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PC Chargen Aids?


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Does anyone know if there are any character generation aids available on the PC (even spreadsheets) for BRP or the other d100 games? I know that there's a Hero Lab module for CoC but that appears to be it as far as official material, and plans for an MRQ HL template never materialized.

That said, fans are notorious for putting together anything and everything in terms of play aids. So maybe there are things out there.

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I use one based on a database app (Filemaker Pro) for MRQII that delivers what I need for Legend. I think the author originally posted on the MGP forums but it's been a long time. The file is name Runequest 2 PC ver 1.0 and there are an NPC generator and a multiple NPC generator. Don't know where you'd find it now though.

There's a BRP one in the downloads section here that does BGB character gen done by a German guy/guys.

Generally BRP/D100 character generation varies enough game by game that one app doesn't fit all. But on the other hand D100 character generation is so simple that it hardly needs computer assistance. As long as you can count up or down every time you put points into a skill, even using pencil and paper, you are gold. There aren't any weird feats or must have choices to make just allocating points to skills. True some skills are more important in a setting or game than others but you soon learn that, or the GM can tell you that, Dodge/Evade is a good choice to boost as well as the skill that boosts defence against magic.

Nigel

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I've mucked around with this kind of thing in Excel for RQ3 and Call of Cthulhu, which I've just uploaded here...

BRP-CoC

It's very simple though.

Or, for something that is a bit more ambitious (but potentially also less useful), I have done a javascripted Aces High character generator here ngen.htm. Which is more complex and much more specific.

My RQ3 'Foes Too' excel sheet is pushing 3mb and includes 50 plus pages of critters, but was never created with the intention to pass it on (means its rather messy, open to modification and primarily for creating NPCs). If you want to see it, if you're interested, let me know.

Edited by MrJealousy

Mr Jealousy has returned to reality!

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  • 2 months later...

Generally BRP/D100 character generation varies enough game by game that one app doesn't fit all. But on the other hand D100 character generation is so simple that it hardly needs computer assistance. As long as you can count up or down every time you put points into a skill, even using pencil and paper, you are gold. There aren't any weird feats or must have choices to make just allocating points to skills.

This is one of the reasons I play Superworld rather than Champions...Hero System has gotten to the point that when you visit their board and bring up character creation, nearly everyone directs you to buy software for it. I can only raise my eyebrows in surprise; I simply can't imagine wanting to play a game that almost requires a computer to check the math for you. Doesn't sound very inviting. Plus I recoil at spending additional $ to play a game. I know I don't have to use it, but it makes it appear character creation in Hero must be very convoluted these days.

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The herolab mod is OK for very basic BRP. I've got it myself. But the folks at lonewolf are far too busy pumping out Paizo stuff (and making a killing) to add any more content to BRP.

I've been bugging them for quite awhile to upgrade to no avail.

I'm not sure how nice the CoC part of the mod is as I don't play CoC. I wouldn't waste your money if you're wanting anything more than modern era mechanics.

Author QUASAR space opera system: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/459723/QUASAR?affiliate_id=810507

My Magic World projects page: Tooleys Underwhelming Projects

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I never used software for creating my Champions characters. Could they take up to 2 hours to build? Sometimes, if a character had a complicated concept. It's the price of having options and flexibility. But, as I've said before elsewhere, Superworld is also a point-buy system. So, whether you're spending 350 points in Champions (for stats, powers, skills and everything) or 700-ish points in Superworld (500 skill points, INTx10 personal skill points, plus 80-90 power points), you're still figuring out how to assemble your abilities to fit the concept and trying to assign reasonable levels of competency. Both have Disadvantages/Failings that need to be balanced. Both have energy costs for power use. Hero has a Speed Chart; BRP has DEX or Strike ranks. Building Superman with either system is going to be a pain in the butt. ;)

Just poking around, I've found this:

http://chaosium-brp-character-generator-4-00.downloadluck.com/

http://windows.softwareweb.com/chaosium-brp-character-generator.htm

http://fictional-character-generator.winsite.com/

Don't know if these are "safe." But there are several of them online.

