# Character Builder Beta available



## Jan van Leyden (Nov 10, 2008)

Under this link you find the download for the closed beta of the DDI Character Builder.

The download itself is some 17MB plus eventually the .Net 3.5 SP1 environment.


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## justanobody (Nov 10, 2008)

My environment is Windows. I don't need some secondary crap to use. I find it funny how much other software isn't proprietary. I will not use any of the DDI tools requiring some .NET upgrade garbage, when it isn't needed.

I was looking forward to try waht DDI offered, but not with that kind of stuff needed for it. I wonder how much Microsoft gets for each subscription to DDI?

Thanks for the link and the info.


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## Fallen Seraph (Nov 10, 2008)

Downloaded it, and installed it but when I try to run it I get this error:

"Could not load type 'System.Windows.SplashScreen' from assembly 'WindowsBase, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral"


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## Asmor (Nov 10, 2008)

The updater's not working for me, says it can't connect to the network. I'm hoping that's because of the firewall here and I'll have better luck at home.


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## reezel (Nov 10, 2008)

justanobody said:


> My environment is Windows. I don't need some secondary crap to use. I find it funny how much other software isn't proprietary. I will not use any of the DDI tools requiring some .NET upgrade garbage, when it isn't needed.
> 
> I was looking forward to try waht DDI offered, but not with that kind of stuff needed for it. I wonder how much Microsoft gets for each subscription to DDI?
> 
> Thanks for the link and the info.



Wow as a .NET programmer, I'm totally baffled by your point. You need the latest framework to make it work, just like Java. Why would Microsoft get anything for that?

On the other hand, I am currently installing the character builder.


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## wedgeski (Nov 10, 2008)

justanobody said:


> My environment is Windows. I don't need some secondary crap to use. I find it funny how much other software isn't proprietary. I will not use any of the DDI tools requiring some .NET upgrade garbage, when it isn't needed.
> 
> I was looking forward to try waht DDI offered, but not with that kind of stuff needed for it. I wonder how much Microsoft gets for each subscription to DDI?



Oh for heaven's sake! So it requires the latest .NET? WHO CARES?!


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## wedgeski (Nov 10, 2008)

Fallen Seraph said:


> Downloaded it, and installed it but when I try to run it I get this error:
> 
> "Could not load type 'System.Windows.SplashScreen' from assembly 'WindowsBase, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral"



Almost certainly because your .NET download (or install) didn't work. Try this direct link from the MS site:

Download details: .NET Framework 3.5


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## justanobody (Nov 10, 2008)

wedgeski said:


> Oh for heaven's sake! So it requires the latest .NET? WHO CARES?!




My programs that require an earlier version of .NET and won't work when I update it.

Not that I enjoy those needing it either mind you. Its about as annoying as visual basic runtime libraries.


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## Fallen Seraph (Nov 10, 2008)

wedgeski said:


> Almost certainly because your .NET download (or install) didn't work. Try this direct link from the MS site:
> 
> Download details: .NET Framework 3.5



My computer just needed to restart, the message saying it was much delayed so didn't now.

I am now making my Half-Elf Rogue/Star Warlock as I type this.


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Nov 10, 2008)

justanobody said:


> My programs that require an earlier version of .NET and won't work when I update it.
> 
> Not that I enjoy those needing it either mind you. Its about as annoying as visual basic runtime libraries.




Well, if you actually have pre 3.5 applications, this shouldn't be a problem, since the older version stays on your machine. One of the many good things is that .Net is quite capable of versioning assemblies...


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## Fallen Seraph (Nov 10, 2008)

I have to say so far, quite pleased. It will even go back to a previous category if a future selection effects it, ie: multi-classing.

One thing that is nice too is when selecting Powers it shows you your own characters math in relation to it, so you'll get such and such amount of bonus.


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## Amy Kou'ai (Nov 10, 2008)

justanobody said:


> My programs that require an earlier version of .NET and won't work when I update it.




Not a great argument.  .NET 3.0 and 3.5 are essentially 2.0 with nifty stuff bolted on; thus all your 2.0 and 3.0 apps should run just fine on 3.5, barring bugs and things the developer did that doesn't match interface contracts, for example.


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## Asmor (Nov 10, 2008)

justanobody said:


> My programs that require an earlier version of .NET and won't work when I update it.
> 
> Not that I enjoy those needing it either mind you. Its about as annoying as visual basic runtime libraries.




It's actually basically the same thing as visual basic runtime libraries. A lot of .Net programmers write in visual basic (personally, I'm a c# man), and don't quote my on this but I think .Net is basically the next evolution of those old runtime libraries...

Your old programs should be unaffected by the installation of the .Net framework 3.5. As someone else mentioned, the old versions remain on your system.

The only thing you're losing by installing 3.5 is a trivial amount of hard drive space.


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## Scribble (Nov 10, 2008)

Drat about having to download/ install stuff. The computer I spend most of my time on is my work conmputer... So no instalin stuff on it.

Guess I have to wait until I get home.


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## justanobody (Nov 10, 2008)

Asmor said:


> It's actually basically the same thing as visual basic runtime libraries. A lot of .Net programmers write in visual basic (personally, I'm a c# man), and don't quote my on this but I think .Net is basically the next evolution of those old runtime libraries...
> 
> Your old programs should be unaffected by the installation of the .Net framework 3.5. As someone else mentioned, the old versions remain on your system.
> 
> The only thing you're losing by installing 3.5 is a trivial amount of hard drive space.




I am sure .NET is the bastard child of VBRun as well. Maybe why I despise it so much.

Give me "include stdio.h" any day!

Anywho. Seems people need to download the .NET 3.5 SP1 framework directly from Microsoft to get it to work and install that before trying to download the character builder to make sure the character builder has the framework complete, prior to trying to install and hanging up.

Also some bugs appear for those with x64 systems hanging up on loading, or crashing shortly after loading the software, so be on the look out for other errors like those.



			
				Michael 'elf' Feuell said:
			
		

> From what I can understand it sounds like it needs to run in x86 compatibility mode. I'm looking into a fix right now from our end. I'll update you when I have more information.


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## Henry (Nov 10, 2008)

justanobody said:


> I am sure .NET is the bastard child of VBRun as well. Maybe why I despise it so much.
> 
> Give me "include stdio.h" any day!
> 
> ...




Me being in I.T. also, I take the whole .NET thing in stride. I wouldn't fault DDI for it, because I'm guessing at least half the commercial programs written for windows in the past year need it - I install that darned thing quite frequently.


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## Jan van Leyden (Nov 10, 2008)

*My First Bug Report*

I've just reported my first bug for the thing: it seems to be impossible to set a XP number not suficient for levelling up. Either your character has 0 XP or 1,000 and more.

The form used for entering the bug is well done; now I'm anxious to see the relpy of the folks at wherever bug-management takes place.


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## Hadrian the Builder (Nov 10, 2008)

Anyone get this up and running on a Mac without dual-booting into Windows?


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## Asmor (Nov 10, 2008)

Jan van Leyden said:


> I've just reported my first bug for the thing: it seems to be impossible to set a XP number not suficient for levelling up. Either your character has 0 XP or 1,000 and more.
> 
> The form used for entering the bug is well done; now I'm anxious to see the relpy of the folks at wherever bug-management takes place.




It's not a bug, it's a feature. Anyone who subscribes to DDi gets a free upgrade to second level!



Hadrian the Builder said:


> Anyone get this up and running on a Mac without dual-booting into Windows?




Unless you know something I don't (which is entirely likely), there's no chance whatsoever of this running under the Mac OS. The .Net framework is only available for Windows (though there's something called Mono for Linux which runs some .Net applications, but is not yet up to 3.5 as far as I know so wouldn't be able to run this either).


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## Agamon (Nov 10, 2008)

Hadrian the Builder said:


> Anyone get this up and running on a Mac without dual-booting into Windows?




I also would like to see someone load MS .NET on an Apple OS.  That would be interesting... 

D'oh, ninja'd...


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## doctorhook (Nov 10, 2008)

justanobody said:


> My environment is Windows. I don't need some secondary crap to use. I find it funny how much other software isn't proprietary. I will not use any of the DDI tools requiring some .NET upgrade garbage, when it isn't needed.
> 
> I was looking forward to try waht DDI offered, but not with that kind of stuff needed for it. I wonder how much Microsoft gets for each subscription to DDI?
> 
> Thanks for the link and the info.



You were looking forward to it? Really, justanobody? That's definitely not the impression I got from you in every other thread.

Incidentally, I'm having trouble getting the beta working. I'm going to download again and retry. (It took about half a second to download, which suggests to me I didn't get all 17 megabytes.)


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## justanobody (Nov 10, 2008)

doctorhook said:


> You were looking forward to it? Really, justanobody? That's definitely not the impression I got from you in every other thread.
> 
> Incidentally, I'm having trouble getting the beta working. I'm going to download again and retry. (It took about half a second to download, which suggests to me I didn't get all 17 megabytes.)




Yes I was looking forward to trying the Visualizer and Builder.

You may need to get the full 230 megs .NEt from Microsoft first as the installer for CB seems to lag when trying to install .NET 3.5 SP1.


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## lexoanvil (Nov 10, 2008)

i cant get it to work i might be dumb who knows.


