D&D 4E Value of DDI for existing 4e tools and resources?

Uller · Jul 8, 2012

If you're going with an "essentials only" game, you'll definitely want access to the MM3 monsters. I don't think essentials characters are definitively tougher than PHB ones, but it is easier to make an effective character with essentials.

I run two campaigns and have found DDI plus the VT to be invaluable. Could I do it without them? Sure...But for $8/month It's definitely been worth it for me.

Goonalan · Jul 9, 2012

Alas all my monsters are house-ruled- we go 75% hit points and some mad formula for damage that I have in a spreadsheet which does the business for me- and is nastier than MM3 I promise. So for every monster I recalculate hit points and damage, and then add or subtract powers as needed.

Did you ask which monsters were on the DDI- all of them, I'm unaware of any that are missing, and making new ones is easy- find a base monster to start from, even if you're going to change everything... click Customise and re-write.

Just to put that in to context, while watching the British GP (2 hours) I re-jigged 40-50 monsters, while drinking coffee, and watching the race- so at no great pace.

Cheers PDR

Obryn · Jul 9, 2012

Goonalan said:
Alas all my monsters are house-ruled- we go 75% hit points and some mad formula for damage that I have in a spreadsheet which does the business for me- and is nastier than MM3 I promise. So for every monster I recalculate hit points and damage, and then add or subtract powers as needed.

The toggles available in Masterplan, fwiw, include...

* HP %
* XP %
* Attack bonus/penalty
* AC vs. Other Defenses adjustments

So it'd handle that without a problem. Not so much the damage, though.

-O

Burgonet · Jul 9, 2012

While I should probably also look at alternatives to the "MM3+" math, it is reading here that taking out a current DDI subscription might be an excellent idea.

So that's sounding like the course of action for now.

Thanks for the further input, everyone!

Derulbaskul · Jul 9, 2012

@OP: Yes, it is worth the USD70 or so a year for the time it will save you in a month.

the Jester said:
Boy do I hate to ask this question, but...

Can the Monster Builder build monsters with MM3 math yet? (snip)

I'm amazed to report that, yes, it finally uses the correct maths. Of course, updating the old beasties is not an automatic process. You have to fart around quite a bit first.

Goonalan · Jul 9, 2012

Obryn said:
The toggles available in Masterplan, fwiw, include...

* HP %
* XP %
* Attack bonus/penalty
* AC vs. Other Defenses adjustments

So it'd handle that without a problem. Not so much the damage, though.

-O

I have Masterplan- my gripe with it is I can't seem to get it to display the attack powers et al for my PCs when we play- and mostly we play online (via Maptools, or the DDI). With either of the previous two its easier to 'bot' PCs that are missing- all their powers et al are already macroed up and a button press away.

I spent some time on Saturday just gone with Masterplan working through the tutorials trying to see if it was me that was doing it wrong- it usually is.

Just to reiterate- Masterplan is the dogs but for us it doesn't store (as far as we can tell) all the PCs info and attack rolls etc.

If you know a way to make it do so then please tell me, as I'd make the change in a heartbeat.

Cheers PDR

Obryn · Jul 9, 2012

Sadly, I don't... I don't enter my group's PCs into it... They like rolling their Initiative too much.

I probably should. The new condition tracking is brilliant.

-O

Terrance888 · Jul 9, 2012

I have masterplan but because my group doesn't have much mobile tech (desktops, no laptops) I use it mostly to help myself plan and make monster stat-sheets to print and use.

For building effective MM3 style monsters, I use
Marvelous Monsters and either Masterplan or Monster Maker. I've yet to find a monster maker to actually make the stats MM3 style.

Burgonet · Jul 11, 2012

Terrance888 said:
I have masterplan but because my group doesn't have much mobile tech (desktops, no laptops) I use it mostly to help myself plan and make monster stat-sheets to print and use.

For building effective MM3 style monsters, I use
Marvelous Monsters and either Masterplan or Monster Maker. I've yet to find a monster maker to actually make the stats MM3 style.

I had a look at the Marvellous Monsters pdf earlier.
Can you or someone else who has used this rules patch/variant relate to me how this compares to the Monster Vault/post Monster Manual 3 games math?

I'm no maths whiz, but have two of them in my group (one is currently writing a maths textbook in his spare time) so if I'm going to front the group with variant math I'd love to know what this brings to the table.