About the Custom Character Sheet

Descriptive (Top) Section
On the top of the first page are several fields that serve to simply be descriptive of a character. This is the simplest section of the sheet. It provides fields for the following:
 * Character: The character's name.
 * Age: How old the character is.
 * Gender: The sex of the character.
 * Height: How tall the character is.
 * Weight: How much the character weighs (this does not include the total weight of their equipment).
 * Race: The race of the character.
 * Size: The size category of the character's race (typically Medium or Small). For the list of effects for being a size other than Medium, see the Adventuring page.
 * Appearance: A description of the character's physical appearance.

Abilities
Abilities are the basic foundation of a character's capabilities. It covers a character's: Abilities are given a numerical value. This value is called the Ability Score. When creating a new character, the very first step is to figure out your ability scores. Some sessions do this with a Point Buy system, and some use dice to roll their values. The average human has a score of 10 for each of these abilities.
 * Strength ( Str )
 * Affects Stamina, CMB, melee attack bonus, melee and thrown weapon bonus damage, carrying capacity, and the following skills: Climb and Swim.
 * Dexterity ( Dex )
 * Affects ranged attack bonus, melee attack bonuses with Weapon Finesse, Initiative, CMD, AC (as the Dex bonus to AC), Reflex saves, and the following skills: Acrobatics, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Ride, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth.
 * Constitution ( Con )
 * Affects Stamina, Hit Points, and Fortitude saves.
 * Intelligence ( Int )
 * Affects skill points per level, and the following skills: Appraise, all Craft skills, all Knowledge skills, Linguistics, and Spellcraft.
 * During character creation, Intelligence affects the number of languages a character starts out knowing.
 * Intelligence affects spell DCs wherever the MAMod is Intelligence; it also affects certain classes' Mana.
 * Wisdom ( Wis )
 * Affects Will saves, and the following skills: Heal, Perception, all Profession skills, Sense Motive, and Survival.
 * Wisdom affects spell DCs wherever the MAMod is Wisdom.
 * Charisma ( Cha )
 * Affects the following skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Handle Animal, Intimidate, all Perform skills, and Use Magic Device.
 * Charisma affects spell DCs wherever the MAMod is Charisma; it also affects certain classes' Mana.

Worthy of note: An ability score provides among the most important information about a character, and allows you to create the ability's Ability Modifier (or Ability Mod ). Ability modifiers work to give bonuses or penalties based around the average score of 10 to the capabilities of a character. For instance, to have a Strength score of 8 means that you would be weaker than the average human, while a score of 12 would mean you are stronger.
 * Characters with 0 Strength, Constitution, or Intelligence automatically die, because they no longer have the minimum necessary ability score to sustain their minimum biological requirements for continued life.
 * Characters with less than 4 Intelligence cannot understand language.
 * Characters with 0 Dexterity cannot move.
 * Characters with 0 Wisdom or Charisma are considered mindless (they are alive, but only just).

An important note: If something in the game system asks for the value of Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, or Cha, it is almost always asking for the value of the Ability Modifier. If it actually wants to ask for the value of the Ability Score, it will explicitly specify this.

Ability Modifiers are found in this way:

(Ability Score - 10) / 2, always rounded down

As such: This section of the character sheet also provides a field for a temporary change to a character's Ability Score (note: not the modifier).
 * Score of 0 or 1 = -5 modifier
 * Score of 2 or 3 = -4 modifier
 * Score of 4 or 5 = -3 modifier
 * Score of 6 or 7 = -2 modifier
 * Score of 8 or 9 = -1 modifier
 * Score of 10 or 11 = +0 modifier
 * Score of 12 or 13 = +1 modifier
 * Score of 14 or 15 = +2 modifier
 * Score of 16 or 17 = +3 modifier
 * Score of 18 or 19 = +4 modifier
 * Score of 20 or 21 = +5 modifier
 * etc.

