Character Sheets - What do You use? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Character Sheets - What do You use? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Swiftbrook
07-17-07, 12:51 PM I just leveled up and I'm debating what is a good charcter sheet/electronic character generator to use. I've used PCGen, but I now have racial substitution levels and have to work that in. I've made my own deluxe sheets, but I like the power of updating an electronic one.

What are your preferences?

-Swiftbrook

P.S. looked for an old thread but it must be very old because I couldn't find it.
solbergb
07-17-07, 01:01 PM I use form-fillable PDF sheets for my own characters, printing them out after they're filled in. As I write all over them in play, they only last one level anyway. For character planning, I use Excel.

My wife uses a bunch of excel spreadsheets, customized to front-load the "leveling up" minutia - they usually only have to be edited for equipment, favors and sometimes spell reshuffling over time. Complex characters like her cleric and druid take many pages (about half of which are the stupidly large divine spell lists). Less complex characters like her barbarian take only a couple pages - although she also needs a power attack cheat-sheet for that character since about level 6.
TetsujinOni
07-17-07, 01:02 PM HeroForge seems moderately popular among with access to MS Excel 2000 or later. Its support for LGCS7.5 is in beta at the moment.

The character sheets are fairly nice, though I'm finding some of their resemblance to the normal sheets .... fiddly.
Munkwunk
07-17-07, 01:04 PM I use HeroForge. Due to the increasing number of options, I find myself having to override and/or fill in extra aspects of it sometimes, but I find that HF still holds up well and is a very useful tool.
kenobi65
07-17-07, 01:05 PM Another vote for Heroforge. It's not perfect, but it's darn good.
Painlord
07-17-07, 01:14 PM I just started replaying after a short layoff (20 years..or so...) and I've found HeroForge to be an amazing (re)learning tool.

I've learned more from HF than I have from reading it seems...I can plug in numbers in random places and see how they affect and change different places. Then I can level up my guy to help plan is actual levelling...I can see what feats become available with what stats...it's been nice.

-Painlord
Umbra_Kaitou
07-17-07, 01:28 PM Heroforge is my tool of choice as well, though it doesn't have very new things like Complete Mage and Complete Scoundrel
TetsujinOni
07-17-07, 01:44 PM Heroforge is my tool of choice as well, though it doesn't have very new things like Complete Mage and Complete Scoundrel

All completes through Complete Champion are in beta. The non-LG audience has Other Needs (like Epic Gestalt through 60 and Psionics) which we never will, and it all needs testing before it escapes the lab, leaving shattered bodies of subiconic PCs in its wake....
Genghis Cohen
07-17-07, 01:46 PM HeroForge
bitznarf
07-17-07, 02:19 PM HeroForge
LachlarlanIII
07-17-07, 02:29 PM Heroforge
????
Profit!
ShinAkuma2
07-17-07, 03:09 PM HeroForge is my poison, though I'm not really sure of the best way to handle retraining skill ranks for non-class skills.

If I fudge things, I'm likely to forget later, and that'll be messy.
amnuxoll
07-17-07, 03:56 PM I use MetaCreator (http://www.alteregosoftware.com/metacreator.html). It's pretty hardcore but completely customizable. It's also not free.

I've had very little trouble integrating new rules options into it and I can use it to generate custom stat blocks and character sheets.
KShaver
07-17-07, 04:00 PM The 3.5 LG char sheet, sometimes the new 3.5 generic sheet. All stats handwritten, and redone every few levels. Which is kinda wierd because I do almost all character planning, gear lists, and spending in Excel. If I found a character progam that was able to handle everything perfectly then I'd use it, but if its missing the tiniest thing (which all are) then I'd rather write it down myself.
Banor
07-17-07, 04:06 PM I built a pretty standard Excel sheet with multiple pages and stuff. Work ok, but I'm happy to use something i came up with :)
Munchausen
07-17-07, 04:35 PM HeroForge
Alpha_Nerd
07-17-07, 05:02 PM I write all my characters down on the back of the US Constitution. In blood.
Britt
07-17-07, 05:28 PM I use napkins or other random scraps of paper. If I really feel like working, I'll fill in the character on a printed 3.5 character sheet. I used to use form-fillable PDFs, but I've grown to lazy, and I don't have a printer.
Mommy was an Orc
07-17-07, 05:52 PM HeroForge is my poison, though I'm not really sure of the best way to handle retraining skill ranks for non-class skills.

If I fudge things, I'm likely to forget later, and that'll be messy.

You put a -4(or -8) in the skill being retrained away from and put an extra 4 ranks to the skill be trained to. Something that makes it a lot easier is when the skill being retrained is the same kind of skill for both classes.

