Customizing the DDI Character Builder, pt II

Yes, but not really . . .

This is the current answer to most customization questions you have for the current iteration of DDI’s Character Builder.

Can you create a race? Yes, but not really . . . see you can enter a name and all, heck you could even enter a full write up within details box, but you’ll never see it enter the functionality of the builder. The numbers you include will have no real affect on the game. That means manually adjusting attributes, and writing your racial powers down elsewhere.

Can you create a class? Yes, but not really . . . see above.

Can you create a power? Yes, but not really . . . see above.

This is a shame. 4e’s power system and its structured sense of design beg to be played with by adventurous DMs; however, their best and most useful piece of software does not acknowledge this.

Will It Ever?

A better way to phrase this question is: “Does WotC have anything to gain from focusing on making the DDI Character Builder ‘play nice’ with custom elements?

No – Why would they. Sales seem strong now, and they are putting out so much content that if you cannot find what you are looking for you must be blind. Besides, it’s just bad business. If a person could just adjust and insert custom elements, why would they even need our material? (INHERENT FALLACY ALERT: Little secret, DDI almost makes the books obsolete. DMG2 and campaign books for fluff are about all I need . . .)

Yes – Custom elements equates to more functionality/ease-of-use for 3^rd party publishers. Playing nice with the industry equates to a stronger hobby. A stronger hobby equates to more sales. Besides, WotC could use the PR boost in some eyes.

Also opening up customization elements would really jive with this concept of more DM control (look how easy it is to build encounters, monsters, etc.).

Verdict

I don’t care. I am using homebrew elements regardless. I have no qualms about going back to pencil and paper. Hell, I’d save a boatload in ink.

Next time: Bullywugs!

‘til then

Customizing the DDI Character Builder

A Chain of Thoughts:

Though I am currently in one campaign and running another, I am always keeping my eyes down the road . . . I’m always planning my next campaign.

For the longest time, I had convinced myself that next campaign was going to be run in Eberron. I love the steam punkish feel of that setting, its warforged, its dark politics, the noir feel, the mysteries surrounding the past and the tension suffusing the present. But, as is always the case, I grow apprehensive about playing in published campaign realms; inevitably, there is something that turns me off. While most of my concerns are easy fixes, this very practice of tinkering leads me to further and further reaching explorations that slowly, but inexorably, pull me from the published world.

While I will not go into details with Eberron, as I may still well run it, there is another reason I’ve become more and more convinced a homebrew is for me.

Houserules.

Particularly, I love games that are gritty and difficult. Therefore I love houserules that optimize that feel. But I also love houserules that emphasize roleplaying, resource management, and give the player’s more choice.

Mosey through my blogroll: Spirits of Eden, At-Will, Roleplaying Pro.   .  . it is hard not to read these sites and want to use or expand on what they’ve done. Looking at Thieves’ Tools section and see the houserules (to be revised/expanded this week) I’ve appropriated. Or take for example, Spirits of Eden’s Background Feats or Combat Style Feats . . . while they may not work in my homebrew they give me the inspiration and outline to craft my own.

A Hurdle

So ez, pz right? Well, no. Because of the awesome DDI Character Builder.

He's waiting for the dungeon mapper. Still.

I love this thing. My group loves this thing. IT DOES THE MATH FOR YOU! And it prints off sheets of info, organizes your powers, etc . . . What it doesn’t do, that well anyways, is play nice with custom elements.

But I will save it faults for the next part of this . . .