Vitals
A character's Vitals are a measure of a character's current condition:
 * Hit Points: A measure of how much of a beating the character can take before they fall helpless or die.
 * Stamina: A measure of how much physical exertion a character can be put through before they begin to hurt themselves for doing it.
 * Mana: A measure of the magical power available to the character.

Hit Points
Here is how the Hit Points fields should be used (in order of steps):
 * 1) Rolled HP: This is effectively the base number of Hit Points that a character has accumulated as they leveled. It is the total of all Hit Die rolls, and bonus individual hit points from a Favored Class or the Toughness feat. This is the base number that is used to find the Max HP.
 * 2) Max HP: There are two potential ways to solve Max HP. The typical way: Rolled HP + (ECL x Constitution Modifier). ECL means Effective Character Level, which is the sum of the character's class levels and (if applicable) racial hit die. This way is useful for almost every situation. However, if the result of doing this equals something less than the character's ECL, then the Max HP score is instead equal to the character's ECL.
 * 3) Hit Points: This field can be used in one of two ways. It can either be used to track a character's current number of hit points, or it can be used to track the injuries the character has taken (in other words, if a character is hit for 17 damage, you would write -17 in the field; then, if they are hit for another 6 damage, you would also put -6).
 * 4) Nonlethal: This field tracks the amount of nonlethal damage a character has taken. Nonlethal damage does not directly affect hit points. Rather, if the amount of nonlethal damage that a character has taken exceeds a character's current hit points, they fall unconscious.

Stamina
Here is how the Stamina fields should be used (in order of steps):
 * 1) Max SP: The Maximum Stamina Points (Max SP) is calculated as 10 + Str or 10 + Con, whichever is higher. Whenever a character gets to +6, +11, or +16 on Base Attack Bonus (BAB), they gain +1 permanently.
 * 2) Rest Limits: The Rest Limits are a quick reference way of looking at the upper and lower limits for Resting (see: Stamina). At 25% of the Max SP (rounded down), a character may start using Rest. While resting, once at or above 75% of the Max SP (rounded down), a character becomes too restless to continue to use Rest.
 * 3) Exhaustion Roll for Attack: This is the exhaustion roll made when a character rolls their attack. At almost all times it is 1/1d4.
 * 4) Stamina: It is not efficient to write an actual numerical value in the Stamina field (unless you are keeping track of how much Stamina your character has from one session to the next). You may use this field to make tally marks on how much Stamina your character has used. It is recommended that you use some kind of counter instead.

Mana
Here is how the Mana fields should be used:
 * Max MP: The Maximum Mana Points (MP) available to a character. Used only if a character has Mana (typically provided by their character class).
 * Mana: It is not efficient to write an actual numerical value in the Mana field (unless you are keeping track of how much Mana your character has from one session to the next). You may use this field to make tally marks on how much Mana your character has used. It is recommended that you use some kind of counter instead.

Stamina Cheat Sheet
This section, directly underneath the Vitals, gives a quick synopsis of the stamina penalties as your stamina lowers. There's not much more detail that I can give you, really. It is important to note the last bit.

When your character reaches 0 stamina, any further stamina drain is taken directly from Hit Points at a rate of 6 HP per 1 stamina. If you reach 0 or fewer Hit Points from stamina exhaustion and would not conceivably have an open wound (at the GM's discretion), you automatically stabilize.

Character Class
This is a list of character classes, their Hit Die (HD), and the number of levels the character has taken in each of these classes.

In the Quest for Glory campaign, the maximum number of classes any character can have is 2: their core class, and the Paladin prestige class.

Hit Die is the die used when rolling for Hit Points while leveling.

Alignment
The character's alignment. There are two axes of character alignment: Wherever your character's alignment on both of these axes most closely overlaps is their alignment. For instance, if a character is evil but follows the law, then their alignment is Lawful Evil.
 * Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic; and
 * Good, Neutral, and Evil

Where the two axes of Neutral alignment overlap, the resulting alignment is sometimes referred to as True Neutral.