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## Hawke (Nov 10, 2008)

I can't get it running... doing a reinstall to see if it helps, but in the mean time... word was that the PHB2 classes would be listed somewhere in there. Is that the case? If so any official confirmation of the last two classes (Inquisitor and Theurge?)


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## Allister (Nov 10, 2008)

Hawke said:


> I can't get it running... doing a reinstall to see if it helps, but in the mean time... word was that the PHB2 classes would be listed somewhere in there. Is that the case? If so any official confirmation of the last two classes (Inquisitor and Theurge?)




Make sure you get the .NET download DIRECTLY from MS. There seems to be something funny with the link from WOTC....


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## Asmor (Nov 10, 2008)

lexoanvil said:


> i cant get it to work i might be dumb who knows.




It's kind of hard to help you without details. There's a billion different things that could be wrong when all you say is that you can't get it to work.

What did you do? How far did you get? Any errors?

I, and I'm sure plenty of others here, would be happy to help you if you could give more details.


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## Halivar (Nov 10, 2008)

Mine installed .NET fine. Software worked out of the box. I must say, this is leaps and bounds better than the character builder that came with the 3rd Edition PHB. Kudos to WotC for having all the Dragon, AV, and FR enhancements built-in!

I was not looking forward to this because I like using my custom sheet (also, I have a poor view of the quality of WotC's past digital stuff). I think this may have converted me. This with the DDI database have made me a happy DDI convert (I have earlier stated that I was not interested in the least, and vowed never to use it. Well, now I get to eat crow).

I do hope for an x64 version soon; I would prefer to use this on my desktop system.


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## Hawke (Nov 10, 2008)

Woot! I uninstalled everything, grabbed the .NET link directly from MS and it works. I'm impressed... seems to be straightforward. Three thoughts:

1) More levels! My party just hit 5 and it would be nice to use those damnned useful power cards. 

2) Can't seem to houserule backgrounds yet. I liked the idea so much I created some for my campaign. I think I can come up with similar ones for most of them but I think 2 characters might be outta luck. Eager to see a houserule setup. 

3) I'd like to see a way to allow/disallow supplements. Would make it easy as a DM to state which you can and can't use. I know some areas it's obvious, but others (like the feats) could be made easier if the player just didn't see it.


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## garyh (Nov 10, 2008)

I really, really like the program.  Quick, easy, love being able to customize the character sheet layout.

My only concern is, how can I share my character sheet with someone who doesn't have the program?  There's no "export" function.

If I was at work, where I had the full version of Adobe PDF, I could print it to a PDF.  But I can't install programs at work, and don't have PDF-creation capability at home.


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## Betote (Nov 10, 2008)

Amy Kou'ai said:


> Not a great argument.  .NET 3.0 and 3.5 are essentially 2.0 with nifty stuff bolted on; thus all your 2.0 and 3.0 apps should run just fine on 3.5, barring bugs and things the developer did that doesn't match interface contracts, for example.




I've been told that .NET 4.0 is not really .NET, but a WoW clone (with some anime, a pinch of miniature wargame and a shade of CCG). Is that true?


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## Renshai (Nov 10, 2008)

I honestly cannot fathom the statement about not installing .NET to use the Character Builder. I too am a .NET developer and the installation of the framework is, in most cases, fast and easy. Most people use it without ever realizing they even have it. The notion that this is some kind of Microsoft plot to make money through DDI is... well.. I can't say anything nice so I won't say anything at all.


All of that ridiculousness aside, the Character Builder is top notch so far. Other than the bug with not being able to set your XP at a non-level interval it has performed amazingly. It is fast, responsive, the UI is intuitive and easy to use. 

Kudos to the programmers that developed this application. I churned out four 1st level characters in about 10 minutes. You just can't beat that.


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## Scribble (Nov 10, 2008)

garyh said:


> I really, really like the program.  Quick, easy, love being able to customize the character sheet layout.
> 
> My only concern is, how can I share my character sheet with someone who doesn't have the program?  There's no "export" function.
> 
> If I was at work, where I had the full version of Adobe PDF, I could print it to a PDF.  But I can't install programs at work, and don't have PDF-creation capability at home.




There are a few free print to pdf programs out there if you look. Also does open office do print to pdf? I think it does...


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## Prism (Nov 10, 2008)

Not having much luck with Vista x64. Grabbed .Net 3.5 and the SP1 from the Microsoft site. Character builder installs fine but then hangs upon start

Oh well


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## garyh (Nov 10, 2008)

Scribble said:


> There are a few free print to pdf programs out there if you look. Also does open office do print to pdf? I think it does...




I'll poke around.  Thanks for the tip!


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## darjr (Nov 10, 2008)

Are the save files in readable XML format? No binary blobs in it? If so I plan on doing something about populating my favorite character sheet from it.


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## darjr (Nov 10, 2008)

Open office does export to PDF.

The CutePDF printer driver is for printing to pdf. I think it's free.

CutePDF - Create PDF for free, Free PDF Utilities, Save PDF Forms, Edit PDF easily.


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## Hawke (Nov 10, 2008)

darjr said:


> Are the save files in readable XML format? No binary blogs in it? If so I plan on doing something about populating my favorite character sheet from it.




Not as of yet... but I hope enough people suggest this feature!!! Would be great to import the character data into a whole number of various sheets. It could potentially help people track down certain bugs when given access to the raw way it stores the sheet to figure out where that pesky +1 is coming from that shouldn't be there.


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## doctorhook (Nov 10, 2008)

Betote said:


> I've been told that .NET 4.0 is not really .NET, but a WoW clone (with some anime, a pinch of miniature wargame and a shade of CCG). Is that true?



lol

Okay guys, I'm able to download the first 594kb before Firefox tells me that the download is complete. What gives?


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## AnthonyRoberson (Nov 10, 2008)

My program is running ok, but I can't seem to put anything in my backpack.  It just says backpack (empty) in equipment.  Is there any way to actually put anything in it?


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## garyh (Nov 10, 2008)

Okay, so I've installed both PrimoPDF and CutePDF and can now print to PDF...  but the Character Generator sends each page to the printer separately, so I end up with four PDF's of a page each for a single character.  Arrrgh!  At least I can take those separate PDF's to work and merge them there, I suppose, but this shouldn't be so hard...


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## Scribble (Nov 10, 2008)

darjr said:


> Are the save files in readable XML format? No binary blobs in it? If so I plan on doing something about populating my favorite character sheet from it.




Could be my imagination... but for some reason I remember this being the case? That they planned to make it able to populate other sheets or soemthing through XML? Again I could be just imagining things though.


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## Halivar (Nov 10, 2008)

doctorhook said:


> lol
> 
> Okay guys, I'm able to download the first 594kb before Firefox tells me that the download is complete. What gives?



Microsoft doesn't like Firefox. If you're downloading from their site, use Internet Explorer. Sorry.


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## darjr (Nov 10, 2008)

Scribble said:


> Could be my imagination... but for some reason I remember this being the case? That they planned to make it able to populate other sheets or soemthing through XML? Again I could be just imagining things though.




I remember it as well. Wonder if it's compressed XML?


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## garyh (Nov 10, 2008)

Anyone see a way to change how many points you're allowed to use in point buy?  I was just trying to put together a character I'm playing in a game that uses 25 points, and I don't see a way to do that.


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## lexoanvil (Nov 11, 2008)

could not load file "d20rulesengine,version=0.0.0.o, culture=neutral,publickey token=null
is what i got


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## lexoanvil (Nov 11, 2008)

well this is troublesome : / i want to see what its like : (


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## Asmor (Nov 11, 2008)

lexoanvil said:


> could not load file "d20rulesengine,version=0.0.0.o, culture=neutral,publickey token=null
> is what i got




First, what operating system are you running? (Windows XP or Vista? 32-bit or 64-bit (probably 32-bit if you're not sure))

Next, do you have .Net 3.0 and 3.5 installed? Go to this folder:

C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework

And you should see a folder there called "v3.5."

The error you're getting makes me suspect that not having the correct .Net framework installed is the problem.


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## lexoanvil (Nov 11, 2008)

Asmor said:


> First, what operating system are you running? (Windows XP or Vista? 32-bit or 64-bit (probably 32-bit if you're not sure))
> 
> Next, do you have .Net 3.0 and 3.5 installed? Go to this folder:
> 
> ...



i have that folder and im running vista the version that allows 4 gigs of ram so i think its 64


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## thecasualoblivion (Nov 11, 2008)

14 characters created and counting. No Barbarian though, and that is truly annoying. No dragon 368 for that matter. I wonder if they are going to update the beta with the new Dragon mags and most importantly Martial Power. The value of this thing as it stands now is much lower if we're going to have to wait for the full version for Martial Power support.


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## mearlus (Nov 11, 2008)

Hadrian the Builder said:


> Anyone get this up and running on a Mac without dual-booting into Windows?




Runs fine on my Macbook when using a windows XP virtual machine in Fusion.  Only problem is the lack of being able to shrink the vertical screen size in order to fit on this small LCD


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## catsclaw227 (Nov 11, 2008)

I think there might be an issue with 64bit Vista OS.  I am running that, with .NET 3.5 SP1 framework (and with Visual Studio 2008 installed).

It's possible that they didn't do an x64 build and there might be some bugs with the pathing of some of the framework libraries that are referenced by the app.

BTW - being a .NET developer myself - can't wait to see their UI implementations...


