Beginners Tools for 4th Edition


4th Edition


I am looking for any beginner play aids (to make players kit with) that people have stumbled across for new players (both to 4th and to D&D altogether).

So far I have found this.

I am looking for a simplistic character sheet that doesn't include powers as they will be using power cards. Any suggestions?

The Exchange

Very cool. I would also make copies of pages 277 (conditions) and 289 (actions) in the PHB.


I love the sheets here

It has some power info on the front page but my crew using power cards just ignored that section.

We also use foam stars to represent action points and conditions and pipe cleaners to represent marks/curses.


My best friend swears by this site (for both 4 and 3E!)


David Marks wrote:
My best friend swears by this site (for both 4 and 3E!)

Yeah thats a great site and I already use it. But I was looking for something more clean and simple like the pre-genned sheets Wotc gave out with KotS minus the powers.

Im almost tempted to call it a "joe friday" version of the character sheet but that would a stretch.


drjones wrote:

I love the sheets here

It has some power info on the front page but my crew using power cards just ignored that section.

We also use foam stars to represent action points and conditions and pipe cleaners to represent marks/curses.

Great ideas. Do the sheets have direct links, enworld is banned work.


Azigen wrote:
drjones wrote:


Great ideas. Do the sheets have direct links, enworld is banned work.

It looks like he has it as an attachment on his post.


drjones wrote:


... my crew using power cards...

drjones,

Glad to hear someone else uses power cards (in 3.5 feats, skills and spells)! Regardless of the system, I've always found them invaluable for speeding up play. I've also made use of action cards like those for M&M found here:

http://www.mutantsandmasterminds.com/gimmicks_gadgets/cat_mutants_mastermin ds_second_edition.php

along with a Desperado-inspired card-based initiative system. When I started playing with my new group this winter (D&D 3.5, Sunless Citadel), I really appreciated having the 3.5 SRD from which to generate all the necessary cards. As an aside, from my PoV, that is the biggest disappointment of not having a full-blown SRD for the 4E GSL.

Now I want to take my fledgling group for a 4E test drive. I've tried using the D&DI Compendium to cut and paste, but its interface is... suboptimal. Do you (or anyone else for that matter!) know where I can download a set of power cards for 4E (I don't need a comprehensive set, just the first few levels to get us started)?

Jim


JLant wrote:
drjones wrote:


... my crew using power cards...

drjones,

Glad to hear someone else uses power cards (in 3.5 feats, skills and spells)! Regardless of the system, I've always found them invaluable for speeding up play. I've also made use of action cards like those for M&M found here:

http://www.mutantsandmasterminds.com/gimmicks_gadgets/cat_mutants_mastermin ds_second_edition.php

along with a Desperado-inspired card-based initiative system. When I started playing with my new group this winter (D&D 3.5, Sunless Citadel), I really appreciated having the 3.5 SRD from which to generate all the necessary cards. As an aside, from my PoV, that is the biggest disappointment of not having a full-blown SRD for the 4E GSL.

Now I want to take my fledgling group for a 4E test drive. I've tried using the D&DI Compendium to cut and paste, but its interface is... suboptimal. Do you (or anyone else for that matter!) know where I can download a set of power cards for 4E (I don't need a comprehensive set, just the first few levels to get us started)?

Jim

Why yes Jim!

Complete set of power cards in 95 pages of glory


drjones wrote:

I love the sheets here

It has some power info on the front page but my crew using power cards just ignored that section.

We also use foam stars to represent action points and conditions and pipe cleaners to represent marks/curses.

Thank you very much. I found a character sheet I like a lot more then the one that comes with the game.

Though I am actually serously thinking of taking the 3.5 monster statblock layout and using that as the basis for my character sheet.

Monster stat blocks are designed so that an overworked DM can grasp everything of substance at a glance. Thing is I actually think this would be an extremely effective way of running a PC as well.


Azigen wrote:

Why yes Jim!

Complete set of power cards in 95 pages of glory

Squee's like a girl.

This is exactly what I've been looking for. Though I'm sort of scared to think what printing this out in full colour, especially on some kind of card stock, would cost.


Jeremy Mac Donald wrote:


This is exactly what I've been looking for. Though I'm sort of scared to think what printing this out in full colour, especially on some kind of card stock, would cost.

I started with the race ones and then just the first 5 levels of each class, since Anders cards only have the colored bar that was not enough to use up a cartridge on my cheapo printer. I wanted them to be disposable in that the players could write on them/spill beer on them and it would not be a big deal to print again. The biggest problem is cutting the buggers out neatly. I wish I had one of those big straight edge choppers they had in the high school library.

But yeah, I may need to find a source of cardstock and work very late at the office one evening...


Jeremy Mac Donald wrote:
Azigen wrote:

Why yes Jim!

Complete set of power cards in 95 pages of glory

Squee's like a girl.