Edited by seneschal
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The herolab mod is OK for very basic BRP. I've got it myself. But the folks at lonewolf are far too busy pumping out Paizo stuff (and making a killing) to add any more content to BRP.

I've been bugging them for quite awhile to upgrade to no avail.

I'm not sure how nice the CoC part of the mod is as I don't play CoC. I wouldn't waste your money if you're wanting anything more than modern era mechanics.

Author QUASAR space opera system: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/459723/QUASAR?affiliate_id=810507

My Magic World projects page: Tooleys Underwhelming Projects

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I never used software for creating my Champions characters. Could they take up to 2 hours to build? Sometimes, if a character had a complicated concept. It's the price of having options and flexibility. But, as I've said before elsewhere, Superworld is also a point-buy system. So, whether you're spending 350 points in Champions (for stats, powers, skills and everything) or 700-ish points in Superworld (500 skill points, INTx10 personal skill points, plus 80-90 power points), you're still figuring out how to assemble your abilities to fit the concept and trying to assign reasonable levels of competency. Both have Disadvantages/Failings that need to be balanced. Both have energy costs for power use. Hero has a Speed Chart; BRP has DEX or Strike ranks. Building Superman with either system is going to be a pain in the butt. ;)

I dunno 'bout that...I can make up a Superworld character in 15 minutes, maybe 30 if it's complicated. Champions up thru maybe 3rd edition was close. Anything 5th edition and up makes my eyes glaze over, which I suppose is why they push the software so hard. Plus my Superworld character fits on one page; last I checked a Champions character sheet is at least 4 pages long. Not saying it's a bad game, in fact I quite like 4th edition, but the later editions are too involved for me. Just gimme Superworld & Superworld Companion and I'm happy.

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It looks like they all point to the same piece of software, which doesn't really do what I had in mind. I would like something that I can use to add up and balance everything, and ideally that also produces a nice, clean character sheet that I can print out, take to the game, and then edit again between sessions once I start gaining experience and improving the skills.

I understand tooley1chris' frustration with Hero Lab. They need to make money, and Pathfinder is what makes them money. I honestly have no idea how many people buy the CoC set they have now. So they have little incentive to do a big upgrade. That said, they put a lot of effort into a set they aren't even charging for (Fate Core) so maybe there's an approach to convincing them to do a BRP upgrade that will work.

The impetus, though, will probably have to come from Chaosium.

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All I tend to use for any BRP based game is a editable PDF or a plain PDF with a editor capable of writing numbers in to the spaces on the character sheet. If I can't add or subtract two numbers in my head then I should be tested for Alzheimer's or some other degenerative brain disease.

Mind you in my latest game for our group I had three players out of six that had a problem following directions on a sheet of paper concerning BRP character generation for a World War Cthulhu game. I find it hard to understand how an instruction like, put 10 points each into four of the following six skills is difficult to follow. On the other hand one player is determined to play a sniper when I've specifically told the group that their task is to go in to occupied Paris and help train Resistance members and gather Intelligence. I'm going to have to have the Gestapo question him on the train to see if their methods can beat him into not having a gun bunny next time around or he'll be sitting there complaining that he has nothing to shoot for the next ten weeks.

Nigel

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The thing about herolab is that they already have the hard legwork done with the CoC system and small BRP mod in place. Making mods for, say, Magic World should be a piece of cake for a veteran of the scripting. Easy money if they charged for the upgrade. But, like you said...gotta follow the money. So it's OUR job to spread the good word about BRP. LOL

I wish I was proficient with the scripting but...I tried to wrap my head around the "easy to use authoring program" and failed...hard.

