Wotc online monster builder can build monsters from scratch.

[Kerranin]

How does the speed compare to the CB (which strikes me as awfully slow)?

Btw, I was just making a character in the CB using a friend's account and Silverlight crashed on me 3 times in the span of an hour or so!

Yes, silverlight is really flaky. Of the three PCs I use regularly, only one of them is able to even start using the online character builder.

Oh BTW, I do like the compendium but I think even that has been 'fixed' recently, probably to reduce the amount of data being requested. (preventing just filtered requests without a search term)

Anyway, looks like this thread is just deteriorating into a moan about the DDI online tools, sorry.

 

[S'mon]

How does the speed compare to the CB (which strikes me as awfully slow)?

Btw, I was just making a character in the CB using a friend's account and Silverlight crashed on me 3 times in the span of an hour or so!

It took me about 5 minutes to start printing a simple monster statblock (said it was a 36 MB file, AIR). About the same as the online character builder: truly appalling. A bit worse in that the file itself was so much simpler.

 

[callinostros]

I am a current subscriber and just renewed for the upcoming year. However, when I make custom monsters, or simply just level them up to reach the level of my PCs, I use the offline MB. Why? Because the math is right and I can export the images. Until both are fixed, for me, I would much rather use the offline version. In addition, the harddrive on my computer can handle the 50+ monsters I have already written.

Does the online MB have functionality? Yes.
Does the online MB have more functionality than the offline MB? No.

 

[Holy Bovine]

*lovingly pats his offline MB even though he can't really touch it*

I would say I'm surprised but...no I am totally not surprised. It does show why I dropped my sub last Feb and will likely never have the horrors of a DDI sub again.

 

[Wraith101]

Just had a play around with it. It is much, much faster than the CB. Phew!

 

[Sorenson]

The October update to the Monster Builder is supposed to use the new MM3 math.

 

[the Jester]

The October update to the Monster Builder is supposed to use the new MM3 math.

Any word on the export issue? It seems like an obvious and huge thing to fix right away, to make the MB actually useful for dms to write adventures with instead of just an online toy you can fiddle with.

 

[OnlineDM]

Yeah, I have to say that I'm going to keep using Power2ool for my monster creation for now. It's not perfect, but it's better than the Monster Builder. Not that I'm saying the online Monster Builder is terrible; Power2ool is just better.

 

[TheUltramark]

I am only 38 years old, but after reading this thread, i feel ancient. I have my monster book pdf's with my handy dandy snapshot tool, and old reliable mspaint, and whatever template/level up/creating/or reinventing stuff I also need open and ready to look at...and viola...instant monsters. I print out the page or two for that night's encounter (or maybe one or two in advance even) and Im on my way.

So, my question is, because i would never think to use a monster builder, (the ddi - or any other format out there) does that make me too old fashioned? I mean, am I really missing out? My thinking is that those sort of programs shackle the imagination. Then i wonder, am I just yelling at the kids to get off my lawn?

 

[Zaukrie]

Ultramark, how does a tool that allows me to create totally new creatures shackle the imagination? I am not sure I understand that part.

I'd really like a monster builder that made it easier to build monsters that are spellcasters. It's kind of hard to do that right now.