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<blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 6420435" data-attributes="member: 3400"><p>If anything, this just tells me there's a market for more than one approach to an electronic product. And that's what's great right now about how far the open game license has gone with Pathfinder. There are fillable character sheets that handle some basic calculations, there are full-blown character builders, there are apps that organize by individual data element (spell, feat, class), apps that organize by released book, utilities that cover a specific use (summoned monsters), the PDFs from Paizo, and websites that compile the whole shebang and have a decent search engine (d20pfsrd.com). And if you aren't interested in any one or two of those products, the other ones are still there for you. I regularly use 5 of those tools when playing and running the game, depending on my information need and access to the internet.</p><p></p><p>That's "in general". On the specifics of a character builder that incorporates the rules - they can be invaluable depending on the complexity of the game and the characters. 3e, 4e, Champions - these are all games that benefit from a well-coded character builder of some sort. Maybe it's as simple as a spreadsheet that can correctly do your calculations like the one I put together for Champions and downloaded for Mutants and Masterminds. Maybe it's a more elaborate spreadsheet like HeroForge, relying on macros and offering a lot more capability but limiting the platforms on which it functions. Or maybe it's a full blown application like HeroLab - expensive but a big labor saver for making PF characters. The more complex the character building options, the more value a well-done character building utility has. And D&D 5 is lot less complex (so far) than 3e, PF, 4e, Champions, or Mutants and Masterminds. But that doesn't mean it can't benefit from a decent builder tool. Just as I wouldn't want a software company or WotC to paint themselves into a corner with the game needing a builder app to be playable, I wouldn't want them to categorically rule out making or supporting one either. Ruling out options is what would be wrong-headed.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="billd91, post: 6420435, member: 3400"] If anything, this just tells me there's a market for more than one approach to an electronic product. And that's what's great right now about how far the open game license has gone with Pathfinder. There are fillable character sheets that handle some basic calculations, there are full-blown character builders, there are apps that organize by individual data element (spell, feat, class), apps that organize by released book, utilities that cover a specific use (summoned monsters), the PDFs from Paizo, and websites that compile the whole shebang and have a decent search engine (d20pfsrd.com). And if you aren't interested in any one or two of those products, the other ones are still there for you. I regularly use 5 of those tools when playing and running the game, depending on my information need and access to the internet. That's "in general". On the specifics of a character builder that incorporates the rules - they can be invaluable depending on the complexity of the game and the characters. 3e, 4e, Champions - these are all games that benefit from a well-coded character builder of some sort. Maybe it's as simple as a spreadsheet that can correctly do your calculations like the one I put together for Champions and downloaded for Mutants and Masterminds. Maybe it's a more elaborate spreadsheet like HeroForge, relying on macros and offering a lot more capability but limiting the platforms on which it functions. Or maybe it's a full blown application like HeroLab - expensive but a big labor saver for making PF characters. The more complex the character building options, the more value a well-done character building utility has. And D&D 5 is lot less complex (so far) than 3e, PF, 4e, Champions, or Mutants and Masterminds. But that doesn't mean it can't benefit from a decent builder tool. Just as I wouldn't want a software company or WotC to paint themselves into a corner with the game needing a builder app to be playable, I wouldn't want them to categorically rule out making or supporting one either. Ruling out options is what would be wrong-headed. [/QUOTE]
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