Have you made a custom setting with the character builder?

[Asmor]

Well, my campaign wrapped up tonight, and I'm already planning the next. I decided I want a campaign where magic is extremely scarce and there are no magic items, so I'm just going to have everyone equip +x magic armor/weapon/implement/amulets to keep the math straight.

I also decided that I'm going to be severely limiting the races, to further emphasize the feel I want for the campaign. Only dragonborn, half-orcs, minotaurs, goliaths, and humans. It's intentionally skewed towards strong and savage races, so that humans really become the exception rather than the rule.

Then it occurred to me that the character builder had a feature I'd never used before: you can remove choices. About 10 minutes later, and only the races I chose are available and the only magic items available are the vanilla magic ones.

It's not strictly necessary, but it's really nice. In particular, if you had more complicated restrictions on your campaign, it would be handy to send out the rules to your players, then have them send you their characters. You load them up and it tells you right away if it's legal according to your house rules.

Now I just really wish they'd add some more robust functionality to the character builder for adding new options, rather than just restricting them. There's very rudimentary stuff there, but you really need to mickey mouse it. For example, a player in the finished campaign was playing a custom race of my design; I could allow him to choose that race, and I could even manually adjust his stats and skill bonuses (though in the latter case that wasn't obvious how to do and in both cases flags the character as house ruled), but there was no way to give him the racial power.

Anyone else use the custom campaign settings?

 

[lectric]

I am getting ready to run WotBS as a Play-by-Post. I'm trying to customize the Character Builder now, and it's really kinda hard.

How do you change skill bonuses? I haven't figured it out yet, although I did finally figure out how to create custom stuff - it only lets you add a description, not to actually change the stats. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

It would be really cool if WotC let publishers (or users, for that matter) create custom campaigns that actually formatted the way their own stuff did!

 

[beverson]

About 10 minutes later, and only the races I chose are available and the only magic items available are the vanilla magic ones.

I've done that with my campaign, but even though I have some magic items restricted, they all still show up on the list, unlike the Feats and other things. Would be nice if they trimmed that down according to the restrictions as well.

 

[Thaumaturge]

After the latest update, you don't even have to have people use generic magic items to keep the math straight. There is an 'Inherent Bonuses' option in the Manage tab that does all of that without 'faking' it.

Thaumaturge.

 

[vagabundo]

After the latest update, you don't even have to have people use generic magic items to keep the math straight. There is an 'Inherent Bonuses' option in the Manage tab that does all of that without 'faking' it.

Thaumaturge.

This setting is for Dark Sun.

 

[Asmor]

After the latest update, you don't even have to have people use generic magic items to keep the math straight. There is an 'Inherent Bonuses' option in the Manage tab that does all of that without 'faking' it.

Thaumaturge.

Oh, cool.

This setting is for Dark Sun.

Actually it's from the DMG2, according to the description of the option. It would be kind of odd for them to add in something specific to Dark Sun so far in advance of the setting's release, particularly without any accompanying preview article.

 

[MidrealmDM]

Adding Custom Content

It's not strictly necessary, but it's really nice. In particular, if you had more complicated restrictions on your campaign, it would be handy to send out the rules to your players, then have them send you their characters. You load them up and it tells you right away if it's legal according to your house rules.

You should be able to go into the manage screen and save your campaign settings, then give the saved file to each of your players and have them load it into their character buildiers.
You would have to reload the settings each time you started the builder. But it should work.

Now I just really wish they'd add some more robust functionality to the character builder for adding new options, rather than just restricting them. There's very rudimentary stuff there, but you really need to mickey mouse it. For example, a player in the finished campaign was playing a custom race of my design; I could allow him to choose that race, and I could even manually adjust his stats and skill bonuses (though in the latter case that wasn't obvious how to do and in both cases flags the character as house ruled), but there was no way to give him the racial power.

Anyone else use the custom campaign settings?

I'm playing with both a custome Race and Custom Class
You can give a racial power (sort of); on the Power Choices tab, at the bottom of the screen at the Power Choice Checklist, click the 'Houserule' icon it should add an extra power called 'Power Users Choice' Select that and then at the top of the screen, in the title bar for Power Choices, right-click the houserule Icon and select create custom element.

Enter the info you want for your racial power and click Add Custom.
The power will show up as a generic utility power, but it should work.

Alternatively you can go into Campaign settings, under custom rules, enter your racial power (you still have to save it as a power) and save it as part of your campaign.

Then, after adding 'Power Users Choice' you should be able to find the section labled 'Custom Powers' (scroll all the way down to the bottom of the list, and then back up just a bit, it appears near the bottom of the list right after the 'Cleric Encounter Powers') and the power should be there.

