Character generation program

By Thedrimos, in Anima: Beyond Fantasy RPG

I thought I'd come out of lurking on this forum long enough to announce a character generation app I've been working on in scraps of free time over the past year or two. It's written completely in HTML and JavaScript, so it runs as a single web page; I put it online, but you can also download it and run it from local files in your browser. You can see it in action here , and the Github project page with the description and source code is here . It doesn't cover all of the rules yet (it's a pretty darn complex game), but it does support the majority of them, enough to fully specify most martial characters and enter most of the data for others. You can also create creatures with it, although that's pretty limited at the moment because selection of Powers isn't quite working yet (although you can pick Essential Abilities, creature type and level, Element, etc.)

I created this because it was taking way too long to generate NPCs in the Anima campaign I'm running; it's now getting substantially easier, although fine-tuning characters is still challenging because the game has so many options. All four of the players in the campaign have now entered their characters into it (finding a few bugs in the process which I've since fixed), and they're finding it to be a great tool for sanity-checking their calculations and planning their future progression. There are quite a few improvements I still want to make (and my players are helping out with that now), but I figure it's useful enough as is for most players and GMs of the game to get some value from it.

Of course, it implements the rules as I've interpreted them, and I'm sure some people will find places where they disagree with how I'm doing the calculations. I'm open to adding support for alternate rules interpretations, although at the moment I'm rather focused on filling in the gaps in functionality first (these are listed on the project page I linked to above). There are also almost certainly some outright bugs still in there, so please let me know (either here or on the Github issues tracker) if you uncover some of those.

Anyway, take a look and let me know what you think.

The attack and defence at first level does not need to be split in half for each, a character can put in say 176 dp into attack and 124 into defense.

The character generator tries to maintain a valid character at each step, so it won't let you spend 176 DP on attack at level 1 until you've also spent a suitable number of DP on defense (because DP expenditures of 176 on attack and 0 on defense aren't valid at level 1). So in your example you could start by spending 150 DP on attack (the most allowed if you haven't developed defense at all), then spend 124 on defense, and then go back and spend another 26 on attack (the spinbox limits adjust each time you launch the dialog, based on the current character data).

Good job! I like the generator; it makes more sense than when i was spending hours trying to read the book. It's unfortunate too, the game seems like it would be a lot of fun, especially with the depth of character generation, but having the rules so convoluted makes it really difficult to get new players into the game. I hope you continue working on this, as I would love to make a "real" Anima character one day and actually play the game.

Good job! I like the generator; it makes more sense than when i was spending hours trying to read the book. It's unfortunate too, the game seems like it would be a lot of fun, especially with the depth of character generation, but having the rules so convoluted makes it really difficult to get new players into the game. I hope you continue working on this, as I would love to make a "real" Anima character one day and actually play the game.

The current build for your Character generator is really good and easy to use after getting used to it for a couple minutes. Though I am hoping that you will code in the advatnages for the Bloods in Dominus Exxet. Though if you are planning on putting it, make sure to give an option between one or two CP as some GMs will do the level adjustment.

May I suggest a method to go backwards? If someone forogt something in a previous step, it appears, at the moment, you have to start all over.

Actually, you can edit it yourself in the save file. But I do agree that a backwards function would be nice.

Also, are creature powers implemented? You have essential abilities, but i coldn't find anything for creature powers. I might have missed them as I was playing with it while very tired! :D

Also, wondering how easy or hard would it be to implement the Core Exxet natural bonus and natueral abilities. Just curious, as in the end, one has to copy the info on the generator to a sheet anyway, and we can implement those changes at that time.

Problem with "Ki Concealment"

According to the english version of the Core Book, Ki Concealments requirements are:

  1. Use of Necessary Energy which requires:
  2. Use of Ki - which requires -- nothing else.

Yet, using your creator, I am unable to select Ki Concealment even though I have selected the minimum requirements.

