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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Griffon

    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Roma, Italy
    Gender
    Male

    Default Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Hi everyone. Among my New Year "resolutions" I have decided to run some 4e in 2018. I purchased a bunch of PDF from DMs Guild and I was able to re-activate my subscription to DDI.

    The online character builder is a drag to use nowadays due to Silverlight and I won't keep a subscription running forever. Therefore, I decided to look for CB Loader. It seems like the program is dead, but I was able to download it. I have v. 1.3.0, the wotc.index is dated July 25 2011 and TerFixes.index is dated February 4 2015. Are those the latest versions available? Am I missing something?

    Is there some documentation available somewhere? I found links to a wiki, but it's gone.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Dwarf in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jul 2011

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    The latest version of the offline builder will leave you without most of the later resources. Personally though I find it faster to just use the books and ignore the dragon magazine info. The builder is laggy anyway.
    Last edited by Verbannon; 2018-01-05 at 08:06 PM.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    OldWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Jul 2015

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Check your inbox.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Beholder

    Join Date
    Aug 2010

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    While the OP has presumably read his PMs by now so this isn't an issue for him, anyone else reading this thread experiencing the Silverlight curse with respect to the Monster Builder and Compendium should be aware that there are offline solutions for both of those also.
    Cheers
    Scrivener of Doom

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Griffon

    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Roma, Italy
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Quote Originally Posted by Verbannon View Post
    The latest version of the offline builder will leave you without most of the later resources. Personally though I find it faster to just use the books and ignore the dragon magazine info. The builder is laggy anyway.
    Pen, paper and books certainly work, but I find the electronic tools very convenient especially when (as it is often the case) I have to build and update the characters for a bunch of players.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Griffon

    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Roma, Italy
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Quote Originally Posted by tiornys View Post
    Check your inbox.
    Quote Originally Posted by ScrivenerofDoom View Post
    While the OP has presumably read his PMs by now so this isn't an issue for him, anyone else reading this thread experiencing the Silverlight curse with respect to the Monster Builder and Compendium should be aware that there are offline solutions for both of those also.
    Thank you both for the links!
    Last edited by Nikosandros; 2018-01-06 at 07:00 AM.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Dwarf in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jul 2011

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    I use internet explorer to run silverlight stuff.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Griffon

    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Roma, Italy
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Quote Originally Posted by Verbannon View Post
    I use internet explorer to run silverlight stuff.
    Yes, IE works for me (but Edge does not). I've kept an old installation of Firefox (v. 49) and it works too.

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Beholder

    Join Date
    Aug 2010

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Why jury-rig a solution for the abomination of Silverlight when the offline tools are only a PM away...? ;)
    Cheers
    Scrivener of Doom

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jul 2013

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Quote Originally Posted by ScrivenerofDoom View Post
    Why jury-rig a solution for the abomination of Silverlight when the offline tools are only a PM away...? ;)
    Offline CB is old and screwy. It flat out refuses to load on my Windows 10 machine these days; I end up running it in a Windows XP VM.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Dwarf in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jul 2011

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Quote Originally Posted by ScrivenerofDoom View Post
    Why jury-rig a solution for the abomination of Silverlight when the offline tools are only a PM away...? ;)
    And the online tools are better.

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Beholder

    Join Date
    Aug 2010

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Quote Originally Posted by masteraleph View Post
    Offline CB is old and screwy. It flat out refuses to load on my Windows 10 machine these days; I end up running it in a Windows XP VM.
    Yes, but Windows 10 sucks. I'm using that as a technical term.

    Quote Originally Posted by Verbannon View Post
    And the online tools are better.
    Not if you live most of the year in a country considered to have the world's worst internet.

    Actually, they're not better. The offline Compendium is better and it's offline. The online Monster Builder limits you to 100 monsters; I'm at 1000+ custom stat blocks so that simply wouldn't work for me. The online Character Builder might be a little bit better, in theory, but I can customise my character sheets a lot more, thus making them much user-friendly in practice, using the offline version.
    Cheers
    Scrivener of Doom

  13. - Top - End - #13
    Pixie in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jan 2018

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    I'm just starting a 4e game for the first time and we've only been able to find a 2010 update for CB, is there a newer update?

