Post/Author/DateTime	Post
nanobyte 03-23-07, 11:33 PM	Not sure if this is the right board but I'm looking for a good free character generator that does multiclass, prestige classes and items.
programmer182 03-24-07, 12:21 PM	i'm looking as well but roleplayerhome.net is a great character gen when it's up and running (currently down). let me know if you get and help
Jinnetics 03-24-07, 12:49 PM	http://www.pathguy.com/cg35.htm
programmer182 03-24-07, 01:48 PM	yeah i didn't like pathguy it runs slowly and has a poor print out.
Uranium Dragon 03-24-07, 03:10 PM	A friend of mine has a version of HeroForge Excel file. Kemenel forums (http://www.kemenel.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=11)
programmer182 03-24-07, 04:39 PM	hey i like it hero forge is pretty nice thanks do you know of any others i would like to shop around and see what's avaliable.
Birmy 03-24-07, 05:18 PM	There's all kinds of options, but mostly I've been using Hero Lab: http://www.wolflair.com/rightframe.php?context=hero_lab&page=downloads Pretty smooth interface and updated regularly. Only the demo version is free, but upgrading is well worth it if you use it as much as I do (i.e. are too lazy to roll up NPCs by hand). Even in demo version I've found it pretty handy, though, especially for low-level campaigns. There's also Redblade (http://downloads.redblade.org/) which is definitely more awkward than Hero Lab but is free, and PC Gen (http://pcgen.sourceforge.net/03_get_pcgen.php) is pretty popular and has some nifty features (like the name generator), but the interface is certainly not my cup of tea (nor the endless lists and drop-down menus). I'd say those are my "Top 3" character generators, at least right now (I've developed a weird preoccupation with finding and trying out character generators; as if D&D as a hobby weren't narrow enough...). There's stuff like ETools (currently in limbo, so I won't bother linking to it), RPGXplorer (which I think is a flat-out mess, to be honest), and HeroForge, which is fine except using spreadsheets just reminds me of being at work, and who wants that? And of course there's oodles of fan-made stuff (God bless computer nerd-RPG nerd crossover demographic!) that's getting more common all the time.
BobDole 03-24-07, 06:30 PM	While it is not free, The Only Sheet (http://theonlysheet.com) is my favorite. I no longer use pencil and paper. I find it much more fun to have everyone have a laptop available. Some of my friends still use pencil and paper, but when the party gets hit by a spell, I enjoy the fact that I can type in one word and all of my character's stats are automatically adjusted.
CharlieRock 03-24-07, 07:07 PM	yeah i didn't like pathguy it runs slowly and has a poor print out. I loved pathguy's program. It even calculates equipment weight. :D
delirium 03-24-07, 11:52 PM	I loved pathguy's program. It even calculates equipment weight. :D Hero Lab (www.wolflair.com) recently added this, along with the ability to easily move items around. I put items into a sack, then move the sack from my character to my horse, and the weight of all the items in the sack get transferred to my horse. With only two mouse clicks! They also just added stacking, so I can merge like items and then split them as I wish. I haven't seen any tools with the nifty usability features that Hero Lab offers. The downside with Hero Lab is that it's not free. But for $30, I figure I've already recouped much more than that in the time it's saved me in prepping for games. If you are committed to using a free tool, be warned that you tend to get what you pay for - i.e. lots of rough edges, such as slow performance, confusing interface, etc. Prior to finding Hero Lab, the best tool I had found was the Hero Forge spreadsheet. Yes, it's Excel, but it did the best job among the free tools, so it's what I was using till a couple months ago.
CharlieRock 03-25-07, 08:04 AM	Hero Lab (www.wolflair.com) recently added this, along with the ability to easily move items around. I put items into a sack, then move the sack from my character to my horse, and the weight of all the items in the sack get transferred to my horse. With only two mouse clicks! They also just added stacking, so I can merge like items and then split them as I wish. I haven't seen any tools with the nifty usability features that Hero Lab offers. The downside with Hero Lab is that it's not free. But for $30, I figure I've already recouped much more than that in the time it's saved me in prepping for games. If you are committed to using a free tool, be warned that you tend to get what you pay for - i.e. lots of rough edges, such as slow performance, confusing interface, etc. Prior to finding Hero Lab, the best tool I had found was the Hero Forge spreadsheet. Yes, it's Excel, but it did the best job among the free tools, so it's what I was using till a couple months ago. I previewed HeroLab. Very much worthy of the investment.
Birmy 03-25-07, 08:38 PM	See? I'm always telling folks how incredibly good my taste is.