Looking for DnD Related Software

[Komarov]

Hey, everyone; I figured that when I finally had a question worthy of a new thread, I'd ask.

I recently lost all of my character sheets - the horror! - and my books (3rd edition) - the outdatedness! - have all gone missing, not without some suspicion. Either way, I was looking for a replacement that I'll have a harder time losing: software. I used to have the DnD E-Tools, but when I reformatted my computer I lost the copy
of those too.

Aside from snide remarks about my attention span, I'm looking for anyone who can point me in one of two directions -

1) where can I find the E-Tools software nowadays, and if not available anymore, can anyone give me a copy somehow?

2) are there any other good programs that can randomly generate characters as well as making them step-by-step?

I'd greatly prefer the E-Tools, since other than knowing how to use it, I can actually print out a standard format 3.0 character sheet and have it look exactly like a handwritten one (but typed).

Thanks for your help, and I hope my question wasn't too terribly long-winded and messy.

Komarov

[Fax Celestis]

There's RedBlade (http://redblade.org).

[Penguinsushi]

I have an old version of e-tools (somewhere) that a friend gave me. As far as I know though, they never thought their way all the way through that - some of the stuff doesn't work, and some of it doesn't work *right*.

I've made some efforts at trying to figure out how I might code a web-based character generator for myself, and here's the problem I've come up with: making scalable enough to be worthwhile.

The simple fact of the matter is that there's too much weird stuff in D&D to account for - exceptions, stacking rules, prerequisites, odd game effects, etc. This wouldn't be so bad, except that wotc is constantly putting out more of them. As soon as they introduce something the system isn't designed to handle, you have a problem.

Pen & paper methods can adapt, programs have a much harder time. This is why I tend to like to keep my computer and d&d addictions separate.

~PS

[henebry]

The simple fact of the matter is that there's too much weird stuff in D&D to account for - exceptions, stacking rules, prerequisites, odd game effects, etc. This wouldn't be so bad, except that wotc is constantly putting out more of them. As soon as they introduce something the system isn't designed to handle, you have a problem.

Pen & paper methods can adapt, programs have a much harder time. This is why I tend to like to keep my computer and d&d addictions separate.

~PS

I have built a Filemaker database to keep track of character sheets, etc., and let me tell you it is a BEAR, even if you limit yourself to srd-core level stuff. When you start adding some of the more recent non-core stuff, it tends to break the system. Because breaking the system is what makes the new rules exciting and innovative.

I added in the Tome of Battle classes just recently and had to bend system I'd been using for tracking spells to accomodate the distinction between # maneuvers known and # readied (and, in the case of the crusader, # granted).

[shadowmage]

E-tools was being updated by Codemokeys Publishing, but they stopped and are doing their own version of the software from scratch. They were also doing data sets for all the books for E-tools and PCGen but WOTC pulled their license so they can not sale the data sets anymore. I am looking myself for some of the data sets I do not have but not a lot of people knew about them.

[Tellah]

I use DM Genie (http://www.dmgenie.com/download.shtml) to stat up NPCs. It's got something of a learning curve, but it's got all the core material included and it's a fairly simple process to add new races, spells, and items.

[Komarov]

There's RedBlade (http://redblade.org).
Hot. Redblade is the (self-censored)! I'd still like to find one that does a better job of printing out, but it'll do the job until then, and do it well.

Thanks, Celestis!