I like the demo version of Hero Lab, now called Hero Lab Classic (I’ll call it HLC here), for Mutants & Masterminds 3e, and my husband has been using the full (paid) HLC for Pathfinder 1e for a long time. So when I saw Hero Lab Online (HLO) on Lone Wolf Development’s website, I decided to check out that demo version. I like D&D Beyond and HLO seemed to be a similar concept–allowing players and GMs access to characters and other game materials on any device with an internet connection rather than, as with HLC, being limited to 1 or 2 devices.
Getting the HLO Demo is simple. Surf to this page and click for access to the demo, which allows you to make, but not print, characters for Pathfinder 2e, Starfinder, or Shadowrun 6e. You also cannot upgrade characters beyond Level 1. (You can buy the full version, for one of those 3 games, for US$34.99, plus monthly online service fee, from this same page.) The FAQ link is at the bottom of the page, as well. You will need to register (or enter your current username and password, if you already have an account). Each time you login, you have the option of creating a Pathfinder 2e, Shadowrun 6e, or Starfinder character.
Unfortunately, it got frustrating quickly. I couldn’t get past picking a character name in any of the 3 generators! I got lists of what I hadn’t done for character creation, helpfully coded red for Most Important “errors” and yellow for Less Urgent. However, I couldn’t get into any of the dropdown menus to add the missing stats. I’d click on the + button to add, say characteristic scores–but nothing. My husband, who is familiar with the Pathfinder user interface (UI) for HLC, couldn’t even figure it out.
So I asked Empty Bacta Tank, one of my fellow gamers, for a hand. He registered for the demo and we both tried making the same Starfinder PC to see if we could pin down what was giving me trouble, since I might have been missing something, or maybe it was a quirk of my system. (Learning new software is the weakness 9 out of 10 supervillains would try to exploit, if I were a superheroine.) EBT’s take was the UI might be the issue. “[It’s] not as intuitive an interface as it should be.” So we played around some more and discovered that many of the buttons (notably the +/Add buttons) weren’t very sensitive. Clicking just anywhere on them wouldn’t work; you had to click just the right spot on the button, very firmly, to get the dropdown. Really annoying.
Once we figured that out, we could move from Religion to Abilities to Skills, etc. very easily. Items in the dropdowns were easily clickable. Hovering over nearly anything brought up information, such as what a Skill did, or the prerequisite/s for a Talent in red. (Dropdown menus use red to indicate unavailable options.) The various sections also keep track of how many points/choices you have left, and flag when you “overspend.” I like these aspects of the UI–which are shared by HLC–but wish there were more instructions, or a video for how to use it. (Yes, I searched for them, but only found older videos for HLC.) Judging from the demo, HLO needs better instructions and/or an improved UI to give people the ease of use they’ve been getting from HLC for years.
I also looked into the differences between Hero Lab Classic and Hero Lab Online, as these will be a big factor in choosing which to buy, if you decide to. HLO is compatible with all major browsers–Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and IE are listed in the FAQ–and can be used with many devices, including PCs, Macs, Linux, smartphones, iPads, and Android, while HLC only works on (most) Windows and Mac computers and iOS10+ iPads. Note that you can have both Hero Lab Online and Hero Lab Classic. With the paid versions, your HLC content can be moved to HLO if you like, although there is a fee, in addition to the online service fees.
Those service fees are slightly less than the basic paid D&D Beyond tier (HLO fees are $2/month or $24.99/year vs. $2.99/$25.99 for D&D Beyond). This means HLO will be way more expensive than HLC in the long run, since the $35 for HLC is a one-time cost unless you buy additional licenses for other games.
A big drawback for all potential HLO users is it is only usable with 3 games–Pathfinder 2e, Shadowrun 6e, Starfinder–while HLC offers 11 systems plus Add-on materials, which usually cost another $35 each, after the “free” one that comes when you buy HLC. My husband pointed out that you can’t get Pathfinder 2e for HLC, although it does have PF1e. The same is true of Shadowrun. HLC still has 4e and 5e, but 6e is for HLO only. HLO has no D&D content and HLC only has 5e SRD and d20 3.5 SRD due to Lone Wolf not having a license from Wizards of the Coast, per the FAQs.
A final thing to remember about the full/demo versions of both Classic and Online is that they aren’t substitutes for official character creation rules. Depending on the game system, it’s difficult to almost impossible to make a PC with Hero Lab if you aren’t familiar with that game’s character generation system. This goes double for RPGs with very complex/crunchy character generation–the ones where the software is most helpful.
Personally, I plan to stick with Hero Lab Classic, although the recent changes to the HLC pricing make it just a little less attractive for me. (When I reviewed the Hero Lab Classic demo in 2018, additional game data/licenses were cheaper than the program.) Mainly, it’s because the systems–Mutants & Masterminds, Savage Worlds, etc.–I would be most likely to use it for are not available for HLO. Even if they were, I don’t really need to be able to access Hero Lab anywhere, since I only use it as a character generator, so it doesn’t make sense for me to pay for the full online option.
You may prefer HLO depending on how you use the software and what game/s you intend to use it with. Either Classic or Online can be a good investment, especially if the game has complex character generation rules. (I am looking at you, my dear Mutants & Masterminds 3e). Or maybe you just like a pretty character sheet that has everything you need–which Hero Lab also does well. So if you haven’t tried Hero Lab, try out one or both demos. (Just beware those touchy Add buttons in HLO. Tee hee.)
Big thanks to my husband, Mark, and friend, Empty Bacta Tank, for help trying out the HLO Demo. Mark also kindly checked out current pricing information for additional Hero Lab Classic licences.
Linda Whitson
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