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

[el-remmen]

I have a lot of notes for my game sessions.

First of all, I have a check list as part of my game prep of things I wanted to happen or that could potentially happen, and even lines of dialogue I want a particular NPC to say, and I check them off as they happen. Referring back to this checklist helps me prep for the next session as I can see what of what I wanted was accomplished - OR, I might make a note if something on the list DID NOT happen and there was a reason.

Secondly, I have a full-sized calendar for the world that I write more "broad" events into so I know what day they happened. Things like: PC or NPC death, beginning or end of an adventure, weather I described, arriving or leaving a town or area, that a certain battle happened, etc. . .

Thirdly, I have a player who keeps very detailed notes of what happens during combats and he leaves the book with me between sessions to help me with prep and my story hour.

Fourthly, another player keeps a quote log which helps keep track of important, poigniant or funny things that were said - this helps set tone for hastily introduced NPCs and helps with dialogue for my story hour.

 

[RuminDange]

I tend to take notes though out the session and clear them up or finalize them after the session if I have time.
I use Excel where I designed my game world calendar with each cell representing a day. I use the comment on the cell to input the daily happenings and if needed with time breakdown when things get critical.
I have one row in the month that represents the game world stuff (things the players don't know about, NPC time lines etc) and then I have a row for each of the player's PC's that detail out thier own timeline of information when the party is split up like it is currently. When they come togather I use the world row for the adventure or the row of whichever character brought the group togather for something if it wasn't planned.
Anyway, the only problem I've found so far after 3+ years of using this, is searching for something, doesn't do to well in the comments. But I'm slowly working on macro that will transfer everything out to a Word document for ease in searching.

RD

 

[MerakSpielman]

Taking notes is always good, and even more important if you're developing any sort of complex plot.

Also, if you, as the DM, occasionally use past events to trigger future plot hooks, it teaches your players to pay attention to the potential consequenses of their actions.

I've always said that my players write some of my best plot ideas for me...

 

[mac1504]

The game I am playing in right now, the DM awards Hero/Action points to anyone that writes up a summary at the end of the adventure. We have one player who does this, and actually it has been very beneficial to the game. It seems we plot and strategize more (as players) with the summary, before the next game.

Definitely helps in keeping track of what's going on after having not played for over a few weeks.

 

[mmadsen]

First of all, I have a check list as part of my game prep of things I wanted to happen or that could potentially happen, and even lines of dialogue I want a particular NPC to say, and I check them off as they happen. [...]
Secondly, I have a full-sized calendar for the world that I write more "broad" events into so I know what day they happened.

I tend to take notes though out the session and clear them up or finalize them after the session if I have time.

I use Excel where I designed my game world calendar with each cell representing a day. I use the comment on the cell to input the daily happenings and if needed with time breakdown when things get critical.

I have one row in the month that represents the game world stuff (things the players don't know about, NPC time lines etc) and then I have a row for each of the player's PC's that detail out thier own timeline of information when the party is split up like it is currently. When they come togather I use the world row for the adventure or the row of whichever character brought the group togather for something if it wasn't planned.

Anyway, the only problem I've found so far after 3+ years of using this, is searching for something, doesn't do to well in the comments. But I'm slowly working on macro that will transfer everything out to a Word document for ease in searching.

I can't help but ask: nemmerle and RuminDange, do you put this much effort into your professional (or scholastic) lives too?

 

[el-remmen]

I can't help but ask: nemmerle and RuminDange, do you put this much effort into your professional (or scholastic) lives too?

When I had a scholastic life, yes. . .

Professional life? Feh, they barely pay me enough to show up. . .

But in my life's other more important endeavor (like song-writing) I am just as detail oriented and hard-working.

 

[dreaded_beast]

The campaign I am running now is set in the Forgotten Realms. So far I have made myself a small calendar where I can keep track of how many days passed, etc.

After my first adventure, I just sat down and summarized as best I could what happened during the night. Nothing to complex, just something concise.

I want to have a campaign where there is a sense of cause and effect: the actions my player does in the past impacts what happens to her in the future. In my opinion, it gives the world a much greater feeling of being "real". I believe the word is (please pardon my spelling ) "verisimiltude"?

I guess I want my campaign to have "story arcs" that do not have to actually relate to one another, but my player can say in game and in character to NPCs or vice versa, "Remember when you..."

I would prefer my games not to be "episodic", akin to watching TV shows where you can watch during anypoint in the season and not need to previous events to understand that particular episode. I prefer shows where watching past episodes enriches the events in the current one. I hope this example makes sense.

 

[RuminDange]

I can't help but ask: nemmerle and RuminDange, do you put this much effort into your professional (or scholastic) lives too?

I'd have to say.....yes.
Since I work 40 hours a week developing software, spend 6 hours a week working on my Masters and few hours on homework and 4 hours attending certification classes, and then spend sometimes up to 3 days (4-6 hours) a week gaming, I'd say I tend to put a lot of effort into everything I've doing.

