README.md

OpenPF2 for Unreal Engine

A plug-in for Unreal Engine that provides logic and content for building an RPG with mechanics similar to Pathfinder™ 2nd Edition by Paizo Publishing.

All abilities and stats are implemented using the Gameplay Ability System (GAS) plug-in that ships with Unreal Engine.

Why OpenPF2?

OpenPF2 is a labor of love from experienced developers who believe in the power of UE and want to bring that power to role-playing game development. We’re here to give independent game developers the structure, starting content, and support to experiment and implement Action RPGs or turn-based RPGs quickly, with as little or as much C++ code as they feel comfortable with.

Unlike other RPG frameworks on the Unreal Marketplace, OpenPF2 is:

• Open-source (here on GitHub), so you can always look under the hood and suggest or contribute changes.
• Free to use in any UE project. We believe that the best kind of prototyping shouldn’t cost you anything.
• Available for commercial licensing. As a proof-of-concept blossoms into a closed-source venture, we’re open to licensing our code privately for a fee, so you don’t need to deal with the complexity of sharing parts of your codebase if you require full control of your IP.
• More than just a framework. OpenPF2 is preloaded with content based on the Pathfinder® Second Edition Core Rulebook, making it easy to create new characters and enemies by filling out character sheets rather than having to implement and balance your own stats.
• Modular and pluggable. Use as little or as much of our existing classes and content as you like in your project.
  • Each system in the framework communicates with other systems through standard interfaces (in the UINTERFACE sense), so every major component can be replaced with a custom component if you don't like the default implementation.
  • All PF2 sample content from the core rulebook is in a separate section from content required for the framework to function, so you can pick whichever parts you want to include or completely roll your own without breaking the essential framework parts.
• Blueprint-friendly. Most of the framework is exposed to Blueprint so you can dive in and build prototypes or assemble production-grade abilities right from the start with a minimum of C++ knowledge.
• Built on the Gameplay Ability System (GAS)–a standard component of Unreal Engine supported by Epic Games, rather than a custom, in-house framework. GAS plays nicely with other plug-ins and frameworks and receives updates and improvements from Epic themselves.

Compatibility

This plug-in is compatible with Unreal Engine 5.3.

Current Status

This plug-in is in pre-alpha status. It is not yet expected to be useful for production-grade projects, but it may be a useful reference for you even in its current state.

We are attempting to model as much of the PF2 Core Rulebook as possible. But, before we can do that, the base framework and a proof-of-concept set of MVP scope needs to be completed. You can can track our progress so far using the issue tracker. At a high level, the MVP scope includes:

• 1 character ancestry (Human), with 4 heritages.
• 1 character class (Barbarian).
• 1 archetype (Barbarian).
• 35 character backgrounds.
• 17 skills, and skill actions.
• Dice/rolling math library.
• Various Kismet/Blueprint function libraries for all math sourced from the Core Rulebook.
• Network-ready game logic (all parts of PF2 are being developed and tested with networking ability from the start).
• Character stats as Gameplay Attribute Sets.
• Character metadata including languages known, alignment, and deity.
• Character creation UI: A basic one, included as a starter template to be customized by game designers.
• Items and equipment:
  • Character inventory, equipment management, and associated UI.
  • Ability to equip/un-equip pieces of equipment.
  • Handedness of equipment.
  • Bulk tracking.
  • Currency and equipment cost tracking.
  • Item level.
  • Armor types and armor class.
  • Damage to items and equipment: Items can take damage and become destroyed from use.
• Encounter/exploration/down-time mode system with rules-switching for each.
• Automatic transitions from exploration into encounter mode upon enemy sighting.
• Encounter rules.
  • Encounter participant tracking (i.e., which characters of the party and which "enemy" NPCs are in the encounter, with ability for characters to be added after encounter has already started).
  • Automatic rolling of initiative when characters join encounters.
  • Combat following initiative order, with either turn-based or real-time player controls and interactions.
  • Actions:
    • Binding actions to controls, including associated UI for bindings.
    • Action queuing (i.e., allowing player to queue actions in real time to be executed when it is their turn, per initiative order).
    • Action selection, including associated UI for selecting actions.
    • Actions with triggers.
    • Action points enforcement (e.g., one-point actions, two-point actions, reactions, free actions).
    • Reactions with triggers.
• Special attack-damage-stacking rules (e.g., take highest of a given type of damage rather than stacking).
• Constrained movement and range of movement.
• End-of-encounter rewards:
  • Hero Points.
  • Experience points (XP).
  • Loot drops
  • Character level-up based on experience (XP).
  • Ability boosts and associated UI
• Feats:
  • All general feats.
  • Ancestry feats (Humans only, for now, since only Human ancestry is being implemented for MVP).
  • Class feats (Barbarians only, for now, since only the Barbarian class is being implemented for MVP).
  • Feat selection and associated UI.
• Conditions and afflictions (poisoned, stunned, unconscious, etc.)
• Hit points and health tracking.
• Damage types as GAS Gameplay Effects and damage type resistances as GAS Gameplay Attributes.
• Difficulty class (DC) and other types of checks, including related math and rolls:
  • Attack rolls
  • Perception
  • Saving throws
  • Skill checks
  • Flat checks
  • Secret checks
  • Damage checks
• Down-time mode:
  • Long-term rest.
  • Skill re-training.
• Metric units for all measurements (e.g., reach, height, stride, etc.).
• All weapons outlined in Chapter 6, "Equipment" of Core Rulebook.

