D&D insider and the compendium

[Stinkingyeti]

I'm thinking about picking up a subscription and have a question regarding the compendium. Well a couple actually.

1. Is it a downloaded database or run from online only?

2. Does it have nice and nifty monster info extracts to copy paste into a word doc so i can assemble all my bad guys onto one page for easy reference?

3. Is it simple enough to use and lacking of any major bugs?

[Belphanior]

1. Online.

2. For monsters I suggest using the Monster Builder, which is software currently in the Beta stage but it performs very well for me so far. It allows you to look up all monsters published and adjust them in any way you want. The statblocks can be easily pasted on a word file.

3. Both the Compendium and the Builder are pretty simple. I don't know of any serious bugs, though the Compendium doesn't work under the Opera browser. Which does tick me off.

[Stinkingyeti]

Is the monster builder also online only? I ask this as my main pc is not connected to the net and won't be until after my next game. So i'm wondering if i should get the sub before or after that game.

Oh and thanks for the speedy and quite helpful reply. I'll definitely pick up a sub now, it's just a question of when i suppose.

[auspexRex]

Is the monster builder also online only? I ask this as my main pc is not connected to the net and won't be until after my next game. So i'm wondering if i should get the sub before or after that game.

Oh and thanks for the speedy and quite helpful reply. I'll definitely pick up a sub now, it's just a question of when i suppose.

I'm pretty sure it gets updates from time to time online, but runs offline for the most part, just like the Character Builder.

[Belphanior]

The builder is offline, though it does need to be online to get the regular updates. I'm not sure what happens when it looks for updates but can't connect.

[Inyssius]

I'm thinking about picking up a subscription and have a question regarding the compendium. Well a couple actually.

1. Is it a downloaded database or run from online only?

2. Does it have nice and nifty monster info extracts to copy paste into a word doc so i can assemble all my bad guys onto one page for easy reference?

3. Is it simple enough to use and lacking of any major bugs?

1. The Compendium is a wholly web-based service, which you can take a look at here (http://www.wizards.com/dndinsider/compendium/database.aspx). However, there are two downloadable programs; the excellent Character Builder, which looks like this (http://wizards.com/dnd/images/20081029_7f.jpg) and contains every piece of player-focused material in the Compendium (you can get a demo version here (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/insider/characterbuilder)). And the equally excellent Monster Builder, which is what you want--it contains every single monster in the Compendium, though its search function isn't as good, and it can be used offline. Check it out here (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/insider/monsterbuilder) (there are some good screenshots there). It's very handy.

2. The Compendium... eeeh. The Monster Builder, yes, you can copy/paste statblocks into Word as formatted text or as images. It's very cool.

3. Yep. The Monster Builder has a couple of minor issues, but they're minor (if you type something into a certain space but then delete it, the empty space doesn't go away properly). That's essentially it. It's really very good stuff.

...unless you don't have Windows or some way to emulate it, in which case it sucks to be you.

Oh, and the obvious next question: I believe that you can continue using both of the Builder programs after your subscription has expired, though you can't get any more updates.

[Ineti]

Quick note---the Monster Builder does not contain the monsters from (at least) the Eberron Campaign Guide. I was trying to adjust a couple of the beasts from the encounters in the ECG and I could not find them in the builder. They are in the Compendium however.

I assume the monster builder beta went live before the August update could be implemented.

[Yakk]

Note that you could transcribe an Eberonn monster into the monster builder. But you'd have to type it in.

[Nikosandros]

Oh, and the obvious next question: I believe that you can continue using both of the Builder programs after your subscription has expired, though you can't get any more updates.
Yes, this is correct. You also can't reinstall the programs.

[Nikosandros]

I'm not sure what happens when it looks for updates but can't connect.
Absolutely nothing. Keep in mind that the updater tries to connect every time that the program is launched, not at monthly intervals.

[Belphanior]

Absolutely nothing. Keep in mind that the updater tries to connect every time that the program is launched, not at monthly intervals.

I know, but I've never tried what happens. Probably nothing, as you say, but I know of other programs that go apeshit if they can't call their mom every time they start up.

[Nikosandros]

I know, but I've never tried what happens. Probably nothing, as you say, but I know of other programs that go apeshit if they can't call their mom every time they start up.
You don't have to take my word for this... just disconnect your PC from the Internet and launch the program. You'll simply get the familiar splash screen informing you that The update server couldn't be accessed.

