# Loading Campaign Materials: Basic Mode

This page is broken into three sections:

Basic Source Loading

Loading Additional Sources

Creating New Source Collections

For the advanced method for loading sources check out the Loading Campaign Materials: Advanced Mode page.

### Basic Source Loading

1. PCGen is configured to launch the "Load Sources" window when launched for the first time after a clean install.

   If the window does not pop-up upon launching of PCGen you can call it up by selecting the "Load Sources" item on the "Settings" menu. This can be found under the Settings-Load Sources menu.

2. To load one of the standard configurations, listed below, simply select the set desired and then click the LOAD button near the lower-right of the window. PCGen will then switch to the appropriate GameMode and will load the sets contained in the selected configuration file.

   As of PCGen 5.17.x, the Standard Configurations provided as part of the basic mode of source loading include the following sets:

   - MSRD: d20 Modern System Reference Document
   - SRD 3.0 for Players: System Reference Document
   - SRD 3.5 for Players: Revised (v.3.5) System Reference Document
   - SRD 3.5 for Game Masters (Includes Monsters): Revised (v.3.5) System Reference Document
   - Pathfinder RPG for Players: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document
   - Pathfinder RPG for Players - Advanced: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document
   - Pathfinder RPG for Game Masters (Includes Monsters): Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document

3. You may now create your new character.

Optional: Before creating a character, you may wish to examine and/or modify the settings PCGen uses for all characters. This allows certaincommon "house rules" to override official rules for a system. This can be found under the Settings-Preferences menu.

### Loading Additional Sources After a Loading a Standard Source Collection

Once a standard configuration has been loaded you can add other source files from the same GameMode. The following are the steps to followed:

1. Follow the instructions contained in Step 4 on the Loading Campaign Materials: Advanced Mode page to find and add additional sources to be loaded.

2. Once all desired additional sources have been added, ckick on the "Unload All" button.

3. Click on the "Load" button.

4. You may now create your new character.

Optional: Before creating a character, you may wish to examine and/or modify the settings PCGen uses for all characters. This allows certaincommon "house rules" to override official rules for a system. This can be found under the Settings-Preferences menu.

### Creating New Source Collections

The source collections made available as part of the basic source loading mode are a small fraction, albeit popular, subset of the data sets available within PCGen and chances are that you will eventually want to add a few of these additional sets to your loaded sets. The previous section covers how to add the additional data sets but if you add enough additional sets on a regular basis you are likely to want a new short-cut to load all of those files. PCGen has the ability to create this short-cut for you and make it available as part of the basic source loading window.

Following the steps listed below will help you in the creation of a customized "Source Collection":

1. Open the "Load Sources" window and click on the "Add" button.

2. On the "Create New Source Collection" window you will need to select, with the pull-down menu, the GameMode with which you will be working. Click "Ok".

3. Move the data sets you wish to load from the left "Available Source Material" pane, to the right "Selected Source Material" pane. This is done similarly to the way data sets are loaded under the Advanced Mode.

4. Enter a "Source Collection Title" in the field at the bottom of the window and click "ok".

   Congratulations! You have now successfully created a custom Source Collection.