I know that if a player shares their character sheet with the DM, the DM can see it, check it, verify things, etc... but can the DM make changes to his players' PC sheets from the DM screen? Can the DM change things, or only observe?
For Example
Add / subtract HPs? Level a player up by surprise? Add / remove conditions Add items? Split Loot?
I know that if a player shares their character sheet with the DM, the DM can see it, check it, verify things, etc... but can the DM make changes to his players' PC sheets from the DM screen? Can the DM change things, or only observe?
For Example
Add / subtract HPs? Level a player up by surprise? Add / remove conditions Add items? Split Loot?
Yes, though I'm not sure why a DM would "surprise" a player with that sort of intervention, or I don't see good reason too.* I myself have recently gone in and swapped some ability scores and bound some skills to different ability scores and the like after talking over a character with a player. So yes, a DM has complete access to a player's sheet in the DMs campaign. The party "book keeper" will sometimes send me a note with the spoils of an adventures and I'll just update the whole party (half my party doesn't have DnD beyond and plays off emailed PDFs). But whenever I do something like that, I'll shoot a note to the player when I do it (in the case of the aforementioned intervention) or bring it up a the administrative/housekeeping preamble to the session (in the case of distributing loot).
*It's just best practice for a DM to alert a player to any alternations made to a sheet, why be sneaky?
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
As for 'surprising' a player, well, who doesn't like a little gift, when its been earned, once in a while? Dont even know if I would ever do, so... I was more interested in if it was even possible.
I only use this when a player is absent and I need to jaegur them for the party. For instance marking off spells or hit points. Everything else I assume this is a physical game, the player sheet is the players and not to be changed by anyone but the player unless they ask me to do something they can’t work out how to do.
I'd also add, that while you sound like your sheet tweaking is well intended, I'd be careful of these little rewards. One, the player might not notice them if you're trying to take then as a surprise. Two, going off what Scarloc was saying, some players are very proprietary of their sheets, it being a sort of game social norm that the sheet is the players property. Three, players can all read each others sheets in a campaign, and some take notes on characters inventory and abilities (sometimes because they're a sort of strategist minded player and want to sort of "captain the team" others have a competitive streak and get sorta nosey that way). If sudden unexplained "boons" start showing up on sheets, some players may start suspecting either cheating or favoritism and bad blood comes forth.
It's one thing at the table to say "you know player Y I really like how you're playing up this particular aspect of the character, to reinforce it, if you're cool with it, I'd like to make some minor changes to your sheet." Then it's sort of an aboveboard award and the rest of the table sees the sort of play you like seeing and may attempt to emulate it. I still don't necessarily like that, I prefer the more team effort team reward sort of thing, but sometimes there's times in a story where a character can get a hold of something tailored to them, so to speak,.
The best reward a DM can give their players is a good game, and that way all the character mechanical growth and boosts and loot feels actually earned.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I know that if a player shares their character sheet with the DM, the DM can see it, check it, verify things, etc... but can the DM make changes to his players' PC sheets from the DM screen? Can the DM change things, or only observe?
For Example
Add / subtract HPs?
Level a player up by surprise?
Add / remove conditions
Add items?
Split Loot?
Yes, though I'm not sure why a DM would "surprise" a player with that sort of intervention, or I don't see good reason too.* I myself have recently gone in and swapped some ability scores and bound some skills to different ability scores and the like after talking over a character with a player. So yes, a DM has complete access to a player's sheet in the DMs campaign. The party "book keeper" will sometimes send me a note with the spoils of an adventures and I'll just update the whole party (half my party doesn't have DnD beyond and plays off emailed PDFs). But whenever I do something like that, I'll shoot a note to the player when I do it (in the case of the aforementioned intervention) or bring it up a the administrative/housekeeping preamble to the session (in the case of distributing loot).
*It's just best practice for a DM to alert a player to any alternations made to a sheet, why be sneaky?
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Thank you
EXACTLY the info I was looking for.
As for 'surprising' a player, well, who doesn't like a little gift, when its been earned, once in a while? Dont even know if I would ever do, so... I was more interested in if it was even possible.
Once again, perfectly answered. Thank you,
I only use this when a player is absent and I need to jaegur them for the party. For instance marking off spells or hit points. Everything else I assume this is a physical game, the player sheet is the players and not to be changed by anyone but the player unless they ask me to do something they can’t work out how to do.
I'd also add, that while you sound like your sheet tweaking is well intended, I'd be careful of these little rewards. One, the player might not notice them if you're trying to take then as a surprise. Two, going off what Scarloc was saying, some players are very proprietary of their sheets, it being a sort of game social norm that the sheet is the players property. Three, players can all read each others sheets in a campaign, and some take notes on characters inventory and abilities (sometimes because they're a sort of strategist minded player and want to sort of "captain the team" others have a competitive streak and get sorta nosey that way). If sudden unexplained "boons" start showing up on sheets, some players may start suspecting either cheating or favoritism and bad blood comes forth.
It's one thing at the table to say "you know player Y I really like how you're playing up this particular aspect of the character, to reinforce it, if you're cool with it, I'd like to make some minor changes to your sheet." Then it's sort of an aboveboard award and the rest of the table sees the sort of play you like seeing and may attempt to emulate it. I still don't necessarily like that, I prefer the more team effort team reward sort of thing, but sometimes there's times in a story where a character can get a hold of something tailored to them, so to speak,.
The best reward a DM can give their players is a good game, and that way all the character mechanical growth and boosts and loot feels actually earned.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
A DM has full access to do whatever they want to the sheet that the system is capable of doing, just as if they were the player.
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Awesome.