As an example, Fighter has both Jump and Intimidate - you then take some Monk levels and retrain those ranks into Tumble. It is better to pick Jump because Jump is a class skill for both Fighter and Monk.
Arvagor
07-17-07, 06:41 PM Despite its plug being pulled, I'm beating as much out of eTools right now as I can. I find it's pretty easy to implement various LG favors as unslotted magic items (for example), though retraining looks like it will be a PITA (if I attempt it).

I also use HeroForge to help plan progressions, and to get my "alternate" stat blocks -- such as when a PC is raging, or hasted, etc.
ShinAkuma2
07-17-07, 06:58 PM You put a -4(or -8) in the skill being retrained away from and put an extra 4 ranks to the skill be trained to. Something that makes it a lot easier is when the skill being retrained is the same kind of skill for both classes.

Hm, that's a neat trick. Good thinking. =)
Nerax
07-17-07, 07:51 PM Heroforge! :D
clannagh
07-17-07, 09:17 PM Given time I prefer to hand write my character sheets each time I level.

I always write a new sheet each time and always keep the old sheets .. particulary useful if you randomly die twice in a row and need to rapidly drop two levels.

However .. I always use Heroforge to check the stats of the new level. It's amazing how many little errors slip in that hero forge will pick up. One classic error heroforge found for me was forgetting the movement penalty to jump for my full plated gnome (who would have thought full plate and 15' movement gave you a jump of negative 19) .
jstorrie
07-17-07, 09:53 PM Pen-and-paper.

Five miles, in the snow, uphill. Both ways.
Takei
07-18-07, 12:31 AM Another Heroforge user here!
Gwumph
07-18-07, 02:15 AM Vive Le HeroForge!!
GeorgeFHarris
07-18-07, 10:54 AM I use napkins or other random scraps of paper. If I really feel like working, I'll fill in the character on a printed 3.5 character sheet. I used to use form-fillable PDFs, but I've grown to lazy, and I don't have a printer.

And couldn't just see some GM with over-sized cajones telling Britt he can't play at the table, because his Character sheet doesn't conform to the rules set in the LGCS.

"All players must use an official LG character sheet available at www.wizards.com/lg."

;)

GH
gomeztoo
07-18-07, 11:01 AM I have a LG sheet in Word (created by one of the players in our region).
It doesn't calculate, but you can do most of that in Heroforge, and make corrections or add anything missing by hand.
The_Jester
07-18-07, 11:03 AM Ema's
http://www.emass-web.com/

The spell sheets and hireling/animal companion sheets are a must.
Britt
07-18-07, 11:03 AM And couldn't just see some GM with over-sized cajones telling Britt he can't play at the table, because his Character sheet doesn't conform to the rules set in the LGCS.

"All players must use an official LG character sheet available at www.wizards.com/lg."
Yeah, but I can't play LG :P
NeSoDak
07-18-07, 11:43 AM I prefer to fill out the 3.5 character sheets by hand. It probably helps that I have neat handwriting and its easy for anyone to read. I fill out a new character sheet at each level and keep the old one, for pretty much the same reasons as previously mentioned. I also use a pencil and card stock, it holds up better to frequent use. If my character is a single class, I use the individual class sheets, otherwise I use the newest character sheet provided by WotC. I wish I had a program that would allow me to rearrange the sheets. There are certain things that I like to have on the front page, so I don't have to rummage through my sheets to find something that is common.
happosaai
07-18-07, 01:12 PM 1 more vote for Heroforge!
I found it to be VERY useful in getting my characters setup and very organized.
I can't wait for the update with all the newer "complete" books info in it!
UMiskatonic
07-19-07, 08:27 AM A #2 pencil, just like always.
Arvagor
07-19-07, 08:58 AM A #2 pencil, just like always.Which begs the question, how do you fit an entire character sheet onto a #2 pencil? :)
Swordlight
07-19-07, 04:56 PM HeroForge... used to use eTools.
GreatSiron
07-22-07, 02:38 AM I used Heroforge for all of ten minutes, before I proceeded to bang my head on the wall. I'll stick with a pencil, a pen, and paper, thank you.
Gorbacz
07-23-07, 07:27 AM Hero freaking Forge.

Gave a try to Metacreator (ooh..yes...why are my skill points calculated wrong ?) and Hero Vault (sorry we don't support non-OGL mechanics so you can kiss your third cleric domain gbye) and decided that both, erm, suck.

HeroForge + SpellForge rock my world now.
SombreNote
07-24-07, 02:13 PM http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=13168491#post13168491

I like this one.
jhorred
07-27-07, 03:13 AM eTools until WotC pulled the rug out from under the monkeys..

now HeroForge
Fsi-Dib
07-27-07, 03:45 AM I fill out the generic character sheet with a pencil, but make the plans on a separate OpenOffice calc (.ods) file... or just memorize it.

