Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 jefgodesky Oct 09, 2009 19:46:14	I've hemmed and hawed between using the power cards printed out by the Character Builder, versus using the nice, shiny, glossy power cards you buy in a store. I'd like to try out the latter, to see how it compares, but some powers just don't appear in any pack, like racial powers. Fortunately, you've got a few blank cards in each pack. Unfortunately, writing on them with an ink pen doesn't seem to work. Have you had a good experience with these cards? What works best for filling in a blank card?
#2 weirgreif Oct 10, 2009 0:23:41	I've used the power cards from the packs.  They're more resilient, which is important because I take so long making cards in any format. I find myself having to go over the glossy cards twice; once with a mechanical pencil without the lead out, to indent the card, and then an ink pen of some sort to write.  I use a superfine Sharpie. Really, the main reason I use it is so when I use Pike Hedge (immediate reaction: something enters reach, do a 1[w] attack and automatic damage for the rest of the battle) I can fling it dramatically across the table and exclaim "TRAP CARD!".  Because it's usually fourteen minions charging me, all to die helplessly upon my spear.
#3 cymbeline Oct 10, 2009 15:46:28	The MadeByWombat blanks are quite good, and easy to write on, too.
#4 fishpro Oct 11, 2009 1:00:17	I write my own on 3 x 5 index cards, using a magic marker to make a colored line across the top corresponding to the power's use frequency (At-Will, Encounter, etc.). I personally prefer this method because I can lay out the power in the same format as the book, avoiding confusion, and I don't leave info out, unlike some of the printed cards (Cleric's Turn Undead power comes to mind for example.) My players enjoy the printed cards. They have also mentioned the painful lack of racial abilities. I'll ask them what they use to write on the cards next time we meet up.
#5 warrl Oct 17, 2009 4:28:05	I use an approach I haven't seen mentioned here: Card sleeves. I picked up a 25-pack of UltraPro TopLoader sleeves from the gaming store (they usually use these sleeves for mailing MtG cards). I think it was under $3 but don't remember for sure. These are fairly rigid (the 25-pack is about an inch and a half thick) with a thick border. Clear front and back allows me to write notes on the back side of the computer-printed cards from the DDI Character Builder, or put in any other sort of information I can get onto a card of that size. One particular good piece of information to put on the back of a card is when it recharges. That way when I use a power I put its card face-down and can see when to flip it over again. I also have a hundred-pack of polypropylene sleeves - basically little plastic bags - but haven't used them because there is no rigidity to them and the computer paper, I think, needs some help in that regard. They'd be great for card-stock, and I recommend them for anyone using commercially printed cards. If I remember right the hundred pack was about a buck.
#6 m4kitsu Oct 17, 2009 5:15:07	I use much the same technique as Warrl, except I use Neceros' (www.neceros.com) power cards printed on cardstock. Basic information gets written in with pen, variables with pencil so they can be changed as level goes up. I pre-calculate everything into the attack and damage boxes so I don't have to add everything up again every time I attack (convincing my players to do this alone cut 30% from the length of encounters at my table...). Cards and sleeves are color-coded to the power's type and frequency, respectively. Cards are green, red, black, blue or yellow as normal, and the sleeves are coded by frequency only. This way, the set of visual cues remains the same as the official without having to squint at the "frequency" box on the cards in the case of item and utility powers. So for example: green card, green sleeve = at-will attack yellow card, black sleeve = item daily blue card, red sleeve = encounter utility  We've found it an adequate solution and having a couple dozen sheets off a .pdf printed from the local copy shop is much cheaper than any pre-printed cards are, and with the sleeves, no less durable.