Enhance Character Level-Ups With Feat-Granted Languages

Hey guys, let's dive into a super cool update for our level-up wizard that's going to make character building even more awesome! We're talking about making sure your characters can snag those extra languages granted by cool feats, like the ever-popular Linguist feat. You know, the one that lets you pick three new languages to add to your character's repertoire? It’s a big deal for roleplaying and definitely adds a layer of depth. So, buckle up as we walk through how we're implementing this and why it's a game-changer for the level-up experience.

The Need for Speed: Why Language Choices Matter

Alright, so why are we even fussing about languages, right? Well, in many tabletop roleplaying games, knowing different languages can be hugely important. It’s not just about picking up a few extra words; it can unlock entire storylines, allow for unique interactions with NPCs, and even provide crucial information that monolingual characters might miss. Think about it: your character stumbles upon an ancient scroll written in Draconic, or needs to negotiate passage with a group of notoriously secretive Goblins. Having the right language can be the difference between success and a spectacular failure. The Linguist feat, specifically, is a prime example of this. It’s designed to give characters a broader understanding of the world, breaking down communication barriers. Previously, our level-up wizard might have handled basic language proficiencies, but when a feat grants you bonus languages, it’s a different beast altogether. These are choices you make as part of a more significant character progression milestone, not just a standard proficency pick. Therefore, integrating this seamlessly into the level-up flow is crucial for a smooth and comprehensive character advancement. We want players to feel that their feat choices have a real, tangible impact, and being able to add those specific languages directly during the level-up process is key to that feeling. It means less manual tracking and more intuitive character growth. This update isn’t just about adding a checkbox; it’s about enhancing the narrative and mechanical depth of your characters right from the moment they gain new abilities.

Making It Happen: The Technical Nitty-Gritty

So, how are we actually pulling this off, you ask? Well, it involves a few key technical steps to make sure everything runs smoothly. First off, we're going to refactor StepLanguages.vue. This is our main interface for handling language selections, and we need it to be more flexible. By making it accept characterId and nextStep as props, we can now dynamically control its behavior based on where it fits in the overall level-up process. This is super important because it means this step can now be triggered and managed correctly, even when it’s part of a larger sequence. Think of it as giving the language step a clearer set of instructions on how to behave and where to go next. Next up, we're adding a hasLanguageChoices computed property to characterLevelUp.ts. This is the brainpower behind the operation. It'll intelligently determine if the character, at their current level and with their chosen feats, actually has language choices to make. This prevents unnecessary steps from popping up, keeping the wizard streamlined. If you’ve taken a feat like Linguist, this computed property will return true, signaling that the language step needs to be included. Then, we're plugging this into the system by adding the new step to the registry in useLevelUpWizard.ts. This registry is like the master control panel for the entire wizard, dictating which steps are available and in what order. By adding our language choice step here, we make it a recognized part of the wizard's journey. Finally, all of this comes together in LevelUpWizard.vue. This is where we'll wire up the new step, making sure it appears at the right time and functions correctly within the user interface. It’s all about ensuring that when a player selects a feat that grants languages, the wizard guides them through picking those languages without a hitch. It’s a pretty neat bit of engineering, guys, and it’s going to make a world of difference in how smoothly characters can be customized.

The Grand Tour: Where Languages Fit In

Now, let’s talk about the actual flow, because the order of operations is critical for a good user experience. We’ve carefully placed the new Languages step in the level-up sequence. Drumroll please... it comes after the Spells step and before Proficiencies. So, the full lineup looks like this: Hit Points → ASI/Feat → Feature Choices → Spells → Languages → Proficiencies → Summary. Why this specific order, you ask? It makes logical sense, right? You usually figure out your core abilities (ASI/Feat) and features first. Then, if you're a spellcaster, you'd select your new spells. Then, if any of those feats you picked (like Linguist) grant you bonus languages, you make those choices. It's a natural progression. You wouldn't pick languages before you know if your feat even gives you the option, would you? After languages, you’d finalize other proficiencies, and finally, you get the grand overview in the summary. This ordering ensures that all prerequisites are met before a choice is presented. If a character doesn't take a feat that grants languages, this step will simply be skipped over, thanks to that hasLanguageChoices computed property we talked about. This keeps the wizard efficient and focused on what’s relevant for the specific character build. It’s all about providing a guided, intuitive path that mirrors how players often think about building their characters. We want this to feel less like filling out a form and more like a natural extension of the character creation and advancement process. So, yeah, this placement is deliberate, and we think it’s going to make things much clearer for everyone involved.

Looking Ahead: What's Next?

This language choice integration is part of a bigger picture, guys! It's connected to several other ongoing efforts to totally revamp the level-up wizard. For starters, it's a direct follow-up to the overarching Level-Up Wizard Epic (#488). Think of this as a key component that makes that epic vision a reality. We've also got some solid design documentation outlining the whole thing in wrapper/docs/frontend/plans/2025-12-11-level-up-choice-steps-design.md. If you're into the nitty-gritty details of the design, that's the place to go! On top of that, this particular implementation is part of a coordinated batch of work. It's being worked on alongside #484, #485, and #486. This means we're tackling related improvements in parallel, ensuring a cohesive and robust update across the board. By grouping these tasks, we can make sure that all the different pieces of the level-up wizard puzzle fit together perfectly. So, while you're enjoying picking your new languages, know that it's part of a much larger, exciting evolution of our character building tools. We're constantly striving to make these tools more powerful, intuitive, and enjoyable to use. Stay tuned for more awesome updates!