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## thecasualoblivion (Nov 11, 2008)

I asked the designers over on the WotC forums whether or not they were going to update the Beta with new Dragon issues and Martial Power. They said yes.

That being said, what I am finding most frustrating right now is the lack of the Barbarian class in the creator, thanks to it only being up to Dragon 367(Barbarian is in 368). I'm definitely happy to hear that it will be coming soon.


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## catsclaw227 (Nov 11, 2008)

One other thing.  With Vista 64 (and possibly XP 64) the Framework creates two different folders:

%SYSTEMROOT%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\
%SYSTEMROOT%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\

Both with differnet sets of framework libraries (i.e. folders for 2.0, 3.0, 3.5).


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## WalterKovacs (Nov 11, 2008)

lexoanvil said:


> i have that folder and im running vista the version that allows 4 gigs of ram so i think its 64




I'm in the same boat ... Vista 64, I do have the 3.5 installed, and getting the same error message.

It does instally into the X86 folder, not the other Program Files area.

----

Character Builder Unexpected Error

System.ArgumentException: Parameter is not valid.
at System.Drawing.Font.GetHeight()
at System.Drawing.Font.get_Height()
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.get_FontHeight()at [weird symbol].[weird symbol]..ctor(, )
at ..-> ()
at [up arrow]..[different weird symbol](Exception, Boolean )


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## 2WS-Steve (Nov 11, 2008)

Install on my WinXP desktop -- .net never finished installing, so I hit cancel and closed the program, then a few minutes later a screen pops up saying that I need to restart to finish installation of the Character Builder.  Did that and now it works fine.

Install on my Vista laptop at coffee shop -- again, .net never finished installing (bar filled but wouldn't close out), so I hit cancel again and eventually a screen pops up to restart -- do that but no desktop icon after restart.  Seems program didn't finish installing.


On the machine where it works, it seems to work pretty nicely.  A "wizard" style build where you go through sections -- nice to have description text for everything and it's pretty clearly formatted.

EDIT -- the Vista machine is using Vista64


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## lexoanvil (Nov 11, 2008)

so is there any way to run this on 64 bit or am i proper boned?


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## thecasualoblivion (Nov 11, 2008)

It wasn't that hard for me to get it running. It failed when I first downloaded it, but then I downloaded .NET 3.5 SP direct from microsoft. It worked fine after that. I am using XP...


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## MerricB (Nov 11, 2008)

Scribble said:


> Could be my imagination... but for some reason I remember this being the case? That they planned to make it able to populate other sheets or soemthing through XML? Again I could be just imagining things though.




It's true. It's readable XML.

Cheers!


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## Riley (Nov 11, 2008)

The program is great!  I'm quite used to being disappointed by WOTC's digital offerings, but this is really easy to use, and I really like the easy ability to rearrange the character sheet layout.


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## Mouseferatu (Nov 11, 2008)

Someone remind me... Have they (recently) offered any ETA on when the full version will be up and running? I _love_ what I'm seeing so far; I want full functionality _soon_!


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## lexoanvil (Nov 11, 2008)

all this positive talk is depressing me lol


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## darjr (Nov 11, 2008)

MerricB said:


> It's true. It's readable XML.
> 
> Cheers!




that is freaking fantastic.

Now to populating different character sheets.


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## thecasualoblivion (Nov 11, 2008)

Mouseferatu said:


> Someone remind me... Have they (recently) offered any ETA on when the full version will be up and running? I _love_ what I'm seeing so far; I want full functionality _soon_!




D&DI news#14 says early next year. Can't be soon enough IMO. Once this thing is fully available, I can't imagine doing it the old way.


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## Riley (Nov 11, 2008)

Readable XML, huh?  That's awfully nice.  Because I love the builder, but the black-on-white design of WOTC's sheet leaves a bit to be desired.

It will be really nice to standardize the data behind all the 4e sheet layouts.

My big request: can someone make an XML sheet that mimics the old AD&D 1st ed character sheet (you know, the one that was printed on yellow paper)?

I loved the version that Necromancer gave out for 3e, but my attempts to recreate it for 4e have only provided proof that desktop layout is not an area of my expertise.


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## MerricB (Nov 11, 2008)

darjr said:


> that is freaking fantastic.
> 
> Now to populating different character sheets.




Note that the XML doesn't include the calculations for AC, HP, attacks, etc. that appear in the character viewer; so any alternative CS viewer would need to handle those calculations. It'd be a fairly extensive development program, from what I can see. Might be worth it, though! 

Cheers!


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## Agamon (Nov 11, 2008)

Hawke said:


> Woot! I uninstalled everything, grabbed the .NET link directly from MS and it works. I'm impressed... seems to be straightforward. Three thoughts:
> 
> 1) More levels! My party just hit 5 and it would be nice to use those damnned useful power cards.
> 
> ...




All of this will be included once the full app is available.


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## mdonais (Nov 11, 2008)

wedgeski said:


> Almost certainly because your .NET download (or install) didn't work. Try this direct link from the MS site:
> 
> Download details: .NET Framework 3.5




This is 3.5, you need 3.5 sp1

You can go to the bottom of the page and click the link for SP 1.


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## mdonais (Nov 11, 2008)

MerricB said:


> Note that the XML doesn't include the calculations for AC, HP, attacks, etc. that appear in the character viewer; so any alternative CS viewer would need to handle those calculations. It'd be a fairly extensive development program, from what I can see. Might be worth it, though!
> 
> Cheers!




Another options is to send me your ideas or designs for character sheets and we will make the best/most popular one for you.

--
Mike.


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## mdonais (Nov 11, 2008)

Prism said:


> Not having much luck with Vista x64. Grabbed .Net 3.5 and the SP1 from the Microsoft site. Character builder installs fine but then hangs upon start
> 
> Oh well




Vista x64 is not working. We found the problem and are working on it now and hope to have a new install tested and out eventually.

Mike.


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## darjr (Nov 11, 2008)

mdonais said:


> Another options is to send me your ideas or designs for character sheets and we will make the best/most popular one for you.
> 
> --
> Mike.





Very cool. Where, do I send them, again?


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## mdonais (Nov 11, 2008)

darjr said:


> Very cool. Where, do I send them, again?




mdonais@wizards.com

By the way, bugs aside, thanks for all the positive feedback from people who have tried it out. Very encouraging!

--
Mike.


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## darjr (Nov 11, 2008)

Thanks!

And sorry for the thread cap... sorry.. sorry.. excuse me.. sorry...


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## MerricB (Nov 11, 2008)

mdonais said:


> Another options is to send me your ideas or designs for character sheets and we will make the best/most popular one for you.




That would be the really cool option - thanks, Mike! 

Personally, I'd prefer a more open format with less ink used for headings. The format you used for the character sheets in H1 would be a good starting point.

Cheers!


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## garyh (Nov 11, 2008)

mdonais said:


> mdonais@wizards.com
> 
> By the way, bugs aside, thanks for all the positive feedback from people who have tried it out. Very encouraging!
> 
> ...




Thanks for coming here and listening to our feedback!

Will a way to export the files to a shareable format be implemented at some point?  If I'm playing and my DM isn't a subscriber, there's no way to digitally give them my character sheet, baring crazy workarounds with printing to PDF, as I outlined earlier (most problematic being that the character sheet sends as many print jobs to the printer as there are pages, making it impossible to print to PDF in a single file).

Thanks again for any info you can provide!


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## thecasualoblivion (Nov 11, 2008)

23 characters created so far.


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## MerricB (Nov 11, 2008)

thecasualoblivion said:


> 23 characters created so far.




You're mad! But in a good way. 

I love the character builder; I think my players will adore it. I'd prefer a "lighter" format for the stats, but it is looking pretty good so far.

Cheers!


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## SlyFlourish (Nov 11, 2008)

*VMware Fusion*

I'm trying to get it working on VMWare Fusion on my mac. I can get it installed but when I get inside I see garbage text in all of the fields where there should be things like "Elf" I see all sorts of other strange text.

Anyone selse seeing this or anyone else got it to work on a mac running VMWare Fusion?


----------



## Asmor (Nov 11, 2008)

I'm pleasantly surprised by it. Kudos! Also can't wait for it to come out in full... I wonder if my players would resent me knocking them down 10 levels so that they could use it now?


----------



## Allister (Nov 11, 2008)

Halivar said:


> Microsoft doesn't like Firefox. If you're downloading from their site, use Internet Explorer. Sorry.




*LOL*

Yeah, surprise, surprise.

When this first happened to me, I almost said "to hell with MS"


----------



## thecasualoblivion (Nov 11, 2008)

MerricB said:


> You're mad! But in a good way.
> 
> I love the character builder; I think my players will adore it. I'd prefer a "lighter" format for the stats, but it is looking pretty good so far.
> 
> Cheers!




There is a minor way to cheat the stat system, though it isn't perfect. Simply use the "roll" option until you get a 7 or less in one of the dump stats of the character in question, preferably the stat that the least mechanics are based off of for your character. You can then customize the other five stats until your heart's content. Then, after printing, simply replace the dump stat with an 8 or 10 and adjust accordingly.

Its definitely not perfect, but its the best option available.


EDIT: Just got word from the designers at Gleemax. You can simply type in your stats in the white boxes. Never would have occurred to me to do that.