Effective Character Level (ECL)
ECL is the sum of a character's class levels and (where applicable) racial hit die.

Experience
Experience is a measure of progress in a character's adventures. An accumulation of experience leads characters to their next level.

Base Attack Bonus (BAB)
A character's Base Attack Bonus is a measure of a character's competence (usually as a measure of accuracy) in combat. BAB increases along with level according to the character's class.

Movement
The speed at which a character moves. This field is kept large because a character may have different types of movement speed. Typically, a character will only have a Base Land Movement Speed, and the average speed is 30' (or 6 squares).

However, some characters can attain a Climb, Swim, or Fly speed, depending on their abilities, race, etc. If you have a Climb or Swim speed, this means that you can perform a Climb or Swim without making checks to see your progress (unless there is a complication).

Saving Throws
A saving throw is a reactive ability: A saving throw's Base is determined by a character's class's level progression.
 * Fortitude save: The ability to resist poisons, diseases, and certain damage effects involving overcoming someone's physique. Fortitude's Stat is the Constitution modifier.
 * Reflex save: The ability to react in order to avoid traps or area of effect spells. Reflex's Stat is the Dexterity modifier.
 * Will save: The ability to resist magical effects such as mind-affecting enchantments. Will's Stat is the Wisdom modifier.

Initiative
A character's Initiative is a bonus to the d20 roll at the start of an engagement to see a character's order of action.

Initiative's Stat is Dexterity.

Combat Maneuvers (CMB/CMD)
Combat Maneuvers include Bull Rush, Dirty Trick, Disarm, Drag, Grapple, Overrun, Reposition, Steal, Sunder, and Trip.
 * Combat Maneuver Bonus (CMB): This is the bonus that your Combat Maneuvers receive in combat. The Base is equal to your Base Attack Bonus (BAB). The Stat is your Strength. CMB is affected by your Size; to see this penalty, see the Adventuring section.
 * Combat Maneuver Defense (CMD): This is the number someone performing a Combat Maneuver against you must beat to succeed. The Base is 10 + CMB. The Stat is your Dexterity.

Damage Reduction
Damage Reduction is an amount of damage that is discounted every time you are hit. It is written as DR n/x, where n is the value of the damage that is discounted, and x is any type of damage that bypasses this damage reduction.

There are multiple fields in Damage Reduction because you may have multiple kinds of Damage Reduction, each with a different x.

Spell Resistance
When a character casts a spell at a target where Spell Resistance (SR) applies (typically enchantments, abjurations, etc.), their target's Spell Resistance provides that character with a challenge to first bypass before the spell even affects the target. Spell Resistance is a Caster Level check.

Armor Class (AC)
Armor Class is the measure of difficulty an attack would have in actually hitting you. There are three kinds of AC: Armor Class, Touch, and Flatfooted.
 * AC: 10 + Armor bonus + Shield bonus + Size bonus + Dexterity bonus + Wisdom bonus (if applicable; see the Paragon class) + Natural armor bonus + Deflection bonus + Dodge bonus
 * Touch: 10 + Size bonus + Dexterity bonus + Wisdom bonus (if applicable; see the Paragon class) + Deflection bonus + Dodge bonus + +Touch bonus
 * Flatfooted: 10 + Armor bonus + Shield bonus + Size bonus + Natural armor bonus + Deflection bonus + +FF bonus

