Do You Take Combat Notes?

[Olaf the Stout]

I have noticed from that posters here write down what actions PC’s took in each round of combat, PC’s and bad guys attack rolls and saves, damage done, etc.,

Personally I don’t write down anything, except for everyone's initiative and bad guy HP’s which I keep track of on my handheld whiteboard. Am I the rule or the exception to it?

How much do you write down from combat, and what do you actually do with it afterwards?

Olaf the Stout

 

[Roadkill101]

I have a notebook filled with graph paper instead of conventional lined paper. When it's time for combat I'll write out the Name(s) A/C(s) of the creatures and Individual HP's and any special items of note. As a creature get's hit, the recorded HP value get's a line though it and write down the new HP value. And sometimes I''l try jotting down the sequence of events (who hits who and if a Crit).
Basically the only thing I'm left with as a record of combat are pages of decreasing HP values.
I don't usually do much of anything with the information afterwards. Though I've got a friend who made a few bad choices and ended up in Prison. Sometimes I'll tell him what happened during my groups last gaming session, so if I recorded any sequence of events I have a rough log to jot my memory to tell him what all happened (he moved away several years ago before getting in trouble and was once part of the group).

 

[shilsen]

I don't write down anything during combat other than tracking hit pts. When I'm writing my story hour entries afterwards, I generally find myself able to remember all the salient details, sometimes needing players to remind me about a particular point or two.

 

[diaglo]

i keep a player journal.

one of my journal entries is the story hour in my sig.

it helps me to remember monsters we've faced. what worked against them. tactics the party used. etc...

 

[Umbran]

I have noticed from that posters here write down what actions PC’s took in each round of combat, PC’s and bad guys attack rolls and saves, damage done, etc.,

Personally I don’t write down anything, except for everyone's initiative and bad guy HP’s which I keep track of on my handheld whiteboard. Am I the rule or the exception to it?

I may have missed it, but I've never seen anyone take down everything, like you describe.

I track initiative and hit points, and the modifiers and durations of spells and special effects. I most certainly do not track individual attack rolls, damage done, and saving throws. There's not a whole lot of reason to keep that much information.

 

[Odhanan]

I have noticed from that posters here write down what actions PC’s took in each round of combat, PC’s and bad guys attack rolls and saves, damage done, etc.,

Personally I don’t write down anything, except for everyone's initiative and bad guy HP’s which I keep track of on my handheld whiteboard. Am I the rule or the exception to it?

How much do you write down from combat, and what do you actually do with it afterwards?

Olaf the Stout

I'm taking extensive notes as a player or DM. I'm the one at the table keeping the records straight, and I like my records to be complete. For a combat, I'll take down all the information I need - Initiative, HPs and so on, plus any moves, actions or feel that will make me remember the whole combat. If I can't write the story or remind the players of the events of the game from one session to the next, my notes wouldn't be worth a damn.

 

[KB9JMQ]

Just initiative and HPs.
In the campaign we are going to start next week I am playing a Scout in Eberron who works for the Krorranberg Chronicle (SP?) as a reporter so I will be taking more notes and using it as my story submissions.

 

[Kaodi]

Guilty

I don't take down the actually numbers though, I just write it in as so and so hits or misses. As a player, taking notes on what happens during combat probably accounts for at least 70 of my 100+ pages of the journal... :\

 

[Piratecat]

I tape the games.

 

[DragonLancer]

I have noticed from that posters here write down what actions PC’s took in each round of combat, PC’s and bad guys attack rolls and saves, damage done, etc.,

Personally I don’t write down anything, except for everyone's initiative and bad guy HP’s which I keep track of on my handheld whiteboard. Am I the rule or the exception to it?

How much do you write down from combat, and what do you actually do with it afterwards?

I'm the same as yourself. Inits and the opponent's HP, plus a round countdown but thats it.