D&D 5E What Do You Think Is Essential in a Bare-Bones Character Sheet?

[Rune]

This poll leaves off the most important part of any character sheet: a place to draw the character portrait (or just doodle instead of stacking dice).

 

[DND_Reborn]

This poll leaves off the most important part of any character sheet: a place to draw the character portrait (or just doodle instead of stacking dice).

In case you missed it, there is an "other" option at the bottom for such things.

 

[Rune]

Here’s a stripped-down character sheet I did a few years back. It’s great until higher levels.

 

[jmartkdr2]

If your goal is to make it as simple as possible for the player, I think you can make things a lot easier by using class-specific sheets. Most clutter is space for stuff you don't use with this character: nonproficient skills, spells for non-casters, feats for featless games, etc.

A champion fighter needs a fairly small sheet if you're making the sheet with them in mind. A tome warlock needs a way to quickly reference all of their spells, rituals, and invocations - it's going to be a longer sheet because it's a more complex character.

 

[DND_Reborn]

If your goal is to make it as simple as possible for the player, I think you can make things a lot easier by using class-specific sheets.

It is a distinct possibility since he usually plays monks and paladins.

 

[Charlaquin]

To clarify, you're arguing for a sheet to purely track down session ephemera (like hit points lost, spells used, etc), and keeping the rest of your build in the head? I can definitely see that; I can generally play my character without a reference sheet (with the exception of tracking spells for high level casters) for exactly the reasons you mention.

I suppose you could just tell/email the DM your level-up choices if the DM is uncomfortable with you playing something they can't see.

Sort of. I’m less advocating for actually playing that way, and more arguing that it would be reasonably possible, whereas the inverse of playing with a character sheet that only recorded your build decisions and keeping session ephemera in your head would not be; therefore, I think session ephemera is the more important thing for a character sheet to provide space for.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Here's a draft for a stat-block style sheet. As you can see, the biggest issue if you want to include all or most of the features PCs get, that ends up being almost the entire sheet:

And I am sure I still missed things... (like I didn't include her tool proficiencies the PC has).

 

[Baron Opal II]

I'm designing a new character sheet for 5E and I got to thinking about what elements are really essential to playing. I thought it might be fun to also design a bare-bones character sheet.

So, what do you think? Choose any or all that you feel are essential to playing.

Note: Some items are pretty commonsense, but I am including them in the list just to be complete.

If you are looking for bare bones, get some lined paper and run a scenario with five characters. You'll find out what is necessary and what's optional quickly. Rewrite it with a level up to let connected information reposition next to each other on the sheet.

And to be clear, I say this with no snark whatsoever. If you have a sheet that takes effort to create you will find the least energetic / simplest sheet you can have.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Thanks to all for your feedback, votes, and suggestions and such. If you haven't voted yet, please do and thanks!

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Here's a draft for a stat-block style sheet. As you can see, the biggest issue if you want to include all or most of the features PCs get, that ends up being almost the entire sheet:

View attachment 149882

And I am sure I still missed things... (like I didn't include her tool proficiencies the PC has).

Yep, this is exactly how I do it for my players. I usually list their proficiencies with tools in the skill list and put their armor/weapon prof in their trait section.

Its not too big. Should you print it now (I usually use the large template instead of the 2 columns one), it would be probably the size of 1/2 a sheet of paper, maybe less. Maybe Warlocks and Artificers would be bigger because of their Invocations/Infusions?

EDIT: that also depends on your eyesight. The one you posted is overly large for my needs, but some of my players would indeed require a larger print size.