Here is a breakdown of the various armor bonuses: Two additional fields are left for you to fill out, in case other bonuses apply in the future.
 * Armor bonus: This is the bonus to AC provided to the character by their armor. The Armor bonus to AC applies to the base AC score and the Flatfooted score.
 * Shield bonus: This is the bonus to AC provided to the character by their shield. The Shield bonus to AC applies to the base AC score and the Flatfooted score.
 * Size bonus: This is the bonus (or penalty) to AC provided by the character's size. A medium-sized creature has no size bonus. To see the effects of Size on AC, see the Adventuring page. The Size bonus to AC applies to all AC scores.
 * Dexterity (Dex) bonus: This is the bonus (or penalty) to AC provided by the character's Dexterity modifier. If the Dexterity modifier is positive (+0 or greater), the bonus applies to the base AC score and the Touch score. Armor, shields, and encumbrance from carrying too much can limit your maximum Dexterity modifier to AC. If the Dexterity modifier is negative (-1 or less), the penalty applies to all AC scores.
 * Wisdom (Wis) bonus: This is the bonus to AC provided by the character's Wisdom modifier. Only Paragons who have taken the Wax and Wane Parable gain this bonus. The Wisdom bonus to AC applies to the base AC score and Touch score.
 * Natural armor bonus: This is the bonus to AC provided by the character's natural armor, which is defined as the tough skin or scaly hide of the individual creature. Natural armor stacks with the armor the character wears. Magical abilities may also provide an Enhancement bonus this ability. The Natural armor bonus to AC applies to the character's base AC score and Flatfooted score.
 * Deflection bonus: This is the bonus to AC provided by a (typically) magical field designed to deflect attacks. Deflection bonuses to AC apply to all AC scores.
 * Dodge bonus: This is the bonus to AC provided by a character who is trained in actively dodging attacks. The Dodge bonus to AC applies to the base AC score and the Touch score.
 * +Touch bonus: This field is to add bonuses specifically to a character's Touch AC score. For instance certain feats allow you to apply your Shield bonus to Touch.
 * +FF (Flatfooted) bonus: This field is to add bonuses specifically to a character's Flatfooted AC score. There may be circumstances presented where your Dexterity or Wisdom bonus to AC, for instance, are allowed to apply to your Flatfooted AC bonus.

Attack
The Attack fields are designed to track information about different available attacks for a character. This is the breakdown.
 * Attack: This is the name of the type of attack that the following fields refer to. This is typically filled by the name of the weapon being used (such as Shortbow, or +2 Flaming Greatsword).
 * Attack Bonus: This is the number added to a d20 roll made vs. their target's AC. The attack bonus is calculated as Base Attack Bonus + Modifier score + Size bonus + bonuses or penalties (especially weapon bonuses). Ranged weapons use the Dexterity modifier, and melee weapons use the Strength modifier. To see the Size bonus, see the Adventuring page.
 * Critical: This is the range and multiplier for critical hits with this attack. This is often written as 20/x2, 20/x3, 18-20/x2, etc.
 * Range/Reach: The Range of an attack is the increment a weapon could be thrown or launch its projectile before it begins taking an Attack penalty; this penalty is -2 per range increment. The Reach of a weapon is the range that a melee weapon threatens; weapons that do not refer to having a Reach will have a 5' reach, and so they threaten all adjacent squares, but weapons that have Reach 10' do not threaten adjacent squares because the part of their weapon deals damage is 10' away from them.
 * Type: This is the type of damage the attack deals. When referring to a weapon, it can be S (for Slashing), P (for Piercing), or B (for Bludgeoning). This can be important when comparing against a target's Damage Reduction.
 * Damage: This is the damage that the attack does. This includes the dice rolls and damage bonuses. For instance, a character who is attacking with an ordinary Shorbow would deal 1d6 damage; whereas a character with a +4 Strength modifier attacking two-handed with a +2 Flaming Greatsword would deal 2d6 + 8 + 1d6 Fire.
 * Bows and crossbows do not apply any bonus damage unless they are Composite bows.
 * Natural attacks deal bonus damage equal to 0.5x the character's Strength modifier.
 * Thrown weapons and one-handed weapons deal bonus damage equal to the character's Strength modifier.
 * Two-handed weapons, and light or one-handed weapons being used with two hands (with some notable exceptions, such as the Rapier), deal 1.5x the character's Strength modifier.
 * Ammunition: This is a convenient way to track the use of ammunition with bows, slings, or even a stack of throwing weapons. Simply make tally marks to track how many have been used.
 * Notes: Various notes about the attack.

