Sleeper's Artifice

The Sleeper’s Sheets · No. 1

Character Speed-Sheet

One guided page that takes someone from a blank sheet to a playable character in about twenty minutes. Keep a few on hand for new players and for characters who die halfway through the night.

Printable PDF · instant download from Etsy

Cover of Character Speed-Sheet: hands filling in a character sheet by lamplight beside an hourglass and dice as a glowing warrior rises from the page

Three of the book’s 4 pages. The rest is in the PDF.

Build a 5e Character in 20 Minutes

Somebody's character died earlier this session and they'd still like to play tonight. The Speed-Sheet is built for that seat, and for a new player sitting down to make their first character.

You fill six numbered zones in order: class, then species and background, then abilities, skills, gear, and three lines about who the person is. Each zone carries a hint for the question new players actually ask, like which class fits "I want to..." and where the 15 goes. The back page has four d6 tables of quick picks for wants, details, people and names, for when choosing is the thing slowing everyone down.

There's also a walk-in lane for a replacement mid-session. It's the minimum record a character needs to join the scene able to take a turn, defend themselves, and be a person with a little life in them. When you're ready for the full sheet in your rulebook, everything carries over.

WHAT'S INSIDE

  • The Speed-Sheet, one guided page with six zones filled in order.
  • The Quick Picks back page, with four d6 tables for wants, details, people, and names.
  • The walk-in lane, a minimum playable record for a mid-session replacement.
  • Written for the 2024 rules. The full character sheet from your rulebook takes over whenever you're ready, and everything transfers.
  • Screen edition plus a plain-white print edition, US Letter. Print a stack and keep them with the dice.
  • Bookmarked, DRM-free PDF.

Includes material from the SRD 5.2 by Wizards of the Coast LLC under CC-BY-4.0. Full statement in the PDF. Unaffiliated with Wizards of the Coast.

Zone six asks for three lines about a person. The Backstory Ledger has room for the rest of their past.

We'll Pick Up Next Week, the free letter: sleepersartifice.substack.com

The Sleeper’s Sheets

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Character Speed-Sheet, page 2Character Speed-Sheet, page 3