For now let me leave you with what the DDI Character Builder can do:

• • FEATS: You can easily take illegal feats, or better yet, write in your own. Click on the little Houserule button (shaped like a house, how cute) and choose create custom element. Name your feat. Then fill in the text box. This text will appear on your character sheet, so keep it brief like the other feat synopses.
  • Let’s say you’re the kind of DM who likes to use background feats (ala Paizo) to really immerse your group into the setting. Well, the Character Builder does allow you to create extra feat slots, as well. Just click on the lower Houserule button and a new slot appears. You can do this ad nauseam. (You can also just add this as a custom background)
    • What does not work for feats? Well, the system does not recognize the bonuses your feats may give. Bust out your pencils.
  • SKILLS: Just as with feats you can, you can open all illegal elements and create extra slots
  • POWERS: The only benefit I’ve seen in this regards is the ability to take powers from other classes; then again, I’m not sure how often that is going to come up.
  • CLASSES: Much as with powers, you are fairly limited in your customization here: you can take the class benefits of other classes. For example, your cleric could gain Staff of Defense. Yes, you can make your own, as well. However, keep in mind that any bonuses you incorporate will not figure into the math on your character sheet, nor can you easily include a power like Inspiring Word.

Now, I’ve touched on what it can do, and, if people actually read this, they may say, “Dude, you can make classes, races, powers, etc.” Sure. In name you can do this, but later this week I will point out the flaws inherent in doing so, and try to prophesize how much customization WotC will allow with their builder.

’til then.

4th Edition and the 3rd Party Publisher

It seems to me that the utility, convenience, and thoroughness of DDI’s D&D Compendium and Character Builder work against the success of 3^rd party publishers.

While I’ve no scientific evidence to back up this claim, it does seem on some accepted level a good number of 4e players & DMs use the compendium and certainly the Character Builder (for it doth rock!).  These are very useful tools that give you everything published by WotC in a ready to use computer application. So thorough and useful are they, they even limit my desire to buy WotC books.

Doesn’t the prevalence, convenience, and restricted nature (WotC material only) of these tools put a bit of a crunch on 3^rd party publishers? For example, Adamant Entertainment’s Warlock Pacts are awesome. But unless I manually update my Character Builder with the needed information (and in this sense the builder is still a bit of a chore), my players would rather capitalize on the flash and functionality of the abundant material already presented.

Other player options fall under this umbrella as well. While it is all fine and well if a 3^rd party publisher produces a book of magic items, there still seems to exist a tendency to rely on those readily described, easily inserted items that are constantly updated on the character builder. Same goes with new powers, rituals, etc . . .

DMs face no less temptation. The D&D compendium is chock full of more monsters than you could use in 50 campaigns. They are fully developed, printable, copy-ready, and easily accessible. In addition, there is a certain fun and fancy free draw to creating your own enemies in 4^th edition. This temptation is buffed by myriad tools to assist in that endeavor. Monster books are great, and still have a draw, but it seems their utility may be lessened.

Now, admittedly I am being bleak on some levels here. You can still enter in houseruled (i.e. 3^rd party supplement material) into the character builder. You can easily use monsters from another publisher, and even enter their stats into certain tools to produce a viable, copy-ready statblock.

The difference exists in 4^th Edition’s emphasis on the use of their digital tools. Before you had to manually enter a lot of things regardless, unless you were using some webtool to create characters . . . often a restricted or dicey proposition in and of its self. Now the publisher of the game offers a great, easy-to-use, and comprehensive builder, so a small chore becomes evident when dealing with publications that fall outside the realm of WotC.

Me? I still use 3^rd party material because I am a D&D geek. However,  I think where 4^th edition is practically begging for 3^rd party support is not in class functions, more monsters, or treasure, but in story/campaign elements and adventures. Books that can speak directly to the game, or provide a rich campaign or ideas for the DM, and adventures that give DMs with little prep time what they need to play . . .

I don’t know. I am done rambling. What do you think?

Allow Me a Moment of Disappointment

We were all set to game tonight. Got the minis ready. Got the tiles ready. I had a pretty exciting section of the campaign ready to roll . . . but alas, a series of setbacks derailed it.

Suddenly a few hours opened up in my schedule. I didn’t want to write. I’ve been doing that a few hours a day between thesis, short fiction, and hopeful freelance stuff. I didn’t want to read. My beloved Red Wings were not on tonight.

I wanted something D&Dish. I wanted what was promised with the original DDI – I wanted to play with the character portrait thing, I wanted to build dungeons online and post them, I wanted to perhaps play a pick up game of D&D on the game table.

I am not one to rail against WotC. But, tonight I almost wanted to.