Note on Units

Pathfinder 2E materials—including the Core Rulebook—use imperial units (feet), but Unreal Engine uses metric units, so OpenPF2 does as well. In the real world, 1 foot is equal to 0.3048 meters; but, to avoid having to deal with decimal values, OpenPF2 uses a simple conversion of 1.5 meters per 5 feet that slightly rounds values (1.5 meters equals ~4.92 feet in the real world).

To convert units provided by Pathfinder 2E materials into those used in OpenPF2, simply multiply the provided value (in feet) by a ratio of 1.5/5. For example, if a weapon has a range of 60 feet, then its range in OpenPF2 is 60 feet * 1.5 meters/5 feet = 18 meters.

Installation

1. Check out the project into the Plugins/ folder of your larger UE5 project. Ensure that the folder into which you check out the project is named OpenPF2.
2. Check out the https://github.com/OpenPF2/EnhancedUnrealSpecs project into Plugins/EnhancedAutomationSpecs.
3. Modify the *.uproject file of your larger UE5 project to ensure that both the OpenPF2 and GameplayAbilities plug-ins are enabled, like so:

   "Plugins": [
     {
       "Name": "GameplayAbilities",
       "Enabled": true
     },
     {
       "Name": "OpenPF2",
       "Enabled": true
     }
   ]

4. (Optionally) If you would like to write tests that use the Enhanced Automation Spec framework, you can make your project depend directly on the EnhancedAutomationSpecs plugin by adding this to the *.uproject file of your larger UE5 project:

   "Plugins": [
     {
       "Name": "EnhancedAutomationSpecs",
       "Enabled": true
     }
   ]

5. Re-generate Visual Studio/Rider project files.
6. Edit the *.Build.cs file and add "OpenPF2" to the PrivateDependencyModuleNames section:

   PrivateDependencyModuleNames.AddRange(new string[]
   {
       "OpenPF2GameFramework",
   });

7. Compile your project.
8. Copy the Config/Tags/ folder from the plug-in into your project's Config folder. Even in UE 5.1+, this is still required. The engine does not automatically scan or package config files provided by plugins.

Licensing

Open-source Licenses

Since this plug-in incorporates content and elements that were originally created by Paizo Publishing, the code in this repository is licensed under a mix of the Open Game License (OGL) version 1.0a and the Mozilla Public License version 2.0. See LICENSE.txt for details on what portions of the code base are covered by each license.

All code in this project is licensed in a way that is compatible with the Unreal Engine End User License Agreement For Publishing. However, if you are attempting to use this code with other game engines (e.g., Unity) or projects that are not based on Unreal Engine, be aware that rare, select portions of the code are licensed from Epic Games only for use with Unreal Engine and will need to be removed from your copy of the project.

For information about precisely which license applies to a source file, consult its file header. If you encounter a file that lacks a license in its header, please file an issue.

Alternate, Commercial Licensing (for Proprietary Projects)

If you are developing a commercial, proprietary, or closed-source game or project that is otherwise incompatible with the open-source OGL and MPL licensing of this plug-in, the author is willing to discuss alternate, custom licensing.

The license will be among the following parties:

• The licensee (you).
• The author of this plug-in project (Guy Elsmore-Paddock).
• Paizo Publishing (for Pathfinder 2E Core Mechanics).

If you are interested in a custom license, please reach out to us (see "Reach Out" below).

Reach Out

Interested in joining the project? Having trouble getting started with the code? Want to explore a custom license? Here are a few ways to get in touch with us:

• Join our Discord server
• DM the project lead (Guy) on Reddit.

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Paizo and Pathfinder are trademarks of Paizo Inc. Nothing in this project is officially sanctioned or endorsed by Paizo Publishing.