I've seen it mentioned in a couple different places DMs having access to, or a copy of, Player Character Sheets. I was wondering how many DMs do this and why? And, if so, what is the favored format: digital, physical.

Kind of answering my own question, I can see a case where having access to the character sheets would be handy: encounter building. What are the PCs' strengths? weaknesses?

Right now I have not asked my players for a copy of their character sheets, mostly because I don't want another thing to manage.

What are your thoughts?

Yeah I don't do that either.

I guess some DMs want to know everything and have everything under control.

Often a DM would like to have a copy of the character on hand so if a player cannot make a session, the character can still be managed in "NPC Mode" by the remaining players.  For an on-going campaign with stable roster of players, nothing wonks the suspension of disbelief than the PC that goes Ethereal for a whole session because there's no means to reliably manage the character's metagame.  This used to be the main reason I'd ask for character sheets in my college years.  

Anymore I give the players a 3"x5" card and ask them to write down their stats, god, traits/flaws/bonds, passive perception, and I note on that back of the card any magic items or special abilities they regularly use.  This way I have enough information to design an encounter that will challenge specific characters in the party, say the bard that hasn't had an opportunity to shine recently.  I also use these cards to note initiative and manage the combats with them.

A number of my players are making use of Hero Lab's 5E database and will send me their portfolio file so I can have a record of it or they'll print off the character sheet .pdf that I can store away for later reference as necessary.

As for managing the character sheets: open open your PH, slide the sheets in at a random page, close book.  Done.  If you have campaign materials for your game, keep the sheets with those materials so everything is easy to find.  Invest the couple bucks into a nice folder/organizer with separate areas, you won't be sorry.

Quote from Rexx >>

Often a DM would like to have a copy of the character on hand so if a player cannot make a session, the character can still be managed in "NPC Mode" by the remaining players.  For an on-going campaign with stable roster of players, nothing wonks the suspension of disbelief than the PC that goes Ethereal for a whole session because there's no means to reliably manage the character's metagame.  This used to be the main reason I'd ask for character sheets in my college years.  

Anymore I give the players a 3"x5" card and ask them to write down their stats, god, traits/flaws/bonds, passive perception, and I note on that back of the card any magic items or special abilities they regularly use.  This way I have enough information to design an encounter that will challenge specific characters in the party, say the bard that hasn't had an opportunity to shine recently.  I also use these cards to note initiative and manage the combats with them.

A number of my players are making use of Hero Lab's 5E database and will send me their portfolio file so I can have a record of it or they'll print off the character sheet .pdf that I can store away for later reference as necessary.

As for managing the character sheets: open open your PH, slide the sheets in at a random page, close book.  Done.  If you have campaign materials for your game, keep the sheets with those materials so everything is easy to find.  Invest the couple bucks into a nice folder/organizer with separate areas, you won't be sorry.

It is for NPC mode. I tried using cards but found it pulls me from flow and pacing. I went a different road. Every 2 to 3 sessions I do a sit down and go over how the campaign is going and their characters. If you do a session 0 with your players, it's a lot like that, only while the campaign going. 

It keeps things fresh in my mind and shows players how they are growing in the story. Cowards find reasons to have courage. The self invested find a cause to hold on to. Key traits get their time in the limelight. Things like that. 

Quote from BigBuck >>

It is for NPC mode. I tried using cards but found it pulls me from flow and pacing. I went a different road. Every 2 to 3 sessions I do a sit down and go over how the campaign is going and their characters. If you do a session 0 with your players, it's a lot like that, only while the campaign going. 

It keeps things fresh in my mind and shows players how they are growing in the story. Cowards find reasons to have courage. The self invested find a cause to hold on to. Key traits get their time in the limelight. Things like that. 

1st it helps when you need to know the PCs stats for an encounter when they can't make it. Nothing is worse than spending an entire session making a plan to fight the dragon that revolves around the bard and barbarian for the barbarian tank to suddenly have to skip the session. 

Certain characters might have a skill, spell, or ability that would actually prevent a tpk. 

Then there is that always awkward moment when you rushed to the game session without your character sheet or worse you actually lose it! 

Can help a Dm with making sure encounters aren't going to be overpowered or to realize you took a feat or ability that hasn't had a use in the campaign and then secretly design an encounter around that so the PC can let all their abilities have a purpose. 

Sometimes it is to catch that pesky sorcerer who somehow ends up casting fireball six times in every encounter, but usually it's for more friendly reasons and isn't about control. 

I don't actually keep a copy of character sheets for myself - it's incidental that I have access to them whenever I want because I host the games at my house, and the players don't take their sheets with them when they go home.

I also don't happen to ever really need to check the character sheets - I don't plan encounters based on anything found on the character sheet, I don't do any "auditing" of character sheets except for if I am copying the character over to a clean character sheet after a spill makes the sheet unreadable (or uneditable - coffee stains manage to prevent erasing of pencil they are spilled over), and I've not thought of any other reasons a DM should be checking over the characters' sheets.

