d20 Faster Tools 1.5 now available

[smetzger]

Hi,

Ok, I made an update to my Faster Tools program and it is now d20 compliant.

The executable is completely OGL except for: icons and images, the Faster Tools name, Yo Yo Dyne Technoligies, Wizards of the Coast, and Dungeons and Dragons.

I have also included a DLL called d20Random.dll and have declared it as completly OGC as well as its associated .lib file and the header file. Note: This DLL will only work with Borland C++ BUilder. It will most likely also work with Delphi, but it most definantly will not work with MSVC.

http://yoyodyne.virtualave.net/faster_tools/index.html

*:> Scott

 

[Leopold]

how can you have a random pc generator AND be d20 compliant??

 

[smetzger]

how can you have a random pc generator AND be d20 compliant??

It does not "evaluate success or failure".

The old Traveller had success and failure in character generation, but D&D does not.

 

[Leopold]

It does not "evaluate success or failure".

The old Traveller had success and failure in character generation, but D&D does not.

have you contacted AV about this? If it's random PC generation it doesn't matter if it's "success or failure based" I would still ask him about the rules on this.

I know Campaign Suite, PCGen, RPM all do not have BOTH random generation of stats and scores as well as the D20 logo on the cover of the product. The OGL stamp and license is fine but the D20 license has a bit more breadth in there than just that. I would investigate further before you sign and stamp it with the logo.

Contact the intern or AV on this. If rules have changed can you post what you have found on it then?

 

[smetzger]

Contact the intern or AV on this. If rules have changed can you post what you have found on it then?

No I have not talked with Andy or AV.

No the rules have not changed, to change the rules WOTC needs to update the d20 license. A character random generator does not fit the common man's definition of an interactive game. It also does not fit the d20 definition of an interactive game. If WOTC wants to restrict random character generation in d20 programs they should change the license.

 

[kingpaul]

A character random generator does not fit the common man's definition of an interactive game. It also does not fit the d20 definition of an interactive game.

From the d20 System Guide

"Interactive Game": means a piece of computer gaming software that is designed to accept inputs from human players or their agents, and use rules to resolve the success or failure of those inputs, and return some indication of the results of those inputs to the users.

Would not randomly creating a character be returning "some indication of the results of those inputs to the users"? To create a character, the program will have to know how...either from the user actually inputting the paramerters in just prior to creation or reading them from some file.

IANAL, nor do I represent, in any way, shape, manner or form, WotC.

 

[smetzger]

Would not randomly creating a character be returning "some indication of the results of those inputs to the users"? To create a character, the program will have to know how...either from the user actually inputting the paramerters in just prior to creation or reading them from some file.

Yes, it does take input from the user and it returns results to the user. However, it does not evaluate success or failure. Notice the verbage says _and_ inbetween each of the three conditions, therefore to be considered an interactive game it must do all 3, not just 2 out of 3.

 

[Bamphalas]

Sounds Non-Compliant

From previous instances of software that was attempted to be d20 compliant, it was indicated that generating a random PC fell into non-compliance. In order to perform this, the software would have to have a built-in die roller. I believe this was removed from PCGen in order to be D20 compliant. I would recommend contacting the appropriate people at WOTC rather than pursue this simply on your belief that it's compliant.

 

[kingpaul]

Yes, it does take input from the user and it returns results to the user. However, it does not evaluate success or failure. Notice the verbage says _and_ inbetween each of the three conditions, therefore to be considered an interactive game it must do all 3, not just 2 out of 3.

As Bamphalas has suggested, you should talk to Anthony or Andy @ WotC. PCGen had to take out their die roller to be compliant. Andy did post something on these boards (I can't find it, so I think it fell off) about what could/couldn't be in a piece of software. The logic on the die roller, IIRC, was that higher is better, hence a greater probability of success if you roll high.

Edit: Added email addresses.