[Kzach]

For a casual player, a DDI subscription only really has any value in the Character Builder and even then, only if you're lazy.

For a GM, however, a DDI subscription is absolutely a must a have. It's one of those things that you only realise how useful it is when you use it. My suggestion would be to buy one month's access and just see how you like it.

[Stinkingyeti]

Well you've definitely sold me on getting the sub then. I'll pick it up today or tomorrow as i can do a bodge job of wiring in the house to get my pc connected for a short time but it leaves wires everywhere so i can't leave it that way. I'll get the character and monster building up and running and be back with no internets.

But that means i can statblock all my bad guys up into a nice neat printable page and it would make a world of difference during the game.

Also, does the monster builder help create npcs? I ask because the big bad guy my players are first going to encounter is a paladin created with the character builder, they're level 7 and there's 5 of them, he's level 9 with some pretty hot gear and i'm wondering what the fight will be like.

[mach1.9pants]

For a casual player, a DDI subscription only really has any value in the Character Builder and even then, only if you're lazy.

For a GM, however, a DDI subscription is absolutely a must a have. It's one of those things that you only realise how useful it is when you use it. My suggestion would be to buy one month's access and just see how you like it.

Well I don't think it is lazy to use a Char Builder, just efficient ;). However You also get the eDragon and eDungeon, some of which is cool for the players. However (as you can update 5 copies of the CHar Builder every month) I subscription easily covers the DM and 4 (or 5 if the DM doesn't want to use the CB) players, they can read the PDFs as well (after the DM has censored out things he wants hidden) :)

[neonchameleon]

Well you've definitely sold me on getting the sub then. I'll pick it up today or tomorrow as i can do a bodge job of wiring in the house to get my pc connected for a short time but it leaves wires everywhere so i can't leave it that way. I'll get the character and monster building up and running and be back with no internets.

But that means i can statblock all my bad guys up into a nice neat printable page and it would make a world of difference during the game.

Also, does the monster builder help create npcs? I ask because the big bad guy my players are first going to encounter is a paladin created with the character builder, they're level 7 and there's 5 of them, he's level 9 with some pretty hot gear and i'm wondering what the fight will be like.
... Unusual. Most monsters use a statblock significantly simplified from PCs. (Not to say less powerful - just more focussed).

[Inyssius]

Also, does the monster builder help create npcs? I ask because the big bad guy my players are first going to encounter is a paladin created with the character builder, they're level 7 and there's 5 of them, he's level 9 with some pretty hot gear and i'm wondering what the fight will be like.

Unusual indeed. Usually people use the class templates in the DMG, which (we are told) will be added to the Monster Builder at some point in the future.

[Stinkingyeti]

Yeah i guess it is, but it's an unusual boss fight. A bit of a scripted event.

One of the players wants to play his old halfling rogue but it was killed by a big bad orc our old dm made back in 3.5. So what i'm doing is having this paladin, who is evil btw, try to bring back a great warrior of old. At intervals during the fight he will bring up some minions for the players to take out and give him time to continue the resurrection. But, it will end up being the halfling rogue that he brings back through a mistake in the spell.

It's my first attempt at an unusual boss fight where the boss mucks around like that. I've had another boss fight before that was on a timer where the players failed by 1 point of damage, it was a bit badly made by me though.

I'm hoping this one goes off well enough.

[Nikis-Knight]

There are from scratch NPC guidelines in the DMG which don't have an automated system of being built at the moment, though I expect you could edit the character sheet that results from the CB. I think the gist of it is more HP than a PC but less daily powers.

[Redbeard67]

For a casual player, a DDI subscription only really has any value in the Character Builder and even then, only if you're lazy.

For a GM, however, a DDI subscription is absolutely a must a have. It's one of those things that you only realise how useful it is when you use it. My suggestion would be to buy one month's access and just see how you like it.

Yeah but you can install and update 5 PCs from one subscription.
So a group can share a subscription quite easily - which makes it so damn cheap as to be a nobrainer even for the casual player.

Technically it is against the EULA but it was talked up as a feature by WotC while the program was in development. They made the analogy that in a lot of groups only one person buys the books.