Another thing you have to love about DDI...

[Keefe the Thief]

... is that this multitude of NPC stats streaming out of Wotc every month in all those books and magazines isn´t going to be wasted. Remember the dark times of 3.x (insert smiley here)? Where courageous people on ENworld created an index for finding statblocks in Eberron books? I used that list mainly because i thought "all those nice NPC stats i could use - but can´t find when i think of them in the game." But i didn´t use it alot, because it still was too much searching and page-flipping for my tastes.

Now all of them are coming to the compendium. Just like, you know, that. I don´t play a lot of RPGA adventures, but often i´ll find really interesting variant creatures or NPCs in the compendium, making me wonder if i should read up on them.

I mean, how did it feel for the authors and freelancers to know that many of their creations would be forgotten between pages of flavour text? I know i never used more than one or two statblocks out of the old FRCS, and i always found that sad.

Nowadays it goes like this: "Hmmm, need a high level spellcaster with lots of powers. O hello high-level FR guy i´ve never heard about. Yes, please lie down on this stone block here. Your reskinning operation is about to begin."

This database stuff is the best thing since sliced bread for my GMing, and i think that in a couple of years, it will be like the internet, i.e. "how the hell could we cope without that?"

 

[amysrevenge]

it will be like the internet, i.e. "how the hell could we cope without that?"

I was just having a similar discussion with a friend down at the FLGS yesterday, only about the Character Builder. It hasn't even been a year yet, and yet I can't really imagine not having it.

 

[malraux]

I was just having a similar discussion with a friend down at the FLGS yesterday, only about the Character Builder. It hasn't even been a year yet, and yet I can't really imagine not having it.

As a techno-phile, I don't understand how people could have played 3e without a character management program. Had there been a program that ran well and was able to properly keep up with all the different source book releases, 3e would have still be enjoyable by the end.

 

[Halivar]

As a techno-phile, I don't understand how people could have played 3e without a character management program. Had there been a program that ran well and was able to properly keep up with all the different source book releases, 3e would have still be enjoyable by the end.

I couldn't. I downloaded PCGen back in '01, right after I first bought the core books for the first time. We were inseparable for the duration of 3E.

 

[catsclaw227]

I couldn't imagine DMing a mid-level+ game in 3e without DM Genie. It was essential once you got the hang of the software and the tool itself contributed to slowing the game down. Fortunately, that stage only lasted about 3-4 game sessions.

But, yea.... the compendium, the CB, all are really amazing.

 

[wedgeski]

Agreed. Whether for inspiration or direct copy-paste into your campaign, having that resource pool to draw on (and it gets bigger by the month) is a massive time-saver.

 

[Obryn]

As a techno-phile, I don't understand how people could have played 3e without a character management program. Had there been a program that ran well and was able to properly keep up with all the different source book releases, 3e would have still be enjoyable by the end.

HeroForge was the best I found. And no, I could not have run mid-level 3.5 without it. It's a very well-made character generator. IMO, the best until the 4e Character Builder supplanted it.

-O

 

[malraux]

HeroForge was the best I found. And no, I could not have run mid-level 3.5 without it. It's a very well-made character generator. IMO, the best until the 4e Character Builder supplanted it.

-O

Hero-forge was great for PCs, but not all that useful for DMs. That and I found the constantly changing platform requirements and incompatible file types to be frustrating to no end.

 

[JediSoth]

I'm still not completely convinced 4E is better than 3.X, but it certainly is a HECK of a lot easier for me to prep games with all the excellent electronic tools I get with my DDI subscription. The tools alone make me wonder if I'm ever going to want to DM a 3.X game again.

Now if only we could get some electronic tools like that for running Star Wars Saga games....

 

[Agamon]

HeroForge was a godsend for 3.5. Not sure what we would have done without it. It got to a point where I got tired of assisting my players making PCs with it. I'd have given up long before that without it.

The CB's a lot more intuative, I just let them go to town. And as for the Compendium, it's usefulness can't be overstated. DMing 4e is easier to begin with, with the DDI, magnitudes more so.