Huntsman - Guide To Henchmen: SoU / HoTU Style
This is the first in a series of tutorials on how to set up and modify the behaviour of the new henchmen brought in with the SoU and HoTU expansions. Later tutorials cover topics such as conversation interjections, one liners, party banter, multiple henchmen, henchmen with more than one class and how to carry henchmen from one module to another.
Introduction
This tutorial aims to detail the points required to make your own custom henchmen in the SoU / HoTU style. Follow these steps to get yourself your basic template, a standard fighter with a normal package that will only level up in one class.
Creating The Basic Henchman.
1. Click on the word 'Wizards' at the top of your toolset and then click on the option 'Creature Wizard'.
2. On the wizard that opens click the 'NEXT' button at the bottom to move to the next screen where you can pick the racial type of henchman/creature you are going to create. Click on 'Human' in the list and then click the 'NEXT' button at the bottom.
3. You will notice on the next screen that you need to choose the class and level of the character. In this case a fighter of level one is already selected in the box to the right, and as this is what we are making clicking on the 'NEXT' button at the bottom.
4. On the next screen pick the gender of your henchperson, and choose a portrait for them. When you're done click the 'NEXT' button.
5. This screen allows you to choose the faction that the henchperson will be a member of before they are hired. Select 'MERCHANT' in the list and click the NEXT button again.
6. Give your henchman a name and click 'NEXT'.
7. This screen allows you to decide where on the custom creature palette the blueprint for this character will be located. Whilst you can of course place them anywhere, it is often a good idea to place your main characters together, for example in the 'Special : Custom 1' section. When you have finished click 'NEXT'. You will then be shown all the stats for your henchperson, check them and if they are ok click 'NEXT' again.
8. On the next screen click the box to 'Launch the creatures properties' and click the 'FINISH' button.
9. Click the tab marked 'SCRIPTS' and at the bottom click on the 'Load Script Set' button, and in the window that opens click on the file called 'set_xp1_henchmen.ini' and click the 'OPEN' button. It’s possible the file’s called something else on your machine, but look for one relating to henchmen.
10. You need a conversation for the henchman, since they are usually quite lengthy you can download one from here. Unzip the hench_convo.erf file and place it in your Neverwinter Nights erf directory. Then click on 'FILE' on the menu bar and select 'IMPORT' from the menu. In the window that opens, select 'hench_convo.erf' and click 'OPEN'.
11. Click on the 'Basic' tab of your henchmans properties and look at the bottom for the 'Edit' button. Don’t push that, but push the one to the left of it that looks like it has '...' at the bottom of it. Look for the file called 'hench_convo' and select it and click ok. You should see the name of the file in the conversation window now. You can click the 'Edit' button now if you wish to edit the conversation, but you might be better off waiting until you've read the tutorial on 'One liners and interjections'.
12. Click on the 'Classes' tab of his properties and look at the 'Default Package for Autolevelup' window. Click the little arrow to the right and choose a package type for the henchman. It doesn’t matter what you choose in this case.
You have now finished the basic henchman who will level up as a fighter, and will join you when you talk to him (due to the conversation file you added) and will react as the HotU henchmen do.
Setting Your Module To Take Two Henchmen
Allowing two henchmen per player in your module is not too hard. Its when you want more than two that things get a little more complicated.
Put simply you will need to put the following line of script in the 'OnModuleLoad' script slot of your modules property sheet.
SetMaxHenchmen(2);
And thats it, apart from making sure that the scripts attached to your conversation file don't fire the first henchman when you hire the second.
Note
It is possible that when using the scripts from SoU on the henchman you might find odd things happen when the henchman dies. If this happens in your module you might want to use the XP2 (HoTU) henchman scripts for OnDeath and OnSpellCastAt instead, x2_hen_death and x2_hen_spell respectively. Because XP2 (HoTU) doesnt automatically bring your henchmen back to life when they die, you need to be aware that if you do use these scripts you will have to use a resurrection spell or raise dead spell to revive the henchman.
author: Huntsman, editor: Grimlar