----------



## Zaukrie (Nov 11, 2008)

This thing is great. One of my players just emailed me and asked that I slow advancement down so they don't make 4th level before it is out of beta. He never wants to have to write things down and do calculations himself again!


----------



## Hawke (Nov 11, 2008)

Yeah I'm considering trying to keep future games to <3 until we can go ahead and get some good sheets. Guess party death at the end of level 3 will become pretty common until those guys get more levels. 

The team has done a great job. This is the first time I've been truly excited about DDI... and the first time I've felt like I'm happy to be a subscriber. 

p.s. more levels?


----------



## Dire Bare (Nov 11, 2008)

Hawke said:


> 3) I'd like to see a way to allow/disallow supplements. Would make it easy as a DM to state which you can and can't use. I know some areas it's obvious, but others (like the feats) could be made easier if the player just didn't see it.



Go the the "Finish" tab and click "Restrictions".  It's not enabled yet, but it's there.


----------



## thecasualoblivion (Nov 11, 2008)

They have a forum for D&D Character Builder feedback over at WotC:

Character Builder Beta Feedback. - Wizards Community

They have at least one of the designers camping out there answering all incoming questions/issues. A nice touch on launch day.


----------



## Thasmodious (Nov 11, 2008)

Wow, bit late to the party, wasn't home today to play with it earlier.  I am seriously impressed, this thing is great.  No real feedback yet, just tinkering.  I'll be putting it through its paces though, I've made dozens of characters since release to familiarize myself with everything.


----------



## thecasualoblivion (Nov 11, 2008)

Thasmodious said:


> Wow, bit late to the party, wasn't home today to play with it earlier.  I am seriously impressed, this thing is great.  No real feedback yet, just tinkering.  I'll be putting it through its paces though, I've made dozens of characters since release to familiarize myself with everything.




I've made dozens of characters since I've had the Character Builder...


----------



## davethegame (Nov 11, 2008)

So while compiling my walk-through of the generator (located here: Hands-On: D&DI Character Generator Beta | Critical Hits) I made a sample artificer and noticed something interesting:







A new At-Will for the Artificer marked (PREVIEW) that doesn't exist on the Compendium.

I wonder if there are other things in there that are previews, unavailable elsewhere?


----------



## Agamon (Nov 11, 2008)

This is really, really slick.  Wow, I'm glad the game I run has a slower pace, might not have to use anything else.

Anyhoo, what do you guys think, is this a bug, lack of a feature, or intentional: I made my doppleganger warlock, no problems except that she wields a dagger (no magic rod yet) and her basic ranged attack is listed as the dagger, not Eldritch Blast, which is obviously far more optimal.  There's no way to change this that I can see.


----------



## mach1.9pants (Nov 11, 2008)

This, IMO, is DDI's killer app. I just love it. No more editing PDFs or whatever. No more changing the PCs bonuses etc every session (we find an error at least once a session). I cannot wait until the full version comes out. As a book completist (pretty much) having all the new crunch from each book in the CB will keep me subscribing for a long time....
... along with the fact I really I enjoying the quality of Dun and Drag eMags so far. Thankfully I print them all at work 

EDIT:
Oh nice spot DTG!
Agamon: Def a bug report that fella IMO (and I take it that the CB is not the only demo you have enjoyed recently  )


----------



## Phaezen (Nov 11, 2008)

garyh said:


> Okay, so I've installed both PrimoPDF and CutePDF and can now print to PDF...  but the Character Generator sends each page to the printer separately, so I end up with four PDF's of a page each for a single character.  Arrrgh!  At least I can take those separate PDF's to work and merge them there, I suppose, but this shouldn't be so hard...




Primo does allow you to append to pdfs.  Just give the next page the same file name and tell it to append.

Now all I need is the paypal subscription option 

Phaezen


----------



## catsclaw227 (Nov 11, 2008)

mdonais said:


> Vista x64 is not working. We found the problem and are working on it now and hope to have a new install tested and out eventually.
> 
> Mike.



Thanks Mike!

Will you let us know on this thread when the x64 version will be available?  I'd love to test it out!


----------



## Hawke (Nov 11, 2008)

Okay... so I just rewrote my next sessions encounters using NPCs made with this. Yeah, I know, it isn't exactly what it's intended for... but throwing on some high level magical equipment to give adequate bonuses and fudging the HP has got me a nice gnome assault party including an illusionist. Yeah I'm using the numbers from the DMG but it's nice having the powers handy.

Edit: That said... it sure would be nice to eventually have a mode or separate tool to build DMG-spec NPC.


----------



## garyh (Nov 11, 2008)

Phaezen said:


> Primo does allow you to append to pdfs.  Just give the next page the same file name and tell it to append.
> 
> Now all I need is the paypal subscription option
> 
> Phaezen




Thanks!  Still awkward, but appending is workable.

Hope they get the PayPal active soon!  I remember reading it was on the way.


----------



## Hawke (Nov 11, 2008)

I noticed the Swordmage Dimensional Thunder power the "teleport a number of squares equal to your constitution modifier" isn't calculated. It'll be nice when the minor effects like that are auto calculated both on the power cards and in the power selection previews. 

When creating that guy I was shocked there wasn't a feat already that extended your fey step.


----------



## thecasualoblivion (Nov 11, 2008)

Now up to 36 characters created. Now for another 12 before I go to bed.


----------



## Thasmodious (Nov 11, 2008)

For those of you having trouble with the .net install - the progress bar seems to mean nothing.  Mine filled in a few seconds and then it just sat there.  I went back and read my Google Reader for about 10 minutes before I got a popup telling me restart, then the install finished just fine.  In the install notes after you reboot it warns you that the .net install can take 20 minutes.  

So once you start it, just let it run until it either fails or complete.


----------



## Mustrum_Ridcully (Nov 11, 2008)

Betote said:


> I've been told that .NET 4.0 is not really .NET, but a WoW clone (with some anime, a pinch of miniature wargame and a shade of CCG). Is that true?




 

I looked into the future of C# and the plans for .NET 4.0 on the PDC, and I am afraid it's all true. They even have this new gaming programming language coming out from Microsoft Research aimed at CHILDREN! They want kids to program software! Microsoft is firing me as an ISV!


----------



## Eccles (Nov 11, 2008)

OK. I'm reasonably OK with a computer, but without the link to the MSN page with .net on it, I'd be flummoxed. 

The inbuilt .net downloader failed for some reason (probably due to my %&%£* firewall). 

So then the D&DI downloader told me it was "probably" because I'd cancelled the download, and switched itself off. 

Hopefully get there soon...


----------



## Eccles (Nov 11, 2008)

Awww! Isn't it sweet!

.Net just told me it's downloaded and I can disconnect from the internet!

Awww... 

(Seriously? *is* there still dial up?)


----------



## Mustrum_Ridcully (Nov 11, 2008)

Eccles said:


> Awww! Isn't it sweet!
> 
> .Net just told me it's downloaded and I can disconnect from the internet!
> 
> ...




Unfortunately, there are people still limited to this kind of technology.


----------



## Mathew_Freeman (Nov 11, 2008)

Just downloaded it, and was able to put together two third level characters in about 20 minutes.

This thing is wonderful. And it's only going to get better.


----------



## Nikosandros (Nov 11, 2008)

Eccles said:


> Awww! Isn't it sweet!
> 
> .Net just told me it's downloaded and I can disconnect from the internet!
> 
> ...



I don't know about dial up, but when I'm not home I use a UMTS connection for which I have limited connection time per month.


----------



## Nikosandros (Nov 11, 2008)

Fallen Seraph said:


> Downloaded it, and installed it but when I try to run it I get this error:
> 
> "Could not load type 'System.Windows.SplashScreen' from assembly 'WindowsBase, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral"



I get the same message. I've installed the .NET framework and the SP1. I'm running XP.


----------



## wedgeski (Nov 11, 2008)

Okay well I managed to get the thing installed onto an XP platform this-morning.

I have to say: wow. Quite simply an excellent application. I'm actually a little stunned, because it carries a whole lot of promise for the quality of the other upcoming DDI tools. Assembling a character is a piece of cake, and the flexibility of the print output is just amazing.

Wizards: you have exceeded all expectations, as I think a lot of us hoped you would. Well done!!


----------



## La Bete (Nov 11, 2008)

Cross-posted from email to Tallarn (my GM)

I'm creating my character Right Now IYKWIMAITYD. [/hong]

This is a lot better than I was expecting. bravo wizards, thats my DDi sub paid for itself right then and there.


----------



## Charwoman Gene (Nov 11, 2008)

I think it is a great program, with some annoying flaws.

Install is not butter smooth.  (.Net install hangs, program crashes until install from MS)  It's a beta so I let that slide.

I would love more output options.  (PDF/Text statblock)  Printing is OMGAWESOMEBBQSAUCEROFMILKANDCOOKIESDISABLED!

I do not like the lack of obvious keyboard shortcuts.
I detest the multiple clicks needed for some things.

Race Tab.  Click Dwarf. CLICK CHOOSE DWARF. Click Next.
Race Tab.  Click Dragonborn. CLICK CHOOSE Dragonborn. Click Strength-based Breath. CLICK CHOOSE STRENGTH-BASED BREATH. Click Fire Breath. CLICK CHOOSE FIRE BREATH. Click Next.

The underlined clicks are really useless.  The system doesn't need to confirm this until I hit next.  It's the first screen, so it got me hyper-aware of the love of clicks this tool has.


