In order to play a Dungeons and Dragons game, you need to build a DnD character sheet – a complete record of your fantasy character’s in-game stats, equipment, and more – to keep track of your adventure. There are a few options to choose from, so this guide helps you find the right sheet fast, whether you’re looking for something digital or the all-new DnD 2024 character sheet.
If you need more detailed guidance when filling out your sheet, read our tutorial on how to make a DnD character. Keep our guides to all the DnD classes and DnD races handy, too, to get the ins and outs of who you’re going to play as.
Quick links:
- DnD 5e character sheet
- DnD 2024 character sheet
- DnD character sheets online
- How to fill out a DnD character sheet
DnD 5e character sheet
If you’ve played Dungeons and Dragons in the last 10 years, you’re probably familiar with the 5e character sheet above. This is the standard 2014 character sheet designed by Wizards of the Coast.
Where to find it
Basic but sufficient, this version is designed to meet most players’ needs. If you’re after a DnD character sheet PDF, you can download it for free from Wizards of the Coast. You can print this and fill it out in person, or you can treat it as a fillable DnD character sheet and keep it digital.
What’s included?
The 2014 5e character sheet is a single two-sided affair, with an optional extra third side. The front page covers all your most important details – stats, skills, hit points, and so on. There’s even space for more fluffy details, like your personality traits and alignment.
On the back, you’ll be able to go into more detail about your character’s backstory. Here, you’ll record your age, height, weight, allies, and origin story. Finally, if you’re a spellcaster, the third page can be used to keep track of the spells you’ve learned.
Pros and cons
There are some serious upsides to choosing this DnD sheet:
- It’s widely available for free, both as a digital, fillable PDF and a printable, physical document.
- Most players will recognize this sheet, so they can help you learn to use it if you’re feeling stuck.
- It’s still perfectly fine to use with the 2024 version of the rules.
That being said, this won’t be the right fit for everyone. The official DnD character sheet can be difficult to read, and if there are no tabletop RPG veterans around, you might spend a lot of time squinting at it with confusion in your eyes. (If this sounds like you, keep reading: we’ll go through a tutorial for this sheet shortly.)
Another downside to this choice is the lack of flexibility it offers. In attempting to cater to all D&D players, the standard character sheet becomes more fiddly for everyone to use. A DnD Fighter has no need for a sheet of spells, for example – so they’re stuck with a sheet of wasted paper.
DnD 2024 character sheet
In September 2024, Dungeons and Dragons released its new Player’s Handbook, marking the start of a new, upgraded era of fifth edition. This version of the rules also comes with a redesigned character sheet, similar to the old one but with a few choice tweaks to reflect the new rule set.
Where to find it
Currently, there are limited ways to obtain this new sheet in a digital, fillable form. There’s a DnD 2024 character sheet PDF on D&DBeyond that you can download, but you have to print it if you want to fill it out.
If you own a copy of the 2024 Player’s Handbook, you can find the new, official character sheet on pages 34 and 35. This can be photocopied and filled out with a pen – again, not a useful solution for anyone playing on a virtual tabletop. It also comes with several numbers in boxes where you’re supposed to write stats and rules, as it’s designed more for reference than use.
If you don’t own a printer and want multiple copies of this sheet printed, you can also buy a collection of paper sheets from Wizards of the Coast for $14.99. We wouldn’t recommend this, though – it’s always cheaper to find a library and print one of the free versions of the sheet, if you can.
Fan-made alternatives
As usual, the DnD community’s creativity has welled up to fill the gaps in Wizards of the Coast’s official offering – fans have already crafted a bunch of alternative character sheets that match or improve on the original.
This fan-made character sheet is a form-fillable version of the original 2024 character sheet – and this Reddit thread features a PNG and a form-fillable version of the new sheet.
What’s included – and what’s new?
Core gameplay is mostly the same in the 2024 D&D rules, so this new character sheet isn’t overwhelmingly unfamiliar. However, some things have changed.
Overall, the sheet is more efficient, requiring two pages rather than three. A large amount of space has been saved by shrinking the boxes dedicated to appearance, backstory, and personality. You can still write this info down, but the new character sheet is mainly about mechanics.
The core stats are now presented in separate boxes, with relevant skills and saving throw proficiency spaces listed below each. Passive Perception is now more prominent (and easier to find) at the top of the page.
