Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Ema's Character Sheets

Dear Wizards of the Coast,

I am a huge D&D fan and avid player and supporter of 4th edition D&D, as well as 3.5. You might recognize my work in the film you sponsored, The Gamers: Dorkness Rising. I recently went to a website I frequent which has a BRILLIANT setup for creating characters, which I know you discovered as well. This website is now completely dismantled and reads only the following:

I'm sorry to inform you that this site is no more.
Wizards of the Coast asked me to take it down, and I complied.

I'm sorry for all the fans who will miss it - I will miss it, too - but it was the right thing to do.

Time to move on...

Ema.
While I can appreciate your requirements for Ema to take down the 4th Edition character sheets, as it clearly provided an alternative to the character builder you have launched, I don't understand why the previous edition materials had to be taken down.

Ema's Character Sheets was a really great independent site that I used avidly, and it upsets me that I no longer have access to adequate tools to run my campaigns and I have to start all over.

Please allow Ema to put back his 3rd edition material.

Sincerely,

Don Early

13 comments:

Rubb3rDucky said...

I totally agree, WotC doesn't even have anything that comes close to the extensive spell lists and useful tools that Ema had on his web page.

At the very least the 3e stuff should be allowed to be up. As WotC has stopped publishing those books.

Don Early said...

I have recently learned that the OGL has some pretty specific things that you cannot use if you continue with 3.5. And unfortunately that would mean a serious overhaul for Ema. It's one of the reasons why Paizo created their own PHB with Pathfinder.

You can't even use the words "Dungeons and Dragons", "Player's Handbook", "Dungeon Master", etc.

It's smart on Wizards' part to be honest. Just, I think it doesn't win them any piety points with their fans. It's definitely soured me a little.

Ema's 4th Edition sheet was even better laid out. They should contract that guy. I sent him an email if he's interested to work with Paizo on Pathfinder. I can at least get him a phone meeting or something.

Glad to see another Ema fan out there.

Unknown said...

Hi Don, I'm Marco from Italy as Ema.
I'm really upset to have known only today that Ema's site has been shutted down.

Here in Italy the RPG gaming is much different from US. One-Shot sessions are very rare, we use to play much more theatrical-like and with long campains that lasts years (from 1st lev up to 20th and more!).
I found Ema's Tool really important and useful. As an RPGA DM I often help friends making their Chacacter Sheet and the Spell List creator was a must-have tool.

I read you mailed Ema. I hope he has answered, and I would ask you to pass me his mail. I've lost it.

Bye Marco!

Unknown said...

I am a huge fun of Emas site ! i use 3.5 edition and i am terrified to do DMing without EMAs Site Ema you have been great i most greatly ask for anyone and even Ema to somehow provide to her funs the tools for the 3.5 Edition ! we play with her for so many time. we hate the fourth edition as we bought the books and droped hem to the library WE LOVE 3.5 AND we hate that Wizard stoped a so great fun site for us ! . if anyone can provide the 3.5 emas character cretion please send me a mail A_ikonomidis@msn.com

abarel said...

I just found out that Mr. Ema's site has been shut down. I've used his sheets for years and I personally believe them to be the best character sheets ever made. Far superior to WoTC's. If anyone has a copy of his 4e general character sheet please send it me @ abarel13@gmail.com. It's a travesty that WoTC took them away and I agree that they should seek to employ Ema, if just for his sheet development.

Unknown said...

Coming from an avid fan of 3.5 and a graphic designer, I have to agree with this troop. Ema did not only accurate and highly usable sheets but also ascetically pleasing sheets (something that WotC has yet to accomplish). Luckily I still have some hard copies that I will still scan to make new sheets but it was a huge help using the tools provided for the spells.

It's just a shame that WotC is becoming a just another corporate company with no appreciation to it's true fans.

Akantor said...

That's insane.
I'm pretty sure WotC has every rights to do what they did. But why did they? Why killing a tool that gives so much fun to playing their game. Do they want to kill DnD3.5? If they do, they're telling something like : 'ok! You're some kind of hostage. We sell books today, but tomorow you won't be allowed to use it, and you'll have to buy another one'.

One of the reasons, I played DnD was the amount of online tools. I have a game this afternoon, I need Ema's to quickly set up my character with new spells and I won't be able to, because WotC has decided so. Is it fair?

I'm from France and we have quite big issues about illegal downloads. This kind of decision make me think illegal download is the only way of facing monpolistic, stupid decision like this one.

Zachary Drake said...

I'm so sad to find this site down. All my spellbooks gone :(

Bad move on WotC's part.

Hackatron said...

Words cannot describe how furious I am the Wizards robbed its fans of probably their most useful tool for enjoying their games.

I do have the PDF file for ema's DnD 3.5 forgotten realms char sheet.

If anyone would like it, or need it, message me on facebook.

-James Hackett from Chino, CA.

krawall said...

Hi, I am of the same opinion as all people who posted their comments before me. It is a shame that EMA CharSheets are no more. But I wonder ... did Wizards write back regarding the mail you sent them? I am really interested in their response.

Paradigm said...

Agreed. Way to be stupid, WotC! Proving once more to the world that you are so small and immature that you fear something that in the end did not cut into your profits, but rather furthered them and supported you as a rpg company. You lost at least one good customer until ema's site is up again and you finally decide to grow up. I will still play 3.5 as I have the books and I really like the system, but I won't buy new product from you.

Just goes to show that growing up has got nothing to do with hitting the right age...

John Stanton said...

WotC made a dumb move. I have spent well over $10,000 on D&D products, but now I won't buy anything from WotC. Even though I don't play Pathfinder I buy most of the Paizo publications just to show my support for their more enlightened attitude.

They threaten people with lawsuits as a means of intimidation. If I had more money, I would be tempted to take them on in federal court and see just what fair use really means. At any rate cases like that can take many years to get decided if you refuse to settle. I am not sure Hasbro would like that idea.

There is a huge difference between what Ema did and pirated copies of WotC books. Hmmm, any D&D fans in the EFF?

amberlkvincent said...

I was glad to find that I still had most of Ema-s 3.5 sheets saved on my computer or disk somewhere, including the most of the spell sheets. because those were the only sheets my late husband and i ever used, they were easy and intutive, so that teaching our sons to play, i can still use the same sheets my husband started me on.