D&D 5E Eyes? who cares

[Derren]

Sure, fair enough. But why there's place to put your eye color, but there aren't any for information that's way more noticable, like skin color or....character's age.

Because they are missing.
I see it more of an issue of there not being enough information than there being too much.

 

[Sunseeker]

Because they are missing.
I see it more of an issue of there not being enough information than there being too much.

I'd rather they just gave players a little blank box, probably on the second page, to write up a short description of their character.

 

[howandwhy99]

I'd like a little blank box for the players to draw their characters, but I don't think most folks use rules anymore for what's drawn. When it doesn't matter it often just comes across as tedium or fancy.

 

[Sunseeker]

I'd like a little blank box for the players to draw their characters, but I don't think most folks use rules anymore for what's drawn. When it doesn't matter it often just comes across as tedium or fancy.

I've always debated both how closely a character need resemble their race, and how closely their appearance needs to mirror their stats. I guess that's the closest you could come to defined "rules" for how to make your character look.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Personally I would encourage adding a section for describing your character over simply listing some random snippets.

I'd rather they just gave players a little blank box, probably on the second page, to write up a short description of their character.

Paradox of Choice. Give someone a list of blank traits, and they'll faithfully fill them in, and others will look at them. Give someone an empty box and the word "description," and it'll be a whole lot of empty, or filled with things no one ever reads.

A character sheet should contain relevant information. If a physical description of the character is relevant, there should be room on a character sheet to accommodate that. A character sheet that doesn't have room for that is a game that doesn't care that much about character description. Which can be fine -- not everybody gives a fig what color eyes your elf has. But especially for new players, bits of description like that can help anchor the reality of the character. "Oh, she's got purple eyes, I wonder how that looks with her chocolate skin and bright red hair?"

 

[Orius]

'Cause it's vital information to the "real roleplayer" types, descriptive stuff and background is way more important than game mechanics.

But then I do note with some irony how some gamers would consider it useless information because it doesn't give any bonuses.

 

[Sunseeker]

Paradox of Choice. Give someone a list of blank traits, and they'll faithfully fill them in, and others will look at them. Give someone an empty box and the word "description," and it'll be a whole lot of empty, or filled with things no one ever reads.

A character sheet should contain relevant information. If a physical description of the character is relevant, there should be room on a character sheet to accommodate that. A character sheet that doesn't have room for that is a game that doesn't care that much about character description. Which can be fine -- not everybody gives a fig what color eyes your elf has. But especially for new players, bits of description like that can help anchor the reality of the character. "Oh, she's got purple eyes, I wonder how that looks with her chocolate skin and bright red hair?"

I considered that. And most editions have compromised in the end anyway, providing both the "quick" spaces and long box. I would suggest perhaps combining them into a specific area, that like 4e's "card" system could be cut out and given to the DM. Something Tyy could use for quick reference, and the player could choose to either go in to detail about, or keep simple.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

"Go for the eyes, Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!"

 

[I'm A Banana]

I considered that. And most editions have compromised in the end anyway, providing both the "quick" spaces and long box. I would suggest perhaps combining them into a specific area, that like 4e's "card" system could be cut out and given to the DM. Something Tyy could use for quick reference, and the player could choose to either go in to detail about, or keep simple.

I like the idea of a "standard appearance statblock." Or maybe a three-bullet-point list of distinguishing features (that you could roll for on a table if you didn't have an idea!). At the very least, it can be a useful thing to lean on, look at, and reference when narrating scenes: "The orc's bloodshot grey eyes stare straight through you as it seeks the wizard in the back row," or "Mialee's frazzled hair singes in the wake of the fiery dragon's breath, but she is safe behind her magic."

 

[B.T.]

Eye care.