with a little delay…
Well, this was supposed to be a review, but I’ve already presented my opinion in the headline, so let me just write about some of the best programs made by Asmor, how to use them and why they are useful.
4e Monster Math Cruncher
This simple script creates a simply monster’s stats according to the rules presented in Dungeon Master’s Guide. All you have to do is enter a desired monster’s level and type, the script does all the math. I don’t think I have to write why it is useful. It works very well with…
Monster Maker
This program allows you to create a monster’s table, similar to those you can see in Monsters Manual. Math Cruncher can give you all the stats, you can enter them to a table, add some cool powers and you’ve got a monster ready to print.
Power Tracker
Asmor says:”Power Tracker is a program designed for players of Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition to keep track of which powers they have available.” And that’s exactly what the program does. It can be incredibly useful, but you need to have a laptop somewhere close while gaming. If you have one and use one, Power Tracker is for you.
4e Random Encounter Generator
Wow, this script is cool. You just enter the level of encounter and, if you want, what types of enemies you want and the script chooses monsters for you together with their Monsters Manual page. The only problem is that the random encounters often don’t make much sense. Combinations like: goblins + dwarves or zombies + elves happen.
If Monster Maker and Power Tracker aren’t working for you, you probably need to install the .Net Framework, which can be downloaded from Microsoft here.
The only problem is that the random encounters often don’t make much sense. Combinations like: goblins + dwarves or zombies + elves happen.
As lazy programmers everywhere love to say, “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature!”
I contemplated trying to come up with a way to make the encounter generator pick similar monsters, but there’s just really no easy way to do it. I mean, you could define, say, kobolds and goblins and such, but then you’re severely limiting your potential pool. You could say “Anything mentioned in the Goblin entry,” but then not only are you limiting your pool, you’re also missing out on stuff added later (there’s around 10 new kobolds in Dungeon and Dragon!). This doesn’t even get into the difficulties of creatures that work well together (Yuan-ti and medusas, goblins and worgs, etc).
Plus, I find some of the more bizarre combinations serve as excellent inspiration.
I thought that it would be very difficult to make the generator pick similar monsters. Still, it makes the generator less useful than it could be