What this does, and what it does not
Heroquill comes with the free rules of the SRD 5.1. Everything else you add yourself, from files you already have. Nothing from Aurora or from any publisher is bundled in the app, and the app never downloads content on its own: it fetches only from an address you type, or one listed in an index file you chose.
What you add stays on your device, in your browser. A pack made from your own files can be removed at any time but never exported or shared: only add content you have the right to use.
Open the Content packs page
Open the ☰ menu and choose Content packs. The page lists what comes with the app and, under Your packs, what you have added. At the bottom, under Add content, are the three ways to bring Aurora files in.
Way 1: choose files from your computer
Press Add Aurora XML files and pick one or more files. They can be content files (.xml) or index files (.index). You can select many at once. This is the simplest way when you already have the files on the device.
Way 2: an index file brings a whole book
An index file lists every content file of a book or of a whole collection. When you choose one, Heroquill follows the list and fetches each file from the address written in it, up to 1500 files: enough for the whole Aurora Legacy collection, about 750 files and 8000 entries. A progress line shows how many files are done.
Way 3: type an address
Paste the address of an Aurora file or index in the box under the buttons and press Fetch from address. The address must start with https, and the site must allow web pages to read it. If you paste the address of a file shown on GitHub, Heroquill turns it into the address of the raw file by itself.
Read the report
When the import ends, a report says what happened:
- how many entries were added to the pack;
- entries the app already has (the SRD) were left out, and whatever referred to them now points at the app’s own entry;
- entries that repeat another one, with the same name, text and effects, were merged into one;
- 2024 versions are left out when the 2014 one is there, because the app follows the 2014 rules. A checkbox on the page keeps both;
- things that are not supported yet are listed (companions, background variants and stat blocks, for example);
- rules the app cannot apply by itself keep their text, and the report counts them: apply them by hand or with Free edit.
Use it in your character
The new species, classes, backgrounds, feats, spells and items now appear in the choices of the build steps, with the name of their source. Spells, languages, backgrounds, species, feats, classes, subclasses, magic items and deities are read; for magic items the bonuses to armor class, saving throws, speed, ability scores and similar are applied while the item is equipped.
Keep it up to date, and take it to another device
When the importer improves, a pack made with an older version shows Needs updating. Press Import again on it, or Update all the packs that need it. The pack keeps its place, so the characters that use it keep working.
To use your packs on a phone or a second computer, use the transfer from the first device: it carries the addresses the packs came from, so on the new device you only press Import again. A pack made from files on disk needs its files again.
If something goes wrong
- “Nothing could be imported from those files”: the files are not Aurora content files, or are empty. Check that you chose .xml or .index files.
- “Files could not be fetched”: the address is wrong, is not https, or the site does not allow web pages to read it. Try the file from disk instead.
- “The index listed more files than the app follows at once”: add the rest with a second import.