If I did start keeping copies, I'd rather they be digital so they don't clutter up my shelf more than it already is.

I prefer a digital format with periodic printing. As a DM, I occasionally reference character sheets in order to ensure that I'm presenting a suitable challenge to the players. I need to make sure that I'm balancing periodic creatures that thwart some of their common crutches as well as allowing their more esoteric powers to shine.

Without having character sheets, I run the risk of making encounters and challenges boring or frustrating.

I only ask for the character sheets at the beginning of the campaign just so I can get an idea of what every is playing and see what kind of stats they got. After that, its up to them to keep their own tabs. I do ask them for any HP changes or if they increase their AC but that's only cause I have little tent cards that sit on my screen for Initiative. 

But there is a bit of a check with my casters that I like to do, which is just asking them what spells they prepared for the day. Too many times I've had the honor system broken with past players when it came to what they had prepared and what they were casting. So now I ask and make a little note of what they say. 

I use something similar to @Rexx, a 3x5 index card with my players vitals, something as simple as Name, AC, HP, stats, and spell slots/uses. You only really have to update it when things change (leveling up, finding new items). 

it's important to be able to trust your players but i like having that yellow card just in case. @Codis had a good idea on prepared spells, I am borrowing that.

The only thing I get from characters is their HP, AC, and Passive Perception. I use that to help me guage where they're at and to make combat rolls faster, especially when there are a lot of monsters in play. I also asked them to go over their flaws, traits, ideals, and bonds so that I can look for opportunities to work those into the story. We review if something changes. 

I don't ask for spells or anything else and I don't audit sheets because I play with a group of people I have known for at least 15 years, some close to 30 years, and we've been playing together for a long time so trust isn't a factor. That being said, I could certainly see a DM asking for prepared spells and number of spell slots if it was someone they didn't trust implicitly.

As a rule, I collect the character sheets after each adventure.  Most of my players are middle school and high school age.  I've also found that most of them keep an updated copy of their character on an app on their iPads.  Fight club app, maybe?

Since all the players come to my house, I may have them fill out a PDF version (and update at the end of each session, when applicable). That way if I need to refer to them I won't have to decipher their handwriting. :-D

Also, in the likely/unlikely event of someone forgetting their character sheet, I can just print off the version I have.

...at least that's how I'm leaning at this very moment...

Biggest issue I've seen with magic is the material costs not being expended (usually because a player forgets to even look at the * in the description). And the occasional Oh I have that spell, I'll cast it! Forgetting they have to prepare spells in advance.

Quote from InsanityRocks >>

Since all the players come to my house, I may have them fill out a PDF version (and update at the end of each session, when applicable). That way if I need to refer to them I won't have to decipher their handwriting. :-D

Also, in the likely/unlikely event of someone forgetting their character sheet, I can just print off the version I have.

...at least that's how I'm leaning at this very moment...

Quote from Mittens >>

Quote from InsanityRocks >>

Since all the players come to my house, I may have them fill out a PDF version (and update at the end of each session, when applicable). That way if I need to refer to them I won't have to decipher their handwriting. :-D

Also, in the likely/unlikely event of someone forgetting their character sheet, I can just print off the version I have.

...at least that's how I'm leaning at this very moment...

 We use Google Drive to house a lot of our stuff. You could consider using something like that to store the PDFs, that way they can update them whenever.

Before play begins the only things I require is a copy or written sheet with the Characters full backstory. This helps me include things from the characters past that might come into play good or bad it will become part of the story.

I need to know what the current AC & HP are and that just about covers it.  

If a player can not make it I will not run their character for them or have any other players run it.  You're not here in body,  your character will spend the night guarding the horses or something like that.   

I don't need to see their sheets at all. 

I do make small notes on each character that have special abilities and class info so I can make sure I have areas where each character can shine and sometimes not shine, depending on rolls, in which case, become a really good story.

JT

Just wanted to close the loop on this conversation. Here's the direction I'm going:

Using MorePurpleMoreBetter Character Generator PDF I transcribed my Player's character sheets into soft copies. I went this route because with the referenced PDF Char Gen I get access to all published content including Unearthed Arcana. I also went this route because the character sheet generated documents all the details, if even abbreviated, with Book/Document page number for easy reference.

• At the beginning of our sessions each player will print a hard copy and use it to capture the events of the session.
• At the end of the session it is the Player's responsibility to update their soft copy.

I'm also going to ask the players to provide some details on their back story. That way I can weave in elements of them into the campaign. I already have their Personality Traits. I'm going to use this information to tailor encounters such that each PC can have their "Hero Moment", and to gauge where the TPK line may be.

I do like the idea of checking the spell casters. I may do that.

Again, thanks to all the suggestions and great ideas!