SpiralWorlds Player’s Manual · Before Character Creation
Character Sheet & What to Record
Use a sheet made for the edition you are actually playing
A character sheet is the working record of your character. Paper, fillable PDF and digital sheets are all fine. The important rule is that the sheet must match the campaign’s rules system; a 5.5e sheet, Pathfinder 1e sheet and D&D 3.5e sheet do not calculate the same skills, saves or attacks.
Choose a sheet
Use the right record for the campaign
| System | Recommended starting point | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| D&D 5.5e / 2024 | Official 2024 downloadable character sheets or the official digital builder/sheet. | Use the 2024 sheet, not an older sheet when its fields or terminology differ. |
| Pathfinder 1e | Paizo Pathfinder First Edition Free Resources includes the Core Rulebook character sheet. | Make sure you choose the legacy First Edition sheet, not the current Pathfinder remaster/Second Edition sheet. |
| D&D 3.5e | Use a 3.5e-compatible character sheet, a fillable legacy sheet you already trust, or a clean paper/digital record with the fields listed below. | Do not use PF1e class-skill bonuses, CMB/CMD or Pathfinder-only fields on a 3.5e build. |
What every sheet must let you find quickly
Record the numbers used at the table
SpiralWorlds character record
Add what an ordinary rules sheet may not ask
You can use the notes/backstory area, an extra page or a separate campaign note. Record:
- Specific homeland.
- Actual home/local language and other known languages; no universal Common.
- Family, household, guild, school, company, temple or other community.
- Former occupation or background in world terms.
- One named ally.
- One named rival or opponent.
- One obligation, debt, oath, dependent or patron.
- One present reason to adventure.
- Any local law, licence, social status or allegiance likely to matter.
- Where unusual equipment, magic or specialist training came from.
Do not invent a mechanical bonus because the ordinary sheet lacks a box for a setting detail. Homeland, family and obligations matter in the fiction unless a specific rule says they modify a roll.
Paper or digital?
Use whichever keeps the character accurate
A digital builder can calculate many values automatically, but it can also hide how a number was produced. A paper or fillable sheet makes the arithmetic visible but relies on you to update it. Either is suitable.
For a first character, be able to explain at least these values without relying on automation: maximum HP, Armor Class, Initiative, the attack bonus for the weapon you use most, your important skill modifiers, saving throws and—if applicable—spell attack modifier and spell save DC.
Ready to begin
Sheet checklist
- The sheet matches the campaign edition.
- There is space for the edition’s skills and saving throws.
- There is space for class features and feats.
- Weapons, armour and equipment can be recorded clearly.
- A spellcasting character has enough room for spell information or a companion spell sheet.
- SpiralWorlds homeland, languages and relationships have somewhere to be recorded.
- You know whether the Games Master wants a copy or shared digital access between sessions.
Current external resources checked