Although I'm keen on the idea as I feel it takes the player's attention away from the character sheet and on to the game, it seems that the extra step to go from character sheet to power cards and the playmat is just too much for my group.
Our First Game -- What some non-RPG fans Learned that they want to share!
Although I'm keen on the idea as I feel it takes the player's attention away from the character sheet and on to the game, it seems that the extra step to go from character sheet to power cards and the playmat is just too much for my group.
My group had excellent success with this.
I took a two sided clear cover page holder and put in the op's sheet unfilled facing out, a third sheet facing out the other way and pre-filled out in pencil with a black sheet in between the two.
The third sheet has the following:
We skipped the health/action-point tokens, as for us they were unnecessary. We've played two sessions this way and it's gone very well. The only change is we plan on using monster cards in addition to the power cards.
A list of what we use:
I took a two sided clear cover page holder and put in the op's sheet unfilled facing out, a third sheet facing out the other way and pre-filled out in pencil with a black sheet in between the two.
The third sheet has the following:
- Initiative Calculation
- Movement Calculation
- Abilities Calculation
- Skills Calculation
- Defenses Calculation
- Resistances
- Experience Current / To Level (ex 2325/3750)
- Powers Count AtWill/Encounter/Daily/Utility (ex 2/2/1/1)
- Feats Count Heroic/Paragon/Epic/Total (ex 2/0/0/2)
- Feats List (with brief description)
- Modifier Attack Types by implement (Str attack no implement or with dagger; Dexterity attack no implement, with dagger, or with bow, Const... you get the idea)
- Wondrous Items (with brief description and a check box beside if power expended)
- Equipped Items (with brief description and a check box beside if power expended)
We skipped the health/action-point tokens, as for us they were unnecessary. We've played two sessions this way and it's gone very well. The only change is we plan on using monster cards in addition to the power cards.
A list of what we use:
- RP Tool Token Creator (to create pc/npc tokens)
- I put a single hole punch through the tokens.
- This allows me to put a yellow square (that shows through the hole) under marked targets, a red under bloodied targets, and an orange under marked and bloodied targets.
- Clear 1"x1" squares (cut from a report cover) to place on top of pc/npcs with a condition (detailed by a single letter).
- Grandpa's Power Cards
- Bodi's Playmat (for the front side)
- My own version of Weisbeden's CharSheetI tab (for the back side)
- Obsidian Skill Challenge Rules (for players on front and skill descriptions on back)
- Round/Initiative tracking sheet in clear cover
- (To-be added) Monster cards (using the Magic Set Editor)
- Laptop, DMG, PHB, tons of wet erase pens, wet wipes and dry cloth, and of course a grid map.
darjr
I crit!
This thread is awesome with awesome ideas. The only other thing I would wish for is a char sheet that printed out the one with the math and the one with just what I needed for the mat. The idea is to cut down on the needless work. I could show up with a mat with all the numbers already on it.
I'd think this would be a GREAT way to leverage the xml files that'll come from the character creator program of WotC's.
Other than using this as an excuse to get that cthulhu board game, any other chits/tokens seem almost ready built for this?
edit: oh.. and if wotc doesn't come up with a product that has a bunch of this pre done, any bets on who might? Hint, hint, hint.
I'd think this would be a GREAT way to leverage the xml files that'll come from the character creator program of WotC's.
Other than using this as an excuse to get that cthulhu board game, any other chits/tokens seem almost ready built for this?
edit: oh.. and if wotc doesn't come up with a product that has a bunch of this pre done, any bets on who might? Hint, hint, hint.
burntgerbil
Explorer
I would just like to chime in and say that the regular game group I play in had so much fun with 4e that I wanted to try it out with some non-gamer friends also. I took a lot of tips from the posts in this thread and they wound up having an absolute blast !
I also created simplified Character sheets and pre-calculated power cards. below are the .pdf's for the fill-in sheets I made.
I also created simplified Character sheets and pre-calculated power cards. below are the .pdf's for the fill-in sheets I made.
Bodhiwolff
First Post
Very cool to hear some of these positive outcomes!
Our own little game is chugging along nicely, slowly but surely.
We're on our second version of the character sheet now, using the prettier one provided here. We've switched to using Poker Chips to track hit points (they stack much more cleanly, and are much easier to sort and keep track of), but one fellow still uses the original heart tokens, 'cause he likes the messy look and feel of things.
I've noticed that our "newbie" player, the fellow playing the wizard, has now got a firm grasp of the rules, and is more than able to help his compatriots work out tactical advantages, coordinate efforts, work out net penalties, etc., all without ever having cracked a manual. Everything he's ever picked up has been in the moment, reading the cards and/or talking about the rules as we've played. That is fairly impressive to me, and now that he's got to the point where he's seeing how things can be assisted with a smidgeon of character planning, and he is no longer suffering from information overload, he's at the point where he can take over the planning of his own character.
We keep finding all sorts of cool and interesting things in 4E which impress us, tickle us, and make us happy. We're enjoying ourselves.
