D&D (2024) 2024 D&D character sheet, what do you think?

[tetrasodium]

I mean, I could see the point if the powers that be decided to make D&D a game where you're just assumed to have stuff around, or collapse most stuff into gear kits. For that, the box would be on the small side but OK. But D&D is still a game that expects you to track individual torches and rations and pitons and such. And that's not happening in a space like that.

Agreed. If I was unclear, the base sheet or one of the tracking sheets should have proper inventory+encumbrance support. That's obviously a nonstarter to the point that it couldn't even swing an optional sidebar & can't even be suggested by wotc without pushback from the community. It makes the last decade of a tiny box plus this sheet fixing so much but doubling down on lack of inventory support seem like the time in late 4e(?) development when someone reportedly took it upon themselves to double all the monster HP.

 

[Oofta]

I mean, I could see the point if the powers that be decided to make D&D a game where you're just assumed to have stuff around, or collapse most stuff into gear kits. For that, the box would be on the small side but OK. But D&D is still a game that expects you to track individual torches and rations and pitons and such. And that's not happening in a space like that.

I don't use this sheet, but the sheet I do use only has a relatively small space for equipment on the front page. It's thing I might find handy or need to keep track of, such as caltrops. The rest of the stuff, along with a bunch of notes I don't need at a glance are on a separate sheet. So I guess I don't see it as a big issue.

I don't like how they're grouping proficiencies, but I only need a few things on my front character sheet and then a big blank space I can write down whatever is important to remember for that particular character.

So for example for my monk I always exported my sheet to PDF and then in this case could write down everything I needed. For other characters I may replace the proficiencies & languages section as well.

 

[darjr]

Eh. About the equipment section. I used to record character and party gear on a sheet like this.

 

[Tana99]

I have ADHD so I do, personally, find it easier to group the skills with the ability tied to them but these honestly aren't anything special. Etsy, reddit, Dungeon Master's Guild, etc have many similar sheets and sometimes better for neurodivergent people so while I don't mind it, it isn't anything to write home about.

 

[ART!]

I'm not crazy about this. Here's why:

1. As pointed out, this layout really glues skills to abilities. Players who aren't already used to changing things up in this regard are going to be much less likely to even think that's an option. Players who are used to changing things up might think of it les often with this layout. I wonder if this reflects a design choice, and if it's expressed as such in the rules.
2. The only passive check on the sheet is Perception now. If that's the only passive check you want people thinking about, why even bother with passive checks at all?
3. Why is space being chewed up by size? I did read somewhere that goliaths can now be large, but I don't know what implications of that they're allowing and what they aren't. If they're giving it roughly the importance of Initiative and Speed, I assume it's going to have some real significance?

I will not be using this sheet.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I maintain that the best 5e Character Sheet is actually the Monster Statblock. Here's an example of one of my playtest characters using the format that I came up with (that started with the Monster Statblock)

Everything you need. One page. Tells you what everything does.

Oddly enough, I don't like the 5e Monster Statblock for Monsters!

 

[darjr]

I maintain that the best 5e Character Sheet is actually the Monster Statblock. Here's an example of one of my playtest characters using the format that I came up with (that started with the Monster Statblock)

View attachment 368377

Everything you need. One page. Tells you what everything does.

Oddly enough, I don't like the 5e Monster Statblock for Monsters!

That’s really interesting. I’ve often considered printing out each section of rules that cover specific features but just didn’t have a decent idea how to organize it. This is neat.

 

[tetrasodium]

Eh. About the equipment section. I used to record character and party gear on a sheet like this.

View attachment 368371

You could say that about the entire sheet though. The inventory/equipment section is not just small, it's lacking in basic functionality in ways that force the GM & everyone else at the table to pick up for it . Why even have an official character sheet when the GM could make something up & teach+force their players to follow it under that kind of logic?

Post 55 showed how the sheet has long (and probably still) been incapable of supporting starting gear it's unreasonable to saddle the GM with the appearance of pushing unsupported badwrongfun on players while dumping the job of teaching players what a functional equipment & inventory onto that kneecapped GM.

Without any basic functionality of callouts for item & equipment weight or cur/max encumbrance a simple question like "You're carrying a lot bob, what is your current & max encumbrance" or "you sure all this fits in a backpack with 30 pounds capacity?" results in everyone needing to watch bob look up the weight of everything & calculate carrying capacity for the first time (or again) any time those questions get asked

 

[darjr]

You could say that about the entire sheet though. The inventory/equipment section is not just small, it's lacking in basic functionality in ways that force the GM & everyone else at the table to pick up for it . Why even have an official character sheet when the GM could make something up & teach+force their players to follow it under that kind of logic?

Post 55 showed how the sheet has long (and probably still) been incapable of supporting starting gear it's unreasonable to saddle the GM with the appearance of pushing unsupported badwrongfun on players while dumping the job of teaching players what a functional equipment & inventory onto that kneecapped GM.

Without any basic functionality of callouts for item & equipment weight or cur/max encumbrance a simple question like "You're carrying a lot bob, what is your current & max encumbrance" or "you sure all this fits in a backpack with 30 pounds capacity?" results in everyone needing to watch bob look up the weight of everything & calculate carrying capacity for the first time (or again) any time those questions get asked

I didn’t say it was for the entire sheet.

But I have done that too, id rather not for 5e.

But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

I get the point of having those features spelled out in a sheet but at some point someone will have to decide how much is to much. For me I think the equipment section is fine. Actually maybe more than fine. I think it stretches to serve more play styles too.

 

[CleverNickName]

I maintain that the best 5e Character Sheet is actually the Monster Statblock. Here's an example of one of my playtest characters using the format that I came up with (that started with the Monster Statblock)

Everything you need. One page. Tells you what everything does.

I do this in Roll20 for all of my characters. Unfortunately it doesn't work with the Charactermancer, so I have to keep a 5E Character Sheet copy in the Vault for leveling up and stuff.