What's the best Electronic game aid

[Dareoon Dalandrove]

I'm looking to either get for free (always the best option for me) or buy (will not spend more than 30 dollars) one of electronic aids to help me run my games. What I'd ultimately like to have is something that helps me build npc's and monsters. Like taking your standard orc, applying the fiendish template and then throwing in a few levels of fighter/cleric. Maybe have him go Eye of Gruumish. Once all that is done print it out and move on. Now I know that any supplement isn't going to have all new material in it so I'd like to be able to "upgrade" it myself. So for instance when the book of aberrations comes out I can buy it and add in anything that I'd like to use.

Maybe I'm asking a lot, but I really need something to help me out. When I'm preparing I have all my books spread out. I go back and forth between them and I'm constantly wasting notebook paper. I've looked through some of the aids that the boards has but nothing seemed to fit. I admit that I haven't thoroughly gone through them though. So any help is appreciated.

 

[Telas]

HeroForge is an Excel spreadsheet that is pretty much 3.5 compatible, and has all the basic races, including most of the MM. All classes, including up to Complete Divine, are included.

It's free. I use the heck out of it. The only downsides are that it's difficult to modify (i.e. add your own critters), and that it's big, at about 10MB. You can PDF the Character Sheet pages, or print them out.

It also generally provides stat blocks, too.

http://homepage.mac.com/blackbart71/main.html

Telas

 

[Hand of Evil]

There are a number, PCGen, DM Familiar, and a number of others. You may want to check ut the software forums (where this thread may need up), many fave demos that you can look at.

Oh, don't forget the downloads HERE

 

[Steel_Wind]

Well, given the price restriction, I am not sure that e-tools meets your set requirements.

That said, e-tools is hands down the most valuable electronic game-aid I use.

A close runner-up is Neverwinter Nights - which would meet your price restriction. The Platinum version is avaiable in most game stores for about $30 or less. And hey - a fine game on its own too.

Lastly, PCGen, an open source (and more difficult to use) version of e-tools is, indeed a handy thing. It's more finnicky though and seeing as I use e-aids to make it easier - I prefer the most user friendly envinronment that e-tools provides.

 

[robberbaron]

DMGenie.
Well within your budget and makes building NPCs a lot easier.

And it's getting better with every update.

 

[lior_shapira]

I second DMGenie, its very powerful, has a very active community which adds data from new sources to it all the time, and is pretty easy to update on your own if you have even a little computer skill

lior