The Character Builder and House Rules

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Here's a relatively common issue that I am having with the Character Builder. What if you don't use the D&D, Eberron, or FR deities and have replaced them with your own? What if you want to create deity-specific feats (such as Channel Divinity feats)? Can't currently be done.

I'd really like to see a Character Builder that allows you to create your own feats, powers, and items. Mark it 'houseruled' for all I care. It stymies those of us who do like to tinker.

My players are all addicted to the Character Builder and frankly, I like it that way. But I need to be able to customize it more than what's available right now.

Yes, I agree, more customization options would be nice. And obviously, it should be exportable. That would also be the way for 3rd parties to get into the Character Builder, if they or their players want to.

So, how do we make it happen?

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

What I really, really want is the ability to change fluff text/power names/class names but keep the same rules.

I guess I'm weird like that.

 

[Voda Vosa]

What I really, really want is the ability to change fluff text/power names/class names but keep the same rules.

I guess I'm weird like that.

Not at all. I'm currently developing new classes and powers, and feats for a Knights of the zodiac game using the 4e rules. Also I'm going to do the same with Avatar universe. If I could get the bunch of powers, classes and feats into the CB and give that to my players, my life would be simpler. But I guess it doesn't sale. I mean, if they don't have a financial motive to make the CB customizable, why would they?

 

[Dausuul]

What I really, really want is the ability to change fluff text/power names/class names but keep the same rules.

I guess I'm weird like that.

Oooh, I like it. I like it a lot. Finally, a practical way to re-skin stuff without physically rewriting the books!

 

[Voda Vosa]

And it helps keeping the balance a lot. I use if for my KoZ game.

 

[Scribble]

What I really, really want is the ability to change fluff text/power names/class names but keep the same rules.

I guess I'm weird like that.

They already let you do that with equipment, seems like it shouldn't be hard for them to do it with everything else.

 

[occam]

Here's a relatively common issue that I am having with the Character Builder. What if you don't use the D&D, Eberron, or FR deities and have replaced them with your own? What if you want to create deity-specific feats (such as Channel Divinity feats)? Can't currently be done.

I know, I submitted a suggestion to allow creation of house-ruled deities several months ago. I keep hoping it'll show up in the next update... but I am repeatedly disappointed.

 

[Voda Vosa]

I'm sure is quite simple. They just have to make open database of the powers and classes and such, and allow edition and addition of new content. Hell, they could even get profit from it, like a community developing stuff for free, which could inactivate more people to become insiders and pay them money.

 

[Scribble]

We still don't know what ALL of the adventure tools are right? Perhaps they plan to include some sort of House Rule building thing that will integrate with the CB?

 

[catsclaw227]

I'm sure is quite simple. They just have to make open database of the powers and classes and such, and allow edition and addition of new content. Hell, they could even get profit from it, like a community developing stuff for free, which could inactivate more people to become insiders and pay them money.

Actually it wouldn't be quite simple.

Not only would they have to expose certain properties, but they would need to build UI to support each of the different customization items (powers, items, deities, backgrounds, etc..) but they would have to develop a back-end set of systems to deal with House Rules. What powers and such are legal or not.

EDIT: Plus, they have to be careful how they "open the database". They don't want to give away any secret sauce, and the CB/Adventure Tools is a big IP item for them. These tools are one of the things that WotC has created to help set 4e apart from past editions.

This only scratches the surface.

We still don't know what ALL of the adventure tools are right? Perhaps they plan to include some sort of House Rule building thing that will integrate with the CB?

I agree. Adding onto the DDI something as complex as a House Rules module will likely be something they will want to unify into a master module that can be reused across the CB, Monster builder and any other tools they have to integrate.

It needs to work across the board, otherwise they'd have to build house rule modules for each section that may or may not play nicely with each other.