Looking for eTools alternative?

[IronWolf]

Edit, I will also try Hero Lab. Edit2: I was just told that Hero Lab contains many viruses?

I would be skeptical of that claim. I don't really run Hero Lab, but any company trying to sell software wouldn't stay in business long if they made a habit of shipping software with a virus.

 

[centipedes]

I downloaded PCGen last night and it seems quite powerful but very confusing. I have yet to figure out how to make a new class, yet alone a race. There seems to me no tutorials on the internet either. And the documentation and help functions are pretty much useless in trying to add homebrew.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

I downloaded PCGen last night and it seems quite powerful but very confusing. I have yet to figure out how to make a new class, yet alone a race. There seems to me no tutorials on the internet either. And the documentation and help functions are pretty much useless in trying to add homebrew.

Among a lot of different groups concerning PCGen on Yahoo, there is theLSTfileclass/ group, which maintains lessons for doing your homebrew stuff in PCGen. I can't vouch for the lessons to be up-to-date, though, as I haven't worked with PCGen in years.

 

[jbear]

I'd have a look at Fantasy Grounds II. It can be run with many different systems and from what I gather adding in your own home brew campaign/rules etc is possible as well, although it may require buying the complete version.

However if I understand right, as long as the DM has the Complete version then the other players can use unliscened versions to play with the DM. Basically, everyone could chip in and pay around the same as if everyone bought a liscenced version.

Anyway, the 3d dice rolling is beautiful.

Definitely worth having a look at. I'm still mastering the program (only 2 sessions played so far) but I think it's fantastic. Once I have mastered it, it will be magnificent!

 

[Henry]

My vote is for PCGen, assuming as we are that you're doing 3e-based stuff. It does have a steep learning curve to make those LST files, but

1) It really can make abd handle almost ANYTHING you want, and
2) The custom LST tools built into the program have continually improved over time.

It's been about six months since I've looked at it, but I imagine it's even better these days.

 

[Nylanfs]

If you look at the documentation (under Help at the top) and then look under "List Files" and LST file Classes" That will start you on your way to making your own homebrew data files.

 

[Stormonu]

I'd have a look at Fantasy Grounds II. It can be run with many different systems and from what I gather adding in your own home brew campaign/rules etc is possible as well, although it may require buying the complete version.

However if I understand right, as long as the DM has the Complete version then the other players can use unliscened versions to play with the DM. Basically, everyone could chip in and pay around the same as if everyone bought a liscenced version.

Anyway, the 3d dice rolling is beautiful.

Definitely worth having a look at. I'm still mastering the program (only 2 sessions played so far) but I think it's fantastic. Once I have mastered it, it will be magnificent!

Fantasy Grounds II is an awesome program, but it doesn't do character generation, which is what I think the OP is looking for. You can input and track character information/combat/adventures/maps, but it does not have any tools for generating characters.

 

[Vicente]

I downloaded PCGen last night and it seems quite powerful but very confusing. I have yet to figure out how to make a new class, yet alone a race. There seems to me no tutorials on the internet either. And the documentation and help functions are pretty much useless in trying to add homebrew.

Appart from the LSTFileHelp yahoo group, which is really good and people will answer happily your questions there, you have the documentation of the program itself. Go to the List Files -> LST File Class, and you have 4 tutorials for doing a new race.

 

[3catcircus]

Heroforge. I use nothing else for my PCs.

 

[lonewolfdevel]

Edit2: I was just told that Hero Lab contains many viruses?

Whoever told you that clearly gave you misinformation. There are no viruses in Hero Lab. We've been publishing our own software for 12 years now and have tens of thousands of users of our products. If we included viruses, we wouldn't be in business, as Iron Wolf aptly pointed out.