E-Tools software? worth it?

[Kristian Serrano]

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?

That "free" downloadable pre-Code Monkey version from Wizards' site is actually the character generator program that came wit the PHB. E-Tools is a completely different program, and IMHO is worth the $30 with all of the work that CMP has done with it, and continues to do. Even the data sets are extremely economical in price with prices ranging from 1.50 to $5 per individual data set. They are planning on releasing 3.5 data sets by the end of February, too.

Oh and let's not forget the upcoming support for templates.

I suggest you visit CMP's Storefront and browse around. Be sure to buy E-Tools data sets if you plan on using E-Tools, and not accidentally purchase PCGen Data sets instead.

 

[d4]

how friendly is E-Tools to homebrewers?

i.e., if i have my own custom races, customized or new core classes, new prestige classes, feats, spells, skills, templates, monsters, etc. -- can i get all that stuff into the program?

 

[MerakSpielman]

Custom races are generally pretty easy, as long as they don't have really off-the-wall special abilities. Inherent plusses and minueses to ability scores enter in just fine, as well as any special ability that mimics an existing ability of any race or monster. You can add new special abilities, but if it does something that hasn't been done before and affects numbers in some way (a race that inherently gets +3 to hit with longbows, when using silver arrows, for instance) don't expect to be able to get the numbers to filter through. I entered in my homebrew half-drow with no trouble. This uses the same editor for creating new monsters - it treats all monsters as races.

New classes will require E-Tools Helper, but can be made with a minimum of fuss. The same limitation on abilities applies - you can enter in anything you want, but don't expect complicated bonuses and penalties to filter through. I have entered in a variety of PrCs from varied sources and done pretty well, but I tried to enter in Dragon Disciple and couldn't find any way to indicate the increase in HD size. Additional core classes are enterable as well.

(edit: Note: If I had instead purchased the Tome and Blood data set, the Dragon Disciple would have worked, and all the problems I had would have been hard-coded into Etools. Adding spatbooks also adds to the list of abilities you can add - and that will work properly - for your races and feats.)

Feats are pretty easy to enter into the core program. You can set the requirements to be whatever you like, set the feats to apply to weapons (a la Weapon Focus), have them add bonuses to skills, etc... Again, what you can have a feat do as far as modifying existing numbers on your sheet is limited. I entered in all the feats from the BoVD and had minimal trouble, though there was no way to select "Vile" as the feat type - they all ended up "General."

Spells are very easy to add, though time consuming. Basically you just fill out a form, select which classes gain access to the spell at which level, and you're done.

New skills can be added. I haven't messed with this because you get few enough skill points as it is, without adding more skills. You can pick what classes get it as a class skill, cross-class, make it a knowledge/profession/craft skill, whatever.

Templates: Not currently supported. The typical work-around is to create a new race that possesses the traits of the template and use that instead. CMP is working on adding template support soon, and they have been very good about keeping their promises (if not their exact schedules).

New monsters function as new races. Just don't add class levels.

 

[MerakSpielman]

A quick run-down (innacurate for the sake of simplicity) of the history of E-Tools development:

E-Tools has had a very rocky development history. The Character Generator Demo was buggy as hell. Fluid was supposed to handle development of "Master Tools" but lacked an approprate design focus. Programmers were told to add functionality for sound effects (monsters roaring, etc...), 3d models, mapping, and whatnot in addition to basic rules. They were making moves towards being able to play online D&D games with it, and wasting a lot of time in the process. From what I understand, NWN hit the hype-scene around this time, offering the ability to do online games better than Master Tools would have been able to. All that production was scrapped. Fluid started running into trouble, management was swapped around, people layed off, and basically the ball dropped pretty much everywhere it could have been. A great deal of time was wasted - with no profit to show for it. They finally toned the scope of Master Tools down to E-Tools, a simple stat-block/character sheet program and shoved it out the door in an incomplete mess. It did the job - barely - and was buggy as all get-out, and barely customizable at all. Then Fluid turned their attention to other - potentially more profitable - ventures and failed to provide fixes and support for E-tools. This was shortly before version 3.5 was announced, so you can understand that people were annoyed. What, I finally get my E-Tools, and it's right before the next version comes out? Relations became tense between WOTC, the user/fan base, and Fluid. Tempers flared. There may have been a lawsuit. Finally, WOTC grabbed E-Tools from them and gave it to Code Monkey Publishing. CMP has, in the rather brief intervening time, released several patch/fixes, created the myriad data sets for splatbooks, allowed additional functionality that made Davin's Helper program actually be useful, etc... They started way behind but are working their furry butts off trying to catch up. They are very responsive to the user community and post regularly in their forums. Right now, they're working on getting template support and ver. 3.5 working. They are full of big ideas for where E-Tools can go in the future, and have thus far not really let anybody down. I don't know how they make any money, seeing as how the $30 e-tools can't be selling many copies with everybody playing 3.5 now, and the data sets are sold for so cheap - and only to the limited number of people who both already have the main program and think it's cool enough to bother expanding its functionality.

Feel free to correct me where I was (inevitably) wrong in this saga, folks.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I don't think Neverwinter Nights directly impacted E-Tools torturous development path... The initial problem was a lack of focus, probably resulting in the wrong company getting the gig in the first place since so much emphasis was being put on the "online gaming" aspect of it.

The thing that put the kibosh on those overwrought plans was Hasbro sold all the rights to do computer games for all their properties to Infogrames. Since E-Tools (as it was at the time) was heading in that direction, they had to shoot down the whole "play by computer" element and limit to a legitimate PC creator and DM aid.

 

[MerakSpielman]

I just remember a lot of talk on the NWN message boards at the time about "Will mastertools be cross-compatible with NWN? Adventures created in one importable into the other?" and whatnot. I do believe that if there had not been development of another online D&D game that mastertools would have kept on chuggin' in that direction.

You're right, though, about the lack of focus. They wasted far too much time doing things that turned out to be a waste.