Fan Creations Enhance D&D 4th Edition

 

Haveyou had a chance to delve into Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition yet? If you have, you've already discovered how the seminal tabletop RPG has evolved from its precursors. Leaner, more simplified rules make for a graduated learning curve that is perfect for kids.

Each character class has exciting and unique features that make even the beefiest fighter a tactical delight to play. But how do you keep your gaming group on the same page?

Whether you're running a table for the kids or playing at your Friendly Local Gaming Store with the guys, we've got some great tools to keep the dice rolling right after the jump.

• Neceros Character Sheets: The bare-bones Neceros site is well-known within tabletop role-playing circles for its clean and easy-to-read character sheets. There are a few for 4E, including a nice one-pager. If you're sticking with 3.5, or you're involved in a d20 Modern or Shadowrun game, he's got sheets for those systems, too.
• Shado's 4E Color Landscape Character Sheets: Shado, a veteran D&D player, has made his own character sheets for 25 years. Now, with 4E, he's decided to share his work with the world at large. They're in color, landscape oriented, and quite a sight to behold. Skim to the third page in the thread for info on an editable form version for PCs with atrocious handwriting.
• Basic Character Sheet: This PDF sheet is identical to the one in the Player's Handbook, save for the fact that you can fill it out on your computer and save it for later editing.
• Kiznit's Combat Crib Sheet: Since most of my group are playing 4E for the first time, and nothing fizzles the excitement of a combat encounter like flipping through the rulebooks, these crib sheets should help keep the game moving forward. The PDF outlines each combat turn, provides modifiers for common situations, and even includes a half-page glossary of terms.
• Power Cards: This is my favorite fan-made add-on for 4E. Since each character class has unique special powers that can aid their party during combat, many players have taken to writing out their PC's abilities on index cards and playing them like a Magic: The Gathering attack. Since certain powers can be played once per encounter, and some only once per day, it helps to reduce repetitive paperwork. Plus, having the rules text handy for each ability means less time flipping through the book and more time destroying deadly dungeon spawn.

What fan-made creations do you use in your games?

(Photo by kgeiger)