----------



## wedgeski (Nov 11, 2008)

Or just double-click the selection you want to make?


----------



## Mustrum_Ridcully (Nov 11, 2008)

Charwoman Gene said:


> I think it is a great program, with some annoying flaws.
> 
> Install is not butter smooth.  (.Net install hangs, program crashes until install from MS)  It's a beta so I let that slide.



Well, I wouldn't let it slide - final deployment of applications is something that often "forgotten" until people figure out it's not as simple as the used to think. So they should look into this a little closer. Of course, this is an error a Beta can "survive". 



> I would love more output options.  (PDF/Text statblock)  Printing is OMGAWESOMEBBQSAUCEROFMILKANDCOOKIESDISABLED!
> 
> I do not like the lack of obvious keyboard shortcuts.
> I detest the multiple clicks needed for some things.
> ...




The confirmation clicks seem unnecessary. The response to the initial click seems "strong" enough to not require an additional click or a double click.


----------



## Charwoman Gene (Nov 11, 2008)

I'll try some of the suggestions here and see if it gets over my annoyance factor now.  It's seems real solid.


----------



## Jack99 (Nov 11, 2008)

Vista 64 here, and it just ain't working. Install works, but when I click the shortcut on the desktop, I get an error message. I have the Net 3.5 Sp1 installed.

Something along this. The message comes in danish, and I am far from computer savvy, so...

The file or assembly "D20RulesEngine, Version=0.0.0.0. Culture=neutral. PublicKeyToken=null" or one of it's dependencies could not be read (or run). A program of the wrong format was unsuccesfully run (or read).


----------



## Mustrum_Ridcully (Nov 11, 2008)

Jack99 said:


> Vista 64 here, and it just ain't working. Install works, but when I click the shortcut on the desktop, I get an error message. I have the Net 3.5 Sp1 installed.
> 
> Something along this. The message comes in danish, and I am far from computer savvy, so...
> 
> The file or assembly "D20RulesEngine, Version=0.0.0.0. Culture=neutral. PublicKeyToken=null" or one of it's dependencies could not be read (or run). A program of the wrong format was unsuccesfully run (or read).




64 Bit definitely does not work at the moment, a developer confirmed this. 

I remember we had some problems with this, too, once upon a time. I can't remember what we did exactly. Either it was a Visual Studio setting or something in the Installer itself...


----------



## SlyFlourish (Nov 11, 2008)

*Char gen on VMWare Fusion on OSX*

I got the Character Builder working on OSX using VMWare Fusion. The problem I was having had to do with 3d acceleration being on. I turned it off and it works great! I just wish it had more levels.


----------



## Jack99 (Nov 11, 2008)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> 64 Bit definitely does not work at the moment, a developer confirmed this.




Thanks, didn't really read all the posts . Guess I will try on another laptop.

Cheers


----------



## Halivar (Nov 11, 2008)

As a .NET developer myself, my number #1 burning question is: did they implement using Blend and XAML, or did they use Windows Forms? Because if they used Forms, they did some hella dressing-up of it.


----------



## justanobody (Nov 11, 2008)

Jack99 said:


> Vista 64 here, and it just ain't working. Install works, but when I click the shortcut on the desktop, I get an error message. I have the Net 3.5 Sp1 installed.
> 
> Something along this. The message comes in danish, and I am far from computer savvy, so...
> 
> The file or assembly "D20RulesEngine, Version=0.0.0.0. Culture=neutral. PublicKeyToken=null" or one of it's dependencies could not be read (or run). A program of the wrong format was unsuccesfully run (or read).




on x64 problems


			
				Michael 'elf' Feuell said:
			
		

> We have a fix we're playing with here, it's passed initial tests, we're now thoroughly vetting it before packaging it up and sending it out to you. It could be a couple days, it could be next week if more issues crop up during our vetting, we'll let you know when we have more information. Check Randy's blog tomorrow night for more details.


----------



## Mustrum_Ridcully (Nov 11, 2008)

Halivar said:


> As a .NET developer myself, my number #1 burning question is: did they implement using Blend and XAML, or did they use Windows Forms? Because if they used Forms, they did some hella dressing-up of it.




I'd like to know, too! Wasn't one of the errors in System.Windows.SplashScreenWindow? Wouldn't this namespace point towards WPF?


----------



## wedgeski (Nov 11, 2008)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> I'd like to know, too! Wasn't one of the errors in System.Windows.SplashScreenWindow? Wouldn't this namespace point towards WPF?



Indeed.


----------



## D'karr (Nov 11, 2008)

Halivar said:


> As a .NET developer myself, my number #1 burning question is: did they implement using Blend and XAML, or did they use Windows Forms? Because if they used Forms, they did some hella dressing-up of it.




It is definitely not Windows Forms because you can see the WPF Builder application running as a thread in the background in Task Manager.


----------



## Jack99 (Nov 11, 2008)

justanobody said:


> on x64 problems




Thanks for the quote. 

On a side note, I got it working on one of my other laptops, and oh boy, that is a nice program. 

Once they get it working for 64 bit and for all levels, this is going to be extremely useful.


----------



## Mustrum_Ridcully (Nov 11, 2008)

D'karr said:


> It is definitely Windows Forms because you can see the WPF Builder application running as a thread in the background in Task Manager.




Aren't you saying it is definitely WPF if the WPF Builder is running a thread in the background?


----------



## doctorhook (Nov 11, 2008)

Cross-posted from WotC's D&DI boards:



			
				doctorhook;[url=http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=17226656&postcount=85 said:
			
		

> Okay]Wizards Community - View Single Post - Character Builder Installation problems[/url], I've downloaded and successfully installed both the .NET 3.5 SP1 Framework and the Character Builder (via the downloader), as far as I can tell. I've also reset my computer several times since then. However, when I go to begin the program, it gives me a splash page for a little bit, and then gives me the following error:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Any advice, team? I'm really excited about trying this out!

FWIW, if this is as good as everyone seems to think, I believe it bodes very well for the future of D&DI and the D&DI tools, like the Game Table! Cool!


----------



## Mustrum_Ridcully (Nov 11, 2008)

doctorhook said:


> Cross-posted from WotC's D&DI boards:
> 
> Any advice, team? I'm really excited about trying this out!
> 
> FWIW, if this is as good as everyone seems to think, I believe it bodes very well for the future of D&DI and the D&DI tools, like the Game Table! Cool!




Hmm. The error message talks about a problem getting a proxy while connecting to the WotC web page. (It appears they are definitely using WPF. The "Frame" object in question is able to display a web page within the app, I assume they are using it on the start screen or so...) 

I can give only very vague hints, but apparently it is attempting to use a proxy and this fails. Are you behind a firewall or proxy (typically on company networks?). Do you have the proxy configured somewhere? (I think .NET uses the system proxy which might be settable via the IE). 
Or are you just plain off-line? The fact taht you can't even send an error report implies you might.


----------



## Radiating Gnome (Nov 11, 2008)

I'm totally knocked out.  This application delivers on the promises I wasn't sure Wizards could keep.  

I've made characters quickly, easily, efficently.  There are some minor things, but at this point my biggest problem with it is the idea that I have to wait until after the beta to access levels beyond 3.  

I'm also a primary mac user, although I do have PCs in the house and can run parallels on my Mac, so I'm not overly concerned about the lack of Mac support.  Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to be able to use this on my Mac, but the program is worth the extra effort it takes to use it.  

Oh, and I also need the barbarian and some other preview content added to the toolset, so those developers had better get to work!

-


----------



## doctorhook (Nov 11, 2008)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> Hmm. The error message talks about a problem getting a proxy while connecting to the WotC web page. (It appears they are definitely using WPF. The "Frame" object in question is able to display a web page within the app, I assume they are using it on the start screen or so...)
> 
> I can give only very vague hints, but apparently it is attempting to use a proxy and this fails. Are you behind a firewall or proxy (typically on company networks?). Do you have the proxy configured somewhere? (I think .NET uses the system proxy which might be settable via the IE).
> Or are you just plain off-line? The fact taht you can't even send an error report implies you might.



Hmm... Well, I'm pretty sure that I am online, being able to access these forums and all, p), but firewall/proxy is definitely possible. (That would certainly explain the myriad of weird download problems I sometimes deal with on this computer!) I'm not especially knowledgeable about the firewall on my computer, but I'll fiddle with it and see if I can make it go!

Hopefully, I'll be back with good news shortly!


----------



## Daniel D. Fox (Nov 11, 2008)

Can the Character Builder allow you to input custom races?


----------



## wedgeski (Nov 11, 2008)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> Hmm. The error message talks about a problem getting a proxy while connecting to the WotC web page. (It appears they are definitely using WPF. The "Frame" object in question is able to display a web page within the app, I assume they are using it on the start screen or so...)



The installer's problems with proxy's seem to run quite deep. I ensured that every single setting on my machine was correct, but the installer still couldn't "connect to network". Then I had the company's proxy disabled for five minutes, changed the appropriate settings in IE, and bingo! Worked first time.


----------



## D'karr (Nov 11, 2008)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> Aren't you saying it is definitely WPF if the WPF Builder is running a thread in the background?




Yes, there should have been a NOT in my original quote.  Fixed now.


----------



## reveal (Nov 11, 2008)

Moniker said:


> Can the Character Builder allow you to input custom races?



