Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="ruemere" data-source="post: 4019471" data-attributes="member: 5515">*rant warning*3.xE creation of a shabby NPC, 13th level, spellcaster, using NPC gen: 1 second.3.xE creation of a fully well designed NPC, 13th level, spellcaster, using PCgen: 5 minutes, tops.The second example time is independent of whether I use books, add templates or fiddle with skills. Equipment included. Spells fully allocated.4.0E creation of any of these NPCs, using fan-made software generators, highly unlikely.This is digital age. Nowadays, I hardly ever use books to do an adventure. The printouts, handouts, NPCs... everything is sitting right at my fingertips. And if it does not, I ignore that - I have no need for rules, which, metaphorically speaking, sit down in a cellar, waiting for me to climb down the stairs and retrieve them.The rules and game aids, to me at least, are supposed to be here for me. And, since 3.xE OGL of quite a few publishers allowed that, I could spent quality time making some electronic stuff to help others to have that kind of power, too.Mr. Myers, I appreciate your efforts. I really do. But please have a look at it from my point of view.I have 10 hours a week tops, to spend on my hobby. The time spent on adventure making is the time I need to take away from gaming sessions.I do like Eberron, I heartily appreciate old setting like Dark Sun or Planescape.Still, my heart lies with third party settings, and, given the information released up to now on terms of 4E availability, I am worried that 4E books will be everything I will be allowed legally to use. 40 minutes for 19 level of NPCs does not seem much. 25 minutes, given books, is even less.However, the pirate base raided by my players contained:- 40+ pirate mooks- 40+ pirate veterans- 20 or so uber elite pirates- a "ghost" ship of elven making manned by a crew of elite elven warriors and mages- 24 or so Dirty Dozen-like scoundrels sent on a suicidal missionand, of course, officers, heroes (players), leaders (leading characters who actions influence their factions).Took me about 3-4 hours to complete, with statistics, island maps, and strategy trees (basically, simple assembly of goals and means for every leaders).Used tools:- PCgen (important characters and default elite stas and equipment), - NPC gen (for basic mooks),- SRD (electronic, search enabled, commercial version),- vector drawing tool for general layouting and maps,- OpenOffice (for pasting and typing it all up, and for producing PDF materials to be printed and used at the session).Support books:- almost nil, had to add 2 or 3 items from settings books to PCgen.Of course, I cheated a bit. I have already thought things up, so I was merely putting them into some written form. I have also used some printed maps and pieces to construct combat areas (in case combat squares mattered).So, the real question is... will that be possible to fit into similar time constraints under 4E? With support for 3rd party material?Regards,Rueemre</blockquote>

Verification