How does the encounter builder work?

[JoeGKushner]

So I finally decide to check out some of the other stuff you get with your DDI subscription.

I build an encounter

Encounter Level Difficulty: Standard (600 XP)
5 PCs
Party Level 1

Setup


This encounter includes the following:
1 Human Berserker (Level 3)
1 Bandit Leader
4 Human Thug
1 Bloody Scalp Swashbuckler

1 Human Berserker (Level 3) Level 3 Brute
Medium natural humanoid XP 150


1 Bandit Leader Level 3 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid XP 150


4 Human Thug Level 1 Minion
Medium natural humanoid XP 25 each


1 Bloody Scalp Swashbuckler Level 1 Elite Soldier
Medium natural humanoid XP 200


But don't see where I'd be getting the stats from.

?

Any help on that? I know we've got some experienced users of the old DDI here.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

When you are picking your creatures there is a little eye symbol beside their names. Click on that and there will be a pop-up with its stats.

 

[caudor]

After you press the Build Encounter button and see the list of monsters, you'll note there is a small icon to the left of each entry that looks like an eye.

If you click that icon, it will show the monster's stats from the compendium.

I hope this helps.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I noticed that.

But... unless I"m missing it, it doesn't add all the monsters on one page? So I'd have to print each encounter seperately instead of... just having all the stats on the actual encounter itself?

 

[Quickleaf]

Yeah I've noticed the same thing. And when I try to copy/paste the monster stats into a word document (so I can print them with the rest of the encounter) they don't come out formatted, the text is jumbled.

While I think the Encounter Builder is a good resource, there's been a couple problems that dissuade me from using it (including the point you brought up Joe)... first, I can't find any traps or hazards for the encounter; second, I can't figure out how to enter data into blank forms (for 3rd party or homebrew monsters/hazards); third, I've encountered a glitch a couple times where I click the "formatted text" button and I'm returned to the Bonus Tools page and then the website thinks I'm not a DDi member so I have to log out and log in again.

If these things were fixed, and I'm confident they will be, it'll be one of the top resources for my games and cut prep time immensely.

 

[Zephrin the Lost]

OneNote!

This is another area where Microsoft Onenote or a similar product saves teh day. It has a 'clip' function that beautifully moves the stat block onto your workspace. the encounters I have been building using DDI and OneNote look almost exactly like Dungeon Magazine encounters. It's pretty sweet.

 

[JoeGKushner]

This is just bad design.

The information is there but not when you go to print the whole encounter?

Whose beta testing these things? Actual GMs or suits?

Utility should be up front. You don't want people to leave your program.

 

[malraux]

This is just bad design.

The information is there but not when you go to print the whole encounter?

Whose beta testing these things? Actual GMs or suits?

Utility should be up front. You don't want people to leave your program.

From what I remember, the Encounter Builder was a simple program build to just calculate a balanced encounter that one of the guys in WotC built for his home game. It wasn't meant to be a full function app.

 

[JoeGKushner]

From what I remember, the Encounter Builder was a simple program build to just calculate a balanced encounter that one of the guys in WotC built for his home game. It wasn't meant to be a full function app.

I'd buy that in a heartbeat if the information wasn't there. If you couldn't click the eye and get the stats...

I'm not a programmer by any means but I've worked with SQL and MS Access and VBA. If the data already exists, this is the crucial part, when you go to print the design, since it is capable of grabbing the NAMES, it should be able to grab the DATA associated with those NAMES that is already there when you click the eye.

 

[malraux]

I'd buy that in a heartbeat if the information wasn't there. If you couldn't click the eye and get the stats...

I'm not a programmer by any means but I've worked with SQL and MS Access and VBA. If the data already exists, this is the crucial part, when you go to print the design, since it is capable of grabbing the NAMES, it should be able to grab the DATA associated with those NAMES that is already there when you click the eye.

well it feels to me like a program that was thrown together fairly quickly. It should do a lot more than it does, I'll agree with that. In truth, I'd rather stuff like the monster builder and encounter build get fleshed out into more usable apps before WotC starts work on something like the character visualizer and VTT. I really want something that'll handle the math of adding or subtracting levels and applying templates (especially the class templates).