TRPG Character Sheet Template
Fill in who they are, after the numbers are done
Use this template onlineA TRPG character sheet has two halves. One is numbers your rulebook governs. The other is the person only you know about — why they took the job, what they are afraid of, which NPC they still owe. That half decides how you play them at the table, and it is usually where the GM hangs the hooks. This template lays that half out as a checklist. Fill it in once before session one and you will still know who they are by session three.
Template preview
TRPG character — the narrative half
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Name / what people call them | Mira Kirov (the crew calls her Kir) |
| Occupation / standing | Antiquarian bookseller (CoC) / Ranger (D&D) |
| Age, gender, where they're from | 34 / F / moved to the city at nineteen |
| Distinguishing feature | Old burn scar on the right wrist, kept covered even in summer |
| Temperament & the rule they live by | Check first, act second. Never lies to a child. |
| Backstory | Took over the shop after the fire three years ago |
| Why they're here this time | Wants to know why a regular customer stopped coming in |
| Good at / bad at | Reads old script easily. Hopeless with electronics and crowds. |
| What they carry | Grandfather's fountain pen, a worn magnifier, a damp pack of matches |
| Ties to other people | Owes the pawnbroker more than she can repay. Doesn't trust the police. |
How to fill in this template
Keep the numbers somewhere else. Ability scores, skill points, HP and sanity change during play; this sheet holds what dice never touch — where they came from, what they care about, who they have history with.
"Bad at" earns its place more than "good at". What they are good at is already on the skill list. What makes a character playable is what they cannot do — afraid of fire, can't swim, can't read the old script. That is the easiest hook for a GM and the easiest handle for you.
The relationships row wants unfinished business. "Friend" is useless; "saved my life and I still haven't repaid it" is usable. If the scenario already hands you a background, use this to deepen what it gave you; if you want to bring in something heavy of your own, clear it with the GM before session one.
Fill the template in four steps
Fix their standing first
Occupation, origin and age decide whether they have a reason to be in the scene at all — and whether the GM will hand them the clue.
Write one thing that actually happened
Not "withdrawn". Try "took over the shop after the fire three years ago". A concrete event beats an adjective every time.
Give them one goal in the present tense
Why they are here this time. Without it, session one becomes "I follow the party".
Add two unfinished relationships
One who helps, one who complicates. Those two people generate plot on their own.
Better together
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Frequently asked questions
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