Skills
Before hitting the big Skills table, a quick note about two little fields directly above it:
 * Skill Points Per Level: This is a good way to track how many skill points you can apply to the Ranks of your skills while leveling.
 * Armor Check Penalty: Most Strength- and Dexterity-based skills are hindered by encumbering armors and shields; these skills are marked by an asterisk (*) next to the skill's name. This field can be used to track the penalty from such items.

I will not be covering the individual skills and their functions here; if you need this information, see the d20 Pathfinder SRD Wiki. Rather, I will be covering the function of each columns, and symbols next to the skill names.
 * In-Class Levels: Each class is given skills that are considered "In-Class Skills." When a skill becomes an in-class skill, then placing a rank in that skill grants you a +3 Training bonus in that skill. (NOTE: In-Class "Levels" is quite honestly a typo; it is a vestigal remnant from DnD 3.5e. Whoops!)
 * Skills: This is the name of the skill. There are a few fields that are left blank, in case other skills are necessary (for instance, if you wish multiple Craft or Profession skills, you can put them in these blank fields).
 * Skill Symbols: Most skills have a symbol attached; asterisks, section signs, and square bullets. A quick reference to these symbols is on the character sheet underneath the last Attack field.
 * The asterisk (*) denotes a skill that suffers Armor Check Penalties.
 * The section sign (§) denotes a skill that may require stamina to use.
 * The square bullet (▪) denotes a skill that may be used without any ranks in it.
 * Ability: Every skill has an ability that adds its modifier as a bonus to the skill. This field tells you which ability modifier to add.
 * Ability Modifier: This field is for the Ability modifier (as mentioned above).
 * Misc. Modifiers: This field is for the various modifiers that add or subtract the bonus to the skill. A few examples of miscellaneous modifiers: Training bonus, Armor Check Penalty, and Racial bonus. Stealth gains a bonus or penalty depending on Size; to determine this, see the Adventuring page.
 * Ranks: A skill rank is what you add when you assign a point to a skill during leveling. The maximum number of skill ranks a skill can have is equal to the character's level. If the skill is an in-class skill, then after adding your first rank to the skill (and only the first rank) the skill gains a +3 Training bonus.
 * Skill Mod: This is the sum of the Ability modifiers, the Misc. Modifiers, and the Ranks. It is the bonus to a d20 roll that determines your chance of success while using this skill.

Equipment
The Equipment section refers to all of the items that your character may wear. This covers your armor, your shield, and accessories such as bracers, rings, necklaces, hoods, belts, etc.

Equipment weighs different amounts depending on the size of the character wearing it. To determine the weight of your equipment, see the Adventuring page.

Armor
This is the section where you track the armor you are wearing. You do not need to insert your armor into your Inventory (see the Inventory section below) because the weight is tracked here.
 * Armor: This is the name of the armor you are wearing.
 * AC Bonus: This is the Armor bonus to AC that your armor provides (see the Armor Class section on page 1).
 * Max Dex: This is the Maximum Dexterity Modifier that your armor allows for (see the Armor Class section on page 1).
 * Penalty: This is the Armor Check Penalty that your armor bestows (see the Skills section on page 1).
 * Spell Failure: This is the Arcane Spell Failure Chance (measured in percentage) that your armor bestows (see the Spell Failure section below).
 * Weight: This is how heavy the armor is.

Shield
This is the section where you track the shield you are wearing. You do not need to insert your shield into your Inventory (see the Inventory section below) because the weight is tracked here.
 * Shield: This is the name of the shield you are wearing.
 * AC Bonus: This is the Shield bonus to AC that your armor provides (see the Armor Class section on page 1).
 * Max Dex: This is the Maximum Dexterity Modifier that your shield allows for (see the Armor Class section on page 1). Most shields will not have a Max Dex.
 * Penalty: This is the Armor Check Penalty that your shield bestows (see the Skills section on page 1).
 * Spell Failure: This is the Arcane Spell Failure Chance (measured in percentage) that your shield bestows (see the Spell Failure section below). It should be noted that you typically need one free hand to cast spells to begin with.
 * Weight: This is how heavy your shield is.