I'm been running this campaign since a little before 3E came out, before that I ran a homebrew Sci-Fi game (based a little on Rifts, Traveler, D&D, Gurps rules combined) for about 3 years with a year off in between. I've been DMing since about 1985 and have always taken that role seriously and normally I have a blast as do my players. My worlds tend to detailed, organic and very story oriented, although some of my current players just like to fight, kill and collect, whereas they all like the stories, plots and role-playing involved, my wife never lets a sub-plot, or story arc disappear or be forgotten. She pursues everyone one of them and drags the other players along. Unless of course they drag her into something, then she takes over. To them it has become a joint venture in writing a novel. The sci-fi game notes were hand written in a 3" binder since I didn't use a computer at the time during game and it was full when that game ended prematurely 5 years ago due to burnout and disputes between players outside of game.


Not saying it is easy but it is worth it. And yes that much detail can get to be frustrating to keep up with, however I still wouldn't stop doing it, I'd just improve it...again.

RD

 

[kigmatzomat]

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.

Yes, do so in some fashion. Sometimes the mere act of writing the data down will help solidify it in your head if you lose the note itself.

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?

Depends. As a player I get a cheap daily planner ("Everything's a $ store" is great) and log travel times, names of notable NPCs, the critters we fight, the loot we acquire, and who is given what.

As a GM I have a PDA (Palm==Great!) for my stuff and a cheap notepad for the players to record acquired treasure and its source; I decided it was too much work and left the book-keeping to the players. Every so often I have to flip through the book and note that there's about 500lb of coins and gear rattling loading down their packhorse to get them to distribute/identify it, but it's a lot easier.

For my PDA, I have a system of files: regions/places, XP-list, plots, and major NPCs. I generally start with a regional file that includes the names of the towns and the NPCs they might encounter so I don't forget or have to make them up on the fly. When I'm not sure where they go, I come up with a list of names and then just copy the name & profession to the city I used it in. later as places becomes more important I create a specific file with all the game details. A typical city file will list the party's favorite inn, local shops, weapon & armor smiths, the town's temples with High Priest and the lesser priest's they've befriended, local nobles, merchants of interest, and the thieves' guild. Town fairs or other annual events are noted as well.

I have a file that lists all their battles chronologically with the CRs and experience earned so I know exactly when they leveled and how close they are to next level; incredibly useful for planning out plot events. I also use it to keep track of time. I used to forget how long it would take to travel between places that weren't well mapped and this helps jog my memory.

I have a "future plots" file with the basic idea of each plot thread I might want to run, the events that would trigger the plot, and a general idea of the resources involved or how tough I want the fight to be. A typical plot entry might be "winter travel: a pack of winter wolves trail the party without attacking for 2 days. Wolves are hunting pack for Frost Giants who follow at a distance, led by baying & howls. On day 3 they set ambush after heavy snowfall. Wolves attack from beneath snow, Frost giants approach hidden by fog spells cast by Frost Giant/Sorceror. Total CR = party+3" This lets me remember good ideas without making them obsolete. Some plot points do become obsolete and you just have to get used to it (like if the players decided to never willingly leave their sunny, tropical home).

All major NPCs get an entry with their relevent bits of history, followers, etc. Many times major NPCs were minor ones that the players just interacted with incredibly well or took as a cohort. Some entries are all the plots or plans the NPC has while others are full character sheets or where I plan out spell lists.

Key sites will have multiple Plot entries, will show up in both region files and in their own place file, and may have multiple NPC files.

But my game has 3+ years of development to it with lots of NPCs (the fighter has favorite prostitutes and pimps in different cities!) so not every game needs this kind of filing system.

Just experiment with keeping data. If you realize you can never find anything you wrote on X but you always seem to have Y, give in and just use Y. Your players will thank you and your stress level will reduce.

 

[kigmatzomat]

I guess I want my campaign to have "story arcs" that do not have to actually relate to one another, but my player can say in game and in character to NPCs or vice versa, "Remember when you..."

I would prefer my games not to be "episodic", akin to watching TV shows where you can watch during anypoint in the season and not need to previous events to understand that particular episode. I prefer shows where watching past episodes enriches the events in the current one. I hope this example makes sense.

Watch an entire season of Babylon 5 over a few days. Watching Stracynsky's work has helped out my gaming immensely. He manages episodes that are indivdually entertaining but often involve two or three of one of the many major and minor story arcs, many times in ways you won't realize for several eps. Joss Whedon's Buffy tVS has similar qualities, but doesn't have the immense sense of interconnectedness that B5 does. I now try to make sure my games are immediately entertaining while still being a plot vehicle. The players' enjoyment has gone up as has their involvement in the world.

My favorite day was when one of the players finds an odd key and his eyes go huge when he sees the drawing. "I know where that goes..... OMG! That was 2 years ago! You've had this planned for 2 years?!?"