Ever use a pen?

[Otogi]

This is something everybody knows about tabletop games, but something I just realized: Tabletop games are called Pen & Paper games, but I've never heard of anyone actually using pens.

What do you guys think? Did you ever use a pen in a game rather than a pencil?

[IthilanorStPete]

I did, and pretty much immediately regretted it.

[Heliomance]

I always heard hem referred to as pencil and paper.

[dsmiles]

Really, "Pen and Paper?" Huh, I've always called them "Pencil and Paper."

[Halna LeGavilk]

I've always called them pen and paper, but never used one. Figured it would be a bad idea.

[Autolykos]

Well, I use a pen to mark off permanent stuff on the character sheet (like the name or when a Shadowrun character used the "Hand of God"-Rule). But sometimes I regret even this.

[tcrudisi]

As others have said, I have only heard it referred to as a "pencil and paper" game.

The irony of this is that I do not use pencils, I use pens. (dry erase pens to be exact).

[Ernir]

On everything but the actual character sheets.

[Dr.Epic]

Nope. I've always used pencils. Why? Because you can erase mistakes.

[some guy]

I write feats, names, class abilities and other permanent things in pen. Skills, items and other things prone to change in pencil.

[Bagel]

there is a company that makes erasable gel pens, use them for everything, way better than the old school "erasable" pens that used to just remove the top "layer " of the paper

[B1okHead]

They must have origionaly been called pencil and paper and then people got lazy and started saying pen and paper.

[Ormur]

The problem with character sheets is that even using a pencil leaves marks. I have a 15th level character that started out on 1st level and the spaces for marking in things that change every level are becoming unreadable. Not to mention that the sheet itself is falling apart and covered with mysterious stains. I've started to use an online sheet almost exclusively.

As a DM I write a lot of stuff on paper while preparing a session (with a pencil) but not so much during the session. I draw on the battle map but we don't use notes. If something I really wanted to keep hidden from the other players happened to one player I'd take him aside.

So I use pencils, pixels and markers in order of decreasing importance.

[umbrapolaris]

we play laptop games :p

[RufusCorvus]

we play laptop games :p

Keyboard & Screen?

[some guy]

The problem with character sheets is that even using a pencil leaves marks. I have a 15th level character that started out on 1st level and the spaces for marking in things that change every level are becoming unreadable. Not to mention that the sheet itself is falling apart and covered with mysterious stains. I've started to use an online sheet almost exclusively.


Why don't you use new sheets? I usually print a new one out every 4 levels or so.

[Brendan]

my dm used a pen to write down my hit points in the olden days. as such my character sheet for almost a year had "47 32 27 41" scrawled on it. He also did the same for my gold, so we always joked that I permanently had 32 gold in one pocket or another, no matter how many times I spent it.
so I don't recommend using a pen. go for the good old fashioned mechanical pencil approach.

[arrowhen]

I scrawl campaign notes in pen all day at work and then type them up when I get home.

[Tech Boy]

I just use a Pen for the permanent things. Mainly checking off my skills.

Or if I am taking notes about the session. But nothing that I know will change, or could change in the future.

[umbrapolaris]

Keyboard & Screen?

mobile computer, take less place on the table than books,and no need to write, erase,rewrite, correct, rewrite, ^^

[Last Laugh]

For a while I would write every heading and label on my character sheet in pen. (Feats, skills, Hp:, BA/Fort/Ref/Will:.)
I stopped doing this because I had to rewrite my character sheet every time I made a tiny blotch or didn't make a letter just right. I now use the computer for my character sheet when allowed.

[Urpriest]

Pen and Paper is a pretty common phrase, and it doesn't mean that D&D uses pens instead of pencils. Think of the number of times someone has asked you for a pen but been satisfied with a pencil. "Pen" is just a commonly used shorthand for an analog writing implement.

[Fhaolan]

To really get into it, use a quill. :smallbiggrin:

[d13]

And use handmade character sheets, on parchment!

[The Big Dice]

I use pencils for almost everything. Including my notes when I'm prepping a session. But I also use dry erase pens during play. Put the sheet in a plastic sleeve and make temporary notes and changes with the dry erase pen.

