Byakhee Character Generator

[Ssendam]

Byakhee Character Generator, a great little program, but ...

Is it effectively now unsupported?

What are it's shortcomings? (if any)

[ChicoBlue]

It is a nice program for quick generation. It likes to crash on me every so often, and it adds the KNOW stat incorrectly so that you can have more than 99% in it. Other than that the only bad thing about it is that you'll have to change the base stats in the skills for some of the newer editions for the rules, I think.

[CAThompson]

It is more or less unsupported, I think I remember some rumbling a while back about a new version or an update but I havn't seen any yet. As for problems, there is a bit of wierd stuff with weapons and not knowing when they're on the sheet.

[Talionis]

I have been using Byakhee for some time without too much trouble. I haven't noticed the problem with the Know skill but I have noticed that it sometimes miscalculates MP's and HP's. I have only had it crash a couple of times but I use it for all my character generation since it is versatile and useful. It is easy to add a photo for the character and has nicely sized slots for everything, including the descriptions on the back, spells, equipment etc.
I understand it is now open source code so anyone with programming skills (not me!) can make use of it and "fiddle" with how it works, update it for rules changes and so forth.
I quite like it and would hope that someone could pick it up and support its development.

[Haml337]

It's a good program over all... But there's lots of "little things." I suppose most of them could be fixed if I knew how to code...

But I can't get a proper 2001 skill set, like the character sheets I hand out. (My Keeper had them handy back in 01-02 and they say "Miskatonic Alum" or somesuch on them.) Some of the skills don't even exist in Byakhee, I think.

Then, I can't figure how to get a 4-column layout to save my life. Because it prints out right now as three columns and all askills beyond "spot" or "track" are cut off.

Finally... some skill sets just don't make sense. One of the guys here (I'd have to check who since I'm bad with names) helped me out with one particular skill set. A Catholic priest... didn't have the religion skill... in Byakhee. >_<

All in all, a great tool. But it won't replace my photocopies and dice.

[Ssendam]

(Thought I did this post but it seemed to go missing)

I am looking at a Baykhee "2" as a VB.NET project but am not keen to do it if develpment is still ongoing or there is nothing to improve. I could use the source code but it will not be VB.NET which is where I want to base my work.

For planning purposes I just wondered what the bug/wish list was.

Stay Frosty

[supreme_martian_overlord]

I tend to find Byakhee quick and easy... and with the time my players take making characters the old way that means a lot!

If an update got made, other than glitch and rules update improvements I'd love to see more Keeper stuff like for the player player handouts generator such as putting pictures into newspaper clippings, front page headlines, mouldy scrolls or torn tome pages etc and maybe being able to replace the critter silhoette on the side of the character sheet with one of several types...

I want to run Escape from Innsmouth soon and it'd be great to have Innsmouth sheets with deep-one silhoettes on the side and the Innsmouth Lore skill on the page.

[squashua]

I'm tryign to write a Byakhee-style generator in Java. I really like how you can "code" a character sheet and "code" a rules-set independently.

[Emryys]

One you learn how to edit the .rul (rules) files, you can add any character professions you want. I even edited it to make characters for a Western BRP/CoC game

[Wolkschmiesser]

Byahkee works great once you get used to it. It has it's quirks but it is very efficient.

[liveliest_awfulness]

Call me a cartophile (is this restricted to maps? Should it be ephemeraphile?)
Some good effects can be had depending on what you print the sheet out on. Some of the specialist papers with embossed patterns will still print out well with no deterioration in print quality. I particularly like the magnolia coloured sheets for Gaslight characters. Though you do have to go into the skills sectino at the top and delete know and dodge/block to add them again as 0% base so you can use a pencil for them instead of blue ink.
Also you can first print out watermark art through the sheet. Any of the HPLHS stuff could be used for this or scans of the Mass. map in the main rule book.
Apparently a compiler is needed if more than just the .rul type files need editing.
I still look back with some fondness on when I got the occupation "Fugitive Monkey Hunter" to appear
Pedro

[Mike_N]

I've encountered a problem with Byakhee whereby if 'Other Language' is selected during character generation it is repeated several times in the final skill list overlaying the other skills in the occupation template.

[Ssendam]

All interesting reading ... I think I will do this as a project, I have written the New character stats generator already but need to sort out some awkward code things relating to the control of windows in the program so you can have multiple characters open.

A couple of questions,

- Would a npc generator be usefull? If so should it be in a "short form"

- Does anyone use any alternative character sheets?

Stay Frosty!

[Haml337]

A shorthand NPC generator would be top-notch. Even in short form. But just make sure when it IS generated, you can read everything. I once tried statting Corbitt (from "The Haunting") on one of those with Byakhee... and couldn't read anything - it was cut off by other text. Had to use a normal character sheet.

Alternative character sheet? Here's the one I use:

http://b4.boards2go.com/boards/board...Whistlingblade

[supreme_martian_overlord]

I knew a character sheet would look great with th mi-go silhoettes on it!

Indeed an NPC generator would be great... particularly if you could randomly generate specific types of NPC such as sorceror or cultist that would give stats and such within appropriate ranges.

If someone was to go completely crazy, a generator that could handle each common monster would be awesome too... When gaming on the fly I find myself relying on the average stats too much and rolling up 12 ghouls can be tiresome... If I could just click on Ghouls and choose Number: 12 and or such it would be soooooo useful!