Formatting Question to the Devs

[Serpent Axis]

This might seem like a weird question, but I'd like to know how you would write the trait format for a Wolf-Blooded character.

To explain what I mean, I'm talking about the character templates that you use to lay out characters in the books, like so:

NAME
Auspice:
Tribe:
Mental Attributes: Intelligence, Wits, Resolve
Physical Attributes: Strength (), Dexterity (), Stamina ()
Social Attributes: Presence, Manipulation (), Composure
Mental Skills:
Physical Skills:
Social Skills:
Merits: Language (First Tongue) (^●), Totem ^●
Primal Urge: 1
Willpower:
Harmony: 7
Essence Max/Per Turn: 10/1
Blood:
Bone:
Health: ()
Initiative:
Defense:
Speed:
Size: 5 (6/7/6/4)
Renown:
Gifts:
Rites:

I don't know what you call them, I just call them "character templates".

I've been using this sort of layout in Word since Vampire: the Masquerade Revised, having copied the way characters are presented in the books.
I just find it much easier to make characters this way when I'm writing them than to edit a character sheet.
Making it as close as possible to the way you write them in the books is sort of a hobby of mine. I try to use the closest fonts to the ones you use and I try to copy your formatting as much as I can. I diverge in small ways, I guess (in the Merits part I prefer to use dots instead of numbers, just for visual variety).

I haven't been able to find a 2e character template for Wolf-Blooded characters (and I have noticed that 2e templates differ slightly from the previous edition in the order traits are listed because I'm a fucking monster).

How would you list a Wolf-Blooded character if you wrote one in the books?

Also, just as another formatting question, how do you make the spacing between the lines?
I noticed that each trait "section" (for example "Mental Skills") has some space between it and the next and previous traits ("Social Attributes", "Physical Skills") but the line itself can have a couple of paragraphs that don't space in themselves (like, if a character has a bunch of Mental Skills and they go on for a couple of lines, these two lines will be closer together than the gap between them and the next "section").

[Yossarian]

So, here's how I'd do it. This is not an official answer, but it comes from someone who does layout and publishing professionally, and occasionally writes for OPP.

NAME
Tribe: If applicable
Mental Attributes: Intelligence X, Wits X, Resolve X
Physical Attributes: Strength X, Dexterity X, Stamina X
Social Attributes: Presence X, Manipulation X, Composure X
Mental Skills: Skill (Specialty) X
Physical Skills:
Social Skills:
Merits: Language (First Tongue), Totem 1 (Merits with a static dot rating don't need to show that)
Primal Urge: X (most Wolf-Blooded don't have PU, but some can, so this is where that would go)
Health: X
Willpower: X
Integrity: X
Size: X
Speed: X
Initiative: X
Defense: X
Armor: If any
Tell: I put this where Gifts normally go for Werewolves
Rites: (I think Wolf-Blooded get these?)
Notes: This is for miscellaneous stuff

All that being said, these templates do sometimes vary between gamelines. The derived traits can get mixed around a bit (though it's more consistent these days), and some games put the super powers higher up the list.

To create spacing between lines, it's going to depend on what word processing program you use. There's usually a "Spacing" setting you can adjust (in MS Word, it's in the Paragraph pop up). It's a little hard to explain without knowing your setup. For reference, White Wolf books tend to use about .03 inches between paragraphs (Word uses "points" though, and I don't know how that converts off the top of my head).

[Tessie]

Also, just as another formatting question, how do you make the spacing between the lines?
I noticed that each trait "section" (for example "Mental Skills") has some space between it and the next and previous traits ("Social Attributes", "Physical Skills") but the line itself can have a couple of paragraphs that don't space in themselves (like, if a character has a bunch of Mental Skills and they go on for a couple of lines, these two lines will be closer together than the gap between them and the next "section").

If there's no extra space between the lines it's generally either because of a line break or because the text wraps around. If there is space between certain lines it's generally because of a paragraph break.
Enter/return gives paragraph breaks in most word processing software. Alt+enter/return gives line breaks in most word processing software.

[Serpent Axis]

Thanks a bunch!

The reason I list static dot ratings for Merits in my own layout is to track costs when I create the character. Depending on what I use the character for (storyteller character or player character) I "clean" them up later, especially if it's a Storyteller character that wasn't created using strict creation rules with x number of points to put in y, etc.
For player characters, I sometimes keep them just for the visual (it looks nice, in my opinion) and for point tracking.

(If I play in a tabletop game, I use a printed character sheet like everyone else, but when I play online or just create characters for other reasons, I use the template. I find it much easier and smoother to write them like that than to edit a sheet - but then, I'm used to it)

I guess for spacing I'll just sort of customize my own method and try to get something close-ish to the way it looks in the books.

This was great, though - thank you!