Author QUASAR space opera system: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/459723/QUASAR?affiliate_id=810507

My Magic World projects page: Tooleys Underwhelming Projects

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The thing about herolab is that they already have the hard legwork done with the CoC system and small BRP mod in place. Making mods for, say, Magic World should be a piece of cake for a veteran of the scripting. Easy money if they charged for the upgrade. But, like you said...gotta follow the money. So it's OUR job to spread the good word about BRP. LOL

I wish I was proficient with the scripting but...I tried to wrap my head around the "easy to use authoring program" and failed...hard.

I am in the same boat, and have similar problems with the scripting in Fantasy Ground. It's probably easy for someone who codes for a living, but if you are a person who codes for a living why would you go home, have dinner, and then go over to your PC and start coding again?

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Would you want something based on a specific game or character sheet?

Seems like the skills list varies among them.

Or would you want something that you type your own skill list into?

BGB = BRP Gold. New book = BRP Platinum.  Stay metal. 

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Would you want something based on a specific game or character sheet?

Seems like the skills list varies among them.

Or would you want something that you type your own skill list into?

The latter would be nice, and it would be nicer the easier it were to program. Hero Lab has an "authoring kit" that can be purchased (you get it when you get the Savage Worlds set), which mainly describes how the system files can be edited in XML. You still need XML training and experience to actually do the work, though, and that is not as common as LWD seems to think it is. I would like to see more fan-developed game systems for Hero Lab, but that does not appear to be happening on a large scale.

Now Excel does that sort of work quite nicely with other systems. The main set of calculations involved in making a BRP character is not a calculation at all -- it's keeping track of what you've spend so you don't run out of Skill Points. Now it would be nice to build an Excel sheet that exports a decent character sheet and can be used with any subsystem desired, including the third-party supplements like Mecha and Dragon Lines (Dragon Lines is on my "I really need to get around to reading this through" list). Maintaining separate sheets for each major subsystem is only a minor hassle for the end-user, though they are probably beastly to format.

I would also be happy to see an Excel sheet for RQ6 player-characters.

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If you want something that can do a little math and put together a nice editable character sheet there is the NBOS Character Sheet Designer. It's free, and fully customizable. I've used it for other RPGs (D6 Star Wars), but you could do a BRP sheet with it easily enough.

Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself.

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Crud. I didn't see that NBOS had a character sheet generator. I'm going to DL it when I get home and see about a MW sheet. I'm familiar with NBOS so it will hopefully be easy. Also incoporate Advanced Sorcery.

Author QUASAR space opera system: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/459723/QUASAR?affiliate_id=810507

My Magic World projects page: Tooleys Underwhelming Projects

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I think I could easily do something like this with the Numbers app on a Mac, but I don't know how well it would import into excel. (It would be great on an iPhone or iPad though lol)

You can have it setup to show two fields 1. How many points have been spent (by adding the sum of a range of cells) and 2. How many points are left (subtracting the sum of a range of cells from another cell that has a "pool" or total of points available to spend)

i.e., Points spent: 160 Points Available: 90

However this isn't really an app, and a spreadsheet file may need to be altered or such depending on the particular game you are playing.

Also, if it doesn't play nicely with excel then it would really only benefit Mac users. =/

Edited by Nakana

BGB = BRP Gold. New book = BRP Platinum.  Stay metal. 

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The hard bit, for me, is javascript. I can do the layout stuff fine, but haven't mastered how to do some of the more advanced math in javascript yet. In theory the sheet should be able to automatically work out stuff like damage bonuses and category modfiers. I just have to figure out the right format to get it to do so.

Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself.

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Okay. I'm getting the hang of it. About 1/2 way done with my first sheet, not including Advanced Sorcery stuff.

Pretty neat little tool. I've got the skills, characteristics, bonuses, weapons and values, armor and values almost done. Most of the repetitive stuff.

Anyone know how to script random dice rolls based on another input in JavaScript?