Our own little game is chugging along nicely, slowly but surely.
We're on our second version of the character sheet now, using the prettier one provided here. We've switched to using Poker Chips to track hit points (they stack much more cleanly, and are much easier to sort and keep track of), but one fellow still uses the original heart tokens, 'cause he likes the messy look and feel of things.
I've noticed that our "newbie" player, the fellow playing the wizard, has now got a firm grasp of the rules, and is more than able to help his compatriots work out tactical advantages, coordinate efforts, work out net penalties, etc., all without ever having cracked a manual. Everything he's ever picked up has been in the moment, reading the cards and/or talking about the rules as we've played. That is fairly impressive to me, and now that he's got to the point where he's seeing how things can be assisted with a smidgeon of character planning, and he is no longer suffering from information overload, he's at the point where he can take over the planning of his own character.
We keep finding all sorts of cool and interesting things in 4E which impress us, tickle us, and make us happy. We're enjoying ourselves.
Bodhiwolff- I have been gaming for a long while now, but as soon as I saw this thread, I knew you were on to something big!
This is absolutely fantastic! Thanks!!!!!
I am using poker chips- with colors that show all at a glance my character's approx status (green-yellow-red-black). I was putting the play grid and the sheets (and cards for lower lvls when there are not so many) all under one big sheet of plastic available in any hardware store. However, it did get a bit sticky when resting your arms on the plastic for extended periods. But this did let me cover up used powers with markers nicely too! And let the newbies see their available powers grouped by at-will/enc/day. Lower levels only, obviously.
Glass is the best cover I feel. Easily written on and erased with standard easliy available whiteboard markers. You may be lucky enough to own or be able to get hold of a glass topped table, or a large additional piece of glass can be cut to size for your entire table, but it isn't cheap!
I'm with you 100%. I agree that the whole point is to keep it simple. If you want to know your feats, use your character sheet. The playmat is for constantly used at a glance stuff!
I agree loose the passives- that is DM territory!
And I also agree completely with darjr- this is so great, I am sure we will see an 'official' version of it soon- just hope they credit you Bodhiwolff, this is really really great! It has eased my introduction into 4th, and my entire group to a man want to have your babies!
Cheers!
This is absolutely fantastic! Thanks!!!!!
I am using poker chips- with colors that show all at a glance my character's approx status (green-yellow-red-black). I was putting the play grid and the sheets (and cards for lower lvls when there are not so many) all under one big sheet of plastic available in any hardware store. However, it did get a bit sticky when resting your arms on the plastic for extended periods. But this did let me cover up used powers with markers nicely too! And let the newbies see their available powers grouped by at-will/enc/day. Lower levels only, obviously.
Glass is the best cover I feel. Easily written on and erased with standard easliy available whiteboard markers. You may be lucky enough to own or be able to get hold of a glass topped table, or a large additional piece of glass can be cut to size for your entire table, but it isn't cheap!
I'm with you 100%. I agree that the whole point is to keep it simple. If you want to know your feats, use your character sheet. The playmat is for constantly used at a glance stuff!
I agree loose the passives- that is DM territory!
And I also agree completely with darjr- this is so great, I am sure we will see an 'official' version of it soon- just hope they credit you Bodhiwolff, this is really really great! It has eased my introduction into 4th, and my entire group to a man want to have your babies!
Cheers!
I'm still not sure how I feel about tokens for HP's, but using a seriously trimmed down sheet like this with power cards seems like the best way to speed things up. Why not just trim down the character sheet but allow us to write our precious numbers on them so that the other players at the table don't laugh us away. I could go for that.
Jay
Jay
I've hand made a couple of cards (the same size as power cards) to use as a mini character sheet.
Card/side 1 has across the top lines for:
Name
Level & EXP
Class & Race
Paragon Path & Epic Destiny
Below that are 4 rows of boxes:
Row 1: Init, Speed, blank, Passive Perception, Passive Insight
Row 2: AC, Fort, Ref, Will, blank
Row 3: Surge HP, Bloodied HP, Total HP, Current HP, Temp HP
Row 4: Total Surges, Current Surges, checkbox for Second Wind, checkbox for AP Usage, Action Point
Card/side 2 has 4 columns of 6 boxes.
Column 1: Stat bonuses
Column 2-4: Skill bonuses
Use pencil to write in static values, then slip the cards into plastic card sleeves and use Dry/wet erase markers to write in the variable numbers (Current HP, Temp Hit, Current Surges, AP).
I haven't had a chance to test the cards out in play yet, but if I find them useful I'll make electronic versions soon.
Ravingdork
Explorer
link please. :d
Bodhiwolff
First Post
Granpa's Power Cards
http://www.enworld.org/forum/4351249-post718.html
I've got a link in other places in this thread, and I've edited the original post to include it as well, now.
http://www.enworld.org/forum/4351249-post718.html
I've got a link in other places in this thread, and I've edited the original post to include it as well, now.
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