That way the sheet is preserved a little better than just writing everything in pencil on it.And since I'm quite superstitious about copying a character onto a new sheet, that's a good thing.

[Godskook]

Am I the only one who calls them "Paper and Pencil" games? (I.e., putting the writing implement last)

[The Big Dice]

Am I the only one who calls them "Paper and Pencil" games? (I.e., putting the writing implement last)

I don't mention writing implements at all. I call them "tabletop games" instead.

[Gabe the Bard]

I suppose I'm using ink at least, since I print out my character sheet every week.

[Escheton]

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/dd7c/

I think they count as (punching) daggers.

And yeah, got many a sheet in pen.

[Otogi]

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/dd7c/

I think they count as (punching) daggers.

And yeah, got many a sheet in pen.

Anybody else love the look of the guy with the hoodie getting stabbed?

[Asheram]

mobile computer, take less place on the table than books,and no need to write, erase,rewrite, correct, rewrite, ^^

That makes me wonder, How'd it be to play "pen and paper" games with an Ipad? Anyone tried?

[Remmirath]

I wrote my first couple of character sheets entirely in pen, but soon realised that was a poor idea and switched to pencil. I continued to write things like HP, THAC0 and stats (the headings, not the values) in pen until we started printing sheets off. Which, surprisingly, took us several years to get around to. It was all scrawling stats down on a scrap of paper before that.

I don't think I've used a pen for D&D at all since we switched to 3rd edition. We started using dry-erase markers and sheets for the set around that time, so now I don't even use the pen to draw sets (which had become the only thing I used it for before that).

I have usually heard it said pen and paper, but I've assumed that pen was being used in place of pencil just because it's quicker to say.

[Vaynor]

And use handmade character sheets, on parchment!

Too modern. I hew my character sheets from stone tablets, using only my fist. Like a man.

[Ormur]

Why don't you use new sheets? I usually print a new one out every 4 levels or so.

Think of the trees. :smalltongue:

I'm also lazy but a normal character sheets just doesn't hold enough info for anything but the simplest low level characters anyway. The space reserved for class features and feats is laughable, not to mentions spells or powers. I need like three spreadsheets to play my wizard anyway so digitizing the character sheet is only a small addition.

It's harder for a character I most often play away from the computer (in a gestalt game on top of all), I need two extra documents just for a 7th level character and in that case I may indeed have to make a new sheet. Fortunately one of the extra documents has space planned for class features, which don't change, so I can keep that one until the end.

In short, it can be a hassle changing everything frequently.

[Thurbane]

I write feats, names, class abilities and other permanent things in pen. Skills, items and other things prone to change in pencil.
Same here, although wherever possible I have printed character sheets with the permanent items in print.

[Incanur]

As a DM I used pens all the time. But I'll take whatever is available.

[Aron Times]

Too modern. I hew my character sheets from stone tablets, using only my fist. Like a man.
Damn. I guess I'm not old school enough with my papyrus sheets. :smallannoyed:

[Gensh]

I wrote my first couple of character sheets entirely in pen, but soon realised that was a poor idea and switched to pencil.

I wish my players had common sense.

[MrTytronico]

Common sense gets you arrested by the Sense police, be careful to show it in public.

I have always used pencils, our first GM would have a mental break down at the sight of a pen (It was a joke and a lesson all in one).

[Zeta Kai]

1) I always use a pencil, as does almost everyone that I've played with...

2) ...Except one guy who played a session with a TYPED character sheet. He said that he'd make notes in pencil, then type up another one for the next session. We never played with him again, for unrelated reasons.

3) I have always called them Tabletop Games, as opposed to video games, card games, or board games. Although the latter two are also played on tabletops.

[SamsDisciple]

To the earlier comment about playing on an ipad I am currently using my Droid phone and it works great but I still keep a printed sheet so I can reference my character while rolling the dice on my phone (easiest way to roll that 15d8 damage) and I only use pencil to update the paper copy of my character after the session is over. I did use pen when I wrote in the tattoos and his loin cloth of cleanliness:)

[Lycan 01]

As a DM, I write all my notes and sketch maps and stuff in pen, just for speed and comfort. As a player, I only use pencils.

I call say Pen and Paper Games, but usually I just say "Tabletop RPGs" for simplicity.