The space where you record your character trait has been split into separate boxes for feats, class, and species features. Speaking of, races have been renamed ‘species’ in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, and this is reflected on the 2024 character sheet.
The spells section of the sheet has seen a major overhaul, with a new way to record expended spell slots and extra space for noting a spell’s concentration, ritual, or material component requirements. Plus, there’s a brand-new space to record how many DnD magic items you’re attuned to – neat!
DnD character sheets online
In a world of virtual tabletops and automated character builders, Dungeons and Dragons is becoming increasingly digital. This means you might prefer to save paper and use a DnD character sheet online.
Based on years of playtesting, these are our favorite online character sheets to use:
1. DnD Beyond character sheet
D&D Beyond is our top choice for digital sheets. The free version lets you build a character with any material covered by D&D’s Open Game License, and you can use character options from any DnD books you’ve already bought on the marketplace. It works on both browser and mobile, and D&DBeyond walks you through the character creation process in a clear and approachable manner.
Every stat can be clicked to bring up an explanatory info panel, and ability rolls or skill checks can be made at the click of a button. It even shares dice scores in a shared log for each of your online campaigns, so you check no one’s cheating. And if you do decide to take your roleplaying out of the digital world, D&DBeyond’s character sheets can be exported into fillable PDFs.
2. Fillable DnD character sheet PDF
Maybe you don’t have access to your D&D books through D&DBeyond. If so, the standard DnD character sheet PDF offered by Wizards of the Coast is both free and fillable. You’ll have to do all the calculations yourself, but you have total control over what goes onto your sheet.
We’ve already covered the fillable version of the 2024 character sheets (and the fact there are no official ones). Head back to that section at the top of the page for links to some fan-made fillable sheets.
3. Mobile-friendly DnD character sheet
If D&D Beyond’s interface is a bit too much, we also recommend the Fifth Edition Character Sheet. It’s a free app for iOS and Android that provides a simple but effective sheet for portable play. It’s not quite as polished as D&DBeyond, but it’s easy to pick up and definitely gets the job done.
4. Roll20 character sheet
Virtual tabletops like Roll20 also have their own automated DnD character sheets. These look a lot like the standard Dungeons and Dragons character sheet, but they’ve been tweaked to make the information easier to read. The best part is that these character sheets are fully automated – if you click on a certain skill, spell, or attack, Roll20 can roll the relevant dice for you and figure out the results.
Roll20 is also currently the best place to find a digital DnD 2024 character sheet. The platform has used Wizards’ brand new rules as an opportunity to make its (previously quite fiddly) character sheet easier to use and edit. You can find out more in this Roll20 blog post.
We’ve also shared some advice about filling out this digital character sheet in our Roll20 tutorial.
How to fill out a DnD character sheet
Since the standard sheet is the most common and one of the most complicated options, we’ve put together this DnD character sheet tutorial to help you use it. Let’s look at what goes in each box, step by step.
We’ll give a brief overview of any relevant rules, but if you need more information, be sure to check out the other Dungeons and Dragons guides provided in the links.
Character name
This one is simple. Pick a name for your character (from your own imagination or a handy DnD name generator), and scribble it here. If you want an immersive name that properly represents your character’s ancestry and culture, leave this box until you’ve chosen a race and background. Alternatively, go with your gut and decide to play a DnD Goblin called Boblin straight out of the gate. Each to their own.
Class and level
Your class is one of the biggest choices you’ll make when creating a character, and it’ll influence how you fill out many other areas of the character sheet. If you’ve not made your mind up, check out your options in our dedicated DnD classes guide.
Once you’ve picked a class, ask your Dungeon Master what level you’ll start the campaign at, and record this here. You may need to read up on the DnD level up process, particularly if you’re starting at levels three or above.
Background
Backgrounds offer a bit of flavor to flesh out your backstory, and they come with a few special abilities and skill/tool proficiencies. These aren’t game-breaking, but they’re nice to have on adventures. Browse the best DnD backgrounds, and record the name of your choice here.
If you’re playing with the 2024 rules, however, backgrounds decide your ability score increases, and they come with a starting feat. For more information, here’s everything you need to know about DnD 2024 backgrounds.
Player Name
Your real name goes here. We’re sure you know your own name well, but this is helpful in case your Dungeon Master looks after everyone’s sheets between sessions.
