Updated 5.7.12
Tag Name: WEAPONBONUS:x|x
Variables Used (x): Text (Weapon Name)
Variables Used (x): TYPE.Text (Weapon Type)
What it does:
This is a | (pipe) delimited list of weapons or weapon types that are granted to the race as a choice of ONE of the listed weapons.
Example:
WEAPONBONUS:Rapier|Longbow
The race receives bonus proficiency in "Rapier" or "Longbow".
WEAPONBONUS:TYPE.Simple
The race receives bonus proficiency in any one Simple weapon.
Tag Name: VISIBLE:x
Variables Used (x): Text (YES, NO, DISPLAY, EXPORT)
What it does:
Example:
VISIBLE:YES
Shows the Template name in PCGen and on export to a character sheet.