Guide to Statblocks

A block (also known as statblock or sheet) is a piece of structured content that is created once and can be used multiple times in different places. Its main usage is to represent the statistics of an NPC, an item or a PC (in which case they are called character sheets). They can also be used for other non-RPG purposes, such as tables and embedded web sites.

Creating RPG blocks

In order to make your first blocks, you'll need to select the RPG system for your world. Once this is done, go to the Statblocks section of your world, accessible from the sidebar menu or from the green button:

On the right side of this page you will see a panel with a drop-down from which you can select the kind of sheet you want to create. For example, if you want to create a character sheet of Dungeons and Dragons 5e, you will have to choose Character Sheet (Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (DnD5e)). When you click the create button, a page with a form will appear. Fill in the fields you want to fill and click Save changes. You're done!

Creating non-RPG blocks

Whether you select and RPG system or not, the blocks & sheets section will have some blocks tagged as Generic. These are utility blocks that are not meant to be used as statblocks. Their name is Generic, [block type]

Table

In a table block you can add the table title, a description and then the table itself, in the Table Data field. This field uses the standard CSV syntax with the character | as a separator. What this means is that you can just write the content of each row in its own line, separating the cells with |. Take, for example, the following code:

Level|XP|Abilities
1|0|Super Cuccumber
2|1200|Tomato Slicing Expertise

The result will look like this:

Chefling

---

Level	XP	Abilities
1	0	Super Cuccumber
2	1200	Tomato Slicing Expertise

As you can see, the first row is automatically formatted as a header. You can also create tables directly with BBCode; more information on that in the Guide to BBCode Commands.

Text

Text blocks are just plain-text content. The Content fiields accepts regular BBCode formatting. This can be used to create template text that you can easily re-use in multiple articles.

Image

The Image block lets you add an image (that has been uploaded to your world, see Guide to Images) with a title, description and a table attached to it.

Webpage (iframe)

If you want to embed a full web page on a world anvil article, use this block. Just paste the URL of the page you want to embed and that's it! Keep in mind that some web sites don't allow embedding, so this system will not work with all web sites.

Random table

Random tables use the same formatting as regular tables. The difference is that when you view the table, you will be able to click a button to "roll on the table". Make sure that the first cell of every row contains a number or a number range like 18-20 (the rest of cells can have whatever content you want).

Using blocks

No matter the kind of block you created, they can be used in the same way. All blocks have an ID number that you can use to embed in any article, journal, Heroes post or generally any text fields that supports BBCode. The block contents will not actually be in the article, so editing the block itself will change how it is displayed in all places where it is embedded.
To get the ID, view the block you want to embed and go to the bottom, where you will see a footer similar to the following screenshot:

If you copy the code highlighted in red, the block will be embedded. In this case, [block:123] will produce the following result:

DnD 5e SRD SRD

Dart

Ranged Weapon Finesse, Thrown Common

Type	Damage	Damage	Range	Properties
Simple	1d4	Piercing	20/60 ft	Finesse, Thrown

Cost: 5 cp Weight: 1/4 lb

If you copy the code highlighted in green, an in-line link to the block will be created. For example, [blocklink:123] will produce this link: Dart.

Which systems have sheets?

Check out the RPG system sheets catalog to see the list of supported systems and the list of planned sheets!

Why aren't there sheets for X system?

Sheet creation is a community effort, so it all comes down to volunteers wanting to created them. In order for a system to have sheets or blocks, block templates need to be created. This is a Grandmaster (and above) feature; more information here: Guide to block templates.

Can I hide Sheets behind subscriber groups?

The privacy feature of Sheets allows you to choose whether you want to share the block with the community or not. If you don't, no one will be able to view the block page directly. However, it will still be visible if you embed it in a public article. More information on subscribers in the Guide to Subscribers.

Can I print sheets?

Since April 2020, you can print the sheet page from the browser itself. The result will be the sheet alone, without the rest of the World Anvil interface. To export it as a PDF, do the same and choose the PDF exporter as the "printer".

Can I embed blocks inside character sheets?

Yes. This is useful for RPG system that need to keep track of spells, equipment, and other resources (like DnD 5e). Simply copy the embed code for the block you want to insert and paste it in the appropriate field.

Using community blocks

When someone creates a block and checks the Allow users to view the blocks' page directly and share it with the community box (right before the save button) the block is published in the community-constributed list. Links to the community blocks for your selected RPG systems will appear in the right sidebar of the statblocks page. You can use these blocks in your own world or, alternatively, copy it to your world block list.
You can also access the community statblock list from the Community section on the sidebar.