Etiquette

I see a lot of character sheets. Since we use computers and not WEG's paper-based templates, they have a lot of variation. After a player has made a few characters, he'll typically develop his own format for how he records them. New people sometimes get 'help' from others, which includes ideas on how their template should be displayed. Usually these ideas run counter to how I like to read, store, and use PC statistics. Worst of all is when someone tries to simulate a paper template, with entries tabbed out to line up columns. When this format gets copied into something else, all the columns get mixed together via word wrap.

I display PC statistics using WEG's long format for NPCs. Any additional information is appropriately placed within the stats. This is how I format your stats before archiving them on the website. If you style them in this way before sending them, you will save me some time, and they will be much easier to read and sort through.

Name. This can include a character's title or rank, which may appear on the next line too if it is too long or more than one. (I like to put "Senator from New Alderaan," etc., on the line below for the NR Senate, for example.) Nicknames can go here too, but that's up to you. This entry on your stats should not have "Name:" before it; it is already clear what your character's name is.

Biographical Statistics. The Template Type, which is written merely as "Type" on your stats, is "a short title that describes your character." Since it is a title, it should be capitalized as such. If your character is not human, it is entirely appropriate to include his species here. (Some humans might show their race or homeworld too, such as "Corellian.") "Custom" is not used unless the character is a customs officer or the like. Since most PCs have their own template anyway, it is useless information.

Below this goes brief biographical data about your character, if you choose to include them in your stats proper. (Detailing them in the character's capsule or background instead is fine.) Possible entries include Sex (or Gender), Species, Homeworld, Age, Height, and Weight. This section is where you can make up your own entries, too, such as Hair and Eyes. First Edition used to have Loyalty and Quote in this section, even for NPCs. Physical Description can also appear here. That's up to you, and they fit in just as well in the capsule, where there's much more space to describe your character.

Attributes and Skills. When displayed in prose, attributes are capitalized. When they appear in statistics, all of their letters are capitalized. Skills are never capitalized unless they are at the beginning of the list or are proper nouns (very rare). Some specializations are proper nouns and do get capitalized. Attributes and skills are not abbreviated.

The three punctuation marks used in skills are the comma, the colon, and parentheses. The latter two are often overused. Don't stick a colon between a skill and its die code. The only place they belong is between a skill and its specialization. The skill should be written each time, too, like this — blaster 4D, blaster: blaster pistol 5D. Parentheses are only used for the (A) which precedes advanced skills, and are never placed around the die code.

When a skill hasn't been improved, don't list it: that makes them harder to count up and evaluate. Skills should be listed like a sentence, with each separated by a comma, and not in a column down the page. These columns are the main reason people try to use the tab key. The only program tab reliably lines things up on is your own. Once in a while an attribute or skill has an asterisk after it. The footnote that asterisk refers to is listed at the bottom of this section or sometimes at the end of the character's stats, as when old age affects both a characters skills and his Move rating.

Special Abilities. This is where you put species-based special abilities, Force skills and powers, martial arts techniques or types, and any other special ability your character may have. Each special ability is capitalized as a title and is followed by a colon and a list or description. Capitalize the first word after the colon. When an entry only contains a list, as with Force powers, it does not end in a period, while even abbreviated descriptions, such as "Claws: STR+1D.", do. The preferred order for special abilities is Force skills, Force powers, martial arts techniques and any other learned skills, and then any that are species-based.

Force skills are not capitalized except for the first one appearing after the colon in "Force Skills:" Force skills are capitalized when they serve as titles, i.e., when you are listing Force powers. Force powers are not capitalized except for the first word appearing after the colon.

The martial arts techniques a character knows are listed in this section and not with the attributes and skills. They are entered and described individually, as separate special abilities, and without the headings of "Martial Arts Techniques" or "Martial Arts Skills." If a character has a different kind of martial arts specialization, such as brawling: Noghri martial arts, it is described here.

Story Factors and Special Skills don't need to be displayed. Nor does any special ability which gives your character additional starting skill dice rather than a permanent bonus that affects your character during play. They are shown on the species stats to help with character creation, and get dealt with in your character's capsule. Very rarely, "Gamemaster Notes:" may appear in this section, but they usually belong in the capsule instead.

Character Elements. As WEG specified in the Gamemaster Handbook, regarding formatting for Second Edition, "Special categories, like Force-sensitive, Force Points, Dark Side Points, Character Points, and Special Abilities will only be listed when pertinent." Thus, you won't have a Dark Side Points entry on your stats unless you actually have some. If your character is Force-sensitive, your stats should include the phrase, "This character is Force-sensitive." It appears at the head of this section. Don't use "Force-Sensitive? Yes" or "Force-Sensitive? No."

Objectives:

Move. This is how fast your character can move when walking. If a character has other means of movement, particularly flight, they are listed here with a speed rating. Most characters can swim, but a swimming speed is not listed unless it is different from normal.

Equipment. Equipment should be presented in a list. Special notes for a piece of equipment are contained in parentheses after that item. Most weapons only need their damage die code, which does not need the word "damage" after it. If your character owns a ship, it should be named here.

Don't put equipment stats in your character sheet unless it's for a personal vehicle or starship. It's a pain to have to scroll past them while reviewing a character. A vehicle or starship is technically a separate entity from your character, and belongs at the end of the sheet, after your character's capsule.

Capsule. Per WEG: "All of the various categories used to describe a character, from background, to quotes, to personality, will be listed together in either a "capsule" or an essay (the format used in the various Star Wars sourcebooks)." This section is often broken up into one or more of Physical Description / Appearance (what you call it really doesn't matter), Background, Personality, A Quote, Connection With Other Characters, and anything else you want to include, but it does not have to be. Sometimes the capsule appears above a character's stats, but I like to make sure the stats are approvable or have the player fix them first before I read a background.

OOC Information. Other than any biographical entries, this is where people make up the most additions, and typically what gets lent to other players for their characters. They carry the least amount of information about who your character is and I really don't care to wade through them when I'm approving something. The only OOC entry that should appear in your stats, and this is tenuous and not required, is your own name.

When I archive a character on the site, I do put some of this information in, but it is my own notes about where the character came from. It goes at the very bottom of the page, on a sidebar, as far away from the stats as it can get.