We all want to live the life of a heroic adventurer, but there is always a bit of paperwork to complete before you can hit the road. Though Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition cut down on some of the crunch of previous versions, having the best character sheet for you will massively improve your gaming experience. Here are our picks for the best character sheets for the current edition of Dungeons & Dragons.
The best Dungeons & Dragons character sheets for 5th Edition
A good character sheet will do more than just present your adventurer’s information. It can also do a lot of the heavy lifting for building or even playing your character for you. Many of the sheets on this list will calculate your ability modifiers, initiative bonus, and even keep track of your inventory for you, freeing you up to get your head around the act of actually playing the game.
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Bundle of character sheets by Emmet Byrne
This group of character sheets made by Emmet Byrne instantly stood out to us as a valuable download. Once you get it, you will have the option to download over 80 character sheets dedicated to each class and all the bonuses that come with them. Also included are backstory sheets, spell and ability sheets, and much more. Everything is entirely customizable, so you can even change the basic layout to suit your needs. These are top of the line character sheets.
Character sheet made by Jordan Jones
Jordan Jones’ character sheet is a nice little update for anyone seeking more space for class and race abilities. Every section of the sheet is filed nicely away, making everything easy to understand. Since its initial release, it has gone through ten revisions, showing that Jones is committed to getting his formula right.
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Cleric specific sheet
For any clerics looking for some love, this character sheet is tailored specifically for you. At first sight, it may look like a standard character sheet that has been reorganized (which we are a fan of, by the way), but it is the included inventory and spell list that pushed it over for us as a quality set of sheets. For inventory, you have more than enough space to describe your items and make notes, and the spell sheet lists every cleric spell separated by level so you can quickly check off which ones you already have.
Compact Character Sheets by Phil Morlan
If you are like Phil Morlan, you do not like having tons of paper sheets with notes scribbled throughout. That is why he created this condensed sheet, which wastes none of its space with unneeded content. You have plenty of room to jot down the important need-to-know information about your character, although you will not have room to describe those features.
Current Standard
The Current Standard character sheet is neatly put together and categorizes every aspect of D&D in its appropriate spot. Ability checks are situated right next to their score modifiers, and there is even an extra sheet dedicated to any companions, familiars, or pets you may have.
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Fully Loaded Character Sheet by B.A. Morrier
B.A. Morrier’s sheet includes fields for honor, hero points, and other information that you do not often see included on character sheets. You can quickly check off a bard’s musical instrument, thieves’ tools, disguise kits, and more. Sure, you will never touch some of the content included, but this character sheet casts a broad shadow that will have at the very least something you will need.
Index card character sheets
For the minimalist player who only wants the necessary information directly in front of them. This sheet is as small as an index card and is meant not to replace the other sheets on this list but rather to be a stand-in for quick reference. Only the most basic and useful information is included on these cards.
Landscape character sheet
If you feel that typical character sheets do not offer enough space to write down the information you want, you may want to consider this landscape sheet. It is essentially the official character sheet placed on its side. There is an immediately noticeable boost in room for your inventory and equipment, and it comes with background spell sheets set in landscape as well.
Official Character Sheets
While we have shown many community-created character sheets in this list, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the official character sheets you can download from the official D&D website. You can download the normal sheet, but the site also has some pre-generated sheets for specific characters if you want to get a quick character built.
Pixel Art Character Sheet
Everything else on this list has been included mostly because of its practical uses during a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Admittedly, this Pixel character sheet was included only as an aesthetic change, particularly for any old school video game fans. It’s a simple sheet that also comes with a spell sheet.