This is exactly what I've been looking for. Though I'm sort of scared to think what printing this out in full colour, especially on some kind of card stock, would cost.

This thread on ENWorld has several complete sets of cards in different styles available for download, as well as some advice on making your own! I use one of the sets in here, but I'm not at home so I don't know the name offhand. Some of the work done here is REALLY snazzy! (And I even think the set posted above started off in this thread, although I could be wrong ...)

Cheers! :)

Edit: This thread is in ENWorld's 4E custom creations forum, home to some REALLY great stuff! Check the whole board out! :)


drjones wrote:
Jeremy Mac Donald wrote:


This is exactly what I've been looking for. Though I'm sort of scared to think what printing this out in full colour, especially on some kind of card stock, would cost.

I started with the race ones and then just the first 5 levels of each class, since Anders cards only have the colored bar that was not enough to use up a cartridge on my cheapo printer. I wanted them to be disposable in that the players could write on them/spill beer on them and it would not be a big deal to print again. The biggest problem is cutting the buggers out neatly. I wish I had one of those big straight edge choppers they had in the high school library.

But yeah, I may need to find a source of cardstock and work very late at the office one evening...

Another option (that some of the guys I play with use) is buying the plastic card sleeves that stores sell to Magic players and the like. The sleeves keep them protected and give them a bit of stiffness, even if they're just regular paper. Not sure how the costs would compare though ... if anyone knows, I'd be interested in that info as well! :)


David Marks wrote:
drjones wrote:
Jeremy Mac Donald wrote:


This is exactly what I've been looking for. Though I'm sort of scared to think what printing this out in full colour, especially on some kind of card stock, would cost.

I started with the race ones and then just the first 5 levels of each class, since Anders cards only have the colored bar that was not enough to use up a cartridge on my cheapo printer. I wanted them to be disposable in that the players could write on them/spill beer on them and it would not be a big deal to print again. The biggest problem is cutting the buggers out neatly. I wish I had one of those big straight edge choppers they had in the high school library.

But yeah, I may need to find a source of cardstock and work very late at the office one evening...

Another option (that some of the guys I play with use) is buying the plastic card sleeves that stores sell to Magic players and the like. The sleeves keep them protected and give them a bit of stiffness, even if they're just regular paper. Not sure how the costs would compare though ... if anyone knows, I'd be interested in that info as well! :)

Couldn't say. I had a bunch of those card sleeves handy from when my daughter played the Pokemon card game. I actually broke down and bought a paper cutter, 8x11 laminator, and 200 laminating pouches to go with my 95+ page full-color printouts.

It was probably more than I should have spent on just a little project like power cards, but the end result was fairly nice and I can use all of these pieces for other projects (or maybe make a little money back by offering laminate services to anyone else in my group who wants cards printed).

The cutter was about $20, the laminator was $20, one pack of laminate was about $20. Cardstock was about $7, and a light blue ink cart for my printer (the most used one other than black) was $13. 95 pages on cardstock burned that one cart pretty much completely.


David Marks wrote:
drjones wrote:
Jeremy Mac Donald wrote:


This is exactly what I've been looking for. Though I'm sort of scared to think what printing this out in full colour, especially on some kind of card stock, would cost.

I started with the race ones and then just the first 5 levels of each class, since Anders cards only have the colored bar that was not enough to use up a cartridge on my cheapo printer. I wanted them to be disposable in that the players could write on them/spill beer on them and it would not be a big deal to print again. The biggest problem is cutting the buggers out neatly. I wish I had one of those big straight edge choppers they had in the high school library.

But yeah, I may need to find a source of cardstock and work very late at the office one evening...

Another option (that some of the guys I play with use) is buying the plastic card sleeves that stores sell to Magic players and the like. The sleeves keep them protected and give them a bit of stiffness, even if they're just regular paper. Not sure how the costs would compare though ... if anyone knows, I'd be interested in that info as well! :)

50 sleeves for about 3 dollars (Link)

I would NOT be surprised to see offical WOTC Power Deck protectors. Special ones for GENCON and the like.

You could always do a pocketmod


Azigen wrote:


Why yes Jim!

Complete set of power cards in 95 pages of glory

TYVM!!!


From what I recall before the days of the GSL, 4E power cards was one of the future projects from Pramas and GR. ( I maybe completely wrong here..I barely remember my names sometimes! :P ).

This is a product I would happily shell out $$$ on.


Azigen wrote:

50 sleeves for about 3 dollars (Link)

I would NOT be surprised to see offical WOTC Power Deck protectors. Special ones for GENCON and the like.

You could always do a pocketmod

I wouldn't be surprised to find an official deck of power cards at some point.


Christopher Fannin wrote:
Azigen wrote:

50 sleeves for about 3 dollars (Link)

I would NOT be surprised to see offical WOTC Power Deck protectors. Special ones for GENCON and the like.

