How many character sheets is too many?

[payn]

If im not online using a VTT, ill be using a digital device anyways. Usually its a single sheet with tabs,

 

[Lanefan]

If im not online using a VTT, ill be using a digital device anyways. Usually its a single sheet with tabs,

My only concern with that would be for others trying to run your character when you miss a session.

 

[payn]

My only concern with that would be for others trying to run your character when you miss a session.

PDFs can be passed along digital means rather easily.

 

[Blue]

Okay, I always go and make my own character sheets in Google Docs.

Here's my gold standard:
1 double sided page that is all that is needed at the table. Everything for skill/ability use (including saves), casting (including summaries of spells), and combat needs to fit on the 1st page. (Obviously I fail this for high level casters.) After that equipment, steed/familiar/animal companion, summaries of all my magic items continue on the front but are allowed to go over onto the back. And at least one bit of art.
As many additional pages as I want that aren't needed at the table. Backstory, stuff discussed with the DM, roleplaying aids, more art, etc.

Basically, in-session my character sheet shouldn't take up more square footage on the table than a single sheet of paper.

 

[tomsonn2015]

1 double sided page at most. Functional layout. Print friendly. There, that's it, no discussion for me

 

[Li Shenron]

How many sheets are too many?

Three for in-game use sheets, but I don't see a limit for additional sheets.

By in-game use sheets I mean those that contain the information you need in the middle of active adventure time, particularly combat but also exploration and investigation. These require character stats, all abilities including spellcasting, and equipped items. A single in-game character sheet could be ideal, but in general I find it hard to put everything on just one page, when the font and layout still need to be reasonable in order to make everything comfortable to read. So my own in-game character sheets (modified from 5.0 official sheets) are typically two pages, with spellcasting on the second page so that non-spellcasters only need one page. More than two pages, and the player starts to juggle between the pages when looking for something.

I also have additional sheets designed, for stuff that isn't needed in the middle of the action, for instance a whole inventory page on non-equipped property, and another on roleplay character details and maybe relevant history. I don't normally even give these sheets to my players unless they ask for something like that. They are useful for longer campaigns; an inventory sheet starts being useful once the characters are accumulating lots of magic items, quest items, or valuables that aren't carried around easily but can be used during downtime; a roleplay sheet may be needed by a player who likes writing down character personality details or backstory, or to keep track of friends/foes, allegiances and even completed quests, but is certainly not needed by everyone. Nevertheless, these additional sheets only get used now and then, and normally not during the game fast-paced action scenes, so I don't see a problem in how many they are.

 

[KYRON45]

Any times you can recall "this is too many!" or "This doesn't hold half of what I need!" ?

Every single time.

 

[RenleyRenfield]

3 is too many. I certainly don't want that much crunch, or constraints. If I have to look up something about my character, then its probably because I've got too much detail written down and not enough in my head.

2 is just right.

What if its "information that could be stuffed onto 1 sheet. but the game publisher split it out onto 4 sheets in order to make it spaced out, bigger font, remove clutter.... ? Would that justify a 4 page character sheet?

 

[Celebrim]

For your character... your one character... in that one game....

• A sheet for your main stats and skills
• a sheet for your magic powers
• a sheet for your combat equipment and armors and such
• a sheet for your plot notes
• a sheet for your faction and NPCs that are part of your cadre/group/faction/assets
• another sheet for spells or powers (how many spell/powers sheets do you have typically?)

= 5 to 6 sheets for one character. Is that helpful? too many?

How many sheets are too many? Are extra helpful for simple tracking or notes? Other comments on character sheets?

At a late stage of a 1e AD&D campaign I had a "character sheet" that was around 100 pages.

It listed my henchmen and their character sheets, my followers and their character sheets, my stronghold (effectively a small dungeon), my various possessions (including stat blocks for several sailing ships and their crew with character sheets for the expert hirelings) and properties (such as an inn/tavern), and my library of books and spells.

 

[Lanefan]

PDFs can be passed along digital means rather easily.

Assuming the recipient has a convenient way of reading them while at the table, which won't be the case for all.