Favorite RPG assistant software?

[Luke]

Re: Computer D&D aids

The programs that allow you to do everything tend to be labor intensive on the front end(getting everything for your gaming session into the program) and have steep learning curves. BUT, once you get up on that curve, they do everything you could ever want during your sessions. Programs such as Roleplaying Master are good programs in this area.

Good post. My personal belief is for scaled complexity - meeting the user with their initial comfort level, but being there for them when they're ready to do more.
This is especially important in higher level games, where accurate play accounting for all conditions, immunities, resistances and especially stacking rules - becomes a very big challenge


I'll explain RolePlayingmaster and scaled complexity a bit.


Design
The idea is that RolePlayingMaster allows you to *choose* the amount of complexity you want.
Whilst there are dozens and dozens of screens for just about anything, you can do 90% of what you want from just the "Character/Creature" window.
As examples, you can ignore that automatic combat management (managing initiative, and targeting). I currently do this in my own game, since I'm not DMing. RPM keeps track of my personal game math, initiative, and current conditions (such as Bull's Str and Cat's Grace)) - all properly stacked.
When I perform an action like an attack or cast a spell, all the details are in the "Execute Action" window (the other window I use personally).
I do also tend to have other windows docked like spells, feats, classes and the encyclopaedia. That however, is because I have become the RPG encyclopaedia for my gaming group. Its quicker to get answers from me, than from the books - which are rarely opened these days.


If a problem arises, its generally from a tendency we tend to have, that we download a piece of software, and then go "exploring", without ever wanting to read the help. If you only want basic character management, but run blind into screens that allow you to change or extend classes, feats, skills and more - you could get confused.

Evolution
RolePlayingMaster has started out with the goal of doing "everything". From an application development point of view, that means you really want to get your framework and design correct up front. Quite definitely, RPM started off 2 years ago with a mass of functionality, and a poor user interface to match.
Its a very different program today, but areas are still evolving.

Evolution Example
An clear example of meeting different requirements for computer automation is in the update being released later today - for calculating experience.

- At its most automated level, you press the "Auto" button, and take full advantage of having all the players and opponents fully entered into RPM (not the most common use of RPM). A list of all the different numbers of opponents and their CRs are filled out in a grid. As well, the number of party members, and their average level are worked out, which allows RPM to instantly work out everything, down to the XP per party member.
You can edit in any XP bonus, or bonus multiplier and have the results instaltly recalculated.
- At its most common use, you won't have all characters and opponents entered into RPM. Here you can simply edit directly into the grid list of opponent numbers and CRs, and perhaps the party numbers and average. The rest is worked out for you, which allows you to take advantage of RPM's ability to work out the EL for *any* numbers and CR combination.
- Lastly, at its most simple level you can just edit the party average and the encounter level directly, to get the base XP awarded.


To my mind, this is the sort of thing we really need.
A program that meets your needs at whatever level of complexity you want, but is there when you want more.

 

[Martin]

Thus far I've tried Campaign Suite which has some nice features. It's also not that intuitive, crashes on a regular enough basis during the character creation process and insofar as the compatability with d20M (of which the implementation feels distinctly like an afterthought) the program is wanting. I'll see how subsequent versions shape up. For now, I'm putting it to the side.

I've also tried PCGen, and forgive me, Leo, but I can't remember a thing about how well it worked or didn't. I know that I'm not using it right now, so I'm guessing that it wasn't working in the way I'd hoped.

I'm trying RPM at the moment which I remember from about two years ago when I gave Luke some tips during what I believe was beta. It's also not that intuitive I'm finding, and I'm not keen at all on the interface but I'm going to give it a shot and see if I can't get it to work for my d20M campaign. If not, I'm either going to have to find another piece of software to purchase (because in order to really get a feel for the d20M stuff for either of these programs you've got to pay) or I'm going to have to learn programming.

 

[schporto]

Note this is meant as a semi snide but truthful post - not actually mean.

The best tools I've found for a laptop are pretty simple.
Excel - had a nice setup of everybody's ac, to hit bonus, ranged attack, current hp. Cut paste rows into initiative order and away you go. Somewhere I have even found a bunch of nice spreadsheet generators. Can't remember and can't look em up - they're at work.
Sound player - Found a few places online that had some nice sounds that I'd use periodically durring the game. Just had the explorer open and double click to run the sound. Worked well. Provided a little something extra.
PCGen - But in a limited way. I'd use it to double check my work. Or if I needed to generate a high level custom npc.
Perl - Ok, I'm a programmer so I wrote a few cheesy things myself to reduce the grunt work of some stuff. A random treasure generator - type in CR and poof there's your treasure. I think I had a few other things like that. It was useful for when repetitive table lookups.
Most of the other tools I've tried didn't do what they tried to do well enough. For me at least. Mapping programs were nowhere near as powerful as pencil and paper. Initiative cards or excel were far more useful then any of the other things. Too many programs tried to be too extensive I thought.
Well those are just my opinions.
-cpd

 

[Luke]

Note this is meant as a semi snide but truthful post - not actually mean.