You could always do a pocketmod

I wouldn't be surprised to find an official deck of power cards at some point.

I'd not be surprised either and I bet they can sell them to us for less than we an make good versions due to sheer volume - but for now I'm happy with what I can get.

The Exchange

Jeremy Mac Donald wrote:
Azigen wrote:

Why yes Jim!

Complete set of power cards in 95 pages of glory

Squee's like a girl.

This is exactly what I've been looking for. Though I'm sort of scared to think what printing this out in full colour, especially on some kind of card stock, would cost.

I just asked my admin to do it on the solid ink printer.

Aahhhh the joys of staff.... the abuse of power.


tadkil wrote:
Jeremy Mac Donald wrote:
Azigen wrote:

Why yes Jim!

Complete set of power cards in 95 pages of glory

Squee's like a girl.

This is exactly what I've been looking for. Though I'm sort of scared to think what printing this out in full colour, especially on some kind of card stock, would cost.

I just asked my admin to do it on the solid ink printer.

Aahhhh the joys of staff.... the abuse of power.

I beleieve the word you were looking for was "Excellent"


Azigen wrote:
David Marks wrote:
drjones wrote:
Jeremy Mac Donald wrote:


This is exactly what I've been looking for. Though I'm sort of scared to think what printing this out in full colour, especially on some kind of card stock, would cost.

I started with the race ones and then just the first 5 levels of each class, since Anders cards only have the colored bar that was not enough to use up a cartridge on my cheapo printer. I wanted them to be disposable in that the players could write on them/spill beer on them and it would not be a big deal to print again. The biggest problem is cutting the buggers out neatly. I wish I had one of those big straight edge choppers they had in the high school library.

But yeah, I may need to find a source of cardstock and work very late at the office one evening...

Another option (that some of the guys I play with use) is buying the plastic card sleeves that stores sell to Magic players and the like. The sleeves keep them protected and give them a bit of stiffness, even if they're just regular paper. Not sure how the costs would compare though ... if anyone knows, I'd be interested in that info as well! :)

50 sleeves for about 3 dollars (Link)

I would NOT be surprised to see offical WOTC Power Deck protectors. Special ones for GENCON and the like.

You could always do a pocketmod

Meh, everyone makes their "official" card sleeves, it's nothing special. Though I do like the official The Spoils ones, even if they are just the regular backs of the cards.


Azigen wrote:

I am looking for any beginner play aids (to make players kit with) that people have stumbled across for new players (both to 4th and to D&D altogether).

So far I have found this.

I am looking for a simplistic character sheet that doesn't include powers as they will be using power cards. Any suggestions?

I am working on a beginners basic character sheet. This is what I have so far. Im thinking I might switch to excel.


Azigen wrote:
Azigen wrote:

I am looking for any beginner play aids (to make players kit with) that people have stumbled across for new players (both to 4th and to D&D altogether).

So far I have found this.

I am looking for a simplistic character sheet that doesn't include powers as they will be using power cards. Any suggestions?

I am working on a beginners basic character sheet. This is what I have so far. Im thinking I might switch to excel.

Interesting. I'm not really sure what your philosophy is behind this as a beginners sheet however so I can't really comment on whether I think its good or not.


Azigen wrote:


Why yes Jim!

Complete set of power cards in 95 pages of glory

Dude, you just made my week(end). Seriously, those are professional quality and just what the doctor orderded for my gaming. TYVM!


JLant wrote:
Azigen wrote:


Why yes Jim!

Complete set of power cards in 95 pages of glory

Dude, you just made my week(end). Seriously, those are professional quality and just what the doctor orderded for my gaming. TYVM!

I cannot take credit for them(wish I could). I found them at The Gamer Dome.


Jeremy Mac Donald wrote:
Azigen wrote:
Azigen wrote:

I am looking for any beginner play aids (to make players kit with) that people have stumbled across for new players (both to 4th and to D&D altogether).

So far I have found this.

I am looking for a simplistic character sheet that doesn't include powers as they will be using power cards. Any suggestions?

I am working on a beginners basic character sheet. This is what I have so far. Im thinking I might switch to excel.
Interesting. I'm not really sure what your philosophy is behind this as a beginners sheet however so I can't really comment on whether I think its good or not.

I am looking for a "Just the facts" type of character sheet with no powers on it. Just one sheet preferably.


Attempt #2 at a basic character sheet.


David Marks wrote:
My best friend swears by this site (for both 4 and 3E!)

That excel character sheet on this site is pretty complex but its an amazing piece of work.


Grumble...
Except that its still rough around the edges. It won't let me take my extra divine feat I get from my God for being a cleric. It won't let me enter my extra at will power for being human into my favourite powers list. The gp tracker is not letting me record how much I spent on my mundane equipment.


Bump just because I keep finding this thread useful and others might as well.

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