D & D Character Builder Beta available

[Zaukrie]

This thing is great. One of my players just emailed me and asked that I slow advancement down so they don't make 4th level before it is out of beta. He never wants to have to write things down and do calculations himself again!

[Hawke]

Yeah I'm considering trying to keep future games to <3 until we can go ahead and get some good sheets. Guess party death at the end of level 3 will become pretty common until those guys get more levels.

The team has done a great job. This is the first time I've been truly excited about DDI... and the first time I've felt like I'm happy to be a subscriber.

p.s. more levels?

[Dire Bare]

Originally Posted by Hawke

3) I'd like to see a way to allow/disallow supplements. Would make it easy as a DM to state which you can and can't use. I know some areas it's obvious, but others (like the feats) could be made easier if the player just didn't see it.

Go the the "Finish" tab and click "Restrictions". It's not enabled yet, but it's there.

[thecasualoblivion]

They have a forum for D&D Character Builder feedback over at WotC:

Character Builder Beta Feedback. - Wizards Community

They have at least one of the designers camping out there answering all incoming questions/issues. A nice touch on launch day.

[Thasmodious]

Wow, bit late to the party, wasn't home today to play with it earlier. I am seriously impressed, this thing is great. No real feedback yet, just tinkering. I'll be putting it through its paces though, I've made dozens of characters since release to familiarize myself with everything.

[thecasualoblivion]

Originally Posted by Thasmodious

Wow, bit late to the party, wasn't home today to play with it earlier. I am seriously impressed, this thing is great. No real feedback yet, just tinkering. I'll be putting it through its paces though, I've made dozens of characters since release to familiarize myself with everything.

I've made dozens of characters since I've had the Character Builder...

[davethegame]

So while compiling my walk-through of the generator (located here: Hands-On: D&DI Character Generator Beta | Critical Hits) I made a sample artificer and noticed something interesting:



A new At-Will for the Artificer marked (PREVIEW) that doesn't exist on the Compendium.

I wonder if there are other things in there that are previews, unavailable elsewhere?

[Agamon]

This is really, really slick. Wow, I'm glad the game I run has a slower pace, might not have to use anything else.

Anyhoo, what do you guys think, is this a bug, lack of a feature, or intentional: I made my doppleganger warlock, no problems except that she wields a dagger (no magic rod yet) and her basic ranged attack is listed as the dagger, not Eldritch Blast, which is obviously far more optimal. There's no way to change this that I can see.

[mach1.9pants]

This, IMO, is DDI's killer app. I just love it. No more editing PDFs or whatever. No more changing the PCs bonuses etc every session (we find an error at least once a session). I cannot wait until the full version comes out. As a book completist (pretty much) having all the new crunch from each book in the CB will keep me subscribing for a long time....
... along with the fact I really I enjoying the quality of Dun and Drag eMags so far. Thankfully I print them all at work

EDIT:
Oh nice spot DTG!
Agamon: Def a bug report that fella IMO (and I take it that the CB is not the only demo you have enjoyed recently )

[Phaezen]

Originally Posted by garyh

Okay, so I've installed both PrimoPDF and CutePDF and can now print to PDF... but the Character Generator sends each page to the printer separately, so I end up with four PDF's of a page each for a single character. Arrrgh! At least I can take those separate PDF's to work and merge them there, I suppose, but this shouldn't be so hard...

Primo does allow you to append to pdfs. Just give the next page the same file name and tell it to append.

Now all I need is the paypal subscription option

Phaezen

[catsclaw227]

Originally Posted by mdonais

Vista x64 is not working. We found the problem and are working on it now and hope to have a new install tested and out eventually.

Mike.

Thanks Mike!

Will you let us know on this thread when the x64 version will be available? I'd love to test it out!

[Hawke]

Okay... so I just rewrote my next sessions encounters using NPCs made with this. Yeah, I know, it isn't exactly what it's intended for... but throwing on some high level magical equipment to give adequate bonuses and fudging the HP has got me a nice gnome assault party including an illusionist. Yeah I'm using the numbers from the DMG but it's nice having the powers handy.

Edit: That said... it sure would be nice to eventually have a mode or separate tool to build DMG-spec NPC.

[garyh]

Originally Posted by Phaezen

Primo does allow you to append to pdfs. Just give the next page the same file name and tell it to append.

Now all I need is the paypal subscription option

Phaezen

Thanks! Still awkward, but appending is workable.

Hope they get the PayPal active soon! I remember reading it was on the way.

[Hawke]

I noticed the Swordmage Dimensional Thunder power the "teleport a number of squares equal to your constitution modifier" isn't calculated. It'll be nice when the minor effects like that are auto calculated both on the power cards and in the power selection previews.

When creating that guy I was shocked there wasn't a feat already that extended your fey step.

[thecasualoblivion]

Now up to 36 characters created. Now for another 12 before I go to bed.

[Thasmodious]

For those of you having trouble with the .net install - the progress bar seems to mean nothing. Mine filled in a few seconds and then it just sat there. I went back and read my Google Reader for about 10 minutes before I got a popup telling me restart, then the install finished just fine. In the install notes after you reboot it warns you that the .net install can take 20 minutes.

So once you start it, just let it run until it either fails or complete.

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Originally Posted by Betote

I've been told that .NET 4.0 is not really .NET, but a WoW clone (with some anime, a pinch of miniature wargame and a shade of CCG). Is that true?

I looked into the future of C# and the plans for .NET 4.0 on the PDC, and I am afraid it's all true. They even have this new gaming programming language coming out from Microsoft Research aimed at CHILDREN! They want kids to program software! Microsoft is firing me as an ISV!

[Eccles]

OK. I'm reasonably OK with a computer, but without the link to the MSN page with .net on it, I'd be flummoxed.

The inbuilt .net downloader failed for some reason (probably due to my %&%£* firewall).

So then the D&DI downloader told me it was "probably" because I'd cancelled the download, and switched itself off.

Hopefully get there soon...

[Eccles]

Awww! Isn't it sweet!

.Net just told me it's downloaded and I can disconnect from the internet!

Awww...

(Seriously? *is* there still dial up?)

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Originally Posted by Eccles

Awww! Isn't it sweet!

.Net just told me it's downloaded and I can disconnect from the internet!

Awww...

(Seriously? *is* there still dial up?)

Unfortunately, there are people still limited to this kind of technology.