I've never been a big fan of character creation tools. I don't know why.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Swiftbrook 07-17-07, 12:51 PM	I just leveled up and I'm debating what is a good charcter sheet/electronic character generator to use. I've used PCGen, but I now have racial substitution levels and have to work that in. I've made my own deluxe sheets, but I like the power of updating an electronic one. What are your preferences? -Swiftbrook P.S. looked for an old thread but it must be very old because I couldn't find it.
solbergb 07-17-07, 01:01 PM	I use form-fillable PDF sheets for my own characters, printing them out after they're filled in. As I write all over them in play, they only last one level anyway. For character planning, I use Excel. My wife uses a bunch of excel spreadsheets, customized to front-load the "leveling up" minutia - they usually only have to be edited for equipment, favors and sometimes spell reshuffling over time. Complex characters like her cleric and druid take many pages (about half of which are the stupidly large divine spell lists). Less complex characters like her barbarian take only a couple pages - although she also needs a power attack cheat-sheet for that character since about level 6.
TetsujinOni 07-17-07, 01:02 PM	HeroForge seems moderately popular among with access to MS Excel 2000 or later. Its support for LGCS7.5 is in beta at the moment. The character sheets are fairly nice, though I'm finding some of their resemblance to the normal sheets .... fiddly.
Munkwunk 07-17-07, 01:04 PM	I use HeroForge. Due to the increasing number of options, I find myself having to override and/or fill in extra aspects of it sometimes, but I find that HF still holds up well and is a very useful tool.
kenobi65 07-17-07, 01:05 PM	Another vote for Heroforge. It's not perfect, but it's darn good.
Painlord 07-17-07, 01:14 PM	I just started replaying after a short layoff (20 years..or so...) and I've found HeroForge to be an amazing (re)learning tool. I've learned more from HF than I have from reading it seems...I can plug in numbers in random places and see how they affect and change different places. Then I can level up my guy to help plan is actual levelling...I can see what feats become available with what stats...it's been nice. -Painlord
Umbra_Kaitou 07-17-07, 01:28 PM	Heroforge is my tool of choice as well, though it doesn't have very new things like Complete Mage and Complete Scoundrel
TetsujinOni 07-17-07, 01:44 PM	Heroforge is my tool of choice as well, though it doesn't have very new things like Complete Mage and Complete Scoundrel All completes through Complete Champion are in beta. The non-LG audience has Other Needs (like Epic Gestalt through 60 and Psionics) which we never will, and it all needs testing before it escapes the lab, leaving shattered bodies of subiconic PCs in its wake....
Genghis Cohen 07-17-07, 01:46 PM	HeroForge
bitznarf 07-17-07, 02:19 PM	HeroForge
LachlarlanIII 07-17-07, 02:29 PM	Heroforge ???? Profit!
ShinAkuma2 07-17-07, 03:09 PM	HeroForge is my poison, though I'm not really sure of the best way to handle retraining skill ranks for non-class skills. If I fudge things, I'm likely to forget later, and that'll be messy.
amnuxoll 07-17-07, 03:56 PM	I use MetaCreator (http://www.alteregosoftware.com/metacreator.html). It's pretty hardcore but completely customizable. It's also not free. I've had very little trouble integrating new rules options into it and I can use it to generate custom stat blocks and character sheets.
KShaver 07-17-07, 04:00 PM	The 3.5 LG char sheet, sometimes the new 3.5 generic sheet. All stats handwritten, and redone every few levels. Which is kinda wierd because I do almost all character planning, gear lists, and spending in Excel. If I found a character progam that was able to handle everything perfectly then I'd use it, but if its missing the tiniest thing (which all are) then I'd rather write it down myself.
Banor 07-17-07, 04:06 PM	I built a pretty standard Excel sheet with multiple pages and stuff. Work ok, but I'm happy to use something i came up with :)
Munchausen 07-17-07, 04:35 PM	HeroForge
Alpha_Nerd 07-17-07, 05:02 PM	I write all my characters down on the back of the US Constitution. In blood.
Britt 07-17-07, 05:28 PM	I use napkins or other random scraps of paper. If I really feel like working, I'll fill in the character on a printed 3.5 character sheet. I used to use form-fillable PDFs, but I've grown to lazy, and I don't have a printer.
Mommy was an Orc 07-17-07, 05:52 PM	HeroForge is my poison, though I'm not really sure of the best way to handle retraining skill ranks for non-class skills. If I fudge things, I'm likely to forget later, and that'll be messy. You put a -4(or -8) in the skill being retrained away from and put an extra 4 ranks to the skill be trained to. Something that makes it a lot easier is when the skill being retrained is the same kind of skill for both classes. As an example, Fighter has both Jump and Intimidate - you then take some Monk levels and retrain those ranks into Tumble. It is better to pick Jump because Jump is a class skill for both Fighter and Monk.