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Davrix's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2017
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    Male

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    I've never seen any of these offline tools. Hell half the reason my table moved to 5th was because I ws sick of paying the monthly fee for 4th. I would KILL for a decent set of offline tool for 4th as it really does NEED them to make life as a DM reasonable.

  15. - Top - End - #15
    Pixie in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jan 2018

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Does someone out there have installation instructions and/or files? Mine suddenly stopped working and I tried to reinstall it but now it still won't work. My friend did hers and it works for her. I have no idea what's gone wrong and I'd like to try again. Are there any verified files/methods around? (I've read to install it into my documents instead of program files, but hers defaulted to program files x86 and it worked for her anyway. Neither works for me :( )

  16. - Top - End - #16
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    PirateGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    MN-US
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    I actually missed using my friends copy of the Encounter Builder or monster builder tool. It was fun. Wish there was something functionally similar to it for 5th edition, but such is life.

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Orc in the Playground
     
    ClericGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2014

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    I just switched our group to 4e, as they have never played it and were interested. I’m looking into electronic solutions to make everyone’s life easier, especially mine. Can I ask what sort of tools you all are talking about?
    "You'd only need to kill something like 147,311,996 pigeons to achieve FTL travel."
    uraniumrooster

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Halfling in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2018

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Playing over at the Guild we use the Portable Compendium for basically everything. It is free, currently supported, usable offline and has everything in the edition in an easy searchable format that you can also save bookmarks in. Not sure what the policy is for linking it on here, but if anyone wants a link to the portable compendium, toss me a PM. You could also come play with us over at The Guild Living Campaign if you are interested in playing 4E...
    Interested in giving 4e D&D a shot? All players, new and old, are welcome to join us over at the Guild Living Campaign on Roll20. Feel free to post on the thread or PM me for more information.

    You can also follow me on Youtube. I am currently working on a series of videos aimed at helping Dungeon Masters from all editions work at improving the craft that is being a DM with my series Beg Borrow and Steal.

  19. - Top - End - #19
    Barbarian in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2015

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Quote Originally Posted by ProphetSword View Post
    I just switched our group to 4e, as they have never played it and were interested. I’m looking into electronic solutions to make everyone’s life easier, especially mine. Can I ask what sort of tools you all are talking about?
    Here's a link to getting the online tools from WotC to work via a subscription and the thread is a place to note problems and issues as they come up.

    If for nothing else, it is worth it to get a month's subscription so you can then legally download *all* of the Dungeon/Dragon magazines for 4e's entire run.

    http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthr...28#post7056128

    Also, here's a link to all the materials from Living Forgotten Realms. Year 3-5 are the best parts imo, but year 2 & 6 aren't bad. Year 1 has some issues due to massive overkill(and therefore some bad parts)

    http://www.livingforgottenrealms.com
    Last edited by MwaO; 2018-03-02 at 10:07 AM.

  20. - Top - End - #20
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jun 2012

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Quote Originally Posted by Sebilis View Post
    I'm just starting a 4e game for the first time and we've only been able to find a 2010 update for CB, is there a newer update?
    Not officially - but someone put together a patch called CBLoader and distributed it with files to get everything that was produced for 4e by WotC (mine also has the Zeitgeist Adventure Path).

    Quote Originally Posted by serenityzero View Post
    Does someone out there have installation instructions and/or files? Mine suddenly stopped working and I tried to reinstall it but now it still won't work. My friend did hers and it works for her. I have no idea what's gone wrong and I'd like to try again. Are there any verified files/methods around? (I've read to install it into my documents instead of program files, but hers defaulted to program files x86 and it worked for her anyway. Neither works for me :( )
    Check your virus checker. When this started happening on a friend's computer it turned out that hers was considering CBLoader to be a hacking tool and silently quarantining it because it wasn't the original exe file.

    Quote Originally Posted by ProphetSword View Post
    I just switched our group to 4e, as they have never played it and were interested. I’m looking into electronic solutions to make everyone’s life easier, especially mine. Can I ask what sort of tools you all are talking about?
    The main one's a computerised character creator that produces fairly nice A4 character sheets with the powers all on cards and does most of the math for you. There's also a less useful monster design tool.
    Currently in playtesting, now with optional rules for a cover based sci-fi shooter.
    Games for Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, and Silver Age Marvel. Skins for The Gorgon, the Deep One, the Kitsune, the Banshee, and the Mad Scientist

  21. - Top - End - #21
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    PirateGuy

    Join Date
    Mar 2018

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Quote Originally Posted by ScrivenerofDoom View Post
    Why jury-rig a solution for the abomination of Silverlight when the offline tools are only a PM away...? ;)
    Would love to get that PM...

