As a GM: Important info to know from player's Character Sheets?

[Kiesman]

I'll be running my first game of Pathfinder soon, and I was wanting to make a chart of important data about each player's characters to have on-hand on my side of the screen for quick reference.

What would you all consider as the most important data to have? I know initiative and AC would be good, as well as perception and saves. What else should I have?

[AaronUnicorn]

Starting HP - just so you don't accidentally one-shot a PC
Languages Known
Special abilities - especially ones that affect a character's perception (darkvision, low-light vision, trapfinding, etc.)

[Moonclanger]

I make a note of all defensive spells and abilities that are running.

I also keep track of hit points. While I tell my players how much damage they've taken I keep track as well so that I know what condition they're in.

The one time I ran 4th ed D&D I didn't keep track of hit points and the BBEG killed the whole party without me realizing! That was embarrassing.

[Daedalaman]

It really depends on how proactive you want to be as a GM and the level of immersion that you want. I usually take their initiative mod, saves, knowledge skills, and perception. What Aaron Unicorn said above is also a good suggestion.

[nosig]

I'd rather have the PCs Sense Motive than their Saves or AC. I figure the player will be rolling a save and they should know their saves, but if I have an NPC lying to them... I'd rather be able to tell the guy with the +24 Sense Motive that he doesn't trust the NPC. And maybe I adjust the way I have the NPC talk (so he sounds "untrustworthy").

though I often encourage the players to put this info on a table tent with their PC name/picture/ etc. so I have it when I'm looking at them during the game...

[DJEternalDarkness]

I usually use an index card (1 per player, also let's me sort initiative order correctly and quickly) where I get the following:

Name:
Class:
Level:

Initiative modifier:

HP:
AC:
Touch AC:
FF AC:
stats:
saves:
traits (if needed for the campaign):

That's about all I found I really need. If I may add perception or stealth if I feel it's needed (as there's usually a TON of room on a standard index card after getting that info).

[Browolfe]

I've made an Excel document that contains the following information for each character:

Name, Race and subrace, classe/s and level/s

Saves (it's good to have these for passive saves like when a PC doesn't know someone has cast a spell at them or they've been exposed to a disease and you don't want them to immediately know it).

CMD

Skill totals for: Appraise, all Knowledge skills, Linguistics, Perception, Professions, Sense Motive, and Spellcraft. I also make a note of their "take 10" totals as the less dice rolling you do, the more focused everyone can be on the story. If the DC is under their passive check, I just skip the rolling and keep the dialog going. The profession inclusion is a reminder to myself that a character will notice things tied to their professions that other characters won't. Just mentioning something tied to being a sailor once or twice helps players feel like putting ranks in a profession wasn't a waste and it adds to the depth of your world and story telling.

Notes on special racial and class abilities, languages, important magic items, and background bullet points that I want to make sure I don't forget.

I also include a full breakdown of all a character's base armor classes (regular, flat footed, and touch) with what "to hits" are avoided/blocked/taken by to-hit rolls of 10-34. This makes it lots easier to be descriptive during combat action as I can see how a character avoided damage. I can tell them they leaned back as the blade misses their nose by a hair, or the arrow shatters against the shimmering edge of your mage armor, etc. I actually highlight in color the cells I use to show the groups possibilities so it's easy to see the ranges and to speed up the process - for instance, Dex AC is blue on my sheets. So if a PC has a +3 Dex bonus to AC, there are 3 blue cells.

My sheets hold two "characters" per landscape page and I usually have a PC on the top and their familiar/mount/animal companion/eidelon/etc. on the bottom if they have one. This helps me remember that the PC has one too. Oh yeah....you have a toad familiar don't you?....

[Anguish]

Seriously... much less. You only need:

Perception and Sense Motive, so you can roll passive rolls that are meant to be hidden. Also, a list of what Knowledge skills are available is good, but not mandatory. Just useful to know if you should even ask for a roll when facing a particular monster type.

Literally everything else is more work for you. AC? No. You can ask that at the table (and you'll tend to start memorizing it). There's no secret that the PC is getting attacked. Saving throws? The player rolls those, not you. Hit points? Those are for the player to worry about.