Arvagor 07-17-07, 06:41 PM	Despite its plug being pulled, I'm beating as much out of eTools right now as I can. I find it's pretty easy to implement various LG favors as unslotted magic items (for example), though retraining looks like it will be a PITA (if I attempt it). I also use HeroForge to help plan progressions, and to get my "alternate" stat blocks -- such as when a PC is raging, or hasted, etc.
ShinAkuma2 07-17-07, 06:58 PM	You put a -4(or -8) in the skill being retrained away from and put an extra 4 ranks to the skill be trained to. Something that makes it a lot easier is when the skill being retrained is the same kind of skill for both classes. Hm, that's a neat trick. Good thinking. =)
Nerax 07-17-07, 07:51 PM	Heroforge! :D
clannagh 07-17-07, 09:17 PM	Given time I prefer to hand write my character sheets each time I level. I always write a new sheet each time and always keep the old sheets .. particulary useful if you randomly die twice in a row and need to rapidly drop two levels. However .. I always use Heroforge to check the stats of the new level. It's amazing how many little errors slip in that hero forge will pick up. One classic error heroforge found for me was forgetting the movement penalty to jump for my full plated gnome (who would have thought full plate and 15' movement gave you a jump of negative 19) .
jstorrie 07-17-07, 09:53 PM	Pen-and-paper. Five miles, in the snow, uphill. Both ways.
Takei 07-18-07, 12:31 AM	Another Heroforge user here!
Gwumph 07-18-07, 02:15 AM	Vive Le HeroForge!!
GeorgeFHarris 07-18-07, 10:54 AM	I use napkins or other random scraps of paper. If I really feel like working, I'll fill in the character on a printed 3.5 character sheet. I used to use form-fillable PDFs, but I've grown to lazy, and I don't have a printer. And couldn't just see some GM with over-sized cajones telling Britt he can't play at the table, because his Character sheet doesn't conform to the rules set in the LGCS. "All players must use an official LG character sheet available at www.wizards.com/lg." ;) GH
gomeztoo 07-18-07, 11:01 AM	I have a LG sheet in Word (created by one of the players in our region). It doesn't calculate, but you can do most of that in Heroforge, and make corrections or add anything missing by hand.
The_Jester 07-18-07, 11:03 AM	Ema's http://www.emass-web.com/ The spell sheets and hireling/animal companion sheets are a must.
Britt 07-18-07, 11:03 AM	And couldn't just see some GM with over-sized cajones telling Britt he can't play at the table, because his Character sheet doesn't conform to the rules set in the LGCS. "All players must use an official LG character sheet available at www.wizards.com/lg." Yeah, but I can't play LG :P
NeSoDak 07-18-07, 11:43 AM	I prefer to fill out the 3.5 character sheets by hand. It probably helps that I have neat handwriting and its easy for anyone to read. I fill out a new character sheet at each level and keep the old one, for pretty much the same reasons as previously mentioned. I also use a pencil and card stock, it holds up better to frequent use. If my character is a single class, I use the individual class sheets, otherwise I use the newest character sheet provided by WotC. I wish I had a program that would allow me to rearrange the sheets. There are certain things that I like to have on the front page, so I don't have to rummage through my sheets to find something that is common.
happosaai 07-18-07, 01:12 PM	1 more vote for Heroforge! I found it to be VERY useful in getting my characters setup and very organized. I can't wait for the update with all the newer "complete" books info in it!
UMiskatonic 07-19-07, 08:27 AM	A #2 pencil, just like always.
Arvagor 07-19-07, 08:58 AM	A #2 pencil, just like always.Which begs the question, how do you fit an entire character sheet onto a #2 pencil? :)
Swordlight 07-19-07, 04:56 PM	HeroForge... used to use eTools.
GreatSiron 07-22-07, 02:38 AM	I used Heroforge for all of ten minutes, before I proceeded to bang my head on the wall. I'll stick with a pencil, a pen, and paper, thank you.
Gorbacz 07-23-07, 07:27 AM	Hero freaking Forge. Gave a try to Metacreator (ooh..yes...why are my skill points calculated wrong ?) and Hero Vault (sorry we don't support non-OGL mechanics so you can kiss your third cleric domain gbye) and decided that both, erm, suck. HeroForge + SpellForge rock my world now.
SombreNote 07-24-07, 02:13 PM	http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=13168491#post13168491 I like this one.
jhorred 07-27-07, 03:13 AM	eTools until WotC pulled the rug out from under the monkeys.. now HeroForge
Fsi-Dib 07-27-07, 03:45 AM	I fill out the generic character sheet with a pencil, but make the plans on a separate OpenOffice calc (.ods) file... or just memorize it. I've never been a big fan of character creation tools. I don't know why.