Do you make notes on what has happened after a game session?

dreaded_beast · Feb 11, 2004

I just finished DMing my first game session last night, so everything is still pretty fresh in my mind. However, the adventure I had planned is only half-way finished I think, so I was wondering if I should write notes on what happened, etc.

Is there any particular way you take notes? Do you write a lot or do you just note the basics of what happened during that session?

thullgrim · Feb 11, 2004

Yeah, I usually do it an hour or so after the session and try to be as concise as possible. Then I send it to the players before the next or summarize it to them in person before we begin the next week. Along the lines of 'When last we met our stalwart band..."

by the way, How did the session go?

Thullgrim

dreaded_beast · Feb 11, 2004

thullgrim said:
Yeah, I usually do it an hour or so after the session and try to be as concise as possible. Then I send it to the players before the next or summarize it to them in person before we begin the next week. Along the lines of 'When last we met our stalwart band..."

by the way, How did the session go?

Thullgrim

Here is how it went so far. I guess when I think about it, I could use the following thread as my session notes too, hehe

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=76980

Inconsequenti-AL · Feb 11, 2004

I like to take some notes during the session - just keep a small notepad with me and scribble in it as I go along... Although it's often a write up after the session if things have been a bit busy.

It's good in case I have to miss a weeks play - if that happens I tend to forget everything - who the players are, who I am, what the plot was, etc

Also like to go back and read over the notes after a few sessions and see if I can mine them for any plot ideas.

Read the write up - sounds like it was fun - and I'm afraid I'm going to steal your abyssal dire rat - I want one offering mystical advice! Did the beast have a name?

Did you enjoy the session?

Dark Jezter · Feb 11, 2004

I have a document file on my computer that contains summaries of every session that I DM. I'm glad I do it, too, because there have been a few occasions where an NPC who was last seen several sessions ago reappeared, and I needed to remind myself what their name is.

Buttercup · Feb 11, 2004

I make brief notes for myself, which I use to remind myself of the happenigs from last session. This would include things like a player missing their fortitude save and thus incubating a disease that they don't know about yet.

For the major narrative, I rely on my players, who all take notes. We start each session with a 5 minute review of what happened last time.

danzig138 · Feb 11, 2004

I don't make detailed notes after the game, but I'll usually come home and immediately start work on the next session while things are fresh in my head. During the game, I have a little calender that on which I note important and not-so-important events, and I frequently jot down little notes on the initiative sheet or whatever scratch paper is handy. I find it much easier to make the notes during the game than to try and remember afterwards what happened.

EricNoah · Feb 11, 2004

Probably wouldn't hurt to make a note of:

what date/time the last session ended (in-game -- was it morning, night, etc.)

how much XP you doled out (every week you'll get someone saying "How much XP did we get last time?")

If any PC was hurt or under the effects of something like poison, a spell, etc. if you ended in the middle of or right after a battle.

Varianor Abroad · Feb 11, 2004

dreaded_beast said:
Is there any particular way you take notes? Do you write a lot or do you just note the basics of what happened during that session?

During the session I scribble down on lined paper the timeline. What happened on what day, NPCs met, names that I made up on the spot, everything key.

Afterwards I write a recap. Post it to the group list or website.

Once every couple months, I go through the notes and update my "NPC" computer file, my "Location" computer file and anything else of significance.

Periodically I recap at a session "what has gone before". About once a year I like to send a summary to players. Helps remind them of plot points that they may have forgotten about too.

Document, document, document. Good luck!

WayneLigon · Feb 11, 2004

My Story Hour is the same thing that the players get at the beginning of each session. It covers basically what happened, who they met (new names are always in bold) and how things ended up. I tried this once before but wasn't able to keep it up; this time I've been more successful. Posting it here, apparently hasn't been; I notice only now that the story hour ends at Episode 7 and we just played Episode 13. So.. lots of posting tonight...

I have a terrible, terrible memory. This helps me a great deal and apparently everyone else likes it as well. Um, I've been informed that now I have no choice but to create this every week, even if I'm not the GM