Finally have some time to work on this again; I just fixed most of the issues that were reported on the GitHub issue tracker. With respect to stuff mentioned above in this thread:

  • I do plan to add the other new stuff from Dominus Exxet, just haven't had time yet. Hopefully I can get to that before too long.
  • I originally tried to allow going back and forth between changing characteristics, advantages, DP, etc.; but there are so many dependencies between them that it's extremely hard to maintain a valid build that way (some advantages can only be taken with certain characteristic values, the cost of abilities can change depending on the advantages you took, etc.) Making it possible to edit the abilities taken at all levels at the same time was about the best I could do.
  • I've started implementing creature powers, but it's not done yet; that's a pretty high priority for me, as it's needed to support a couple of my major NPCs properly.
  • I'd like to implement the Core Exxet rules as an alternative option, but that's currently a lower priority since it's not being used in my game.
  • I'm not seeing a problem taking Ki Concealment; were you trying to build a 1st-level Technician who ran out of MK after Use of Ki and Use of Necessary Energy? (Although even that should be possible using the Insufficient Martial Knowledge rule from Dominus Exxet, which is implemented already.)

Nah, I figured out what was the problem of sorts.

I was making a D'Anjayni Nephilim with the "Shadow" Class.

When I saved my current progress and then uploaded the saved file later, it did not upload the "Race". And therefor removed Ki Concealment that the race gets.

This appears to be fixed in the current version.

Finally have some time to work on this again; I just fixed most of the issues that were reported on the GitHub issue tracker. With respect to stuff mentioned above in this thread:

  • I do plan to add the other new stuff from Dominus Exxet, just haven't had time yet. Hopefully I can get to that before too long.
  • I originally tried to allow going back and forth between changing characteristics, advantages, DP, etc.; but there are so many dependencies between them that it's extremely hard to maintain a valid build that way (some advantages can only be taken with certain characteristic values, the cost of abilities can change depending on the advantages you took, etc.) Making it possible to edit the abilities taken at all levels at the same time was about the best I could do.
  • I've started implementing creature powers, but it's not done yet; that's a pretty high priority for me, as it's needed to support a couple of my major NPCs properly.
  • I'd like to implement the Core Exxet rules as an alternative option, but that's currently a lower priority since it's not being used in my game.
  • I'm not seeing a problem taking Ki Concealment; were you trying to build a 1st-level Technician who ran out of MK after Use of Ki and Use of Necessary Energy? (Although even that should be possible using the Insufficient Martial Knowledge rule from Dominus Exxet, which is implemented already.)

I do really like you generator, you should get together with someone and make it a little more visualy apealing, maybe even match the official char sheet? the only problem I had was with the MP points, but thats only because I don't have a great understanding of the system, not that you did something wrong. Also, you might consider having an area for "bonuses". for example, My GM allowes all magic-class players to have The Gift inately, so my generated character, althow it matches the book rules, does not have my actual advantages... (starting wealth is less).

Keep up the good work ether way! :D

My GM allowes all magic-class players to have The Gift inately, so my generated character, althow it matches the book rules, does not have my actual advantages... (starting wealth is less).

I have never heard of giving someone the innate ability to cast spells. Does the GM also allow the same for kind of rulings for Mentalist and Technician characters? Wizards are meant to be pretty powerful, so I would hope the other classes would get the same treatment to keep them equal.

I really like this program but I would really like to see the Unification of Ki advantages included :)

This is going to be really nice to have once complete. Can't wait to see it do inate zeon and magic knowledge distribution. Got an idea for a necromancer warlock that uses martial arts to punch on the energy table, and this will really help make it functional.

The builder doesn't calculate the LP multiples correctly. The book states that each multiple grants you your "constitution score" in extra LP's and not the constitution bonus as the character generator program does.

I noticed that the character generator does not apply the proper martial knowledge bonuses for taking a martial art.

Edited by Mrpiazz