D&D General Tips for Using Paper Character Sheets
Stormonu
Legend
For those times when you rub a hole in the Hit Point area . Certainly not for TPKs.
MarkB
Legend
I misread that, and was wondering why the sheet needed to be square.
Greenstone.Walker
Adventurer
You are allowed to use more than one sheet of paper.
Seriously, use more. Use lots. Use them to write down what your talents actually do, instead of asking "What does brutal criticals do" every. single. -ing. session.
Use counters or beads or stones to track resources (rages, sorcery points, ki, etc).
Seriously, use more. Use lots. Use them to write down what your talents actually do, instead of asking "What does brutal criticals do" every. single. -ing. session.
Use counters or beads or stones to track resources (rages, sorcery points, ki, etc).
Greenstone.Walker
Adventurer
I'm the other way around. I wish I could ban digital devices at the table.
It seems that three quarters of every turn is scrolling on the smartphone or tablet. I also look around the tables I play at and always see at least one screen showing a game or social media site. No wonder turns take so long.
Maybe the table should say something like "if the device screen and software does not have the size and resolution to display all your abilities, saves, attacks and defences all at once, you can't use it."
Or maybe just require some level of proficiency in using the device and software If using pieces of paper allows a player to look up something (for example, their character's spell attack bonus) is under 2 seconds, then is it unfair to require a player using a device to be able to do it in under 4 seconds? 6 seconds?
Not (from a few weeks ago) just under 2 minutes.
Arilyn
Hero
Have a nice selection of different coloured pens, so players can choose a colour or colours that matches their character (for the permanent bits of course). Keep the pencils sharp and have decent quality erasers on hand.
I enjoy the process of filling in character sheets. I never use digital because filling out the sheet by hand makes my character feel more real, and I am less likely to forget abilities.
I enjoy the process of filling in character sheets. I never use digital because filling out the sheet by hand makes my character feel more real, and I am less likely to forget abilities.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
I can't ban digital devices at the table as various key elements of my game rules (e.g. spell write-ups, setting maps, game logs, etc.) are online now. But I still insist on paper character sheets.
What I'd like to do, though, is somehow limit their browsing potential to only my game's website. A friend designed a program that in theory could do just this, and gave me a copy, but I've yet to try it out.
R_J_K75
Legend
Same here. I've been chastised & ridiculed by people in another thread a few years back to the point they said this was ridiculous, but to go one step further, regardless of what RPG we are playing if I'm DMing I try and get agreement from the group to use a one specific main character sheet. It doesn't always work but when it does it. allows me as a DM to help direct players where to find things, instead of 3-5 people trying to find the same piece of information in 5 different spots. After that they are free to use whatever auxiliary sheets for feat descriptions, spells, etc. Works for us.
aco175
Legend
I did this for a 1-shot with some scouts. I circles things like AC and HP with different colored highlighters so when I asked what their AC was, I could also say in the green box. I guess this could work with different sheets as well just keeping the same code with the highlighters.
R_J_K75
Legend
I suppose it could but as our group plays every other week in theory, we usually cancel a session here and there so it just makes things easier for us as at this point in our lives we're all casual gamers and no one pours over the rules like we used to when we were younger. I like the idea of everyone being on the same page.