Maybe going forward, but not right now. Of course, it _is_ just a beta, so I'm sure they'll implement some feedback into the final version.

A lot of the reviews on the ENWorld main page, including mine, have screenshots so you can tell what options are available to you on each tab.


----------



## avin (Nov 11, 2008)

Bugged instalation, I'm disappointed having to install .NET ...


----------



## Mustrum_Ridcully (Nov 11, 2008)

avin said:


> Bugged instalation, I'm disappointed having to install .NET ...



The bugs are a problem, not .NET. 

The tiny dirty secret is that if they wouldn't have used .NET, they would have "secretely" installed a lot of other libraries that only their application would have used. .NET 3.5 for example includes the WPF stuff that is effectively their graphics library. Of course, there will be parts of .NET that will remain unused here - though that's only true as long as you're using just one .NET application. And a some point, you might be using more... 

(And of course, if you were running Vista, you would also have .NET installed by default, just not necessarily the latest version or service pack)


----------



## Nikosandros (Nov 11, 2008)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> I'd like to know, too! Wasn't one of the errors in System.Windows.SplashScreenWindow? Wouldn't this namespace point towards WPF?



That's the error that I'm getting. I'll try to contact CS, but does anyone have a clue about what might be causing it?


----------



## Thorfin (Nov 11, 2008)

Just installed this morning using Vista 32-bit sp1 and Firefox 3.0.3.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, the .NET progress bar seemed to reach 100% fairly quickly but nothing appeared to be happening after that.  Instead of canceling (cancelling for our European friends), I went to make a sandwich.  The completion window was waiting for me when I got back.

Install finished on reboot and... Wow! (Sorry, that could be a sore spot....Gee!).

I wasn't personally predisposed to expect a poor application but many previous comments have had me leaning in that direction.   I gotta say, no disappointment here.

The professional in me says "Don't sign off till all the test scripts have been run and re-run."

The Gamer in me says "I want this..."


----------



## Asmor (Nov 11, 2008)

Oh, something I forgot to mention...

Has anyone else been having performance issues? There's a tolerable (though not, if this were a finished product, acceptable) delay any time I click a button, but far worse than that, any time I try to type into any of the fields like character name and stuff like that, it hangs for several seconds.

I've got a gaming quality computer, not cutting edge top of the line but still should be plenty powerful for this.


----------



## MerricB (Nov 11, 2008)

Asmor said:


> Oh, something I forgot to mention...
> 
> Has anyone else been having performance issues? There's a tolerable (though not, if this were a finished product, acceptable) delay any time I click a button, but far worse than that, any time I try to type into any of the fields like character name and stuff like that, it hangs for several seconds.
> 
> I've got a gaming quality computer, not cutting edge top of the line but still should be plenty powerful for this.




Haven't had at work. I'll see what it's like on my not-so-flash home computer.

Cheers!


----------



## mach1.9pants (Nov 11, 2008)

Nikosandros said:


> I get the same message. I've installed the .NET framework and the SP1. I'm running XP.



Check your add/remove programs. I had the same message after the installer had (supposedly) installed .net w/Sp1. However it hadn't installed SP1 at all, it wasn't in add/remove progs. So I manually installed SP1 and was off and running.


----------



## mach1.9pants (Nov 11, 2008)

doctorhook said:


> Cross-posted from WotC's D&DI boards:
> 
> Any advice, team? I'm really excited about trying this out!
> 
> FWIW, if this is as good as everyone seems to think, I believe it bodes very well for the future of D&DI and the D&DI tools, like the Game Table! Cool!



double and triple check .NET 3.5 *with SP1* is installed.

EDIT: @Asmor runs fine on my quasi crappy (but lots of RAM) laptop.


----------



## Asmor (Nov 11, 2008)

It's working fine for me now, I restarted.

I think the issue is that I had 3.5 already, and the installer downloaded SP1 and then told me to restart but I never did. I didn't realize at the time the distinction, and couldn't understand why it was downloading something I already had.


----------



## Nikosandros (Nov 11, 2008)

mach1.9pants said:


> Check your add/remove programs. I had the same message after the installer had (supposedly) installed .net w/Sp1. However it hadn't installed SP1 at all, it wasn't in add/remove progs. So I manually installed SP1 and was off and running.



Thanks! 

I thought I had installed SP1 directly from Microsoft's site yesterday, but obviously something had gone wrong, because the SP1 wasn't in fact there. Today I tried again and I was able to run the program.


----------



## thecasualoblivion (Nov 11, 2008)

72 characters created and counting! I am getting angry at the level 3 limit. I don't want to do it the other way!


----------



## Dire Bare (Nov 11, 2008)

Jan van Leyden said:


> I've just reported my first bug for the thing: it seems to be impossible to set a XP number not suficient for levelling up. Either your character has 0 XP or 1,000 and more.



Actually, this is possible.  On the "Level Up" screen, if you choose from the drop down menu a level higher than your current level and click "Level Up", it will automatically give you the minimum XP necessary.  BUT, all you need to do is type a new total in the box and click "Set XP" (which toggles with the "Level Up" button).  In fact, if you don't want to level up but want to update your XP total, all you need to do is leave your current level as the default in the drop down list, then type in what you want in the XP box, and again click the "Set XP" button.

I probably don't make it sound easy, but it is!


----------



## evilgenius8000 (Nov 11, 2008)

I rather enjoy the program. My only beef is the horrendous official character sheet it outputs all your character's info into... Not to mention the power cards that aren't formatted to even fit all of a power's info, so that some info trails off into oblivion.

EDIT: Oh, I was also a little put off by the fact that my male genasi had to settle for a female portrait...


----------



## Agamon (Nov 11, 2008)

evilgenius8000 said:


> EDIT: Oh, I was also a little put off by the fact that my male genasi had to settle for a female portrait...




Go to My Pictures/ddi/Sample Portraits.  The pics are 305x278, put whatever you want in there.  I had to add a pic for my doppleganger warlock (mind you, I could have used any and all of the portraits in there for her... )


----------



## Dragonblade (Nov 12, 2008)

Very nice, WotC!

The only issue I have is that you can’t equip both ranged weapons and melee weapons and have it calculate your powers both ways where applicable.

For example, if I make a ranger who dual wields I can still use a bow with ranged powers. Unfortunately the sheet only allows me to equip one set of weapons at a time and if I equip swords, the sheet calculates the bonus on my ranged powers as if I’m unarmed....

Also, I'd love to see something more like Shado's character sheet than the default WotC one:

4th Edition Character Sheets and Other Resources | Dragon Avenue: a Dungeons and Dragons Community


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## Riley (Nov 12, 2008)

Dragonblade said:


> The only issue I have is that you can’t equip both ranged weapons and melee weapons and have it calculate your powers both ways where applicable.
> 
> For example, if I make a ranger who dual wields I can still use a bow with ranged powers. Unfortunately the sheet only allows me to equip one set of weapons at a time and if I equip swords, the sheet calculates the bonus on my ranged powers as if I’m unarmed....




Actually, there are options for customizing this on the character sheet.  You can create a section which displays calculations for the powers you want with the weapon you want.

It's verry cool.


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## mearlus (Nov 12, 2008)

evilgenius8000 said:


> I rather enjoy the program. My only beef is the horrendous official character sheet it outputs all your character's info into... Not to mention the power cards that aren't formatted to even fit all of a power's info, so that some info trails off into oblivion.
> 
> EDIT: Oh, I was also a little put off by the fact that my male genasi had to settle for a female portrait...




The character sheet fields also have the info trail off when space could be used below it.  I already submitted a bug report about it


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## Shroomy (Nov 12, 2008)

I keep on getting the following error message when I try to use the Character Generator.  I think I installed .NET sp 1 correctly, but I'm not the most computer savy person.  I've reported the issue to WoTC, but does anyone have any solutions for this layman?

The error message:



> Could not load file or assembly "System.Core, Version=3.5.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKey Token=b77a5c561934e089' or one of its dependencies.  The system cannot find the file specified.


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## Dragonblade (Nov 12, 2008)

Hmm, I missed all the character sheet customization functionality. Very cool. I see now how to add weapons the basic attack section, but it doesn't look like you can edit the power cards which I would like to be able to do.

I also see that my bow information is now appearing on my ranged power cards. I must not have saved it before.


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## Xris Robin (Nov 12, 2008)

It could use an export function.  They mentioned something about a forum code output, but only as a summary.  I'd like a full text output, for sharing over things like simple email or something.


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## Shroomy (Nov 12, 2008)

Disregard my earlier post, my .NET 3.5 sp 1 did not install properly when I first tried it.  Re-ran the setup.exe and its working fine now.  This thing looks awesome.


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## Caliber (Nov 12, 2008)

Very awesome! Was easier to install on my Macbook using Parallels to run Windows XP than on my big powerful desktop running Windows Vista natively. No problems on the Vista box once installation was complete, but my Macbook had to turn off DirectX emulation or else it crashed almost right away. Also, I can't seem to change the portrait without a blow-out (although, this COULD be because Parallels is emulating a non-DirectX capable vid card?)

Anyway, AWESOME program. So much to like, its hard to pick a favorite feature. My DM asked me to generate some characters for him as a favor and using the auto-generate feature had nine characters for him in about 20 minutes. Probably aren't optimized, but hey, thats still pretty good!


