Why Character Sheets Matter
As we create worlds and the characters who fill those worlds, keeping track of vital information becomes the priority. That information can vary from relationships to abilities to complex histories and any number of additional points of interest as they relate to characters, ranging from player characters and comic protagonists to kinsonas.
The problem we may encounter is just how to record and maintain all of this essential information without being overwhelmed. This is especially true for those of us who also want to share our hard work and original character with others. For example, you may want to create character profiles for your website or you may be joining a roleplaying group and want to develop an easy primer on your character. Or, maybe you are expanding your setting into a project and taking on collaborators who need to be brought up to speed about the cast of heroes and villains you’ve developed.
In any of these cases, the need for information about your character is clear. This is where OC profile makers are essential.
Creating your OC Profile Sheet Maker
There are any number of websites for creating a character profile sheet, but before seeking one out, consider your needs and what is most important when putting together an OC profile. Whether the character is flat or round, a well-organized sheet is vital.
Flexibility and adaptability are extremely important when finding the right sheets to record your character’s information. For example, the needs of a character sheet for a roleplaying game are much different than something that may be shared in a writing group or art exchange. Rather than trying to force an inflexible platform to work for your needs, figure out those needs first and find a platform from there.
For example, whatever profile maker you opt for, it needs to be something where you can fill in the information that matters most and display that info legibly. Something that has an output that makes sense and could be modified as necessary, such as using tables.
Figuring Out The Essentials
What is the key information to relay about a character on a character sheet? While the answer can vary based on your aims and reason for making a sheet, some pretty common options make a lot of sense.
Some of the most frequent elements of a character sheet can include:
🔲Character Name
🔲 Profile Image/Key Art
🔲 Vital Statistics
🔲 Relationships
🔲 Role
🔲 Equipment
🔲 Abilities
Some of these are more readily apparent than others. Vital statistics can range from age, weight, and height, to other anatomical details, such as hair and eye color. Other details, while pretty common, such as role, equipment, and ability templates, are usually associated with specific genres of storytelling or types of media, such as gaming. However, that is not to say that these broad details can’t be inspiring when crafting a well-rounded character profile.
The list above is a decent overview of what someone may want to know about a character. However, there is always more to account for that may fall under essentials, such as background details, quotes, and other character-developing information. Ensuring online character profile makers can this range of options into account is part of finding the right solution.
But, what if your essential information for a character is a little more niche? What if they are details that aren’t commonly seen on character profiles because they are unique to your setting or project?
Factoring in the Gimmicks
There is nothing inherently bad about a gimmick. A gimmick is simply something that draws the audience’s attention, and the best stories in the world have their gimmicks. After all, whether a character is a Force user or not in the Star Wars setting can be considered a gimmick, just like access to magic in the Wizarding World also applies.
The most clear gimmick for an OC character sheet might be gaming abilities, such as stats and spells you might see on a Dungeons and Dragons character sheet. For a character sheet to be appropriate for gaming purposes it needs to be flexible and have designated sections for mechanics.
The range of gimmicks is virtually unlimited, and the tweaks necessary for a character sheet for different gimmicks are just as endless. For example, if you are creating a character sheet for a murder-mystery roleplay group, you might have sections for their alibi if they’re a suspect. Or, maybe you’ll have a list of distinguishing characteristics that might factor into an investigation.
On the other hand, consider the unique challenges of a character sheet assembled for a writing team to work on a story. Such an OC sheet might include backstory details, multiple reference images, and writing and characterization guides.
This is, of course, a lot of information, so there is still one more thing to consider when designing any character sheet.
Accessibility and Clarity
Ease of reading and a polished design are key parts of developing a great character sheet. After all, what use is a character sheet if it is so inscrutable that nobody can make sense of it? The design can of course vary between purposes; a character guide for co-writers may not need to look like a polished example of graphic design, whereas an OC sheet to drum up interest in a character or reflect a large setting may have visual elements that complement the information.
For example, rather than just including a picture of the character for reference in a profile sheet, what if you could include the actual hex codes for a character’s color palette? It’s something you may not initially think is something essential to an OC character sheet, but becomes invaluable once you know it can be something to include.
So, when we’re looking for an OC sheet maker, we need to factor in how the information is shown. If it doesn’t look good and it lacks clarity, then we are better off finding a better solution.
With all of that said, what is the best online OC character sheer option around?
The Best Character Profile Maker Online
CharacterHub is exactly the online character profile maker we need, based on what we’ve covered. Creating a character profile on CharacterHub is super easy and features some awesome tools to link your OCs to settings and projects easily.
The tag-based search also allows you to help organize your characters and make them easy to discover. Or if you are the more private sort, you can keep your character hidden until you’re ready to show them off.
Best of all, though, is that while the basic CharacterHub profile interface is well organized and a pleasure to look at, you have the option of customizing your character profiles as you see fit. You can easily create, remove, and organize sections based on the needs of your character, all while maintaining a nice-looking profile. You can even change the colors as well.
So while you are developing your next unique OC, consider exploring the process through a customizable CharacterHub profile.
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David Davis
David Davis is a cartoonist with around twenty years of experience in comics, including independent work and established IPs such as SpongeBob Squarepants. He also works as a college composition instructor and records weekly podcasts. Find out more about him at his website!
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