[Ryan Freire]

HP
Saves
AC
Flatfooted
Touch
Perception
Sense Motive

It all fits pretty neatly on a 3X5 card

[nosig]

Anguish wrote:

Seriously... much less. You only need:

Perception and Sense Motive, so you can roll passive rolls that are meant to be hidden. Also, a list of what Knowledge skills are available is good, but not mandatory. Just useful to know if you should even ask for a roll when facing a particular monster type.

Literally everything else is more work for you. AC? No. You can ask that at the table (and you'll tend to start memorizing it). There's no secret that the PC is getting attacked. Saving throws? The player rolls those, not you. Hit points? Those are for the player to worry about.

+1.

This - so much this...

[BigNorseWolf]

More important than any numbers is a general idea of who they are , what they look like and what they do, so you know how characters can react to them. It also helps you toss the spotlight around a little more than just who yells first and loudest or which character wins initiative. IE, if you're up against saranite cultists, the paladin of saranrae might want a few seconds for a dramatic speech. If you run into a mamma bear protecting her cubs, you might give the druid a chance to calm them down before you roll initiative and the barbarian renames their axe wild empathy.

last minute edit: Table tents are amazing for this.

[Kiesman]

Wow thanks for all the suggestions, guys!

I made my own custom DM screen with plastic sleeves for inserting pages on each panel, so I think I'm going to make a full-page size chart with a selection of these suggestions and I can write in the stats with dry-erase or overhead markers.

On a related, but different note... If I do the same with plastic sleeves on the "outside facing" panels of my DM screen, what notes would you suggest I have for the players to look at? Currently I'm thinking of putting the Game Mastery Guide "Basic Rules Cheetsheet" page and the "Combat" conditions etc page from the official DM screen.

[Azothath]

1) is it a sensible and legal build.
Look at feats, skill points, armor, weapons, calculate to hit for a commonly used weapon. Check spell lists, etc.
2) does the PC have an appropriate wealth (cash or spent) for their level?
3) did they make wise choices? Do they need help?
4)have them fill out a form on a 3*5 card & 2 saves and perception checks. You can use it for initiative order and for a secret save/perception check if needed.

[Matthew Downie]

Outside of the DM screen is good for story reminders. Portraits of important characters + names / jobs. Players are bad at remembering things, especially between sessions.

One thing worth noting is any special senses the PCs possess. If the PC can see in the dark, or through illusions, or has superior smell, then the player needs to know about anything their character ought to be able to perceive.

[MerlinCross]

This is less gameplay but all the obvious stat info was suggested already.

Note who has the Story's Macguffin as you may need to worry about what's going on with them. Kill and steal to change the story, or fudge the roll so they can keep moving on the epic quest?

Answer changes DM to DM and Group to Group. But just make sure you know who's holding whatever object of power before the bodies start hitting the ground.

[Skeld]

I keep a table on a sticky note with all the following for each PC:
Saves (Fort, Ref, Will), Perception, Sense Motive, and Disable Device (when applicable).

I also have copies of all their sheets in case i need anything else. One last thing, every time they rest, I ask the casters to list off the spells they've prepared for the following day (including any open slots).

-skeld

[MerlinCross]

Skeld wrote:

I keep a table on a sticky note with all the following for each PC:

Saves (Fort, Ref, Will), Perception, Sense Motive, and Disable Device (when applicable).

I also have copies of all their sheets in case i need anything else. One last thing, every time they rest, I ask the casters to list off the spells they've prepared for the following day (including any open slots).

-skeld

I try to do that for my DMs when playing prepared. Also give them a notecard/text doc that has probably my most common picked spells.

[Chuck Mount]

I agree with some of the others. Perception, because if they're not saying they're looking for an ambush or something, I assume they're taking 10. Saves so I can make a roll if they don't know one is needed. I always hate when I'm playing and the DM suddenly calls for a Will save. That automatically puts everyone on alert even when we shouldn't know something is happening. I also keep track of Sense Motive for similar reasons. I keep track of some of the equipment like ammo. Some players don't keep up with it that well and I like when I can say, "You reach back for another arrow, but your quiver is empty". Same thing with charges for wands. Plus, I keep track of spells.