What'll do this, then? Anything?

[Aus_Snow]

Is there a program that will generate character stat blocks (PC and NPC) and other details - all nicely-viewable and nicely-printable, with access to all the rules from lots of supplements out there? For example: AE, FRCS, CW, CAdv, CBoEM, Savage Species, Bow & Blade, QF. . . ?

Even better, a program that does all that, and can do the same for monsters (with the inclusion of such sources as FF, Denizens of Dread, MMII, MMIII, Monsters of Faerun, Denizens of Avadnu, Tome of Horrors. . . ) and possibly other campaign details and tracking too?

Best of all, something that allows the simple and straightforward addition, removal or modification of overall rules and rulesets? As in: straightforward if you've had limited coding experience, or even none.


I'm just hoping to use my notebook PC as much as possible for bookkeeping and such. I already do so to a large extent, but in this case more is better.

 

[JimAde]

I think PCGen will do what you want. The program is free but the add-on data sets (for various supplements) cost. Check the Code Monkey Publishing site:

http://www.codemonkeypublishing.com/

Here's a listing of their current data sets (it comes with the SRD and a couple others for free):
http://www.codemonkeypublishing.com/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=14

It's even possible to add your own data, but for some things (like classes) it's a little daunting.

 

[Joshua Randall]

There is no one program that does everything you want.

Code Monkey Publishing (PCGen) holds a license to distribute various "data sets" (conversions of non-core books into a computer readable version).

I personally prefer DM Genie, but (of course) it only comes with the core (SRD) stuff. However, there is a pretty active DM Genie community that works on conversions of various stuff.

There are bunches of other programs out there. Sample them and see which ones you like.

No matter what program you use, there will be a learning curve for adding your own custom content -- whether it's feats, skills, spells, classes, or monsters. Again, personally, I find DM Genie the easiest to use in terms of adding custom content -- much, much easier than PCGen -- but your mileage may vary.

 

[Vascant]

Nothing really handles all that very well. Lets be honest thats a pretty extreme list you got there.

There are programs that do specialize though and in which you get better results in the area they cover.

For example, DM Genie does not handle NPC generation unless you do it by hand and develop each NPC personally.

Where as NPC Designer, does not handle PC's and yet can create intelligently designed NPC's in a moment.

PC Gen can handle some aspects of NPC's however once again, you will be doing some of it by hand.

Though both DM Genie and PC Gen both cover PC's very well in their own areas (It is more of an opinion as to which you like or don't like). In the case of DM Genie though, NPC Designer has an import format that has been designed to work with DM Genie so you can have the best of both worlds, so to speak.

The best advice is what someone already stated, go around and try each piece of software available.

 

[Firzair]

I'm working on an really open (i.e. extensible) program, that will let you do all these things, if you can enter all the data.
The program is basically only a framework that will handle all kinds of RPGs.
Data and rules are stored as XML, the rules are coded in an extended version of reanjir's RPGL.

Currently the data of objects and rules can be loaded from XML-files, the rules work on the data. Next step is attaching the rules to the data, so that if the base strength changes the change is applied to the current strength etc.

Once this happened I will go on to create the gui framework. The gui will be XML-files so you can change it.
A possible mask panel could then be something like

<panel>
  <pos x="20" y="20"/>
  <label text="skill points remaining:"/>
  <relpos x="10"/>
  <label var=".skill_pts"/>
  <new-row/>
  <pos x="70" />
  <label text="ranks"/>
  <pos x="120" />
  <label text="total modifier"/>
  <create-list name="$skills" from=".skills.skill(*)" />
  <for-each in="$skills" item="ski">
    <new-row/>
    <pos x="20" />
    <label text="[ski]"/>
    <pos x="70" />
    <label var=".skills.skill([ski]).ranks"/>
    <pos x="90" />
    <button name="buy-skill-[ski]" function="buy-skill skill=[ski]" caption="+" enabled="check-skill-buyable skill=[ski]" visible="check-skill-pts"/>
    <pos x="120" />
    <label var=".skills.skill([ski]).total"/>
  </for-each>
</panel>

This will show you all skills available to the character, the ranks in each, the total modifier and a button to buy a rank if skill points remain and the skill isn't maxed out (provided the functions are coded to do that).

So the program will be totally customizeable. One more thing the program will be totally multilanguage i.e. text in data is represented in <label lang="xx">-tags which can be added for any languag you like. In output you will always see your selected language, the data you enter is stored for your language.
You can import data and rules from your english speaking friends and just translate the labels for your language and all the rules will function on the data.

I hope to show you an alpha version of this in about a month.

Greetings
Firzair

 

[Aus_Snow]

I can see I was being a bit hopeful (greedy). I thought as much.

Still, thanks for the various bits of info and advice.

Lets be honest thats a pretty extreme list you got there.

Er, actually I was keeping it fairly 'sane' deliberately... The entire list of stuff I actually use, now that would be a nightmare, I'm sure.

Data and rules are stored as XML, the rules are coded in an extended version of reanjir's RPGL.

XML, I know (well... I know what it is ), but "reanjir's RPGL"? Um, I'm completely at a loss there. Help!

Data entry is something I don't find too abhorrent, so your program-to-be sounds fine to me in that regard, and it sounds intriguing overall.

Where would the alpha version be hosted? Sourceforge maybe? Your own site? Here? Count me as interested, anyway.

In the meantime, I'll take my own advice (and others' here that concurs), and try out some pieces of freeware/demoware, push their boundaries, and see what happens.


Thanks guys, all.

 

[Firzair]

Most probably I will put the program in ENWorlds download area and perhaps on my own homepage.

reanjir is a member of ENWorld who came up with a programming language coded in XML, he called it RPGL.

I lost the link to the thread, it was about 3 month ago a thread about an open rpg api.

Basically RPGL defines some basic functions which can be used in your own function coded in XML.
Here's an example how functions look like in RPGL:

  <function name="if">
    <assert>
      <get-argument num="1" />
      <get-argument num="2" />
    </assert>
    <assert>
      <not>
        <get-argument num="1" />
      </not>
      <get-argument num="3" />
    </assert>
  </function>
  <function name="compare">
    <if>
      <lt>
        <get-argument num="1" />
        <get-argument num="2" />
      </lt>
      <get-argument num="3" />
      <if>
        <gt>
          <get-argument num="1" />
          <get-argument num="2" />
        </gt>
        <get-argument num="5" />
        <get-argument num="4" />
      </if>
    </if>
  </function>
  <function name="and">
    <set name="args">
      <arg-count />
    </set>
    <repeat num-times="[args]" until="break" counter="cnt">
      <not>
        <set name="break">
          <not>
            <get-argument num="[cnt]" />
          </not>
        </set>
      </not>
    </repeat>
  </function>
  <function name="or">
    <set name="args">
      <arg-count />
    </set>
    <repeat num-times="[args]" until="break" counter="cnt">
      <set name="break">
        <get-argument num="[cnt]" />
      </set>
    </repeat>
  </function>

Attached you wil find reanjirs RPGL documentation.

Greetings
Firzair