Did the new BWG character sheets get posted anywhere? I wanted to start playing around with Char Gen to get a feel for the changes, but I didn’t see new sheets listed anywhere?
Did I miss them or have those and the new scripting sheets not been uploaded yet?
Jaime
Yeah, sheets and scripts won’t be posted until after GenCon (barring the sheets Steve posted). I used John Andersons booklets for now cause they are purty. I didn’t think anything really changed much here.
John’s awesome character sheets for variety 
OK, I’m going to expand this thread a bit. Creating custom character sheets is a hobby of mine, and I’d like to make a slick new campaign booklet for BWG. In fact, I’ve already started. I want to incorporate all of the best elements of the aforementioned sheet, as well as the Rafe variant, but updated to BWG of course. It’ll be a combination character sheet and cheat sheet, combined into one package. I’ve also got some interesting ideas for taking the traditional character sheet style in a new direction.
So, what I’d like to ask is:
[ul][li]What character sheet elements have changed in BWG?
[/li]
So far, all I have noticed is the weapon speed changes.
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[li]What frequently-used rules (ie. “cheat-sheet worthy”) have changed in BWG?
[/li]
So far, the only thing I’ve found is that Perception isn’t open-ended anymore.
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[li]What new elements would you like to see added to a BW character sheet?
[/li]
One of the things I am working on is a new way to present the most-used game information – the injury greyscale and the advancement chart – in a way that will make them visible while viewing any page with skills or stats on it. More on that later.
[/ul]
Any input you can give me will help me make a better sheet for you to use! Thanks in advance!
~ Dean
The one thing that I would like that isnt in the official Burning Wheel Campaign Booklet is a way to record artha spent on skills and stats that is inline with the ratings (to track epiphanies)
What do you mean exactly by tracking artha “inline with the ratings”? The John Anderson sheets linked to above allow the tracking of Fate, Persona, and Deeds artha for all skills and stats, and the official BWG sheet allows tracking for stats only. Is this what you had in mind, or something more involved? I was planning on having an advancement + artha tracker for all skills, abilities, and stats that is similar in design to the way stats are presented on the BWG sheet, only with a tad extra room for displaying icons to give more information for special rules per ability similar to what John Anderson did (open-ended skills, wound penalties not applying, etc.). However, I am more than open to tweaking this format if you can give me a good idea!
I guess I was saying I want the John Anderson style Artha tracking for Skills and Stats on the much cleaner designed BW Official Sheet.
Yeah, OK, this is what I was planning to do.
Something I’m interested in on a new sheet is wounds tracking without bothering with the grey scale, just give me blocks for each wound category, kind of what the wiki format shows, with space of course to indicate wounds received.
Otherwise, I’m looking forward to various character sheet renditions.
Frank
My only request is form-fillable PDFs…
Actually, I take that back.
I also want a character sheet app for my iPad.
But I’d settle for a form-fillable PDF.
Jaime
Yeah, I’ve been considering this. I can see merits and demerits of going both ways. In the end, I suppose I’ll do a rendition of both versions.
I agree, an iPad app would be slick, especially for GMs. I’m not an iOS programmer however, so somebody else will have to step up to the plate for that. In the meantime, a Pages or Numbers template would work well I think, or maybe just use Tiddlywiki. I don’t have an iPad yet, but I plan on getting one eventually. New computer is my top priority though.
As for form-fillable PDFs, I doubt I’ll do one anytime soon. It’s just a personal preference thing. I’ve always found the old paper-and-pencil sheets to be much more intimate, and intimacy with one’s character is something that should be strived for. (Not THAT kind of intimacy, get yer head outta the gutter!) Also, never saw the point of having to print out a new sheet every time changes are made. I always aim to create a permanent character record when I sit down to sheet, something beautiful and practical at the same time that you can keep even after the campaign is long finished.
However, I do intend on making a form-fillable section to insert a character portrait. I’m a big fan of personal artwork on sheets. And if I do decide to make a fully form-fillable version, I’ll likely make a condensed version for one-shots first, as that’s where form-fillable sheets really shine. I’ve never done forms before though, so it’ll take some figuring out to do.
I’d like to add as a footnote that I won’t be finished this project anytime soon. While I could whip up a half-assed copy in a few hours, I prefer to take my time with it. It’s a hobby, and a kind of an art. So, no estimated time of completion at all. It’ll be available when it’s done!
Form fillabe sheets would be great for online play, especially if you can fill in advancement tracking.
Oh definitely! I didn’t mean to say that form-fillable sucks or anything. Far from it! I’ve used form-fillable sheets for online gaming myself. It’s just not my preference for tabletop is all, and printable sheets are what I’m focusing on at the moment.
For online play, I think an XML sheet would work best. I’ve got no clue how to do that though. I once tried to figure it out by analyzing some sheet code over at MythWeavers, but it was a bit beyond me.
How about a simple Google spreadsheet, editable by forms? Could be just the trick for an online campaign.
Ya think 30 skills is enough for one sheet? Anybody ever have a character with more than 30 skills? What’s the most skills you’ve ever had with a single character?
I’ve got a 9 LP NPC I burned up who has 36 skills, but I wouldn’t expect such a character to fit on a standard sheet.
However, I could see PCs who really get into trying to open new wises having quite a few skills. But then that would be a long campaign, and may be something to be handled by a booklet sheet.
However, some of those skills are trainings, some space could be saved by having a single line for folks to list their trainings (assuming you have a separate practice log area).
So if 30 is what you can comfortably fit into your sheet, I’d say that’s good. The few outliers can use a more extensive sheet.
Frank
An extensive character booklet made for long campaigns is exactly what I am working on right now. Shorter versions to come later. So, thanks for the input! I’ll try and go for 40-50 skills, or find some way to make it easily extendable.
And your idea for listing training skills on one line is great! I’ll definitely be using that. Thanks!
~ Dean
Well, wouldn’t you know it, my character booklet project has been put on hold, because I need to make a form-fillable online character sheet first. My foot’s in my mouth, doesn’t taste that bad though. Got a friend who wants to do a little online BW play in a couple weeks, so I’m whipping up a Google Docs character spreadsheet.
NOTE: I am not a spreadsheet pro. In fact, my skills are pretty basic in that regard. This sheet will be rough. Usable, but rough. If anybody else makes a better version, let me know please!
The link’s below. It’s still a work in progress! The editable sheet is a bit of an eyesore, but it will be very usable once it’s finished. The goal is to have all the relevant info copy over to a cleaner statblock sheet for quick lookup.
A small request, if you don’t mind: could you also make a pdf with a single page of character sheet per a4 sheet? The writing on half-pages can be tiny. Thanks in advance for the hassle.