Making a level 6 bard with each NPC Generator

Noumenon

First Post

• Jun 25, 2009

• #11

It must be hard to break into this field of NPC Generation. How is the clearly inferior MythWeaver generator still at the top of Google's search results for "NPC Generator"? Did people stop caring and linking to new NPC generators so it's impossible to climb the list?

The #2 generator listed is for 3.0 still, #3 is for personalities only, #4 is for GURPS of all things. #5 is that Peter Adkison spreadsheet. Then there's a d20 Modern, an ENworld thread, a 20-page-long Javascript page with checkboxes, and the last two are just weird. "D&D NPC Generator" is not much better.

None of the good generators I've reviewed on this page have even made it into the top ten. That's a shame. Either Google or the Internet's sorting ability is falling down here.

Google kind of sucks for D&D in general. I remember when I was starting out I couldn't find a single blog or place to ask rules questions. Now I know about fifty of them.

 

Last edited: Jul 9, 2009

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Noumenon

First Post

• Jun 25, 2009

• #12

I Googled and found my comment on Heroforge the last time I tried to review it:

I’m afraid that HeroForge spreadsheet isn’t gonna work for me. #1, the “Monster Class” dropdown box on the first page is empty, so I can’t generate monsters (Excel 2007). #2, they don’t have any random generation of anything. They don’t even roll your hit points for you. I’m not gonna spend 20 minutes typing in numbers to save 5 minutes of math at the table.

Click to expand...

Don't know if that's accurate or if the entire spreadsheet was broken.

Edit: Also, the download page for Heroforge is confusing as hell.

 

Last edited: Jun 25, 2009

V

Vascant

Wanderer of the Underdark

• Jun 25, 2009

• #13

For me, I cannot complain about Jamis Buck's NPC Generator mainly because it was in many ways the first of its kind. When JB stopped working on it and went into the real life, I was retiring from real life. I did learn a lot from his generator, the code, some of the errors he spoke about and wished he could do over if he had the time. So I will always have a measure of respect for him and his work.



Side note:
I just uploaded 1.0.199 which fixes a bug found in how weapon costs were being figured out.

 

Noumenon

First Post

• Jun 26, 2009

• #14

(I used BleedingEdge's Spell Generator for my spells)

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Kerrick, your comment is like the only Google hit for this name, you think you can find a link to it anywhere?

 

V

Vascant

Wanderer of the Underdark

• Jun 26, 2009

• #15

Noumenon said:

Kerrick, your comment is like the only Google hit for this name, you think you can find a link to it anywhere?

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I wonder if this is the same tool: d20 Spellbook Generator

 

Kerrick

First Post

• Jun 26, 2009

• #16

That would be the one. It's an immensely useful utility - you can add/alter your own spells, change spell progressions, add new classes, generate and print out spell lists...

 

D

dingle

First Post

• Jul 9, 2009

• #17

Dingle's Games: Here's one of the new crop. Much more technologically advanced.




The bad:

• Not sure where the Misc bonuses to diplomacy and disguise are coming from.

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The Misc bonus comes from the bluff skill (it works out the Skill Synergies).
I think the the CR 7 was because you used an Elite stat array (+1CR).
The magic bonus addition not including on your total is a bug/feature?? I've only just added magic items (I'm thinking of disallowing editing of those fields).

PS (I'm working on the auto generation of spells and magic items)
Good review of all the generators . I was trying to create a generator where you could create unique NPC's to your liking not just a random ones, but I am now working on random ones and creating a database of pre-generated ones.

 

Last edited: Jul 9, 2009

Noumenon

First Post

• Jul 9, 2009

• #18

The Misc bonus comes from the bluff skill (it works out the Skill Synergies).

Click to expand...

I honestly thought I went and checked the skill synergies page before I posted that. I'll strike it through.

I think the the CR 7 was because you used an Elite stat array (+1CR).

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Is that a rule? I don't see it on this SRD page, but it makes sense.

Sorry I had to review things still in beta, but I wanted that level 6 bard now.

 

J

Jhaelen

First Post

• Jul 9, 2009

• #19

Noumenon said:

Is that a rule? I don't see it on this SRD page, but it makes sense.

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Note, though, that using the Elite Array only grants CR+1 if you don't add pc class levels.

The CR increase for adding class levels automatically includes the benefits of the elite array.

 

D

dingle

First Post

• Jul 9, 2009

• #20

Jhaelen said:

Note, though, that using the Elite Array only grants CR+1 if you don't add pc class levels.

The CR increase for adding class levels automatically includes the benefits of the elite array.

Click to expand...

I've just been looking CRs up again in the MM and you are be right. I missed that paragraph when I was working on the CR's. Thanks for pointing it out.

Maybe I should automatically set the Elite array flag if a PC character class level is selected (e.g. Fighter rather than warrior) and take off the +1 CR for them.