Design Talk - Single line GURPS Character Sheets
It was on 2024, may, when I was reading the "Into the Misty Forest" section, of the Hordes of Dragonspear module for AD&D2e (while DMing the same adventure in 5e), that I decided to write up the sheet of Dorig (a troll) in that single lined format in which monsters appeared in those old modules. Of course, DMing it in 5e, I had to convert a lot of information.
In the end, it looked like this:
Dorig (Dire Troll): ATB 22 15 21 9 11 5; AC 15; Speed 40 (8 sq.); HD 15; HP 169; SThr Wis+5, Cha+2; S Per+5; DV 60; PP 15; DRes (nm physical); CImm (Frightened, Poisoned); Lang (Giant); #AT 5 (+11); Dmg 1d8+6 pi, 1d10 poi / 4*3d6+6 sla; Regen 10/turn (5 if acid/fire), only dies if 10 acid/fire damage after 0 hp; Special: 10ft DC 19 > 8d10 or 1/2 sla dmg, RCharge 5.
Of course, Dorig wasn't a Dire Troll back then... but considering the absolute powerhouses that are 11th level characters in fifth edition, I had to buff him a little bit for, at least, a meaningful encounter.
But I'm getting off-topic.
The thing is: after writing the troll's sheet in such a way, mostly to immerse myself in how things where done in the past, I found myself running the monster more efficiently. And, considering that I struggled with monster sheets on GURPS since 2022, I imediatelly tried to bring that simple design to my monsters on the system.
It became something like this:
ZOMBIE, SOLDIER: 16 | 11 | 8 | 11 | dmg thr 1d+1/sw 2d+2, HP 21, Will 8, Per 11, FP 0, Sp/Mv 5/5, DR 4 (Armor), SM +0, Dg/Pr/Bk 10/10/10. ATK: #1 Punch (12) 1d cr Reach C; #2 Spear (12) 1d+3 imp Reach 1; #3 Shield Bash (12) 1d cr Reach C. TRAITS: Unliving; Combat Reflexes, Doesn’t Breathe; Doesn’t Eat or Drink; Doesn’t Sleep; Fragile (Unnatural); Single-Minded; Mindless; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards; Night Vision-5; DR 2 (Bone); Weakness (Crushing Damage ×1.5). SKILLS: Spear-12, Shield-12, Brawling-12, Observation-12. EQUIPMENT: Armor; 1; $; lb. Spear. Shield. CREATURE TYPE: Undead. NOTES: None.
And I loved it! It was — for me, at least — easier to find information quickly, and it has been my way of writing sheets since then.