Tracking Spell Slots

[Random832]

I've never played a spellcaster (kind of a beginner to the game as a whole) and was wondering what all of you who have find to be the best way to keep track of what spells you have prepared/used.

[-Cor-]

I assume you mean DnD 3.5. The guys that make Heroforge also make an Excel program called SpellForge that gives you a nice little print out. Not very intuitive, but if you take the time to figure out how it works (there might be a FAQ) it can be very helpful for a caster with a large amount of spells.

I loved having it for my Cleric/RSoP.

Just do a google search for HeroForge.

[Random832]

But there's nothing out there for just using pencil and paper to track them?

[9mm]

if your new, I'd suggest sorcerer, because then its just as simple as keeping a couple dice to keep track of each level. If you want a prepared caster, Keep a note book handy and put your prepared spells there, and cross them out when used or you re-prepare.

[-Cor-]

But there's nothing out there for just using pencil and paper to track them?

Well, SpellForge gives you a handy little printout that lets you mark down and cross off (using a pencil or whathaveyou) what you've prepared from your whole spellbook.

[shadzar]

Depends on edition. 4th you just turn over the encounter or daily powers cards to denote they have been used.

2nd/1st I would use the spell sheets from the wizards player screen pack and mark them off.

I also use the wizard spell cards in 1st/2nd.

Index cards could also work. Write down your spells for 3.x and down on the index cards, and turn them over when used and you know what you have left to cast that day.

[Krazddndfreek]

Personally, me and my friends just use a blank sheet of paper and write:
SPELLS up at the top and label which spells are which level. Off to the side or on a different sheet of paper, we write which spells we have prepared and check boxes for the amount of those spells we've prepared.

((This is for 3.5, otherwise we just use printout cards for 4e powers.))

[lsfreak]

I print off a page that lists everything I need to know about the spells in question.

Then, at the bottom of one of the pages (or on a sticky note or something), I quickly jot down the level and how many of each I have prepared, crossing them off/erasing them as needed.

[Shpadoinkle]

Um... you write out what spells you have memorized, seperate from your spells known, then when you cast a given spell you put a little X next to it on your list... Simple. For spontaneous casters you just write

SPELLS CAST level(available)
0(4) 1(4) 2(3) 3(2) 4(1)

and the like, then make tally marks under the numbers as you use them. It's not complicated.

[Lycanthromancer]

I hate spell-slots. Both in keeping track of them and how horribly clunky they are in play.

I'd suggest playing a psionic character, instead. It's similar to spellcasting, but it uses power points (very similar to Final Fantasy MP) to manifest powers (ie, 'cast spells'). Whenever you manifest a power, you simply subtract the number of pp you spent from your total, and that's it; you can keep manifesting powers so long as you have enough pp left.

Simple and elegant, just like nature intended. (Note, for this purpose, Gary Gygax DOES NOT COUNT. He was horrible at finesse (though I suppose Dave Arneson was really to blame for that).

[magellan]

But there's nothing out there for just using pencil and paper to track them?

Yes there is!

use paper and a pencil for that ;)

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Print off about 3-4 copies of your standard spell list, with enough space to write next to them. Then, put a line through each spell when you cast it.

And yes, Beguilers/Sorcerers/Psions are easier.

[Morandir Nailo]

I just take a sheet of graph paper and make a list of spells in my spellbook. When I prepare spells, I just place a checkmark in the box next to the spell's name (checking multiple boxes for multiple preparations of the same spell) and erase the checkmarks as I cast.

Mor

[Teron]

Print out or write down your full spell list; I recommend arranging it by spell level, and leaving enough space to add more spells at each level if you're playing a class that doesn't learn all its spells of a given level at once (like the core arcane casters). When you prepare spells, put little pencil marks next to them. When you cast one, erase a mark. Simple, and very convenient during play if you write agonizingly slowly like me.

[Fenix_of_Doom]

I've got two systems to track spells, one for spontanious casters and one for prepared casters.

The spontaneous way is really easy, you get a list with level 0 tm level x(where x is the highest level spells you can cast), every time you cast a spell you put a "tally mark" behind the appropriate level. If needed you can put the number of spells you can cast per day behind the level between brackets. if the day is over you put a vertical line behind the what you've tallied so far and start over

The prepared way is more work, but that's what you get for playing a spellcaster. In this case you write down all the spells you cast regularly(a print out is convenient for this) and for every time you've prepared it you put a - behind it, if you cast it you change the - into a +. end of the day, you once again create a new column and do it again.

[valadil]

I keep a separate page for my spells. I make a section for each spell level and put the name of each spell in the appropriate section. Sometimes I'll include notes (school, SR or not, targetted save, etc) but only what's relevant or easy to forget. At each of the headings I'll include DC and number of slots (ie One DC 15, 5/day). If I'm a spontaneous caster I mark each time a slot is used. If I'm a prepared caster I put a check mark next to each prepared spell and erase those as I cast (this method isn't great for metamagic though, since I still have to write that in the higher slot). Sometimes I'll also indicate scrolls or potions with an S or P near the appropriate spell.

[Kobold-Bard]

For prepared casters, write out which spells you have prepared on paper and then when you cast that spell either run a lie through it, or put a little x next to it if you want to use the sheet again.

For spontaneous casters write out the different levels of spells (0-9) and then put a number of counters underneath each number, with each counter representing 1 available slot. Whenever you cast a spell, remove a counter of the correct level. Use different colour counters for each spell level if you fear them becoming mixed up.

[Random NPC]

Personally, me and my friends just use a blank sheet of paper and write:
SPELLS up at the top and label which spells are which level. Off to the side or on a different sheet of paper, we write which spells we have prepared and check boxes for the amount of those spells we've prepared.

((This is for 3.5, otherwise we just use printout cards for 4e powers.))

Check boxes are awesome for wizard spell selection.