New World of Darkness core book free on DTRPG!

[Cam Banks]

It's because the character sheet has rows of circles which you can fill in like those multiple-choice tests you have in high school. Fill in as many circles as your score in the stats or skills, basically, and then you have a visual reference.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Crothian]

This could be cool. Are there anythings that would make you lose dots long enough for you to have to record them on your char sheet (say something like level drain or somthing)? That would make the dots mechanically better than using numbers.

joe b.

I don't recall anything that lets you lose dots. I think they just wanted to be different. THere is no reason they couldn't have used numbers instead, it would have made the character sheets a lot smaller too.

 

[jgbrowning]

It's because the character sheet has rows of circles which you can fill in like those multiple-choice tests you have in high school. Fill in as many circles as your score in the stats or skills, basically, and then you have a visual reference.

Isn't it the other way around? Wouldn't you just have a little space to write "4" on the Char sheet instead of **** if they used numbers. ie... the generation system caused the sheet, not the sheet the generation system.

I don't recall anything that lets you lose dots. I think they just wanted to be different. THere is no reason they couldn't have used numbers instead, it would have made the character sheets a lot smaller too.

That was my first thought when I looked at the character creation section. I was like, "man, there better be some good reason for these dots because numbers are smaller and are easier to translate (because the dots are only functioning as numbers to begin with).

So I thought I'd ask when I saw the thread here. I was going to ask at RPGnet, but I figured I'd get about 10 responses that were utterly useless before someone told me that yes, the dots are more than just symbols that represent what we use numbers for. When I first read it I thought, "If I'm speaking to someone I'd say 'My character has a 4 in firearms,' so why am I writing it as **** instead of just 4?" I was certain that there was a design reason for it that I didn't know because I'm a complete storyteller newb.

joe b.

 

[Tiberius]

When I first read it I thought, "If I'm speaking to someone I'd say 'My character has a 4 in firearms,' so why am I writing it as **** instead of just 4?" I was certain that there was a design reason for it that I didn't know because I'm a complete storyteller newb.

joe b.

I can see where you're coming from, and don't have a real good answer for you. I think the reason is probably something along the lines of "It was different from everything else out there when we created Vampire!", which was subsequently rationalized away with the "film rating" explaination I seem to recall running across at one time or another. I rather like the dots better than the numbers, though, at least for ST stat blocks. They make for an easier visual reference. I find it easier to gauge someone Strength, say, when I see ***OO as opposed to 3. Reading someone's stat block that said things like:
"Correspondance 3, Entropy 1, Forces 5, Prime 5, Time 3" gives you a good idea that that's one powerful mage, but I feel it lacks the oomph, majesty, and simplicity of this presentation:

Correspondance

Spoiler

_

***OO

Spoiler

__

Matter OOOOO

Spoiler

__

Prime *****
Entropy

Spoiler

________

*OOOO

Spoiler

__

Mind OOOOO

Spoiler

__

Spirit OOOOO
Forces

Spoiler

________

*****

Spoiler

__

Life OOOOO

Spoiler

__

Time ***OO

Your milage may vary, of course.

 

[Aaron L]

4 dots is the same as a blank space with the number 4 written in it, isnt it? I mean, if you wanted you could make a D&D sheet with dots you could fill in for your stats. Their would just have to be a lot of dots!

 

[lord_banus]

The dots are for style. There is no functional difference. Storyteller is loaded up with style, so much so that it may dribble over and leave a stain on the table.

 

[Bront]

Why are * (dots) used instead of numbers?

It's a different way to do a character sheet, and it means you are erasing less, since you don't have to erase a number when it changes, simply add a dot. Hopefully helps add life to a potentialy battered character sheet.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

The only semi-practical reason that I can think of is that it is very quick to fill in the base dots. After that however I can see no reason at all...

The Auld Grump

 

[Erlkönig]

Ok, I downloaded it and read quite a bit. Pretty cool, but I have one question for those who have played the storyteller system before (I'm a newb).

Why are * (dots) used instead of numbers?


joe b.

Because it's cool.

Because it doesn't make your character sheet look like an accounting record.

Also, It's also a trademark that makes WW Games recognizable and distinguishes them from other products (you know, like some sneakers get made with that wierd little swish on the sides that doesn't seem to increase their utility in any way or how some cars have that strange star up front, etc...)

Most importantly though, the character sheet is one of the most important props for roleplaying immersion, because it's what players tend to have before their noses most of the time. A good design goes miles to make the game more fun IMO.

Infact, one of the only D&D Character sheets that ever tried to do something for flair and mood of a game is the Scarred Lands Character Sheet from Sword & Sorcery (White Wolf).

I mean, I love D&D like most people here, but the official character sheets are one of the biggest flaws of the game IMO. They look like something printed from my Excel programm, not something from an age of swords, magic and adventure.

[edit]
Besides, the D&D Sheet uses fill-in-dots (or squares as it is) aswell for ammunition and cross-class skills. Shouldn't be all that new to you.

 

[Turjan]

I think the reason is probably something along the lines of "It was different from everything else out there when we created Vampire!", which was subsequently rationalized away with the "film rating" explaination I seem to recall running across at one time or another.

Film rating? Sounds okay to me.

I find it easier to gauge someone Strength, say, when I see ***OO as opposed to 3. Reading someone's stat block that said things like:
"Correspondance 3, Entropy 1, Forces 5, Prime 5, Time 3" gives you a good idea that that's one powerful mage, but I feel it lacks the oomph, majesty, and simplicity...

Well, the simplicity gets lost as soon as you have to apply modifiers to your dots .


Anyway, I find it really funny that a thread about getting the current core book of the second best selling roleplaying game for free ends up with a discussion about 'dots' only .