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## amysrevenge (Nov 12, 2008)

Colour me tickled pink.

My main PC is Vista 64, so it won't load here yet, but my laptop is XP and it works great.  I was prepared to be bummed out by suckiness, but as it turns out it is super awesome.


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## Mathew_Freeman (Nov 12, 2008)

You know, I hadn't even considered the idea that the Character sheet was editable!

I guess we're going to see a lot of people producing alternative versions of that.


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## Nightchilde-2 (Nov 12, 2008)

Just throwing in my 2cp.  (No, I haven't read every message in this thread so if I repeat, please to ignore, k thx).

I love it.  I think it's a great app, and it far exceeds my expectations.

I do wish that I could save it as a format that's more portable, such as a .pdf file, but (as discussed earlier in this thread) there are workarounds.


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Nov 12, 2008)

Tallarn said:


> You know, I hadn't even considered the idea that the Character sheet was editable!



Hehe, for a moment I read: 


Tallarn said:


> You know, I hadn't even considered the idea that the Character sheet was edible!




I suppose you need food coloring ink and wafer paper or something like that. 

A use scenario might be: When a monster swallows your character and kills it, the DM gets to eat your character sheet...
You could also use it for spell cards / power cards, reflecting their "consumable" nature.


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## Lord Xtheth (Nov 12, 2008)

Holy crackfiend Batman, this program is taking forever to install!


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## justanobody (Nov 12, 2008)

Lord Xtheth said:


> Holy crackfiend Batman, this program is taking forever to install!




Did you already have the latest .NET installed?

It also seems that the DDI downloader for .NET 3.5 SP1 hangs up, while the direct version from Microsoft many work better and a little quicker.

.NET is a slow thing.

The builder itself shouldn't take too long once .NET is fully registered and you have rebooted.


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## firesnakearies (Nov 12, 2008)

I really like it, a lot.  I'm very excited to see the full version with support for all levels and source materials.  So far, though, it definitely exceeds my expectations.  Good job Wizards!


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## Lord Xtheth (Nov 12, 2008)

justanobody said:


> Did you already have the latest .NET installed?
> 
> It also seems that the DDI downloader for .NET 3.5 SP1 hangs up, while the direct version from Microsoft many work better and a little quicker.
> 
> ...




I kinda assumed when I set my computer to "automatically update to latest everything" that it did that already. I guess I'll find out in a few minutes.


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## justanobody (Nov 12, 2008)

Lord Xtheth said:


> I kinda assumed when I set my computer to "automatically update to latest everything" that it did that already. I guess I'll find out in a few minutes.




 You did that with Windows?

So you will be restarting sometime after New Years then?

Hopefully it does get SP1 and not just 3.5 since SP1 may not be an upgrade but just a new package in their list.

I have seen Windows skip things before when I tried to let it update everything. I hope your case is not the same.


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## Lord Xtheth (Nov 12, 2008)

I guess an official microsoft release isn't good enough for my computer to automatically download.

I blame Vista


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## justanobody (Nov 12, 2008)

Lord Xtheth said:


> I guess an official microsoft release isn't good enough for my computer to automatically download.
> 
> I blame Vista




 You are kidding. it skipped it!

Vista can be blamed for many things. Here is hoping your manual attempt to download and install works.

Be aware there are issues with x64 operating systems that they are working on to get fixed.

New Test Build / Fix Vista 64-bit Users! - Wizards Community


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## Lord Xtheth (Nov 12, 2008)

I am very impressed by this program! I can't wait to force my players to pay $5/month to use it. They'll thank me for it!


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## wedgeski (Nov 12, 2008)

justanobody said:


> You are kidding. it skipped it!



SP1 may not even be on Windows Update yet. They were targeting "November". Remember we're testing an early pre-release of a brand new app. By the time it comes out of Beta and is released, SP1 should have been automatically downloaded by anyone who needs it.


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## justanobody (Nov 12, 2008)

wedgeski said:


> SP1 may not even be on Windows Update yet. They were targeting "November". Remember we're testing an early pre-release of a brand new app. By the time it comes out of Beta and is released, SP1 should have been automatically downloaded by anyone who needs it.




 I forgot Microsoft is like DDI and slow to get things done. 

Well at least glad to know Lord_X and others are getting use out of it and they got a quick test fix for x64 users.


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## catsclaw227 (Nov 12, 2008)

Lord Xtheth said:


> I guess an official microsoft release isn't good enough for my computer to automatically download.
> 
> I blame Vista



If I'm not mistaken, the .NET framework 3.5 is an optional update, since not all PCs need it.  

If that is the case, then you need to make sure that you occasionally run Windows Update to see if there are any optional updates you want to install.


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Nov 12, 2008)

Lord Xtheth said:


> I guess an official microsoft release isn't good enough for my computer to automatically download.
> 
> I blame Vista



Adding a Service Pack or similar release to Automatic Updates usually happens some time after the initial release. Service Packs have the tendency to change a lot of stuff and create unexpected side effects, and this gives administrators world-wide the chance to see if such side effects occur and either inform Microsoft (if it's serious enough) or implement their own fixed for this. If all Windows PCs automatically update, you risk problems. Of course, this still assumes that Admins stay in touch with the service packs and similar fixes, but that's kinda his job. 

The same happened with the Windows Vista Service Pack 1. .NET 3.5 SP1 is very recent.


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Nov 12, 2008)

catsclaw227 said:


> If I'm not mistaken, the .NET framework 3.5 is an optional update, since not all PCs need it.
> 
> If that is the case, then you need to make sure that you occasionally run Windows Update to see if there are any optional updates you want to install.



That might be, too. IIRC, Vista ships with .NET 3.0 build in, not 3.5. 
It might be hard to explain, but basically: .NET 3.0 and 3.5 can (and sometimes have) to exist in parallel. While a Service Pack or a bugfix release will really exchange the old version...


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## garyh (Nov 12, 2008)

I'm famous!

Digital Insider #15: Builder Beta


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## Jack99 (Nov 12, 2008)

garyh said:


> i'm famous!
> 
> digital insider #15: Builder beta




congorats!


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## garyh (Nov 12, 2008)

Jack99 said:


> congorats!




Thanks.  I was pretty surprised when I saw my own comments up there!

Hopefully they also took note of the part where I asked for an easier way to export and share the character sheet, too.


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## thecasualoblivion (Nov 12, 2008)

garyh said:


> I'm famous!
> 
> Digital Insider #15: Builder Beta




Me too!


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## Mathew_Freeman (Nov 12, 2008)

garyh said:


> I'm famous!
> 
> Digital Insider #15: Builder Beta




I saw that! Huzzah for you, sir.


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## malraux (Nov 12, 2008)

My install took forever, but I'm used to that since I never use the windows partition, which means that every time windows boots, it takes a while to get itself updated.  That and really I don't worry too much about installation times.

General criticisms: it runs like a windows program.  That is, it has its own interface that really doesn't look like any other interface I've ever used, so I have to learn that particular program.  It also seems to require a lot of clicks that really seem to be just version of "are you sure?"  That said, its about what I expect anytime I boot into windows.

A few problems with word wrapping on the character sheet.  My eladrin racial features text get cut off when they go outside their box rather than wrapping to the next line.  It would also be nice to be able to set font sizes.

The power cards are nice.  I can't say that they are perfect, but they are really good.  I do have some complaints about the formating though.  First, it would be really nice to have an easy way to cut them out.  A slight amount of space between each card, those guide lines that show where the cutter should start, etc.  Something so I don't have to think much to cut the cards free.  Second, it would be nice if you could arrange them such that the static ones are on a different page.  If I have a few vials of alchemist's acid, I don't need to waste toner every level to print the same card out, similarly fey step is the same regardless of level, as are my wizard's cantrips.

The good: I think this program has done what none of the 3e character generators was able to do, make using stuff outside the phb options work as well as the core options.  Of course, the big test of this will be when martial power comes out, but so far I've been reasonably impressed.


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## catsclaw227 (Nov 12, 2008)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> That might be, too. IIRC, Vista ships with .NET 3.0 build in, not 3.5.
> It might be hard to explain, but basically: .NET 3.0 and 3.5 can (and sometimes have) to exist in parallel. While a Service Pack or a bugfix release will really exchange the old version...




Yes, .NET 3.0 and .NET 3.5 do run in parallel, and they don't conflict, they enhance each other. In truth, a lot of it is just updates additional libraries for 2.0. 

Though, .NET 3.5 SP1, might be considered an "important" update to .NET 3.5 and would be downloaded automatically if you had 3.5 installed.  Not sure, since I don't think it's up at Windows Update yet.


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## catsclaw227 (Nov 12, 2008)

Also, I just installed the x64 friendly download and it works great on my Vista x64 Ultimate!  Now, to evaluate the product...


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## Jack99 (Nov 12, 2008)

catsclaw227 said:


> Also, I just installed the x64 friendly download and it works great on my Vista x64 Ultimate!  Now, to evaluate the product...




Link?


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## justanobody (Nov 12, 2008)

Jack99 said:


> Link?






justanobody said:


> You are kidding. it skipped it!
> 
> Vista can be blamed for many things. Here is hoping your manual attempt to download and install works.
> 
> ...




that one?


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## Jack99 (Nov 12, 2008)

justanobody said:


> that one?




Aye, thanks. I misread your original post, I thought it was just a link for the complaining.

