

Far from just a configuration file generator, PCGen is a database of open source rules and how they relate to one another over the course of a character's life. It even has knowledge of the rules of the system it's assisting you with.

PCGen is an application designed to help you build and maintain characters. The pc project is written in Lua and is available from its Gitlab repository. Each heading is enclosed in brackets, and each stat is a key and value pair. The syntax for an INI file is so simple that it's almost intuitive. The format is relatively flexible, making it suitable for most RPG systems, whether you play D&D, Swords & Wizardry, Pathfinder, Starfinder, Stardrifter, or something else. The pc command reads character data as an INI file, then lets you query it by category or by attribute. They're all open source, and I believe they each have unique advantages that make them worth trying out. I've tried two different options for digital character sheets, and one of my players invented a third. When I decide to maintain a character with the aid of a computer, I insist on substantial benefit for my divergence. I sympathize with that sentiment, and I don't take my digital character sheets lightly.

Going digital can be a big step away from something that might feel like an intrinsic part of the game. It's a time-honored tradition that I've done since the late '80s, and even more experienced players have been doing since the late '70s. Typically, a character sheet is filled out in pencil on old-fashioned physical paper.

And if the event's virtual offerings aren't enough, you might check out my list of open source tabletop RPGs. Although Free RPG Day was canceled in 2020, it's back this year as a live event with some virtual support by way of free RPG sampler downloads from Dungeon Crawl Classics and Paizo. Tomorrow is Free RPG Day, a day when publishers across the tabletop role-playing game industry release games for players both new and experienced, and they're all completely free. It's that time of year again for gamers everywhere.
