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View Full Version : Character Sheet Neatness tips?



Matwal1
2017-04-01, 01:37 PM
Hey, I'm new to using Character sheets I've mostly ever played online so I was wondering if anyone had any tips to make my sheet clean and how can I organize my backpack and things like that so I can easily read it and know what I have and when I use something.

KillianHawkeye
2017-04-01, 04:51 PM
Well, it sort of depends on what your character sheet looks like. There are hundreds of different ones just for D&D, and you didn't mention what game you're playing.

As far as inventory management goes, I usually have different columns. One column gets used for magic items with permanent ones at the top and expendable ones like potions, scrolls and wands at the bottom. Another column or two (depending on how much space is on the sheet) gets used for mundane items. Sometimes I'll write things that are kept in a particular container in groups lined up under the container's name, so that I know (for example) that my torches are in my backpack but my small steel mirror is in my belt pouch next to my coin purse. If that's not enough, the next step is probably to get an entire piece of paper to record gear and items on.

Anonymouswizard
2017-04-01, 06:17 PM
Character sheet etiquette varies considerably between groups (I've been in ones where the GM collects all sheets post session, and ones where everyone hangs onto their own, as well as those where it's up to you, just as one example), so don't take any advice given hear as gospel.

Secondly, what game are you playing? Some games have horribly designed character sheets, some just have sheets which have too many pretty graphics and not enough info, so we might be able to point you towards a better sheet than the official one.

Here are my basic tips for character sheets:
-Always write on it in pencil, always. There's a lot you'll need to change.
-If you type it up and then print it out (I did for one game, but reprinting was a major hassle) then make sure you print off new versions whenever you spend XP or level up.
-For keeping it physically clean and not dogeared I recommend a folder, use it to store your campaign notes and any handouts you've been given.
-A double sided sheet is generally more readable, a single sheet is easier to reference. I recommend trying to use a sheet with as many game rules as possible on the front side to reduce flipping.
-If table space is at a premium investigate landscape sheets.

Okay, inventory neatness time. You might want an entirely separate sheet for your inventory, especially if you're a character who relies on a lot of equipment, especially if you rely on a lot of consumable equipment (I have the same advice if you're playing a magic-user). I recommend having separate sections of your inventory, I like combat gear, ammunition, nonconsumables, consumables, and food and supplies, but you'll find your perfect system.

It might be worth noting which consumables are in belt pouches, as I've had GMs rule that you can drop your backpack at the start of combat to eliminate weight penalties, and having that potion or spare power pack on your belt can be a life saver. Although enforcement of weight penalties in that game made it so magically enchanted clothes are sometimes better armour (although my character's tendency to wear a metal breastplate when on duty caused some hilarious moments).

Lo'Tek
2017-04-01, 11:03 PM
Always use pencil.
Use multiple pieces of paper: Keeping track of things that change often will trash the paper.

Coins, wounds, one-use items, loot and notes are things i prefer to keep on a seperate sheet.
Obviously: do not use four pages with three lines of text each
Organize: keep related information together.

Contradicts the above. Horse stats and some gear, like a saddle, on one page, loot on another, marked Ⓗ
Note where you put an item.
Note where you found that loot.
Always leave enough white space.
Use runes for words you use often. i.e. Ⓗ for "on the horse"
Checkboxes are great for things with two states:

Items you sometimes take with you and sometimes you dont.
Spell memorization in systems like D&D.
Try a graph for a change and see how you feel about them.

Great to relate gear, skills, spells with keywords like social.
Might just be a DM keeping track of the abilities of multiple characters.
Try doodles. Doesn't matter if you cant draw a horse.

You immediatly know "this region on my sheet is related to my horse".
Add every piece of information you think you need and some more.
Revise your sheet after some time.

After dozens of combat encounters you might no longer consider "roll 1D8 for damage" worth the space

Matwal1
2017-04-01, 11:10 PM
Sorry I totally forgot to mention I'm using the 5e character sheets that says Adventurers League on the top left. And thank you all for the tips. Ill be using a Rogue/Hunter. I had one character but up to level 3 was given the chance to reroll and so I did and my last sheet was just so messy and not working out

napoleon_in_rag
2017-04-02, 10:26 AM
Long ago, I found that even when you use a pencil, sections of the character sheet that change a lot like hp, memorized spells, money, equipment, etc quickly become a unusable mess. I now use 4" by 6" cards. I found that 3" by 5" cards were too small.

Pretty much, take your character sheet and create 1 card for each "block". One for Stats, one for equipment, one for weapons, one for special abilities, etc. I type up the character background in a word 4" by 6" template, print it, and glue it to cards.

