hey all - just read JJ's article on stat blocks, and got to wondering: how do you all make up your stat blocks? I know there are programs to help with this stuff, but I've always found that pulling out a character sheet and scratch paper is the best way for me.
Director of Narrative
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I'm not sure exactly which article you're referring to, but since I just cranked out about eight of them in the last fourteen hours the process is quite fresh in my mind.
I start with a good concept first of course. Having a full idea of your NPCs past, motivations and mind set helps in the long run. Even if some of those factors are not immediately important to the adventure at hand, they help create a more realistic selection of skills, and to a lesser extent, feats. I use a notebook (dead tree format) and a pencil and write what ends up looking like a reformatted sketch of a character sheet. I'll put a line for each level/HD and columns for BAB, FRW, skill pts and class abilities. I then work out the totals and move on to skill selection followed by feats. I end it up with gear and item choices.
After I have my notes sorted out the way I like them I enter the information on a Word document that I use as a stat block template. I've found that it's helpful to have multiple Word templates for the multiple stat block formats that are sometimes required.
I don't expect my method would work for everyone, but I assume that many others use this method in some form or another.
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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I'm not sure exactly which article you're referring to, but since I just cranked out about eight of them in the last fourteen hours the process is quite fresh in my mind.
I start with a good concept first of course. Having a full idea of your NPCs past, motivations and mind set helps in the long run. Even if some of those factors are not immediately important to the adventure at hand, they help create a more realistic selection of skills, and to a lesser extent, feats. I use a notebook (dead tree format) and a pencil and write what ends up looking like a reformatted sketch of a character sheet. I'll put a line for each level/HD and columns for BAB, FRW, skill pts and class abilities. I then work out the totals and move on to skill selection followed by feats. I end it up with gear and item choices.
After I have my notes sorted out the way I like them I enter the information on a Word document that I use as a stat block template. I've found that it's helpful to have multiple Word templates for the multiple stat block formats that are sometimes required.
I don't expect my method would work for everyone, but I assume that many others use this method in some form or another.
That's basically what I use. I start with a clear concept, some unique spin on the character (even if it's something small), and build from there. I usually play with the idea I've created for a day or two before committing it to paper/word processor.
I use a template taken from Dungeon's writers guidelines.
After that I generally go through it roughly from top to bottom but jumping back and forth when a new modifier effects something prevously recorded.
I don't use character sheets anymore as I find that the DM has to really have all the information for the encounter at his finger tips. The players usually have some time to plan while its not their turn but the DM has to act lickety split when s/he is up - no time to pour over a character sheet trying to figure out what to do. Dungeon's monster fromat - once you learn it is exceptional at giving one everything they need to know for an encounter (with a few exceptions that I added to the format myself).