jarlaxlecq
First Post
I've only used the ancent "pre-Code Monkey" version thats downloadable from the wizards site. Seems interesting. Does anyone have the code monkey version? Is it worth the 30 bucks?
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E-Tools software? worth it?
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Clumsy Bob
First Post
mmm I tried to find this out last week with no succsess. Have etools/pcgen been updated to 3.5 and (in pcgen) can you use WotC material yet?
Bob
Bob
kigmatzomat
Legend
Clumsy Bob said:
I can't say beans about E-Tools; I used it for 2 months before GenCon last year and haven't touched it since.
PCGen was about 90% 3.5 compliant with version 5.4 released 2-3 months ago.
The release candidate for 5.6 comes out tonight (meaning they'll give it a few days to see if there are any significant bugs) with the final version of 5.6 expected next week. From my playing with the betas, 5.6 should be about 98% 3.5 compliant. It might be closer 99.5% compliant but I'm still coming to grips with 3.5 myself.
The SRD is pretty much the PHB, DMG, and MM. The splat books are, however, still tightly under WotC control. Code Monkey is/will be selling PCGen data sets for them. (I'm not sure; I write my own LST files so I don't really pay attention.)
I *think* the splat books are available for 5.4 right now but 5.6 will require some updating.
Were I you, I'd consider getting the 5.6-RC and playing with it; as a newbie you'll be able to notice bugs that experienced users have trained themselves to work around. Then when 5.6-Final is out it should be a minor upgrade.
The current version of e-Tools is way better than the original release. If you actually own the original version (as opposed to trying it on someone else's machine), then upgrades to the current version are free.jarlaxlecq said:
OTOH, since you mentioned "downloadable", I'm wondering if you're talking about the Character Generator Demo program that originally came in the back of the PH. If so, you should know that e-Tools is a completely different generation from that early model. They changed the user interface (by request of the user community) but it now has a ton more capabilities.
If you'd like more details (remembering that opinions might be a bit biased), drop by the CMP forums and ask the friendly users over there.
MerakSpielman
First Post
Data sets are sold for all the splatbooks and many other books (including the BoVD, ELH and other hardbacks), and are sold for E-Tools and PC-Gen separately. The list of Data Sets can be found here. There are a total of 27 different Data Sets for sale.
New functionality (as opposed to bug fixes, which are also routinely addressed) is being added to E-Tools every few months, via patches, free of charge. If you want to create your own PrCs you need Davin's E-Tools Helper, downloadable here.
E-Tools allows custom items, feats, skills and spells, though sometimes you can't add the abilities or functionalty you really want.
What E-Tools is missing that I wish it had: randomly generated NPCs, complete with equipment and feats that make sense and compliment each other, a campaign manager, combat tracking, a mapping utility with print-outs to 1-inch grid scale, and some other dodads.
New functionality (as opposed to bug fixes, which are also routinely addressed) is being added to E-Tools every few months, via patches, free of charge. If you want to create your own PrCs you need Davin's E-Tools Helper, downloadable here.
E-Tools allows custom items, feats, skills and spells, though sometimes you can't add the abilities or functionalty you really want.
What E-Tools is missing that I wish it had: randomly generated NPCs, complete with equipment and feats that make sense and compliment each other, a campaign manager, combat tracking, a mapping utility with print-outs to 1-inch grid scale, and some other dodads.
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