Race
The DnD races in fifth edition determine your ability score increases, as well as your size, speed, age, and languages. In the 2024 rules, they no longer give you DnD languages or stat boosts, but they still have unique abilities that’ll affect your build.
There are many varied races in the world of D&D, and the rarer options can be found in supplemental books like Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse. The most common options, however, are those found in the 2014 Player’s Handbook:
- DnD Dwarf
- DnD Elf
- DnD Halfling
- DnD Human
- DnD Dragonborn
- DnD Gnome
- DnD Half-Elf
- DnD Half-Orc
- DnD Tiefling
The 2024 rulebook replaces the Half-Elf and the Half-Orc with the following:
- DnD 2024 Aasimar
- DnD Goliath
- DnD Orc
Alignment
Your alignment determines your character’s moral compass. It’s mainly a roleplaying tool, but it occasionally has a mechanical effect in-game. Here’s a guide to DnD alignments to help you choose.
Experience points
Level ups are calculated in two different ways: milestone leveling or experience points. If your Dungeon Master uses the latter to decide when you level up, you can record how many experience points you have here.
Inspiration
Unless your Dungeon Master asks you to fill it in, leave this section blank at the start of a campaign. DMs will award a point of Inspiration to players during sessions. If you receive this gift, mark the box in any way you like to show that you currently have Inspiration. You can’t have more than one Inspiration point, so you won’t need to record a particular number here.
Proficiency Bonus
For many rolls (e.g. attacks and skill checks), you’ll be asked to add your proficiency bonus to a roll to the result. This number will change depending on what level you are:
| Level | Proficiency bonus |
| 1-4 | +2 |
| 5-8 | +3 |
| 9-12 | +4 |
| 13-16 | +5 |
| 17-20 | +6 |
Ability scores
The six ability scores in Dungeons and Dragons determine how good you are at pretty much everything. Any time you roll a die, the result will likely be influenced by a particular ability score modifier. For a full explanation of what each of the DnD stats means, check out our guide on the subject.
There are multiple ways to calculate your stats in D&D, so ask your Dungeon Master which they’d prefer you to use when filling out this part of the sheet. You might calculate your ability scores in the following ways:
- For each stat, roll 4d6 and ignore the lowest die result. Add the three remaining dice together.
- Assign the ‘standard array’ of ability scores (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) in any order you like.
- Use the variant ‘customizing ability scores’ rules found in the Player’s Handbook (also known as the ‘points buy’ method).
When assigning an ability score to a particular stat, consider which are most important to the class you want to play. And don’t forget to add any ability score increases from your race to the final results.
Record this final number in the smaller, round box for your stat. The larger, square section is reserved for your ability score modifier, the number you’ll actually add to dice rolls.
| Ability score | Ability modifier |
| 1 | -5 |
| 2-3 | -4 |
| 4-5 | -3 |
| 6-7 | -2 |
| 8-9 | -1 |
| 10-11 | +0 |
| 12-13 | +1 |
| 14-15 | +2 |
| 16-17 | +3 |
| 18-19 | +4 |
| 20-21 | +5 |
| 22-23 | +6 |
| 24-25 | +7 |
| 26-27 | +8 |
| 28-29 | +9 |
| 30 | +10 |
Bear in mind that these starting ability scores are for a level one D&D character. If you’re starting at a higher level, you may need to tweak some of these ability scores based on how many level ups you’d have had before the game begins.
Saving throws
Saving throws help you avoid dangerous situations in D&D, and your Dungeon Master will let you know if you need to roll them. The class you choose will determine which saving throws you’re proficient in.
If you have proficiency, fill in the circle next to that particular saving throw. In the blank space next to these circles, record the modifier you will add to saving throw rolls. If you’re proficient, this is your proficiency bonus plus the relevant ability score modifier. For saving throws you aren’t proficient in, simply write the ability score modifier again.
Skills
Your class and background will determine which DnD skills you’re proficient in (see our guide for a full explanation of each). As with saving throws, mark the circles for skills you’re proficient in and combine your proficiency bonus with the relevant ability score modifier to calculate what number goes in the blank skill box. You can also write down the modifiers for skills you aren’t proficient in, but these are the same as the base ability score modifiers related to that skill.
Passive Wisdom (Perception)
If an enemy is attempting to ambush you, or you’re about to walk into a trap, the Dungeon Master may ask what your Passive Perception score is. To calculate this, add 10 to your Wisdom modifier. If you’re proficient in the Perception skill, you can also add your proficiency bonus to the final number.