EDIT: Works now, once again, thanks for the link.


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## catsclaw227 (Nov 12, 2008)

For all who want to know, if you log into DDI and go to the Character Builder download page, the version for everyone to get is the updated version.  You don't need to track down a forum post to get to it.


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## amysrevenge (Nov 12, 2008)

Hooray!  Now it works on my big-boy computer, not just my baby laptop.    Now I just need to port over the characters I made last night (and the custom portraits I found online and added to the folder)...


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## Xris Robin (Nov 12, 2008)

malraux said:


> It also seems to require a lot of clicks that really seem to be just version of "are you sure?"




Right-click.  It negates the need for the confirm option.  I assume if it had a manual or readme it would mention this somewhere.  Hopefully the full version will have something like that.


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## JVisgaitis (Nov 12, 2008)

I had my doubts and was keeping my expectations low so I wouldn't be crushed when this came out. After messing with this for a couple days and with the program being only in beta, I can't help but be anything than extremely impressed.

I'm on record for saying that the D&D Compendium was enough to keep me happy with my subscription. The character generator is icing on the cake. My only complaint? No Mac support.  Boo!


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## malraux (Nov 12, 2008)

Christopher Robin said:


> Right-click.  It negates the need for the confirm option.  I assume if it had a manual or readme it would mention this somewhere.  Hopefully the full version will have something like that.




Its still stupid design.  Since the changes are non-destructive, there's no reason to make the better option harder to find.  If I accidentally select the wrong thing, its easy to go back, so why should the program make it harder to go forward.

edit: Of course, this is probably just a mac user ranting about the general windows way of doing things.


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## justanobody (Nov 12, 2008)

JVisgaitis said:


> My only complaint? No Mac support.  Boo!




I think I read somewhere something about Parallels and Mac and it worked on that or something...not entirely sure though, may have been a different OS.


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## Asmor (Nov 12, 2008)

malraux said:


> Its still stupid design.  Since the changes are non-destructive, there's no reason to make the better option harder to find.  If I accidentally select the wrong thing, its easy to go back, so why should the program make it harder to go forward.
> 
> edit: Of course, this is probably just a mac user ranting about the general windows way of doing things.




No, it's just a mac user ranting about the correct way of doing things and then assuming the incorrect way is the Windows way.

Good design isn't platform dependent.


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## JVisgaitis (Nov 12, 2008)

justanobody said:


> I think I read somewhere something about Parallels and Mac and it worked on that or something...not entirely sure though, may have been a different OS.




Yep, but that would require an Intel Processor. My desktop is still using a G5. Aside from that, I have issues with installing a virus magnet like Windows on one of my Macs. I'll do it, but I won't be happy about it.


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## justanobody (Nov 12, 2008)

JVisgaitis said:


> Yep, but that would require an Intel Processor. My desktop is still using a G5. Aside from that, I have issues with installing a virus magnet like Windows on one of my Macs. I'll do it, but I won't be happy about it.




I don't like using a virus like Windows either, but a Windows machine kind of requires it. I was just passing the info along just in case people were interested and it helped them. Use the info or not how you feel safest.


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## Piratecat (Nov 14, 2008)

It didn't originally run on my PC. I'm reinstalling my .net files to check. Wish me luck...


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## Furby076 (Apr 19, 2009)

justanobody said:


> Yes I was looking forward to trying the Visualizer and Builder.
> 
> You may need to get the full 230 megs .NEt from Microsoft first as the installer for CB seems to lag when trying to install .NET 3.5 SP1.




As a person who works in the software industry, specifically building custom applications - I can assure you that building an app in .Net makes it so the person who wants to use it needs to be running it.

It's not really a big deal and the .NET software is free. It's like having to install adobe acrobat reader to read PDF files.  Big whoop.


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## Betote (Apr 19, 2009)

AviLazar said:


> It's not really a big deal and the .NET software is free. It's like having to install adobe acrobat reader to read PDF files.  Big whoop.




Except that I can install adobe acrobat reader (or any other pdf reader) in my ubuntu-running computer 

That fact alone is what prevented me from getting a DDI subscription.


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## Asmor (Apr 20, 2009)

Betote said:


> Except that I can install adobe acrobat reader (or any other pdf reader) in my ubuntu-running computer
> 
> That fact alone is what prevented me from getting a DDI subscription.




I'm not sure what version of .Net the character builder targets, but the Mono project will run most .Net applications on Linux up to a certain version. I think last I heard it was 2.0, but I don't know. Worth a try.

Of course, that also requires that the programmers went out of their way to make the code platform-independent, which is probably not that likely. Most of the stuff you don't need to worry about, but there are some bits that one wouldn't think of if that wasn't one of your goals (e.g. Windows uses \ as a directory separator character while Linux uses /)


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Apr 20, 2009)

Asmor said:


> I'm not sure what version of .Net the character builder targets, but the Mono project will run most .Net applications on Linux up to a certain version. I think last I heard it was 2.0, but I don't know. Worth a try.
> 
> Of course, that also requires that the programmers went out of their way to make the code platform-independent, which is probably not that likely. Most of the stuff you don't need to worry about, but there are some bits that one wouldn't think of if that wasn't one of your goals (e.g. Windows uses  as a directory separator character while Linux uses /)




As far as I know and see, the Character Builder uses WPF. Won't work on Mono, and according to the current plans, might never. I am disappointed about that.


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## CubeKnight (Apr 20, 2009)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> As far as I know and see, the Character Builder uses WPF. Won't work on Mono, and according to the current plans, might never. I am disappointed about that.



Assuming by "WPF" you mean the Windows Forms namespace (been a long time since I coded in .net), I seem to recall a *nix .net project that managed to emulate said namespace, and run apps that depended on it.
One of my teachers was a standard Unix Geek, and he could still run most of the stuff we coded in OOP class.

Now, if I could remember its name


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## avin (Apr 20, 2009)

What, CB doesn't work on Linux? I was assuming a LOT of D&D players are Linux-only users.


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## Obergnom (Apr 20, 2009)

well, you can allways run it in a Virtual Machine, if you have an old XP disc somewhere... thats what I do. Makes the CB rather useless for netbook level computers with linux, though


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## drothgery (Apr 20, 2009)

CubeKnight said:


> Assuming by "WPF" you mean the Windows Forms namespace (been a long time since I coded in .net), I seem to recall a *nix .net project that managed to emulate said namespace, and run apps that depended on it.
> One of my teachers was a standard Unix Geek, and he could still run most of the stuff we coded in OOP class.
> 
> Now, if I could remember its name




WPF = Windows Presentation Foundation (from the .NET 3.5 framework); the successor to Windows Forms (being mostly a web guy, I haven't fussed with the Windows stuff, but Silverlight is a subset of WPF, which is kind of interesting, because if you reworked the Character Builder into a Silverlight app, then it could run with MS plugins on Windows and OSX, and via Moonlight elsewhere).


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Apr 20, 2009)

drothgery said:


> WPF = Windows Presentation Foundation (from the .NET 3.5 framework); the successor to Windows Forms (being mostly a web guy, I haven't fussed with the Windows stuff, but Silverlight is a subset of WPF, which is kind of interesting, because if you reworked the Character Builder into a Silverlight app, then it could run with MS plugins on Windows and OSX, and via Moonlight elsewhere).




What drothgery said, except WPF was already available in 3.0. 

I don't know how "small" the Silverlight subset is of WPF exactly, but I think the basic templating and binding to XML (or other data) sources should be available in Silverlight, so it is not impossible. The CB has the advantage that it's still mostly for displaying tables and text with a limited amount of images, and doesn't need much access to hardware.

But it would still require tons of work, and I am not too optimistic they'll do that. Maybe fans could start by demanding a "Silverlight Character Sheet Viewer" from WotC that reads the character file and displays it like the regular app?


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## drothgery (Apr 20, 2009)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> What drothgery said, except WPF was already available in 3.0.




... but since Visual Studio 2005 is .NET 2.0 out of the box, and Visual Studio 2008 is .NET 3.5 out of the box, .NET 3.0 development isn't exactly all that common.


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Apr 20, 2009)

drothgery said:


> ... but since Visual Studio 2005 is .NET 2.0 out of the box, and Visual Studio 2008 is .NET 3.5 out of the box, .NET 3.0 development isn't exactly all that common.




Windows Vista is .NET 3.0 out of the box. That's my reason for working with it, actually.


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## Asmor (Apr 20, 2009)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> But it would still require tons of work, and I am not too optimistic they'll do that. Maybe fans could start by demanding a "Silverlight Character Sheet Viewer" from WotC that reads the character file and displays it like the regular app?




I haven't really examined the format too closely, but the character files are just XML and pretty simply to work with.

The catch is, all the important stuff (i.e. text of feats and powers, etc) are in the encrypted database. The XML files just give the name and maybe an ID to look them up, I forget.

Oh, what I wouldn't do to be able to decrypt that data and poke around in it... *drools*


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## Shazman (Apr 22, 2009)

I know that the free version of the character builder only goes to level 3, but does it include any material from sources other than the PHB, such as the PHB2?


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## drothgery (Apr 23, 2009)

Shazman said:


> I know that the free version of the character builder only goes to level 3, but does it include any material from sources other than the PHB, such as the PHB2?




The Demo will give you up to level 3 of whatever's out when you download it. The catch is that won't update.


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