L4W Discussion Thread III

[Otakkun]

Just one quick question guys ... I'm interested in joining the L4W community but I'm a bit confused about the character creation process.

You actually need to fill all that text in the template or you only fill parts of it and the rest auto generates?

I just find a bit excessive to check 200 lines just to make a single 4E character.

 

[JoeNotCharles]

Technically you don't have to use the template at all, but it's easier than doing everything by hand...

 

[Dunamin]

Just one quick question guys ... I'm interested in joining the L4W community but I'm a bit confused about the character creation process.

You actually need to fill all that text in the template or you only fill parts of it and the rest auto generates?

I just find a bit excessive to check 200 lines just to make a single 4E character.

Welcome to the gang, Otakkun!

As Joe said, you're technically free to do your sheet however you want. We just encourage the use of templates because they do the math automatically - that way the judges who review your sheet don't have to check calculations, so we'll probably get to it faster. Your sheet does need to display final numbers and how you achieve them, what class choices you've made (which fighter weapon talent, bard virtue, etc), and so on.

Personally, I agree that the current standard is a bit too excessive. I could do without a "Racial Features" part in the math section, for instance, since there's no variables (no math to check) and its pretty much all listed in the Summary.

 

[Dunamin]

Here's an idea:

Is there some way to set things up on the wiki, so that you can make a PC with the Character Builder, copy the text summary to the wiki, and templates are automatically filled in as based on the info in the CB text?

 

[covaithe]

Here's an idea:

Is there some way to set things up on the wiki, so that you can make a PC with the Character Builder, copy the text summary to the wiki, and templates are automatically filled in as based on the info in the CB text?

Theoretically possible, mostly, but probably very, very hard in practice. It would be easier to write a separate piece of software that could take a CB summary and spit out wikitext that was close-ish to the wiki output, except for power text. The CB summaries don't have any information about the power text. It just says "Magic missile", doesn't say "ranged, one target within 20, +4 vs. Reflex, 2d4+4 force damage".

Any software that could output power text automatically would be in danger of IP violations, IMO. Calculating attack bonuses and the like is questionable, too.

 

[Dunamin]

Hmm, how about filling in everything but powers then?

At least, I was thinking it should be possible to make an option where you only type in abilities once on your sheet, and then they're applied to defenses, health, skills, senses and initiative.

Like one big combined template or something like that.

 

[Otakkun]

There's this app in the web that changes the CB files into a really nice sheet. And if you have a DDi account it links directly into the compendium for info on powers & feats.

iplay4e characters

I'm really interested in submitting a vestige warlock but the whole template sheet scares me. I'll try to tackle it today if I find some time.

 

[EvolutionKB]

[sblock=Otakkun]
Hey! This is TheOne! Good to see you here. I didn't have much exp with wiki before I joined here either. It's not really that bad once you start. I'm a judge over in LEB(living ebberon) so we'd like to have you over there as well. If you have any questions feel free to pm me.[/sblock]

 

[Otakkun]

I'll take your word for it. I'll go check LE right away.

 

[JoeNotCharles]

Does anybody mind if I move the list of allowed sources to a second post following the Charter, so that both the Charter and the Character Creation Guide can link to the same post? (Apparently the Character Creation Guide also has a list of allowed sources, and it's out of date.)