Character Sheet Tool

jay · Post by **jay** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:17 pm

Yes, it is still in development. I don't have anything for 4e in it yet.

mythusmage · Post by **mythusmage** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:49 am

jay wrote:Yes, it is still in development. I don't have anything for 4e in it yet.

Can it be adapted to a skill-based game?

I'm specifically thinking of one using percentiles where the target is equal to the skill or less, and the skill can be modified by difficulty. Basically a multiplier ranging form x3 (optionally x4) to x1/100th. Though I am thinking of changing it to skill (modified by difficulty where appropriate) plus die roll equal to or greater than 101.

In combat damage rolls can be modified by use of certain skills (most especially martial arts), high skill, size, strength, method of use (getting poked by a lance propelled by a charging destrier HURTS) and what the game refers to as Strike Location. For instance, that selfsame lance does a base of 6d6 in damage, times 3 when used successfully on the back of a charging destrier, and times 4 if the Strike Location is Ultra Vital. Which translates into 127 points of pain. Fatal to all but the most extraordinary of heroes.

Speaking generically I'd want a Character Tool to handle characteristics and abilities, movement, endurance, skills, condition, recovery, improvement, and specials. Though this sort of thing would really require something like Sony's reader, with the addition of ports, cables, and a central 'server' for sharing data. (Amazon's Kindle has too many issues to be useful here.)

jay · Post by **jay** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 1:08 pm

Welcome to the forums mythusmage!

The character tool uses scripts to let you do pretty much anything you want. You just have to define what data is needed for a character and then write scripts for the various actions. You can design your own character sheet using an external tool called abeille. The character sheets can also be scripted. Character Tool will match the data with the sheet and display it to the user. It also allows them to update their characters and save them to token files. So it is capable of displaying sheets for pretty much any game.

mythusmage · Post by **mythusmage** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:54 pm

Hi Jay

Where would one find the abeille tool? Is it cross-platform, platform neutral, or come in multi-platform versions?

Phergus · Post by **Phergus** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:33 pm

Google is your friend:

https://abeille.dev.java.net/

mythusmage · Post by **mythusmage** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:34 am

What, and deny you the opportunity to be helpful?

BTW, couldn't download the beast. Page opening kept getting cancelled.

Oops: The download started, though the page didn't open. Should have the app fairly soon.

biodude · Post by **biodude** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 10:47 pm

I know this thread is years old, but I was surprised to see no mention of CrystalBall - my absolute favourite character management & Combat management software for D&D 3e.

http://www.crystalballsoft.com

It is quite venerable, and a new version is under development, but is very ambitious and so taking a while. The Lite version features a powerful dice & scripting engine (like macros) and other niceties, however.

I just wish my CrystalBall could interface with MapTools *drool*

Amaril · Post by **Amaril** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:21 pm

jay wrote:Yes, it is still in development. I don't have anything for 4e in it yet.

Based on the GSL, I don't know if you'll be able to.

UntoldGlory · Post by **UntoldGlory** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:26 pm

Amaril wrote: Based on the GSL, I don't know if you'll be able to.

But they're not selling anything, or even creating 4e content. From the sounds of things, they're basically giving you really advanced graph paper.

Amaril · Post by **Amaril** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:33 pm

UntoldGlory wrote:
Amaril wrote: Based on the GSL, I don't know if you'll be able to.
But they're not selling anything, or even creating 4e content. From the sounds of things, they're basically giving you really advanced graph paper.

GSL wrote:5.5 Licensed Products. This License applies solely to Licensed Products as defined in Section 3 and to the specified uses set forth in Section 4. For the avoidance of doubt, and by way of example only, no Licensed Product will (a) include web sites, interactive products, miniatures, or character creators;...

Specifically, interactive products, but notably anything but what's specified in Section 3 and Section 4.

UntoldGlory · Post by **UntoldGlory** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:02 pm

GSL wrote:5.5 Licensed Products. This License applies solely to Licensed Products as defined in Section 3 and to the specified uses set forth in Section 4. For the avoidance of doubt, and by way of example only, no Licensed Product will (a) include web sites, interactive products, miniatures, or character creators;...

This isn't a licensed product. Licensed products are things you pay for the rights to use so that you can in turn sell something to make money.

Amaril · Post by **Amaril** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:07 pm

UntoldGlory wrote:
GSL wrote:5.5 Licensed Products. This License applies solely to Licensed Products as defined in Section 3 and to the specified uses set forth in Section 4. For the avoidance of doubt, and by way of example only, no Licensed Product will (a) include web sites, interactive products, miniatures, or character creators;...
This isn't a licensed product. Licensed products are things you pay for the rights to use so that you can in turn sell something to make money.

Then it definitely can't use 4e rules. The only reason you can use 3.5 rules is because the 3.5 SRD is OGL. 4e doesn't offer that luxury as none of the rules are OGL and are available only under the GSL which acts as a d20 and D&D license

UntoldGlory · Post by **UntoldGlory** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:19 pm

But they're not really using 4e rules. They way I understand it, you won't be able to open chartool and click "roll up a character", then start clicking away choosing race and feats and such. What it sounds like to me is a tool that allows *you* to build a template, then fill in that template in whatever way you desire. If a person happens to build a template for 4e, and emails it to some friends, then that's no different than me making an excell spreadsheet character sheet and emailing it. I mean, worst case scenario is that it has to use generic terms (like the lighting in maptool, there's a 3rd ed submenu, and a generic menu).

I'm sure WoTC won't like maptools, or characterTool, because it can do what they want to charge money for (and do it better), but that's in the same way that Microsoft doesn't like Openoffice. Don't you think Microsoft would destroy OpenOffice if they had a legal leg to stand on? OpenOffice has most of the features of Microsoft Office, plus more. But they've got no legal grounds because OpenOffice isn't being sold. It's just like how I can paint spiderman on a tshirt and give it away, and marvel (or WB or whoever owns the clothing rights currently) can't do crap about it, it's only when I paint him on a shirt and *sell* the shirt that they get to through Copyright and Int Property and all that crap at me.

Amaril · Post by **Amaril** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:28 pm

UntoldGlory wrote:But they're not really using 4e rules. They way I understand it, you won't be able to open chartool and click "roll up a character", then start clicking away choosing race and feats and such. What it sounds like to me is a tool that allows *you* to build a template, then fill in that template in whatever way you desire. If a person happens to build a template for 4e, and emails it to some friends, then that's no different than me making an excell spreadsheet character sheet and emailing it. I mean, worst case scenario is that it has to use generic terms (like the lighting in maptool, there's a 3rd ed submenu, and a generic menu).

No, but you can roll initiative, make skill checks, calculate modifiers based on ability scores, etc. These things are interactive components governed by 4e rules and are not allowed by the GSL. If every field were left blank, and it acted as a digital character sheet without any calculations or rolling, that's a better case, but even then, it's still arguably in violation.

UntoldGlory · Post by **UntoldGlory** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:32 pm

Well, I'm no lawyer, but I'll still give the 'ole GSL a read when I get home to try and get a lock on this thing. Hopefully it's not too many pages long.