The Character Builder and House Rules

[Filcher]

Yes, frankly, I did. It's a common thing to miss (I myself never noticed that you could add power slots until someone pointed that out in a thread much like this one)...

I, for one, have missed it up until now. I need to try it tonight.

 

[Intrope]

I, for one, have missed it up until now. I need to try it tonight.

As a quick note: when I try it, after creating the power slot and putting in a Custom Element I *also* have to 'Restore Hidden Power Cards' on the options menu, or else I don't see the custom element. The custom element doesn't compute anything, though.

 

[Nylanfs]

Yes I agree it needs to be more like PCGen

But in all seriousness, yes the CB needs to be must more customizeable than it is. I'm not talking about customized magic weapons, and feats or powers that are essentially just fluf text. Feta and Powers that actually work, alter your character have calculated rolls etc.


And as a side note, PCGen just released a 4e starter kit that users can use to create their own data for 4e from. Plus add in any 3pp stuff they want. Note it's only guaranteed to work with 5.16.0+

 

[Kishin]

Does it add a power card with all the abilities and weapons added in as well as the effect text?

Seriously man, did you think I wasn't aware of that button? It's friggin useless and there is little point in pointing it out so I'm at a loss as to understand why you did.

Maybe *gasp* he was trying to be legitimately helpful?

So maybe, flipping out on him in such a fashion was crass and completely uncalled for?

 

[arscott]

Man, I did not know that button was there. While I'd love fully editable power cards (and, of course the ability to include custom-designed character sheets), the ability to add powers that show up with their own cards is pretty damned sweet.

 

[fissionessence]

I posted a thread about this a couple months ago (http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...ffect-third-party-publishers.html#post4781290).

I totally agree with the OP this this is a legitimate concern; it's an issue that needs to be resolved if 3PPs are going to 'flourish' in a DDI world. I guess we disagree as to the effect of the problem. I think people are less likely to abandon the character builder for their house rules than they are to abandon their house rules for the character builder.

And if feedback in my old thread is any indication, that's already the trend that's started.

~

 

[DEFCON 1]

See I don't think it's a concern for WotC at all. The percentage of people who have signed up for D&D Insider for only the CB (and have no use for the Compendium, Encounter Builder, Dragon and Dungeon) is probably extremely small. And of those people, the percentage who have so many house-rules that a non-3PP-customizable CB is mostly useless to them is also extremely small.

Those are the only people who would ever decide to dump D&D Insider for that reason. And I would venture to guess that the incredible headache it would be for WotC to open up their programming code to any and all 3PPs or regular players to do wholesale modifications to the Builder, the power cards, and the charsheet, while trying to maintain it realatively bug-free, is not something they probably want to deal with.

If that small percentage of a small percentage feels that a non-customizable CB is a make-or-break issue on whether they maintain a D&D Insider subscription, I have a feeling that they probably will just say "thanks for trying it, hope you enjoyed it while you did."

 

[Baron Opal]

Can you directly tweak a data file? I'm not much of a programmer, but I seem to remember that can be an option in other cases.

It is possible under the GSL to make a PC Gen-like program? Or would you have to do an OGL-backdoor?

 

[Shroomy]

I think people are less likely to abandon the character builder for their house rules than they are to abandon their house rules for the character builder.

And if feedback in my old thread is any indication, that's already the trend that's started.

I pretty much agree with this statement, and I would think that the percentage of players involved in a campaign with a significant amount of houserules and/or 3PP content (moreso than the CB can currently handle) is also very small (I would say that players in "official content only" and RPGA campaigns comprise the largest percentage of CB users). Given that WoTC has to update the CB on a monthly basis with their own content (which often includes new mechanics), why would they spend their limited resources on making major enhancements to its houseruling capabilites? IMO, we'll probably see minor, incremental updates to expand the houserule functionality.

 

[Insight]

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.