1980s Dot Matrix Character Sheet

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YYZombraire
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1980s Dot Matrix Character Sheet

Post by YYZombraire »

This character sheet is offered out of pure, unabashed 1980s nostalgia. I know a lot of folks are drawn to BFRPG because of how closely it emulates the way they played back in those days, so I thought a period appropriate DIY character sheet might help complete the experience. Might as well go retro all the way!

This particular sheet is a facsimile of the homebrewed sheets my friends and I used circa 1984. The originals were created on an Apple //e and printed on the 9-pin dot matrix printers we had access to at home. I've made a few minor tweaks (mostly to match BFRPG rules and terminology), but it's pretty close to what we used back in the day.

Nostalgia aside, they hold up surprisingly well from a functional standpoint. If anyone is interested in a version with a less primitive aesthetic, let me know. I'd be happy to create a version with a more refined look.

Using the editable version requires fonts from the FXMatrix font family, which are available for free under the SIL Open Font License at http://const-iterator.de/fxmatrix/. You will need the standard pica version of the font in regular, italic, bold, and bold-italic. Just about any monospace font could be substituted, but some adjustment of spacing and margins might be necessary.
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teaman
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Re: 1980s Dot Matrix Character Sheet

Post by teaman »

YES!!!!! Now that's a character sheet!!!!!

Thanks for the trip down nostaglia lane. Actually, it's not nostaglia. Just an appreciation of the height of western civilization, the 1980's.
Teaman is the sole proprietor of Sharp Mountain Games at roll20 and DTRPG

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Kane
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Re: 1980s Dot Matrix Character Sheet

Post by Kane »

I used to have some old-school green paper AD&D sheets that looked Dot-matrix printed (though they were commercial). I was born in 1984, and I've had a desktop and internet since 1996, so I never really experienced the pre-online pre-laserjet era personally, but I did have many relicts of that period.

I downloaded them to add to my collection, though I don't really use character sheets: I do pretty much everything with Excel, fillable PDFs or Roll20 anymore; my notebooks just sit in a corner and get to support my 12" tablet's charging dock. I have transcended the physical world!
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toddlyons
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Re: 1980s Dot Matrix Character Sheet

Post by toddlyons »

YYZombraire wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 12:24 pm This character sheet is offered out of pure, unabashed 1980s nostalgia.
This was a great gift to the community. I still have a working //e, //c, and //gs so it really hit me in the feels. Nice work!
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YYZombraire
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Re: 1980s Dot Matrix Character Sheet

Post by YYZombraire »

Thanks everyone. Glad you got a kick out of it!
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chiisu81
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Re: 1980s Dot Matrix Character Sheet

Post by chiisu81 »

teaman wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 5:07 pm YES!!!!! Now that's a character sheet!!!!!

Thanks for the trip down nostaglia lane. Actually, it's not nostaglia. Just an appreciation of the height of western civilization, the 1980's.
Agreed 8-)
This just became my favorite BFRPG character sheet, no question.
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