At the beginning of each session, I start "expendable" cards for hp, memorized spells, and consumable equipment that get tossed at the end.

I find this is a very flexible system and cuts down on table clutter. I only have the cards out that I need at any given moment, the rest stay in my PHB. It is also very easy to replace any individual cards, something that becomes useful when your excitable friend knocks over a glass of orange soda.

Mastikator
2017-04-02, 02:01 PM
Make everything in a really small cursive seriff-heavy font.

Anonymouswizard
2017-04-02, 03:11 PM
Sorry I totally forgot to mention I'm using the 5e character sheets that says Adventurers League on the top left. And thank you all for the tips. Ill be using a Rogue/Hunter. I had one character but up to level 3 was given the chance to reroll and so I did and my last sheet was just so messy and not working out

Oh boy, I do not like that sheet, I think the alternative version WotC produced with the skills next to the abilities they key off is much better. It also has a lot of space for features and traits and a very small amount for equipment on the front. You have to write really small to get it all in.

I mean I've seen worse, Qin the Warring States doesn't have enough space on the sheet for many starting characters* (because I really care more about having a pretty character sheet than a usable one), but it's not up there with the usability and simplicity of the Fate Core sheet.

*read: any starting character who decides to know more than a handful of spells, or buys lots of low level taos.

Okay, I'd recommend writing your most important equipment on the front of the sheet, then listing consumables and the like in treasure. Other than that I don't know, it's a surprisingly small area to write equipment in for a D&D game.


Long ago, I found that even when you use a pencil, sections of the character sheet that change a lot like hp, memorized spells, money, equipment, etc quickly become a unusable mess. I now use 4" by 6" cards. I found that 3" by 5" cards were too small.

Pretty much, take your character sheet and create 1 card for each "block". One for Stats, one for equipment, one for weapons, one for special abilities, etc. I type up the character background in a word 4" by 6" template, print it, and glue it to cards.

At the beginning of each session, I start "expendable" cards for hp, memorized spells, and consumable equipment that get tossed at the end.

I find this is a very flexible system and cuts down on table clutter. I only have the cards out that I need at any given moment, the rest stay in my PHB. It is also very easy to replace any individual cards, something that becomes useful when your excitable friend knocks over a glass of orange soda.

True, and everyone solves it in different ways, I used to store my hp on a calculator (that wasn't banned because I couldn't be bothered to cheat). I also prefer to rewrite the entire sheet occasionally if needed.

It also depends a lot on the system you're using, in Fate I might have a card for my stress and consequences because those might change fairly regularly, but other than that nothing should change for several sessions. I've also seen games being the one time you NEVER store drinks on a table because some groups specifically didn't want character sheets (you could rest your mug on the table if writing something down, but most people used the floor).

Also, I personally know I'd lose one of the cards between games, a single sheet is just easier for me. Not to say your card system is wrong, it's just not right for me.

napoleon_in_rag
2017-04-02, 03:27 PM
Not to say your card system is wrong, it's just not right for me.

Totally, it's about coming up with a system of organization that works for you.

Âmesang
2017-04-03, 08:47 AM
As I've been playing 5th Edition D&D lately I've gotten into the habit of using those "form fillable" .pdf sheets via a PDF viewer program. While the text can get ridiculously small at times it does allow me to type out not only feat/ability/item names but the relevant information… that way I won't have to keep flipping through books; can't quite do that with spells in which case I list the Player's Handbook page number.

Adjustable information, like money and ammunition, I typically keep track in a notebook (along with, well, notes), and my current character's mount's stats I printed out on a 3×5 index card.

Standard Fill:
https://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/dnd/5e%20character%20sheet%20%28standard%20-%20fill%29.pdf

Spellcasting Multiclass (two spell record sheets):
https://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/dnd/5e%20character%20sheet%20%28spellcasting%20-%20fill%20-%20multiclass%29.pdf

Example, Variolus of House Baenre:
https://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/dnd/5e%20pc%20variolus%20baenre.pdf

I would like to find a similar sheet for 3rd Edition or Pathfinder, so until then I've been using my own forum to post stats.

Quintessa of House Neheli
https://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/forum/thread.php?thread=69

Den Bloodsoul
https://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/forum/thread.php?thread=31

Nupo
2017-04-05, 10:35 AM
Print the character sheet on card stock.

Lord Torath
2017-04-05, 10:50 AM
They have blank sheets of labels for printers. I cut a slice off a label from one of those and place it over a high-use field of my character sheet: hp, damage, gold, xp.

