D&D 3E/3.5 Quickly create NPC & monsters d&d 3.5

[dingle]

I was fed up spending an hour creating a monster/NPC that the party would spend 10 minutes destroying . So I've created a monster/NPC generator that can create a monster/NPC in a couple of minutes (I've got to admit it took 3 months to create but I think its very useful).
I've created a web site (it's free) Free Monster Generator
I wanted to create viable NPC's with as little manual input as possible, I decided to create a class focus that would automatically calculate the skills for you e.g. a Rogue could be a Scout or a Trap expert or a catburgler... all with different skills. I've also allowed Elite ability arrays and you can change any stats and weapons and add in your own feats.
You can also add Racial hit die to Monsters so you can quickly create a 15hd Umberhulk or 10hd Lion with out pen and paper.
I would welcome any feedback good or bad.....

 

[thorian]

The tool is quite handy. I have two suggestions:

1) Allow the user to advance the creatures by hit dice.
2) Have an option for plain text output in the MM4 format.

 

[dingle]

Thanks Thorian,
You can advance monster by Hit dice by changing the Racial Hit Dice field (e.g. from 10d10 to 15d10) on the Display monster screen, this will increase the skills. change the attack, and give extra feat slots.
I will look into the MM4 format.

 

[azhrei_fje]

Looks very slick. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Vascant]

hehe, I know how you feel about the hours of prep it takes just to be wiped out in minutes. Given that I DM for 3 different groups it was killing me which is exactly why I did NPC Designer.

 

[aboyd]

Loved the mummy with wizard & monk levels.

EDIT: by the way, have you given any thought to what happens when you're no longer interested/able to maintain it? For example, is the monster generator all in Javascript, so I can save the page and use it even 15 years from now? Or is there any PHP code that comes into play? If so, have you thought about Open Sourcing it or at least putting it in an escrow system?

I wish Marvin would do that with his Spell & Feat databases. If they disappear, my ability to DM 3.5 edition is severely hindered. So... just a thought.

 

[dingle]

by the way, have you given any thought to what happens when you're no longer interested/able to maintain it? For example, is the monster generator all in Javascript, so I can save the page and use it even 15 years from now? Or is there any PHP code that comes into play? If so, have you thought about Open Sourcing it or at least putting it in an escrow system?

I am planning on keeping this version active and free (I've already paid for 4 years). I am planning an upgraded version which I hope to charge a one off lifetime fee and include it in a Blog site with pre-written adventures. If this works out, I plan on making generaters for other game systems. If it does not work out as a last resort I'll just give it away to a site. So hopefully in 10 years time you can stil use it.

PS I tried an 10th level Ranger Archer/Gargoyle and nearly wiped out a 10th level party until the monk knicked its bow.

 

[aboyd]

Oops

Sorry, posted a reply to the wrong thread. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.

 

[freyar]

Just a comment. Could you put a mark for bonus feats for the monsters? Just for kicks, I tried out a wyvern and had to go check the SRD to tell that Multiattack was the bonus feat. Would that be easy to do?

 

[dingle]

I don't store the bonus feat indicator on the monsters feats, so it would not be an easy fix to make. I may do so on the new version I am currently designing though. Thanks for the feed back.