Breaking free of eTools reliance

[Wolfspider]

I am looking to become more reliant on eTools, since I just have gotten pulled back into the world of D&D.

I tried to download the two patches that available at the Code Monkey website, but the site seems rather...broken...at the time.

I'm referring to the two files here:

https://www.codemonkeypublishing.com/store/home.php?cat=419

Anyone have a copy of these files or know anywhere else I can get them?

Also, can I have a link to the PCGen program that's been mentioned in this thread?

I've been using the Hero Forge excel spreadsheet, which is good, but I'm open to other software.

Thanks!

 

[Wolfspider]

Nothing?

Not even a "wecome back"?

 

[caudor]

Nothing?

Not even a "wecome back"?

Welcome back

 

[Wolfspider]

Welcome back

Why thank you! I never realized until I revisited the boad a couple weeks ago how much I missed this place.

Now if I can just get those patches to download... :\

 

[MojoGM]

Hello, my name is MojoGM and I am addicted to E-Tools...

Yup, I couldn't DM without it these days. I'm far to busy/lazy (you decide which one comes first) to create leveled monsters and NPCs by hand.

As a result, I rarely use anything that isn't supported in E-Tools, though sometimes I use the closest thing in ET that I can find and tweak it after the fact.

The DI better have a top-notch character/monster generator...

 

[EricNoah]

For me it's not always just about the math and the formatting for stat blocks or character sheets. It's about how the material from different books is folded together. I can see a big huge list of feats from different books. Ditto for spells, items, monsters, etc. That's really the only way material from multiple books gets worked into "the system", at least how my brain works...

 

[thalmin]

I am looking to become more reliant on eTools, since I just have gotten pulled back into the world of D&D.

I tried to download the two patches that available at the Code Monkey website, but the site seems rather...broken...at the time.

I'm referring to the two files here:

https://www.codemonkeypublishing.com/store/home.php?cat=419

Thanks!

Try it again. Code Monkeys announced in their Friday update that they have addressed the problem with the downloads.

 

[kigmatzomat]

You can go to PCGen.org or direct to the download page http://pcgen.sourceforge.net/01_overview.php for PCGen.

FYI, PCGen is a java application so you need to have the java client installed. Java is a tad slow but it has the advantage of running on all versions of Windows, Macs, and Linux so it is simpler to develop.

Because it is java it doesn't have an EXE file. You either double-click the pcgen.jar file or the pcgen.bat file.

I'll warn you that because the program does so much, it can be confusing to use. Do yourself a favor and open the help file. Documentation is generally pretty good.

The basic steps are to click the Campaign button to choose the game you want PCGen to use (3.x, 3.5, Modern, Deadlands, etc). Then you choose the game supplements you want to use (e.g. DMG, PHB, ExPsHb, etc).

You probably want the "RSRD Complete," which is the public 3.5 data set. There are about 50 d20/OGL products that have given permission to be included so you should check for your favorite AEG, FFG, Mongoose, or other non-WotC publishers' books.

Once you've selected the data sets, hit load and then choose "create new character." It's pretty simple IMO from there.

There are tutorials for editing and adding new data in the help. Plus there's a yahoo group that can answer questions.

 

[Birmy]

How is the customizability (is that a word?) on Hero Lab? Can one enter in things like Tome of Battle, Tome of Magic, spell points, etc.?

Was wondering this myself after you brought it up (I'm not all that familiar with the Tome of Battle or Magic), and a query over at Lone Wolf's forums (they tend to be pretty direct and thorough over there) netted this response:

Hero Lab is pretty good at supporting that stuff right now, but it could definitely be better. This is something that we're currently focusing on within the d20 data files. Allow me to explain...

The HL engine can support everything in those books, but the d20 data files don't currently expose everything in the engine for easy use within the d20 data files. Probably about 80% of the material in the major D&D supplements can be readily implemented within the existing d20 data files. Another 15% can be implemented with a non-trivial amount of work. And the remaining 5% either isn't able to be integrated yet or could technically be done right now, but would be more trouble than it's worth.

In a nutshell, we're in the classic situation of the 80/20 rule. You know the one. The first 80% of the project takes the first 80% of the time and the second 20% of the project takes the other 80% of the time.

Colen and I recently went through the majority of the major D&D supplements, including those you listed, to assess what we need to do to make it relatively easy to add the 20% that isn't currently easy. We mapped out a number of changes and new approaches in the d20 data files that we plan on implementing in the next update (next week) and a second update in June. Those changes should get the numbers up to about 95% of the supplement material being readiliy addable, 4% being a bit of work, and 1% either being not possible or more work than it's worth. That remaining 5% will take a bit longer to fully address, and we'll be working to keep refining things in subsequent updates to systematically reach the 99% mark for readily doable and 1% a fair bit of work. Due to some of the insanity with certain obscure races, feats, classes, and the like, it's unrealistic to think any tool could reasonably reach 100% support for easily adding new material. There will always be a few wacky things that would take days for us to accommodate readily and that no one will probably ever try to add to the data files. So that handful of things will end up being the doable, but require a fair bit of work to accomplish.

-Rob

--which jibes with what I've experienced so far and seems like a pretty fair assessment.

 

[Wraith Form]

Ironically, I've now started using eTools more to create villains since reading this thread.... D'OOOOH!