So much trial and error! LOL

Author QUASAR space opera system: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/459723/QUASAR?affiliate_id=810507

My Magic World projects page: Tooleys Underwhelming Projects

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Here's my first character sheet for Magic World using "NBOS character sheet designer"

You will need the small NBOS program to view/edit it, found here:

http://www.nbos.com/products/charsheet/charsheet.htm

This sheet will automatically fill in Skill bonuses from characteristics, weapon statistics like damage, range, ect.,

Hit Points, Magic Points. It has drop down menus for races, occupations (and automatically fills in occupation skills)

This is NOT an all in one character generator! I don't know enough about javascript to do this yet, but it's still a neat tool. I've included all of the .txt files in case anyone wants to edit them for house rules.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vggfz66sr4fct6k/MWchar.zip

Author QUASAR space opera system: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/459723/QUASAR?affiliate_id=810507

My Magic World projects page: Tooleys Underwhelming Projects

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I did a GM Tool for BRP a while ago. It can be found here:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/529658/BRP/NPC-Creator%20Mac.zip

or Windows:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/529658/BRP/NPC-Creator.zip

Differnet tools are included, e.g. Villain creation, Minion/Extra creation, Creature Crafter, treasure tables, dice roller, etc.

it creates a character output like this:

STR: 15 Effort: 75

CON: 10 Stamina: 50

SIZ: 13

INT: 12 Idea: 60

POW: 10 Luck: 50

DEX: 18 Agility: 90

APP: 13 Charisma: 65

EDU: 13 Knowledge: 65

Move: 10

Distinctive Features

ARMS AND HANDS: hairy

ARMS AND HANDS: one arm longer than the other

Personality Type

Solve problems by means of physical force and brawn.

Give 20 skill points each to Brawl, Climb, Dodge, Grapple, Insight, Jump, Ride, Sense, Stealth, Swim, Throw, and to any two Combat skills.

Age: 19

Status: 26%

Combat Stats

Attack: 39%

Dodge: 39%

Damage Bonus: +1d4

Lifepoints: 11

Major Wound: 5

Power Points: 10

Fatigue Points: 25

Skill Category Bonuses

Combat skills: 11%

Communication skills: 3%

Manipulation skills: 11%

Mental skills: 3%

Perception skills: 2%

Physical skills: 7%

Professional Skills

Skill 1: 27%

Skill 2: 30%

Skill 3: 37%

Skill 4: 32%

Skill 5: 34%

Skill 6: 32%

Skill 7: 32%

Skill 8: 25%

Character Traits

Aggressive 42% <--> 58% Passive

Impulsive 47% <--> 53% Cautious

Extrovert 36% <--> 64% Introvert

Optimistic 69% <--> 31% Pessimistic

Stubborn 85% <--> 15% Receptive

Physical 50% <--> 50% Mental

Patient 58% <--> 42% Nervous

Emotional 59% <--> 41% Calm

Trusting 53% <--> 47% Suspicious

Leader 60% <--> 40% Follower

Greedy 75% <--> 25% Generous

Energetic 43% <--> 57% Lazy

Honorable 31% <--> 69% Dishonorable

Brave 37% <--> 63% Cowardly

Curious 56% <--> 44% Incurious

Dependable 74% <--> 26% Unreliable

Pious 63% <--> 37% Irreligious

Honest 77% <--> 23% Dishonest

Clever 66% <--> 34% Dull

Humorous 79% <--> 21% Dour

Innovative 74% <--> 26% Conservative

Edited by pansophy
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I did a GM Tool for BRP a while ago. It can be found here:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/529658/BRP/NPC-Creator%20Mac.zip

or Windows:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/529658/BRP/NPC-Creator.zip

Differnet tools are included, e.g. Villain creation, Minion/Extra creation, Creature Crafter, treasure tables, dice roller, etc.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING A MAC VERSION!!!!!!!!!!

(I've found a lot of seemingly greet gaming software tools but they are only for Windows. So, thank you for thinking of the Mac community!)

BGB = BRP Gold. New book = BRP Platinum.  Stay metal. 

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