As far as organizing inventory, I assign different regions for different storage locations. This part is weapons hung about my person. This other section it what's in my belt pouches. This section is for my backpack. General clothing goes in the lower left corner. Items stowed in saddle bags or pack saddles is listed with my mount. Wands store very nicely in a quiver at my belt.

Slipperychicken
2017-04-05, 11:54 AM
I think the most valuable thing is to dedicate a small binder and some folders to it. Put your sheets and other documents in a folder, and use papers in the binder to record session notes. That will keep your sheet in a good condition while ensuring that your session notes are readily available.

Aside from that, write very lightly in pencil. That will make it easy to erase. Also consider recording frequently-changing numbers like hit points and ammunition on a separate sheet to avoid excess marks on the main sheet.

For limited-use things like ammo and spells, consider using tallies to quickly and easily record usage.

Geddy2112
2017-04-05, 12:05 PM
Keep a spare page or pages for campaign notes, like important NPC's, names of places, details about quests/legends/etc. Keep these all in one place on a blank page not near your stats, so you don't have some random name next to your ability scores.

Having a notecard to track frequently changed things like HP, uses per day of a class ability, and the like is handy to not constantly erase/fill in your sheet in pencil. Using dice to do this is iffy, as you might forget which dice is which or roll it. You can use beads/marbles if it is a particular ability or skill that is in uses/day(1-20ish), refilling your pool by putting them out and if you use it, then put it back into the bag.

I use my tablet, so I just have an editable PDF for the system and a blank txt document I can type notes into.

For running a campaign and building NPC's, or a one shot, I just use excel. Character sheets have a lot of things that are not relevant to an NPC and will be blank so I save space and put the essentials into excel. Relevant stats, skills, gear, abilities. This way I can fit a dozen characters into my tablet screen instead of flipping between pages/tabs of complete sheets.

Lord Torath
2017-04-05, 01:18 PM
...Also consider recording frequently-changing numbers like hit points and ammunition on a separate sheet to avoid excess marks on the main sheet...Maybe even something like A hit point pad (https://www.ookoodook.com/collections/order-of-the-stick-books/products/gipots-note). :smallwink:

sktarq
2017-04-05, 02:32 PM
My recommendations:

Use a separate eraser, not the ones on the end of pencils. I favor the very soft white drafting ones because they cause the least damage to the paper (this works especially well with harder leads from mechanical pencils)

An eraser shield is very useful in helping you only remove what you want and minimize wear.

Use tally marks over check marks-the motion has less digging into the paper.

Use a folder or binder to store your sheets between games. Also very useful to provide a regular hard backing for use during games which prevents the damage that comes from writing on rough surface. Make sure the edges can not protrude out easily.

Use mechanical pencils or keep them sharp-most people try to prevent breakage and so keep a more controlled hand.

Keep ready consumables - rations, torches, etc either on a separate sheet or separate part of your inventory. I find it useful to tally used consumables next to an original count of how many I left with at the beginning of the night. This way there is less erase/rewrite every time you use 1 of an item.
A similar system can be used for spells/powers per day.

Have a scratch pad for quick notes, ideas, doodles, and other 'not neat' stuff.

MintyNinja
2017-04-05, 02:45 PM
I often find my problems arising from cramming immense currency into tiny spaces, so for myself I often draw up a quick grid for better number crunching.



CP:
0
0
0
0
0
0.


SP:
0
0
0
0
0.
X


GP:
0
0
0
0.
X
X


PP:
0
0
0.
X
X
X



This lets you do really quick wealth conversion as well as keep tabs on exact currency in more space than usually allotted.

othaero
2017-04-05, 02:47 PM
There's a character sheet on dmsguild (purple char sheet I can't remember atm) that i use. Its a pdf that auto adds class/race data for you and has lots of optional pages that you can hide/show.

CharonsHelper
2017-04-05, 03:19 PM
While somewhat a sidenote: I'll say that a well designed character sheet can go a LONG way towards making a system feel less complex and easier to get into.

VoxRationis
2017-04-05, 03:41 PM
Write small (I use a .3mm mechanical pencil as a matter of course). Pencil is absolutely important; I can't even begin to imagine how messy my sheet would get if I used pen. I don't usually keep track of current hp in an official place; I just note it down in the margins and erase the notes when I heal back up. I also have been playing the same game (D&D 3.5) since middle school, so I can use a lot of abbreviations and don't fill up space, for example, noting which of my skill bonuses come from ranks and which come from ability score modifiers.