Other proficiencies and languages
Any other proficiencies you get from your background, class, and race are listed here. This includes DnD languages, as well as tool, armor, and DnD weapon proficiencies.
Armor class
When a DnD monster tries to attack you, it must beat your armor class with its attack roll. When you’re not wearing armor, your AC is 10 plus your Dexterity modifier.
If you’re carrying a standard DnD shield, your AC increases by two. Different DnD armor also increases your AC score by various amounts.
Initiative
Initiative determines how quickly you act when combat begins. This box is used to record your Initiative bonus, which will be added to a d20 Initiative roll at the start of battle. Your Initiative bonus is usually the same as your Dexterity modifier, but character options like races and feats can modify this.
Speed
Your chosen race will determine your speed. Most Medium creatures can move 30ft in a turn without dashing, for example.
Current hit points
Here you’ll record your maximum hit points, as well as the HP you currently have. Each class has a designated Hit Dice, and their starting HP maximum is the maximum result on that die plus the character’s Constitution modifier. For example, a level one DnD Bard starts with eight HP plus their Con modifier.
Each time you level up, you’ll roll your Hit Die and add the result to your current HP maximum.
Temporary hit points
If a spell or other ability gives you temporary hit points, write them down here.
Hit Dice
You’ll be able to spend Hit Dice to regain health during a DnD short rest. As you gain levels, you’ll have more possible Hit Dice to use. ‘Total’ shows how many you have based on your level, and the rest of the box can be used to record how many you have left to spend during rests. The number returns to your total Hit Dice after a long rest.
Death saves
This section of the character sheet stays blank until your character drops to zero hit points. After that, you’ll need to roll DnD death saves. Record how many you’ve succeeded and failed by filling in these circles.
Attacks and spellcasting
When you make attack rolls, you add several modifiers to the final result. The attacks and spellcasting section can be used to list all your offensive options, with their attack bonuses pre-calculated.
Generally, a weapon attack bonus equals the relevant ability score modifier (Strength for melee weapons, Dexterity for ranged or finesse weapons) plus your proficiency bonus. Be aware that you only get to add your proficiency bonus if you’re proficient with that weapon type.
Similarly, spell attack bonuses can be calculated by adding your spellcasting ability modifier (Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma) to your proficiency bonus.
Some class features or DnD magic items may also allow you to modify your attack bonuses.
Equipment
Here you can list any notable items you start out with during your adventure (or pick up along the way). Your class and your background decide your options for starting equipment, and chapter five of the Player’s Handbook contains alternative rules for starting with gold instead.
This section also contains some boxes where you can track your wealth. D&D has four types of coin: copper, silver, electrum, gold, and platinum. Ten copper equals one silver, five silver equals one electrum, and two electrum equals one gold. Ten gold pieces are equivalent to one platinum.
Personality Traits (Ideals, Bonds, Flaws)
This section is for jotting down any roleplaying ideas you might have. Ideals represent your goals and values, bonds are your closest relationships, and flaws are…well, flaws. If you’re a bit stuck for ideas, your chosen background will suggest some typical personality traits for your character.
Features and traits
This is where you’ll jot down any unique abilities your character has. These can come from all kinds of sources, but your class and race will determine most of them. Document them in as much detail as you’ll need to remember how to use them. And don’t worry if the box looks a bit small – the second page of your character sheet has room for additional features and traits.
Beyond the first page
The standard DnD character sheet comes with two extra pages, but they’re less complex. The second is where you can write about your appearance, relationships, and backstory in more detail. Plus, there’s extra space to record any abilities or treasure you acquire on your journeys.
Page three is all about spellcasting. Here you can write the names of spells you know (though not how they work – there’s nowhere near enough room). Each spell level comes with a box for tracking total and used spell slots, and the circles next to each line can also help you track which spells you’ve prepared for the day.
At the top of the page, you can also write down your spellcasting ability, spell save DC, and spell attack bonus. You should already know your spellcasting ability and attack bonus from doing the calculations on page one of the character sheet. To calculate your spell save DC, add eight to your spellcasting ability modifier and proficiency bonus.
DnD character sheet example
For context, here’s what a finished DnD character sheet might look like:
For more on Dungeons and Dragons, here are the latest books coming up on the DnD release schedule. We can also explain more fiddly 5e rules, such as DnD damage types and DnD sizes.