Sortable Monster Manual index spreadsheet with built-in encounter calculator -- v1.2

Darkthorne · Jun 11, 2008

Files Merged

Withak,
Thanks. I worked with the 2 files you had and created this:
4E Encounter Calc

withak · Jun 12, 2008

v1.1 has been uploaded. I have integrated the encounter calculator into the index. Feedback is much appreciated.

PrecociousApprentice · Jun 12, 2008

This is a great database, but I think that I came into this conversation a little late. I have been working on a modification of this database in another thread. That thread had an encounter calculator, and while there are some interesting ideas here that I might have to steal, the sorting function I wrote for the other thread works a little slicker than this one in my opinion. I like the idea of encounter notes from your file, but there were none that I could find. You should play with what we have done with this database in this thread.

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=4287910#post4287910

Then you might like to modify it again. Collaborative work is super fun, and we often get back something way better than we originally thought we would. I would like to see what becomes of my mod of someone elses mod of your file.

withak · Jun 12, 2008

PrecociousApprentice said:
This is a great database, but I think that I came into this conversation a little late. I have been working on a modification of this database in another thread. That thread had an encounter calculator, and while there are some interesting ideas here that I might have to steal, the sorting function I wrote for the other thread works a little slicker than this one in my opinion. I like the idea of encounter notes from your file, but there were none that I could find. You should play with what we have done with this database in this thread.

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?p=4287910#post4287910

Then you might like to modify it again. Collaborative work is super fun, and we often get back something way better than we originally thought we would. I would like to see what becomes of my mod of someone elses mod of your file.

Unfortunately, your mod removes quite a bit of functionality from the original spreadsheet, namely the ability to sort on the hidden columns. For example, I can't sort on Size, or Origin, or the presence of various keywords.

Text should show up in the "Notes" fields when monsters are selected that are either far too easy or far too hard for the calculated encounter level. I might have messed up some of the logic there.

PrecociousApprentice · Jun 12, 2008

I agree that the database that I modified had less functionality, I just like the way I went about the sorting problem for the encounter calculator better. That is why I posted back here so that maybe what I wrote would get integrated with the original without me having to do it. I am lazy after all.

withak · Jun 12, 2008

PrecociousApprentice said:
I agree that the database that I modified had less functionality, I just like the way I went about the sorting problem for the encounter calculator better. That is why I posted back here so that maybe what I wrote would get integrated with the original without me having to do it. I am lazy after all.

Okay, now I get what you're saying.

If I have time, I'll work your sorting mechanism back into mine to see how I like it.

withak · Jun 12, 2008

It figures this would happen. The spreadsheet gets featured on the main page, and then I find all sorts of problems...

I inadvertently deleted the formulae that are supposed to be in the "Notes" column on the Encounter Calculator. These are supposed to tell you when you have a monster that's way too easy or way too hard for the encounter level you have selected.

In the ODS version, the monster drop-downs will not reflect the sorted order on the Monsters tab, as advertised; this is because the "sort choices in ascending order" option is checked in the Data -- Validity dialog box. (Not sure of the exact wording, but that's the gist of it.) A quick fix is to select all of the monster name dropdown cells and uncheck that box. (The XLS version will not have this problem, because Excel does not have this particular feature.)

Also, Wizards has released errata (already! amazing) for the core books. The only change needed to the database is that Pseudodragon should be Small, not Tiny.

All of these changes will show up in the next version.

Darkthorne · Jun 12, 2008

Withak,
My only suggestion I posted here.

withak · Jun 12, 2008

Yay, yet more problems...

Thanks, Malefax, for pointing out the latest one: monsters besides the first one always show up as Standard.

I'll upload a new, fixed version as soon as I can.