The best tools I've found for a laptop are pretty simple.
Excel - had a nice setup of everybody's ac, to hit bonus, ranged attack, current hp. Cut paste rows into initiative order and away you go. Somewhere I have even found a bunch of nice spreadsheet generators. Can't remember and can't look em up - they're at work.

That's nice for you if it works, but I'm not sure how useful such simple tools really are - though can always opt to play your game at a very simple level, or work yourself much harder in game preparation and play than you need to.

For me, one of the biggest issues is playing with "cardboard cut-out" monsters directly from the monster manual. Its not really what the whole 3rd edition flavour is all about.

I recently did a close examination of the full monster manual race set in the RPM database. This included the attacks, damage, AC and saves.
If you actually sit down and calculate these stats by hand (as virtually every D20 publisher seems to do for adventures and other products), there are a stunning array of rules that you nail down in fine detail before you end up with the (almost always) correct monster manual stats.
For just attacks and damage, there is a long list of variations to consider, including different rules for melee weapons, natural weapons, the number of attacks (sometimes natural weapons get the multiple attacks of melee weapons), style options (double handed for extra damage), feats (finesse being most common), and quite a few other issues.

The bottom line is that in 3rd Edition monsters can easily have the complexity of PCs - with feats, skills, class levels, templates and magic. How long does it take to put a PC together by hand?

When I DM, its not just PC races that have varied abilities (Str, Dex etc). Sometimes I want a weak Bugbear, or a strong kobald. My players have learned that they don't simply remember the completely average stats from the monster manual - complete with the completely standard weapons and armor mentioned for particular races. It doesn't just keep them guessing, it also opens the door for intelligent gameplay on their part.

Now, you change just the Strength for a given monster by a couple of points, and all those carefully calculated attack and damage numbers from the monster manual can quickly go out the window. And don't assume that you can simply add or subtract the modifier difference from the damage!

On the other hand, if you have a good program, you can simply re-roll or edit stats, and watch the entire statblock, attacks (along with a full accounting breakdown), correctly and instantly update before your eyes.

Futher, if you choose to play your computer in-game, you can *choose* to "Cats Grace", "Bulls Strength", or "Daze" any creature as required, and once again see everything correctly update - stacking rules included!
You may even *choose* to use an initiative/game time capability, and have all those effects automatically expire (as when spells run out).

Often people will say that such systems take a bit of a learning curve - and thats true enough. At least its less than the learning curve and on-going trauma of trying to continually get it all correct just relying on memory and constant book references.

But "full automation" isn't even the point. Even simple things like generating full attacks, damage, AC and saves for your adventures (and wandering monsters!!) can save *huge* amounts of our most precious commodity - time!!

When I DM, and the party wizard is reduced to fighting with his staff, it actually means something when he opts to attack the "weedy" looking Hobgoblin - since not all my Hobgoblins have a Strength of 11. Similarly, the party barbarian can opt to demonstrate his prowess (and perhaps save less combat-capable party members), by deliberately taking on the strong and tough looking hobgoblin.

I've never seen an Excel spreadsheet come even close to handling the many subtle variations of properly generating a character/NPC/monster - and then especially going on to managing it decently in-game. Throw in the variantions that come about from magical items, temporary spell effects, poison and other conditions - all of which need to consider the stacking rules - and your spreadsheet quickly becomes as useless as a printed statblock (and perhaps actually less useful than that).

 

[Dugite]

I used to play gurps a lot and its the same problem.
Without a computer to help you the actual gameplay mechanics get lost.

The fact is with stand alone character genarators that generate perfect characters.
You get a bunch of min maxed players with every exploit at their fingertips.
Unless the dm is perfectly prepared you will often get rolled by the players.
That is why i like to have a dm helper program available
So i can manage my crucial encounters and know that i have been both fair to myself and the effort i put into a campaign and to the players.

 

[Twin Rose]

Thus far I've tried Campaign Suite which has some nice features. It's also not that intuitive, crashes on a regular enough basis during the character creation process and insofar as the compatability with d20M (of which the implementation feels distinctly like an afterthought) the program is wanting. I'll see how subsequent versions shape up. For now, I'm putting it to the side.

If you are able to find crash-bugs that my testers aren't able to, please feel free to contact me so I can get rid of them. Nothing is worse than a crash-bug, and if I can't find them, I can't fix them.

 

[flynnkd]

For D&D it is pretty hard to go past DMs Familiar. I have been using it for over 2 years now and it just gets better and better. Not only is it great to use but the support is incredible, plus it has a very active community.

Kevin Flynn

 

[JamesL85]

schporto said

Sound player - Found a few places online that had some nice sounds that I'd use periodically durring the game. Just had the explorer open and double click to run the sound. Worked well. Provided a little something extra.

What sites are you talking about? I've been interested in trying to find little "noises" for flavoring, but have been unable to find anything useful.

Thanks......

 

[Martin]

If you are able to find crash-bugs that my testers aren't able to, please feel free to contact me so I can get rid of them. Nothing is worse than a crash-bug, and if I can't find them, I can't fix them.

Posted at your support forum.