What Should Appear on a Deluxe Character Sheet? [Character-Wise]

Link 1 (Fluffy Character Stuff)

Link 2 (Crunchy Character Stuff)

Link 3 (More Crunchy Stuff)

I'm writing what I hope will be a friendlier and less-cramped character sheet, and I'm curious what others think the ideal character part of a character sheet should look like. So click on the google doc link, imagine lines to write on for each entry, and tell me what you'd add or drop!

Well just looking at the first page I feel that it's already cramped. If I were you I would put Important NPCs on a totally separate page and leave the first one just for characters. I would decrease the size of the Character Portrait box as well as I don't know anyone who actually uses those things (though obviously there are people that do). I would give more space in between the lines too, for more detail.
Also consider adding more personal details to the first page such as personality quirks, family, humor, hobbies, etc. Think of it being like a facebook page for your character, minus all the games and spam of course.

Just my 2cp.

Felorn Gloryaxe wrote:

Think of it being like a facebook page for your character, minus all the games and spam of course.
 

Very much this, imo.

Felorn Gloryaxe wrote:

Think of it being like a facebook page for your character, minus all the games and spam of course. 

I thought people are supposed to like reading character sheets.



In all seriousness though, what you say makes a lot of sense.

EDIT: Should I add the Adventuring Company entry that seems to be on all of WotC's CSs? Does anyone outside of the Forgotten Realms actually refer to adventuring companies? It seems so...cheesy. But then, I am writing this CS largely for new players, so maybe that's a good thing.

I typically like using Adventuring parties of some sort. It isn't really that helpful in a plot driven game but in a sandbox game driven by character actions it can be.

All the content on that sheet I would just write in paragraph form most of the time I would use descriptive phrases not exact numbers and so on.

The purpose of formalized character sheets are explicitly for interacting with game mechanic information.

Garthanos wrote:

All the content on that sheet I would just write in paragraph form most of the time I would use descriptive phrases not exact numbers and so on.

I'm with you; I don't even use CSs for stats.

But I wouldn't say that CSs are just for mechanics -- they've always had space for stuff like appearance and personality, from OD&D to 4e. I think formalized CSs exist for players who need the structure -- whether for the fluff, for the crunch, or for both. 'Cause if a player needs the structure for mechanics but not for characterization, or vice versa, he/she can always just print out the page he/she needs.

C4 wrote:

Garthanos wrote:

All the content on that sheet I would just write in paragraph form most of the time I would use descriptive phrases not exact numbers and so on.

I'm with you; I don't even use CSs for stats.

Is that one upmanship?  

C4 wrote:

But I wouldn't say that CSs are just for mechanics -- they've always had space for stuff like appearance and personality, from OD&D to 4e. I think formalized CSs exist for players who need the structure -- whether for the fluff, for the crunch, or for both. 'Cause if a player needs the structure for mechanics but not for characterization, or vice versa, he/she can always just print out the page he/she needs.

I find formality in non-mechanical arenas can straight jacket peoples thinking. But I am sure you will find folk who consider it inspiring (so I suppose I agree).

OP updated with the reformatted fluff page, and the two crunch pages.

Garthanos wrote:

C4 wrote:

Garthanos wrote:

All the content on that sheet I would just write in paragraph form most of the time I would use descriptive phrases not exact numbers and so on.

I'm with you; I don't even use CSs for stats.

Is that one upmanship?   

Haha, that's right; you can't call yourself a hard core gamer until you scribble your characters on the backs of dirty napkins.

C4 wrote:

OP updated with the reformatted fluff page, and the two crunch pages.

Garthanos wrote:

C4 wrote:

Garthanos wrote:

All the content on that sheet I would just write in paragraph form most of the time I would use descriptive phrases not exact numbers and so on.

I'm with you; I don't even use CSs for stats.

Is that one upmanship?   

Haha, that's right; you can't call yourself a hard core gamer until you scribble your characters on the backs of dirty napkins.

Heh, ok I admit I sometimes write out why a character has a particular stat... or has a particular skill trained.

Is that paladin channeling the divine constantly?  Is that Warlocks con high because he is using it to resist the pain of his spell casting technique? Is history trained because he spent his youth in Merlins library or because he has ancestral memories channelled through his blood-line or reincarnative ones? or because nobility are trained in the art of war and exposed to history and heraldry and so on. It elaborates and connects stats/skills and abilities to the characters background this knowing why.

Who would put things like that on a formal sheet.

And then of course there is reflavoring... He doesnt know cleave he knows various combination strikes where he launches an attack which includes a kick/or punch at one enemy and a slash at another... or perhaps it is an attack whose main effect seems very minor against one target but induces them to harm their ally and he calls it using one against the other.