The first method is quicker and easier for a one-time thing, but the second method makes it avaialable for future use as well.

Please Note: I've had the builder crash several times when attempting to save a chartacter with alot of custom content, I don't know if this is my PC or something with the builder itself. I've been able to reload and run the program without problem afterward, but if you are adding custom content to a character, save often so you don't end up having to redo the whole thing over again.

Also since the game won't display the class or racial features in the proper panel on the character sheet, i've entered all the relevant data under 'session and campaign notes', and then rearanged the panels on the character sheet.

I am getting ready to run WotBS as a Play-by-Post. I'm trying to customize the Character Builder now, and it's really kinda hard.

How do you change skill bonuses? I haven't figured it out yet, although I did finally figure out how to create custom stuff - it only lets you add a description, not to actually change the stats. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

To change skill bonuses you have to view the character sheet and change the skill total on the sheet. Also the last time I checked it doesn't save the changes, except for Perception and Insight (that may have been fixed in the July update). If this is still true, you will have to remmeber to re-do this each time you print your character.

You can use the same method to change Ability scores, hit points, AC, and other defenses (some of these are saved with the character some aren't).

It would be really cool if WotC let publishers (or users, for that matter) create custom campaigns that actually formatted the way their own stuff did!

Forget publishers, it would be nice if the product let the end users do this.
I've e-mailed WotC about every other month asking that they improve the customizable elements to make Custom Races, Classes, and Deities act in the same manner as the official ones
This includes but is not limited to: displaying attack and damage based on weapon or impliment on appropriate power cards, having power cards for custom classes seperated by class and level (including having custom power cards show range, action type, etc.), class features displayed in the proper area on the character sheet and having a power card when appropriate, custom class automatically granting proficiency in certain armors and weapons, automatic calculation of hit points for custom classes, custom race's inherit bonuses to abilities and defenses automatically added (including special visions and resistances), divine feats based on domain appearing on list if custom deity has that domain, being able to define prerequisites for custom feats, and having the option of showing 'custom content' without showing all 'illegal elements'.

So far no changes or progress toward any changes have been made (at least that I can tell), perhaps if more users expressed an interest in customizable content it might become a higher priority.

 

[MidrealmDM]

Low Magic - Inherent Bonuses

After the latest update, you don't even have to have people use generic magic items to keep the math straight. There is an 'Inherent Bonuses' option in the Manage tab that does all of that without 'faking' it.

Thaumaturge.

This setting is for Dark Sun.

It is for any campaign that uses low/no magic (see 4E Dungeon Master's Guide 2, pp 137-138).

It automatically adds bonuses based on level, under the assumption that your character would have these bonuses if they had magic items. If you are using a fair amount of magic items, you shouldn't use this option, because the bonuses will stack with the magic items.

"AC, Defense, Attack, and Damage Bonuses: Without magic items, the PCs' attacks, defenses, and damage lag behind. You can solve this problem by giving the PCs flat bonuses as they advance in level. These bonuses stack.​

Attack and Dama8e:​

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All characters gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls at 2nd, 7th, 11th, 17th, 22nd, and 27th level.​

Defenses:​

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All PCs gain a +1 bonus to AC, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will at 4th, 9th, 14th, 19th, 24th, and 29th level."

It also explores alternative treasures and boons, to keep play balanced in a low-magic setting.​

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[Kralin Thornberry]

Then it occurred to me that the character builder had a feature I'd never used before: you can remove choices. About 10 minutes later, and only the races I chose are available and the only magic items available are the vanilla magic ones.


Anyone else use the custom campaign settings?

ninja'ed

 

[Kralin Thornberry]

It is for any campaign that uses low/no magic (see 4E Dungeon Master's Guide 2, pp 137-138).

It automatically adds bonuses based on level, under the assumption that your character would have these bonuses if they had magic items. If you are using a fair amount of magic items, you shouldn't use this option, because the bonuses will stack with the magic items.

"AC, Defense, Attack, and Damage Bonuses: Without magic items, the PCs' attacks, defenses, and damage lag behind. You can solve this problem by giving the PCs flat bonuses as they advance in level. These bonuses stack.​

Attack and Dama8e:​

​

​

​

​

All characters gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls at 2nd, 7th, 11th, 17th, 22nd, and 27th level.​

Defenses:​

​

​

​

​

All PCs gain a +1 bonus to AC, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will at 4th, 9th, 14th, 19th, 24th, and 29th level."

It also explores alternative treasures and boons, to keep play balanced in a low-magic setting.​

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crap, this is what I was referring to!