Quertus
2017-04-05, 06:34 PM
I tend to use custom character sheets, designed specifically for my needs. Think Courier New, no graphics, could make this with Word on an 8088, or paint on an Apple IIC (or whatever buzzwords go together and roughly equate to "digital typewriter" :smalltongue:).

Then all... "consumables" - potions, HP, ammo, mana, rations - go on a note card. The character sheet almost never gets touched, although I will write new ones at appropriate intervals.

As I often play D&D spellcasters, spells get their own "consumables" page. And I'll often create new, situational pages when I need custom loadouts, rather than changing my spell page substantially.

Mastikator
2017-04-07, 12:13 PM
I often find my problems arising from cramming immense currency into tiny spaces, so for myself I often draw up a quick grid for better number crunching.



CP:
0
0
0
0
0
0.


SP:
0
0
0
0
0.
X


GP:
0
0
0
0.
X
X


PP:
0
0
0.
X
X
X



This lets you do really quick wealth conversion as well as keep tabs on exact currency in more space than usually allotted.


I'd go even further, just have some space with this, and the players only write the currencies they actually have

Equipment _____________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

ZamielVanWeber
2017-04-08, 07:17 AM
Write small (I use a .3mm mechanical pencil as a matter of course). Pencil is absolutely important; I can't even begin to imagine how messy my sheet would get if I used pen. I don't usually keep track of current hp in an official place; I just note it down in the margins and erase the notes when I heal back up. I also have been playing the same game (D&D 3.5) since middle school, so I can use a lot of abbreviations and don't fill up space, for example, noting which of my skill bonuses come from ranks and which come from ability score modifiers.

Don't forget a high quality eraser. I use the ones I used in engineering school for mine. I also keep my sheets on myth-weavers as well as have a physical copy in a notebook (each notebook is delineated by system, campaign, and topic).

souridealist
2017-04-09, 09:42 PM
A fresh sheet every few levels is often a good idea. (And copying it all over gives you a chance to catch any math you missed.)

Knaight
2017-04-09, 10:03 PM
I generally try to keep anything temporary (fluctuating values, check boxes, whatever) on scratch paper, or I'll use physical tokens (e.g. poker chips) to cover them. Beyond that the big thing is using pencils that erase relatively easily and half decent erasers.

zeek0
2017-04-09, 11:39 PM
I once had a DM that provided character sheets printed on 110 lb. card stock. This is the best decision one could make. Prevents dog-ears, erasing is easy, and the pale just feels more sturdy.

Mr Blobby
2017-04-10, 04:23 PM
I use variant of Quertus' method:

1/ Make series of basic sheet frames using a bog-standard spreadsheet programme. Making sure I save the blanks for re-use later. I am not a fan so much of the pre-made ones; sometimes they fill all the space with tasty-but-useless graphics, are of poor quality or use stupid fonts etc.

2/ Put the details on. Say I'm playing VtM, I'd do:

- Character Sheet.
- Backgrounds.
- Kit / Home / Misc sheet.
- Backstory.
- NPC notes.
- XP tally.
- Damage / Willpower / Heath tally.

Naturally, who I'm playing changes the sheets. If a Mage-type, there will be a spellsheet etc.

All the above on standard A4 sheets, making sure I leave a fair bit of space for additions - modifications. I also keep a small A5 notebook for general notes which don't fit on a sheet [as in doesn't have a category]. A ring notebook is best, allows you to pull out single sheets without screwing up the entire pad.

All goes together in a little plastic folder.

3/ At the end of a story arc / when the pencil'd notes get too confusing / the notebook's active pages are 10+ simply update 2/. I find I can do it in around half-hour while I'm having a coffee break etc.

4/ The only exception to this is when the GM likes my method and asks me to provide them with a copy of them. Then I usually update the printed sheets after each session and email them a few days before the next one.

Honestly, doesn't take much time or effort to do / maintain - and also usually gives you brownie points from your GM.

I also make sure I bring:

- A copy of any rulebooks which are useful for your character, but the GM may not bring with them. Going on with my VtM example, this is usually the relevant clanbook. As it's all electronic now, it's all on a USB which lives in the plastic folder with the notes.

- Different coloured pencils/pens, eraser, a small ruler and a highlighter or two.

- A few sheets of A4 5mm squared paper. Usually the GM ends up pinching them for making impromptu maps.

- A little bag of old board game tokens - for said maps. It's a random mix of old Subbuteo men, Monopoly pieces etc. You can simply go around car boots / jumble sales / charity shops etc and buy half-dead board games for pennies [literally] simply to steal the tokens.

- A few relevant die [usually in the above bag]

- A little calculator [some GM's I've played with had a 'no ****** phones' rule].

- Breath mints.