Is there a way to make the Character Sheet section allow all players to view someone else's character sheet? I mean, yes, there's the obvious answer of 'make a thread for them', but I like there being a dedicated section for character stuff and was wondering if one could be made public.

If you really want to do that; the character description is the best way to go.

There isn't, I'm afraid. Character sheets are only viewable by Player and GM by design.

It's been suggested as an option in RPoL Development a couple of times (see links below), but there wasn't a lot of support for it, so if you're after that functionality cast your vote there.   :>

link to a message in another game
link to a message in another game
This message was last edited by the user at 12:27, Fri 12 May 2017.

I would just have the players copy and paste the relevant info from the character sheet onto the character description, which is viewable by anyone.  It's a pretty simple workaround.

Only times I've seen that done, the character description is what was used. I'd say that's the way to go.

That said, why would you want to do that? Legitimately curious here, since right off the top of my head I can't possibly imagine any scenario in any game ever that is helped by having every player know the math behind the other characters.

I can't imagine a scenario in which either a GM or their Players would actually want everyone in the game to be able to view all of their character sheet details. At least, not one that didn't come from the depths of my nightmares. All the same, the folks suggesting to use the character description are correct (to the best of my knowledge).

I will add that character descriptions are also visible to all RPoL users, which both means that anyone who happens upon your game could view character sheets posted in descriptions and also that the sheet details (as well as the descriptions themselves) need to avoid carrying any content that would be rated as Adult here.

Don't know that that's a problem anyone is likely to encounter, but figured I'd bring it up since it could happen and the last thing I want to see is anyone getting in trouble over Adult content being in the wrong place.

 as others said.. the description is the way to go....BUT...I would think long and hard on that. In games I have played  in over the years ( in dozens and dozens of sites).. you are going to have   rules  lawyers  questioning  every thing   about another player CS... you will have " why do they have this many XPs  and I don't... why to they have the Holy Handgrenade  and I only have a vorpal sword"

 In my games.. I tell folks they can share if they want, but I won't tell anyone/share anything as a GM ( or player)... if you are in the games to RP? the CS shouldn't even be a though.

Yep, character sheets are specifically intended to be private, character descriptions are specifically intended to be public.  So the option is already there to choose whichever you prefer.  Even if you have a really bizarre game concept where you need all the character stats public, and their hair colour kept secret.

For a middle ground, a GM can even set up a thread in a non-public Group, with access to that Group for all players, then have the players copy their sheets into it.  That way only the GM and players can see the sheets, but all of them can see every one of them.  They're still not visible to outsiders.
This message was last edited by the user at 16:30, Fri 12 May 2017.

For the 'why', in shadowrun games, knowing team member stats and details about some of the equipment can be important for certain character types.  Doing matrix overwatch means knowing what all wireless gear the rest of the team is carrying, and the associated ratings is helpful.  Or what their essence and some other stats are for healing or other spells.  This is the sort of thing that the character (type) would be able to find out easily in game just by looking.

The *proper* way to handle it, would be for the GM to manage one or more posts with per character private sections, to show what that particular character can see/know, without being explicitly told by someone else in game.  But that could be a real pain to setup and maintain.

For me, knowing everyone's stats and skills and gear breaks the story. Besides, I can readily imagine that leading to certain types second-guessing other characters/players actions and trying to play their character for them. I'm against it.

In one of the games I'm playing, our characters (there are only two of us) have recently acquired the means to share our inventories* and the GM just made a sticky thread called something like "The Best Friends Forever Sharing Thread" which has a post for each of us containing a list of our belongings currently stored in said shared space (just copied and pasted from our character sheets), and another post for whenever one of us removes or adds an item. We've only just acquired the means to share our inventories like this so we'll see how it goes but neither of us are going to be complaining how much stuff the other has, or anything. Happy sharing friends! :D





*Deep Pocket Cloak (cloak with pockets that act like a Bag of Holding) magically linked to the other character's backpack, in case you were wondering ;)

 in the end it depends  what you want. My games the description is only to be used for  what people  see and feel when they meet your character, everything else comes out in RP

 I run semi-free form games using  either a Game system as the frame work, or my own system ( which is pretty effective and simple)...but?  no matter  which I use there is always someone who says, "..How can she do that?"... " why does he have this?"

 If you really, really want folks to see the CS..then make  one thread. Its  just as  easy to go to one thread and scroll  then if  would be to go from character to Character.

 But I think it would steer  folks away from RP..and lean towards  Number cruchers and item envy .

For my part, in twenty years of gaming I've never experienced any of the downsides of sheet sharing the others here have seen. I've also never found a situation where it was better to hide character sheets from other players than to show them. Here are the "why would you do that" thoughts in my own head.

If any players are learning the game. There's no better way to learn than to play, and you learn faster if you can see how things work any time anyone does things, rather than just waiting to be helped along only when you're doing things yourself. You might not even need any handholding if you can see someone else do stuff, or you'll at least know what questions to ask to smooth your understanding. Also having players assist each other with learning is much faster in PbP than always having to wait for the GM to be available.

If the players ever need to plan something. It's incredibly helpful to know what skills and abilities the other PCs have, and waiting for them to volunteer that kind of information can take a lot of time in PbP.

If anyone's playing a new character type before and might make mistakes along the way. Kinda like with learning the game, learning new things about a game you already know is much easier when you have help from people who've done that before and know the pitfalls.

If the players are human and might make mistakes. Forgot you have seven spell slots since leveling up instead of six? Accidentally rolled the skill level of a character from your other game because you were thinking about something else when punching in the numbers? People make mistakes all the time, and they're easiest to fix when anyone can point it out and keep things moving smoothly, rather than relying on the GM to have to be constantly vigilant for every type of problem that might come up because character sheets are private, in addition to all the other GM duties.

Are there really so many problematic players ruining RP by seeing each other's sheets that the issue is rampant enough to warrant people wondering why anyone would ever share a sheet? That's a lot of missing trust that should be there in a group.

Okay, I think we're wandering off-topic here.

This thread is not about whether or not a GM should choose to reveal sheets to players in his own game because, frankly, that's up to him, and it's nobody's business but his.

The thread actually started as a request for RPOL to add another option to the already existing ways for a GM to reveal sheets, should he choose to do so.  As has been pointed out, the option to do so is already coded into the system.

That's how I roll (role?).

::chuckles::