I use character sheets that strongly resemble the official stat blocks of Pathfinder monsters and NPCs in the PRD.
However, I am having a hard time trying to find an appropriate place AND format to write in a character's archetype(s)--something that sees heavy use in our games.
To date, I've only exchanged the class abilities and left it that, but as more and more characters are created, it is becoming hard to look at old sheets and know what archetypes were used without having to break out the books.
If there was an official stat block somewhere using archetypes, I would just steal their format, but I have yet to see one using archetypes.
So, got any advice/recommendations for me on how best to write it on the character sheet? I want to avoid confusion in the future as archetypes become more common and varied in the future.
The same place I write their class.+1
HeroLab does it as Fighter (Lore Warden) or similar. Only issue comes in when you have a heavy multiclass with lots of archetypes, but that is probably ugly even without the archetypes.
That is how I have always done it also.
I just write the archetype instead of the class. it's not like I'll ever forget what class the archetype belongs to. I mean... I'm playing it.
And if you have multiple archetypes? What if you have 2 classes and 5 archetypes? What format do you use then?
The same format I use for multiclassed characters.
Could you please spell out an example so I know precisely what you mean?
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X Lancer/X Rogue/X Cloistered Cleric.
or
X Sensei of the Four Winds. (Probably not legal, just using it as an example of combining archetypes.)
Honestly, I don't see the need to write down what archetype I'm using any more than I felt the need to write down what alternate class features I took in 3.5.
The list of class features will tell me what archetypes a character has. If I see Overhead Chop on a Fighter sheet, I'll know he's using the Two-Handed Fighter archetype.
The same format I use for multiclassed characters.Could you please spell out an example so I know precisely what you mean?
When I do it, I usually put the archetype instead of the class name. In case of several archetypes, I try to combine them into one clever title (like the sensei of four winds). If that's not really feasible, I instead go like: monk 5 (archetype a / archetype b) / fighter 2 (archetype c)
I agree with keeping it in the class line and using parentheses. I use slashes for multiclass and I also include things like bloodlines in the parentheses. I superscript a "FC" at the end of the class that is their favored one. I can't superscript here but...
Male cleric of SarenraeFC 1
Female sorcerer (fey)FC 1
Male fighter (brawker, cad)FC 3 / barbarian (sea raver)2
The latter example may not be valid. I didn't check. It's just an example.
I do the same thing down in the Domain line for subdomains.
Domains: Healing(Restoration), Repose(Souls)
In published material, Paizo does it in parentheses after the class name, like in the following examples:
.
.
.
.
Derrak Stoneskull CR 19
XP 204,800
Male dwarf fighter (weapon master) 20 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide 109)
Ish Torovan CR 4
XP 1,200
Male human ranger (urban ranger) 5 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide 129)
In published material, Paizo does it in parentheses after the class name, like in the following examples:
.
.
.
.
Derrak Stoneskull CR 19
XP 204,800
Male dwarf fighter (weapon master) 20 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide 109)Ish Torovan CR 4
XP 1,200
Male human ranger (urban ranger) 5 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide 129)
Awesome!
Have they shown any examples where a character uses multiple archetypes in a single class?
Are the archetypes divided by ampersands, commas, dashes, semi-colons, slashes, or what?
In published material, Paizo does it in parentheses after the class name (examples omitted)Awesome!
Have they shown any examples where a character uses multiple archetypes in a single class?
Are the archetypes divided by ampersands, commas, dashes, semi-colons, slashes, or what?
I was hoping to find one, but haven't yet. But based on their normal conventions for separating lists, I'd guess it's likely to be commas.
I was hoping to continue this discussion. Does anyone have any other efficient means of writing in archetypes on their sheets?
I often just drop the original class name entirely, e.g. Mysterious Stranger 3
Does anyone have any other efficient means of writing in archetypes on their sheets?What counts as efficient to you? I don't believe I have anything more than what I've given, unless you want to write up a comprehensive table of three letter abbreviations for every class and archetype.
Something that doesn't look cluttered, or terribly dragged out. Something that isn't confusing or misleading.
I often just drop the original class name entirely, e.g. Mysterious Stranger 3
Than how do you know what the original class is? You'd have to memorize all the archetypes and what classes they belonged to. Also, what would you do if one of the character's classes had multiple archetypes?
Writing wizard 5/fighter 1 is easy enough, but a monk of the four winds 4/monk of the lotus 4/monk of the sacred mountain/fighter 5* is highly misleading.
* I have no idea if this is a legal combo, I'm just using it as a quick example.
Right now, I'm tempted to list all the archetypes after the class names and level values.
So it would look like this:
fighter 15 (archer)
or
monk 2/magus 3 (monk of many styles, staff magus)
Multiclassing will be divided by slashes and listed in order of class taken. Archetypes will be listed alphabetically in parenthesis and separated by commas.
It's usually not too hard to figure out which archetypes go to which classes in the case of multiclassed characters, and even if does, it's unlikely to come up (as you would have to be multiclassed AND have multiple archetypes across multiple classes AND not have a good memory).
What do you think?
The crazy long archetype names do make things difficult for stacked archetypes. In that case, you may just have to use your judgment. You could always make a custom name for the stacked archetype and write the details in the Special Abilities section:
Class: monk of earth, wind, and flower 4/fighter 5
Special Abilities: Stacked archetype: Monk of Earth, Wind, and Flower (Monk of Four Winds + Monk of the Lotus + Monk of the Sacred Mountain)
I combine them if possible. I don't know offhand what a legal combination would be, but for the non-legal example of a weapon master and two handed fighter, I would have fighter 10 (two handed weapon master)
Right now, I'm tempted to list all the archetypes after the class names and level values.
So it would look like this:
fighter 15 (archer)
or
monk 2/magus 3 (monk of many styles, staff magus)
Multiclassing will be divided by slashes and listed in order of class taken. Archetypes will be listed alphabetically in parenthesis and separated by commas.
It's usually not too hard to figure out which archetypes go to which classes in the case of multiclassed characters, and even if does, it's unlikely to come up (as you would have to be multiclassed AND have multiple archetypes across multiple classes AND not have a good memory).
What do you think?
This also works.
Just use the notes section on your character sheet.
exp
Fighter
armor master
brawler
Wizard
spellslinger
siege mage
BTW can you even take more than one archetype per class?
Doesn't the archetype replace the actuall class?
You can't stack the same class can you?
Other wise I would want to take LvL 1 fighter over and over.
Sorry the cheese of stacking archetypes bothers me.
However, if your dm says it makes since then the notes section is a great place to cheese it up.
I stand corrected you can take more than one as long as they don't contradict one another (such as two different abilities replacing the same ability from the base class) and as long as you meet the requirements for them.
gl with all that.
Just use the notes section on your character sheet.
expFighter
armor master
brawler
Wizard
spellslinger
siege mageBTW can you even take more than one archetype per class?
Doesn't the archetype replace the actuall class?
You can't stack the same class can you?
Other wise I would want to take LvL 1 fighter over and over.
Sorry the cheese of stacking archetypes bothers me.
However, if your dm says it makes since then the notes section is a great place to cheese it up.
You can take more than one archetype if and only if no class feature is affected or replaced by more than one archetype. The result is a single archetype, not a multiclass character.
I only write down abbreviations on the first sheet, like Fig (PS) 9 / Cav (HG, Em) 1.
Somewhere on the second page, I note the long version of the archetypes together with the class abilities.