Character Sheet Creation

[EvanMoore]

One of the last things I need before Savage Realm is finished is a well designed and laid out character sheet. Before I parcel this out, I thought I'd check to see if anyone here would be interested in doing it.

I'll leave it open for about a week. That is, till next Sunday night (June 2nd).

If no one is really interested, I'll just parcel it out elsewhere.

Evan

[Adam]

Include 10 blank sheets of paper with each copy of the game.

[EvanMoore]

<chuckles> I've seen games like that, with blank pages in the back with only the top of the page that says, "Notes".

I was actually hoping for something a little more ... artistic?

<Grin>

Evan

[Kwyndig]

Then put a faded graphic on those last pages. It's a standard game manual trick, but it looks nicer than completely blank pages.

[EvanMoore]

Kwyndig,
Thanks for the suggestion, but--personally--I plan to pack as much meat into the book as I can with little room for wasted space like that.

Besides, I would like to have a character sheet that has some artistic integrity.

But, thanks for the suggestions!

Evan

[Adam]

I'm just about to go for a nap, so I dont' really have time to be more verbose, but what do you think makes a good character sheet?

I can name one character sheet I've seen in the last year that I liked - Little Fears - and that was for a game where PCs are generally very narrow and therefore the default sheet would work well for virtually any PC.

Most character sheets try to do a little of everything and end up doing nothing well, IMO.

[FlameBlade]

I generally prefer character sheet which isn't artistic at all, but easy to use. What's a good a character sheet if strength is there, and dexterity is over there, and intellegence is over there. You get the idea. So basically, make the character sheet FIRST, then artistic license later.

[EvanMoore]

Well, I'd like the back of the character sheet to have a representation of the character indicating the injury zones and a place to fill in the values for the body with a handy-dandy little piece that helps players remember called shot values, hit locations and whatnot. That's what I mean by the "artistry".

The front side is going to be like every other character sheet--a spreadsheet layout of data.

<Shrug>

Guess I'm just looking for someone with some talent for organizing information well and a cool generic character pic on the back with the necessary call-outs laid out in an organized, efficient manner.

Evan

[Eva]

Guess I'm just looking for someone with some talent for organizing information well and a cool generic character pic on the back with the necessary call-outs laid out in an organized, efficient manner.

Evan, please don't take offense at what I'm about to say: it seems to me that you have a very clear picture in your head of what you want this character sheet to hold and to look like. Why not do it yourself? If it's time that's keeping you, a long editing process will take at least as long as creation from the get-go, providing that your mental picture is indeed as clear as you make it seem.

[EvanMoore]

Eva,
I seriously thought about it. But, I lack the artistic talent to do what I need.

I was thinking about it last night while I lay in bed before sleep and realized that what I'd like to have is something like Leonardo da Vinci's layout of the man on the board with call-outs for each of his injury zones. I can organize and create the front of the page easily. It's drawing something that looks even half-way decent that I fall down.

There is also the time issue--but, then, I have to chide myself and remember that I could probably organize the sheet in less time than it takes me to read and respond to a thread on SST.

It's really more of the artistic ability (or lack thereof) that holds me back from doing it--and right now every artist I have working with me is pretty deep in projects.

Evan

[Adam]

Wouldn't this task be part of your layout guys job? He can likely create the sheet in Illustrator or whichever publishing program he's using; the image you're looking for could likely be created with a digital picture and manipulation software.

[EvanMoore]

Without further debating the duty logs for my staff, yes, that's probably the case.

Does he have the time? Apparently not, if I came here.

'nuff said.

Evan

[Ryan Murphy]

Hmm... not much I can do, as a producer of such things... but as a consumer, let me give you my biggest piece of input. SIMPLICITY. Make it something nice where someone (especially new to the game) can glance at the sheet and find exactly what they need in about 2 seconds. Any longer than that, and your sheet is too complicated, sir.

[Cazmonster]

I'll stick my two cents in here as well.

Make sure to put the combat stuff all in one place. Nobody likes having to look all over their sheet to remember what their weapons do.

Combat must always be lightning fast, or it's just no damn fun.

[EvanMoore]

Very good points, thanks Ryan and Caz.

I would like to have the whole front of the character sheet devoted to "character info"--attributes, skills, qualities. I'd like the back of the character sheet to be the "combat center". The injury zones, initiative values, important numbers, skill values listed with the appropriate weapons and all familiarities and proficiencies listed, armor, etc. So, when you go into combat you get an actual physical change to the information you're presented with--almost like a screen changing on a computer game when you go into combat.

Since the game is "skill heavy", I am a bit concerned that separating out the skills will be problematic. But, we shall see.

Any other ideas/suggestions for the character sheet layout?

Evan

[Threadbare]

This isn't about layout, but I personally would like it if the character sheet is easy to photocopy without ripping it out of the damn book.

[3278]

How would you go about that? Leave a greater inner margin? Or make that the last page before the cover, maybe, so you just fold the cover back and copy it?

This all presumes a single-sided sheet, of course...

Also, character sheets are going to be downloadable in PDF format, right, Evan?

[EvanMoore]

Character sheets will be downloadable in PDF, yes.

There will also be pages of applicable charts so that Bards can create their own GM screens (though we are planning a GM screen product and the art for it is just so killing kick ass, I had to change pants after seeing it the first time!) (Okay, so it's not THAT good, but it's still cool.)

In fact, most of the game-mechanic will be downloadable and freely distributable with the caveat that if it's used for anything published, it just needs to have our approval for use. No fee. No license. No massive corporate ownership of anything published using that license (like the D20 OGL, or so I have been advised by my legal counsel--also why I will not allow any official conversions to D20--because then WotC has rights to use everything produced for that game-system).

In fact, we should have the "Primer Edition" available online in the next few weeks. The Primer Edition is the stripped down version of the game. Basic game mechanic (without rules for awarding experience, spending experience, healing and some of the finer points of the mechanic), basic game-world detail, a few races, a few cultures and some of the generic career options. Enough to get a few good sessions of play from many different perspectives, but it will--deliberately--leave you wanting more.

I'd like to have a character generator available--especially since character generation is a very involved process that can take an inexperienced player (i.e. one inexperienced with our creation mechanic) about two hours. I can make one in about 20-30 minutes, now. I've had a few people ask about making the character generator for me--but no one has pursued it much further than asking.

Oh, and we're going to start putting up some artwork in the next few weeks, too. Cover art is all but approved (in fact, I'll be sending out the email to the artist that approves it later tonight.

Evan