OrcPub Is An Unofficial Online Character Generator for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition

larryxensen said:

CapnZapp, those same frustrations are what let me to start writing my own D&D tools app in the first place. What I am counting on in sharing it is that WotC understands players' frustrations and appreciates that I am helping to solve the problem using only data they already make freely available. I heard that there had been an attempt at some officially licensed online tools, but the developer failed to deliver.

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As a technology demonstrator, you have certainly done your share.

I'm frustrated because WotC should need no reminder of what's possible with today's technology. Not embracing the possibilities only drives pen and paper gaming into obsolescence; the kids of today roll their eyes at a branch of entertainment that uses grandpa-levels of tech.

Until a character generator allows me to use all options from the PHB, DMG, MM, as well as add-ons such as Elemental Evil spells and Sword Guide archetypes, it's practically worthless to my players. Sorry.

Until there's a desktop app (because I'm sure as hell not running this thing on my tiny phone screen) that allows me as a DM to instruct the computer to populate an encounter according to the rules, and printing out a short few pages with the full monster stat blocks involved (requiring no outside referencing), full magic loot statistics, and full spell and spell-like effect statistics, completely open to copying and pasting in a friendly manner, I consider the computerization potential to not have been reached.

That the app should also keep track of initiative, hit points and condition effects is not necessary. Such a combat tracker can be its own app; I'm mostly interested in getting help preparing before the session.

The fact this can be used to rip off WotC is entirely inconsequential, since WotC's publications have already been thoroughly and completely pirated. It's unacceptable how WotC doesn't offer anything even close to the utilitity that even something as relatively simple as a OCRd and therefore searchable rules PDF provides pirates with.

Good luck with your tools, Larry!

CapnZapp said:

As a technology demonstrator, you have certainly done your share.

I'm frustrated because WotC should need no reminder of what's possible with today's technology. Not embracing the possibilities only drives pen and paper gaming into obsolescence; the kids of today roll their eyes at a branch of entertainment that uses grandpa-levels of tech.

Until a character generator allows me to use all options from the PHB, DMG, MM, as well as add-ons such as Elemental Evil spells and Sword Guide archetypes, it's practically worthless to my players. Sorry.

Until there's a desktop app (because I'm sure as hell not running this thing on my tiny phone screen) that allows me as a DM to instruct the computer to populate an encounter according to the rules, and printing out a short few pages with the full monster stat blocks involved (requiring no outside referencing), full magic loot statistics, and full spell and spell-like effect statistics, completely open to copying and pasting in a friendly manner, I consider the computerization potential to not have been reached.

That the app should also keep track of initiative, hit points and condition effects is not necessary. Such a combat tracker can be its own app; I'm mostly interested in getting help preparing before the session.

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Then maybe a tabletop RPG isn't the best thing for you or your players. Just say'n. Oh, and my teenage son and his friends have plenty of fun playing RPGs without computer aids. They play computer games when they want that, and TTRPGs when they want that. They certainly don't scoff at the grandpa level tech.... SMH

Sacrosanct said:

Then maybe a tabletop RPG isn't the best thing for you or your players. Just say'n. Oh, and my teenage son and his friends have plenty of fun playing RPGs without computer aids. They play computer games when they want that, and TTRPGs when they want that. They certainly don't scoff at the grandpa level tech.... SMH

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I'll get off your lawn right away, Sir!

CapnZapp said:

I'll get off your lawn right away, Sir!

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If you have to resort to an ad hominem to back up your position, then it's a pretty weak position to begin with. Especially since I was talking about how the teenagers I know are playing the game, and it's not like you assume, and not even about my own age or preferences.

Please don't derail the thread. Everyone. It's a nice thread. Lots of nice things being shared and talked about.

HP calculation seems pretty choppy. The plusses to the CON score didn't affect the total.

Oh, and do they have any plans to import point buy with ability scores?

Lucas, excellent catch with the HPs, I will fix that shortly. As far point buy on ability scores, I do have plans to implement it. I'm thinking I'll add several different options for ability scores: point buy, free form (let people enter whatever they want), and strict accordance with the rules. I'll probably add some statistical analysis to show how powerful the character is in relation to others to give the DM an idea of how the character fits into their game.

Is there any way to do a point buy with the character? I keep trying to make a cleric and it keeps giving me a 15 Int and 10 Wis.

I keep getting the same stats every time I try to make the same character.

DMAesh, currently there's no way to do a point buy, but you can manually swap the scores using the text box in the 'Base' column of the attributes. I'll try to add point buy tonight.