D&D 5E D&D Next will succeed or die on the basis of its digital apps.

[the Jester]

If there is a character builder of sorts (and I hope there is) one of the best things WotC could do, imo, is allow 3rd parties to create data sets for it with relative ease. I know I'd appreciate it, and it would help the CB become less of a wall to publishers.

-O

Actually, yeah- if a CB cannot accept house options, it's almost totally useless.

 

[iwarrior-poet]

Actually, yeah- if a CB cannot accept house options, it's almost totally useless.

I 50% agree with you there. Problem being that 'house options' describes a wide variation of changes that a group might use---and would therefore be very hard to code for.
Big Beasties like PCGen can sometimes pull this off---but with a very clunky interface that would probably not work on a smartphone or tablet.

So my 50% agreement is if simple coding solutions can address common house options, than I am all for it.

 

[Dannager]

Actually, the app I'd really like is an in-game character manager - basically an electronic character sheet that allows easy updating with the effects of buff spells (or,worst of all dispel magic) as they are cast.

That would be a cool feature implementation, especially if you could set it up to push those buffs to allies they are cast on. Say you're dropping Haste on three of your party members. Tap the "Add Buff" (or whatever) button, tap the names of your three allies, and tap Haste, and you're done! In five screen taps, you've completely eliminated the age-old problem of forgetting that extra +1 to attack or dodge AC. All of your allies' character sheets are dynamically updated with the effects of the Haste spell, and when it expires you can just tap the "End Spell Effect" button on your own screen to remove its effects from the party.

In practice there are going to be all kinds of corner cases that would make writing that code a monster, but it's a cool idea.

 

[Obryn]

Actually, yeah- if a CB cannot accept house options, it's almost totally useless.

I wouldn't go that far, personally - the 4e CB is far from useless. It would just be very nice, and important if they intend 3rd party support.

-O

 

[timASW]

On the functionality of combat manager apps anyone with any interest in 3e or pathfinder needs to check this out http://combatmanager.com/


Its got all the character builder options, most of the monsters, treasure tables, litterally everything you need to run a game of pathfinder without picking up a book mid sesssion.

You can go to the monster area, pick a monster and drop it into the combat manager where it self populates with all the default numbers, all of which are editable and will auto adjust based on editing the monsters stats or feats which you can do in the simple, easy to navigate interface.

Ever since I started using this a few weeks ago I've found it to be literally the most awesome tool I've ever found for running combats AND tracking your party (yes you can input the PC's character info and track that too as they get it, no more asking if you hit their AC, you know if you hit it now). Right now this thing shows what a good digital tool can do. I dont think I would play 3x or pathfinder without it again. You dont need it, but damn does it make things fast and easy. If they had a version for any other game system I would use it for that too.

On a side note, its also available on Ipad and its FREE.

 

[Obryn]

[MENTION=6698787]timASW[/MENTION]
That sounds a LOT like Masterplan for 4e. And I agree, I don't want to go without.

 

[El Mahdi]

deleted

 

[the Jester]

I wouldn't go that far, personally - the 4e CB is far from useless. It would just be very nice, and important if they intend 3rd party support.

-O

Let's put it this way- until one of my players hacked the 4e version to accept custom feats, paragon paths, powers and items, nobody could put the pc they play in my campaign together in the CB above 10th level (11th was the point by which every one of the pcs had at least one custom element).

A heavy reliance on the digital tools KILLED 4e homebrewing, IMHO. The amount of 4e homebrew material I see or hear about in play compared to earlier editions- well, it's not even close to comparable.

 

[Obryn]

A heavy reliance on the digital tools KILLED 4e homebrewing, IMHO. The amount of 4e homebrew material I see or hear about in play compared to earlier editions- well, it's not even close to comparable.

If you narrowly define "homebrewing" as player-oriented material, then it made a difference. If you define it from the DM side, I'm seeing quite the opposite. I've homebrewed more monsters more easily and more enjoyably in the past year than in all 8 years I ran 3.x

-O

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I definitely disagree with the thread title. A good RPG shouldn't require any digital tools to be successful or easy to play. Which isn't to say that some software utilities can't make even a simple game better. Even the basic game could benefit from a character creator that lets you pick your race, class, and ability scores and print a sheet. Or a monster builder. Or a random weather generator.