What information on a PC’s character sheet do you, as a DM, frequently need to know?
The reason I ask is that I’m playing around with putting together an Adventure Worksheet: A little standard form that can hang out as a tablemat for quick reference.
For example:
- Who’s the slowest party member? (So that you know how fast the group moves in exploration mode.)
- What’s the standard watch rotation?
- What’s the standard marching order? (With notations for light sources.)
And key PC stats like:
- Armor Class (so that you don’t need to keep asking for it every round)
- Known Languages (so that you know who understands the guttural grumblings of goblins)
- Spot/Listen/Perception checks (assuming you make them secretly)
I find the information that I can actually reference in this matter tends to vary a lot. For example, for my original 3E group I was able to jot down ACs for the PCs and significantly streamline my resolution of NPC attack rolls. But every 3E group I’ve DMed since then has featured characters who are constantly shifting their AC from encounter-to-encounter and (frequently) round-to-round, preventing me from effective cheat sheeting.
Similarly, I know several DMs who jot down Spot/Listen/Perception checks because they like to make those checks secretly. I prefer the “red herring” approach to Perception checks (in which I will periodically call for Perception checks whether there’s anything to detect or not) because it gives me an extra tool for setting pace and tone. (Properly employed you can create a sense of paranoia, false-confidence, or both. It’s also a great, non-confrontational way to refocus attention on the game if the table is getting sidetracked or chit-chatty.)
So I’m wondering what type of stuff you like to have at your fingertips as a DM. (Or would like to have.)
I go with pretty much what you list: Spot/Search/Listen modifiers, Hide/Move Silently if there’s a character likely to do that. [Actually, I sometimes use Move Silently scores as a way to determine encounter distance: subtract the worst M.S. modifier from the best Listen modifier in the other group (assumes both parties are taking 10 for passive checks) and multiply by 10′ to get the base distance at which the one group will hear the other. Randomize it a bit (roll two d6s of different colors, use one for +10′ and one for -10′), and adjust for circumstances as desired/necessary.]
Sometimes I roll checks myself, and sometimes I go for the red herring approach. I like to know the race of each character (mainly for darkvision/low-light vision and racial abilities), and I have a little column for notes (like “auto-detect secret doors within 10′,” stuff like that). This is just on semi-scrap paper; if I were (or more to the point, if YOU were) making a formal worksheet, a lot of those items might be best presented as check-boxes.
[Unrelated side note about character race: in my game, a half-orc character died and they reincarnated him; he came back as an elf. Later they were exploring a dungeon level occupied by orcs, and they knew the name of the orc leader. They bashed in a door to an orc barracks, and this character strode in calmly, saying in Orc: “It’s okay, sent us!” I asked him for a Bluff check just for grins (I think he got a 3) and then the arrows started flying. We had to explain after the combat that, while a good idea, the approach was undermined by the fact that he looked like an elf. He said “Oh, I forgot I wasn’t an orc anymore.” Which was both funny, AND plausible in-game, so: double points.]
I don’t bother with recording AC, I generally will just roll an attack and ask “does a 22 hit you?” if I’m not sure. I roll attacks and damage in the open in this game, and coupled with this approach it provides a channel to convey information to the players (like, I rolled a 6 and I’m asking if a 22 hits: maybe this guy is tougher than they thought).
Marching order and watch rotation might be useful. Marching order is generally just handled with minis, though. For watches, when groups have several non-humans my players tend to pair the humans with non-humans on watch (so as not to have two characters both lacking darkvision/low-light vision on watch together), but lately they’re all or mostly human. And lately they’ve been going with one guy on watch at a time, so I can usually just roll randomly to see who’s on watch when something interesting happens.
Languages would be useful; I generally learn who knows what languages after a while, but it would be nice to be able to look and see (again, maybe check-boxes) without having to ask. To avoid tipping information, I’ll ask “what languages do you speak?” but this takes time as they run down the list. I don’t worry about recording speed because it’s easy enough to ask, and it doesn’t generally change. It’s almost always going to be 20′ for the slowest anyway, at least at low-to-mid level.
I have a one-page sheet I put together with check-boxes for every 10-minute period. It fits 8 days (in 4 columns) on one sheet of paper; I use it for tracking time in the dungeon.
One thing that might be handy is a spot to record miscellaneous special notes that maybe the players don’t know about. Like if they have a magic item that will respond in some way to a particular stimulus.
If you’re the kind of guy who likes to roll saving throws for the characters in some cases, then their save bonuses would of course be useful.
I tend to note down CHA modifiers for reaction rolls/henchmen morale.
I use Spot/Listen/Search, Sense Motive, Alignment, Languages
Things that you could include (but I usually don’t) are AC, DR, SR, Appraise, Hide/M.S., Bluff, Disable Device, Open Lock. If you don’t trust your players, you might also include saves
Info like darkvision, elven trap sense, speed are also useful, but they’re pretty easy to remember after a couple of sessions.
Another useful thing: an Encounter Record sheet, that lists for every creature’s Spot/Listen, Hide/M.S., Ini, ACs, saves, DR, SR, HP, attacks, grapple and likely buffs and spells and special abilities used. In other words, the stats that a DM is going to need all the time. Oh, and an Initiative tracker, of course. It’s probably more useful for D&D than for L&L with its condensed stat blocks, but still…