    I have the Character Builder working perfectly but I cannot find any of the other Adventure Tools. Specifically the Monster Builder.

  22. - Top - End - #22
    Orc in the Playground
     
    ClericGuy

    Join Date
    Oct 2014

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    I would also love that PM, if it’s not a problem.
    "You'd only need to kill something like 147,311,996 pigeons to achieve FTL travel."
    uraniumrooster

  23. - Top - End - #23
    Dwarf in the Playground
    Join Date
    May 2016

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    I'm pretty sure you're supposed to PM Scrivener.

  24. - Top - End - #24
    Orc in the Playground
     
    ManuelSacha's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Gender
    Male

    frown Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    I've had that offline software for a while, now.
    In the last days, I've been fiddling with it because I am starting a new campaign.
    But then... one day it was working fine, the next day it shows some error message (it says it found "=", while instead it was expecting ";"... whatever that means) during the loading process... and then it does load up... but it's an older version, missing all the latest updates, themes, feats, etc.
    The saved character files seem to be unchanged... it's just that all the newer content in them isn't recognized by the program.
    My players are going to want to build their new characters next week, and asked me to use the CB.
    Does anybody know how I can fix this problem?
    Many thanks in advance for any help you could give me.

    EDIT:

    Problem solved.
    Uninstalling and reinstalling wasn't enough, but I found a guide online with all the steps required.
    Last edited by ManuelSacha; 2018-03-23 at 09:25 PM.
    When in doubt, set it on fire, right?
    _______________________________________
    Avatar by: gurgleflep

  25. - Top - End - #25
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    MonkGuy

    Join Date
    Jul 2018

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Hello everyone.

    Please, Can someone tell me where to get the Offline Character Builder for D&D 4e?

    Thanks you.

  26. - Top - End - #26
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Beholder

    Join Date
    Aug 2010

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    I've just caught up on all the PMs asking me for the offline tools.

    If you still want them and you didn't PM me or find them another way, just email me - it's gmail dot com and my username is scrivenerofdoom.

    I don't always sign in here so often miss my PMs but my gmail account comes up on all my devices and I do reply promptly.
    Cheers
    Scrivener of Doom

  27. - Top - End - #27
    Pixie in the Playground
    Join Date
    Oct 2018

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Quote Originally Posted by ScrivenerofDoom View Post
    I've just caught up on all the PMs asking me for the offline tools.

    If you still want them and you didn't PM me or find them another way, just email me - it's gmail dot com and my username is scrivenerofdoom.

    I don't always sign in here so often miss my PMs but my gmail account comes up on all my devices and I do reply promptly.
    I would be interested in those files if they are fully up to date.

  28. - Top - End - #28
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    SolithKnightGuy

    Join Date
    Sep 2012

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Quote Originally Posted by scopelogic View Post
    I would be interested in those files if they are fully up to date.
    Did you email him? You should email him.

    Please tell me you emailed him.
    I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel

    Former DM for "A City Alone" [4E D&D - IC, OOC]

  29. - Top - End - #29
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Beholder

    Join Date
    Aug 2010

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    For anyone who might be interested in anecdotal "evidence" that 4E still has fans, I'm still receiving and replying to an average of ten emails a week asking for these links.

    I wonder how long before that number doubles? :)
    Cheers
    Scrivener of Doom

  30. - Top - End - #30
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    WhiteWizardGirl

    Join Date
    Aug 2017

    Default Re: Offline Character Builder and CB Loader

    Is that a PF2 jab? The only reason I can think of to expect an increase in the number of fans is if they flee some other game. Otherwise I'd expect a no-longer supported game to stabilize somewhere and slowly bleed out players as people eventually move on.

    I do sometimes think about what I would do differently if I was to try to do the PF treatment to 4e. Would it be better to mostly keep the same game and polish the edges or would it be better to try to take some bigger risks?

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