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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Luke" data-source="post: 1047804" data-attributes="member: 602">That's nice for you if it works, but I'm not sure how useful such simple tools really are - though can always opt to play your game at a very simple level, or work yourself much harder in game preparation and play than you need to.For me, one of the biggest issues is playing with "cardboard cut-out" monsters directly from the monster manual. Its not really what the whole 3rd edition flavour is all about.I recently did a close examination of the full monster manual race set in the RPM database. This included the attacks, damage, AC and saves.If you actually sit down and calculate these stats by hand (as virtually every D20 publisher seems to do for adventures and other products), there are a stunning array of rules that you nail down in fine detail before you end up with the (almost always) correct monster manual stats.For just attacks and damage, there is a long list of variations to consider, including different rules for melee weapons, natural weapons, the number of attacks (sometimes natural weapons get the multiple attacks of melee weapons), style options (double handed for extra damage), feats (finesse being most common), and quite a few other issues.The bottom line is that in 3rd Edition monsters can easily have the complexity of PCs - with feats, skills, class levels, templates and magic. How long does it take to put a PC together by hand?When I DM, its not just PC races that have varied abilities (Str, Dex etc). Sometimes I want a weak Bugbear, or a strong kobald. My players have learned that they don't simply remember the completely average stats from the monster manual - complete with the completely standard weapons and armor mentioned for particular races. It doesn't just keep them guessing, it also opens the door for intelligent gameplay on their part.Now, you change just the Strength for a given monster by a couple of points, and all those carefully calculated attack and damage numbers from the monster manual can quickly go out the window. And don't assume that you can simply add or subtract the modifier difference from the damage!On the other hand, if you have a good program, you can simply re-roll or edit stats, and watch the entire statblock, attacks (along with a full accounting breakdown), correctly and instantly update before your eyes.Futher, if you choose to play your computer in-game, you can *choose* to "Cats Grace", "Bulls Strength", or "Daze" any creature as required, and once again see everything correctly update - stacking rules included!You may even *choose* to use an initiative/game time capability, and have all those effects automatically expire (as when spells run out).Often people will say that such systems take a bit of a learning curve - and thats true enough. At least its less than the learning curve and on-going trauma of trying to continually get it all correct just relying on memory and constant book references.But "full automation" isn't even the point. Even simple things like generating full attacks, damage, AC and saves for your adventures (and wandering monsters!!) can save *huge* amounts of our most precious commodity - time!!When I DM, and the party wizard is reduced to fighting with his staff, it actually means something when he opts to attack the "weedy" looking Hobgoblin - since not all my Hobgoblins have a Strength of 11. Similarly, the party barbarian can opt to demonstrate his prowess (and perhaps save less combat-capable party members), by deliberately taking on the strong and tough looking hobgoblin.I've never seen an Excel spreadsheet come even close to handling the many subtle variations of properly generating a character/NPC/monster - and then especially going on to managing it decently in-game. Throw in the variantions that come about from magical items, temporary spell effects, poison and other conditions - all of which need to consider the stacking rules - and your spreadsheet quickly becomes as useless as a printed statblock (and perhaps actually less useful than that).</blockquote>

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