Accessories
This is a list of the accessory "slots" available to your character. Below, we will list a few examples of items that can fit into these slots.
 * Head: headband, hat, helmet, or phylactery


 * Face: one pair of eyes, lenses, or goggles; or a mask


 * Neck: amulet, brooch, medallion, necklace, periapt, or scarab


 * Chest: vest, vestment, or shirt


 * Body: robe or suit of armor (the Armor listed in the Armor section of Equipment is counted as this)


 * Back: cloak, cape, or mantle


 * Wrists: bracers or bracelets; also, the Wrist Sheath


 * Hands: 1 pair of gloves or gauntlets


 * Finger: rings; you may only wear one ring per hand.


 * Waist: belt


 * Feet: boots, shoes, or sandals

Encumbrance
This section keeps track of the weight of your gear, compared with the encumbrance limits of your Strength score. Coupled with this section is Armor Penalty and Spell Failure, which will be covered after this section.

To find the numbers for your Light, Medium, and Heavy Load limits, see the Adventuring page.
 * Current #: The current sum of the weight of all the equipment and gear that the character is carrying.
 * Free #: Calculated as Light Load - Current # (not a necessary field).
 * Strength: Your character's Strength score, as found on page 1.
 * Light Load: This is the maximum amount of weight your character can carry without penalty. Your size alters this number (for instance, a Small creature's Light Load is 0.75x the standard Light Load). Once a character's Current # surpasses their Light Load, they enter into a Medium Load.
 * Medium: This is the maximum amount of weight your character can carry while qualified for the penalties of carrying a Medium load. The penalty for entering into a Medium Load can be found on the Adventuring page. Once you have exceeded the Medium load weight limit, you enter into the Heavy Load.
 * Heavy: This is the maximum amount of weight your character can carry while qualified for the penalties of carrying a Heavy load. The penalty for entering into a Heavy Load can be found on the Adventuring page.
 * Overhead: This is the maximum amount of weight your character can lift over their head. This is equal to their Heavy Load limit.
 * Lift: This is the maximum amount of weight your character can lift. This is equal to 2x their Heavy Load limit.
 * Drag: This is the maximum amount of weight your character can drag behind them. This is equal to 5x their Heavy Load limit.

Armor Penalty
Here you may track your Armor Check Penalty on page 1. The value of this is equal to the sum of Check Penalties on your armor and shield.

Spell Failure
Here you may track your Arcane Spell Failure Chance (measured as a percentage). Arcane Spell Failure Chance is cumulative; any penalty to it adds up. Every time you cast a spell, you must first pass this spell failure chance or lose the spell. The value of this is equal to the sum of Spell Failures on your armor and shield. Your spell may also have a Spell Failure Chance due to your Skill Level with that spell (see the Spellcasting ability on any class that has the ability to cast spells). Spell Failure does not apply to spell-like abilities, auras, or cantrips.

Money
This is where you keep track of your currency. You will notice right away that there are blank fields with C, S, and G next to them (which stand for Copper, Silver, and Gold) respectively. This is because throughout the campaign you will be traveling to new locales and each locale has its own currency and exchange rate. In Chapter 1, all three denominations are called Marks (so Copper Marks, Silver Marks, and Gold Marks).

Regardless of the locale, the currency is metric. 10 copper translates into 1 silver, and 10 silver translates into 1 gold. Value is always calculated around Gold, such that 21 gold, 4 silver, and 5 copper would have a Value of 21.45.

Every 50 coins you carry weigh 1 pound, rounded down.

Inventory
I mean, do I really need to go into this? No. No, I don't. Moving right along.

Racial Features, Class Features, and Feats
This is where you keep track of the pertinent effects of being your character's chosen race and class, and also track your feats. I recommend keeping the bottom line open for known languages.

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