DM's Notes

[OfRiceAndHen]

I'm a part-time DM and I want to do more, but I am terribly disorganized. I was wondering how some DMs here keep themselves organized, both at the gaming table and in-between sessions.

 

[Crothian]

A have a three ring notebook. In it I have a section for notes on what happens in the game, a section for future plans and plots, a section of names and lists of NPCs they have met and will be meeting, a section on camapaign specific items like months, years, days, places, cities, religions, general info that can be useful at any time......

I basically trat it like I did when I took some damn hard course in college that I wanted to ace. I got serious and got organized.

 

[reddist]

I use two tools. A hard-bound laboratory-style notebook with quad rule and numbered pages, and my laptop.

Most everything I need for a night's worth of gaming goes into the notebook... I like the quad rule for maps and hierarchical bullet-points, and I keep the margin free for making reference notes... page numbers, rules to review, Dragon mag#s, etc., so I know where to check a reference. EVERYTHING I write or type goes into the laptop, which I use a variety of folders and subfolders to organize. To prep for a night's game, I print out a session outline, short stat blocks for critters and NPCs if I need them, and a sort of "running plot summary" for myself so I know where I've been and where I'm going, and tape it all in to the notebook.

Oh, in the back of the notebook, I have a few pages dedicated to names for NPCs, inns, towns, places, etc. etc. Whenever I need one, I just flip back, pick one, and cross it off the list.

 

[Jdvn1]

I have a book (the unruled kind you can get) with all of my world note, two notebooks for game goings-on, and folders for extra material. Many, many folders.

 

[Breakdaddy]

Microsoft Word gets a really good workout on my Powerbook and my Desktop PC in between sessions. I try to input every idea I have and then come up with coherent outlines before every session. I use a laptop when I DM, so I just fire up Word and go right off of the screen in most cases.

 

[thalmin]

Who's organized? I have notes all over the place. But I am trying out Microsoft Office OneNote, which I am starting to like. You can get a 60-day free trial from the MS site.

 

[Psion]

I keep folders on my laptop - WordPerfect files mostly, and pour my various ideas in them. I keep one folder for campaign and adventure notes and nearby folders for frequently used ESDs, maps, and so forth. I put a folder with shortcuts to all the docs and tools I use on my desktop.

I keep a notebook that I record progress in as well as record ideas on when away from the computer.

 

[reddist]

Ya know, I forgot perhaps my most important tool. After each session, I type up a 3-4 page "summary" of the events played out in the game. Its a short abbreviated narrative, and includes all the NPCs they met, clues they discovered, battles fought, items found... I try to get everything in there that the PCs would want to remember.

I email this out to my group, and they might get back to me with questions or clarifications. Its been a GREAT tool for keeping us all organized and interested.

Of course, we game only every other weekend at best, so I have time to indulge in this sort of nonsense. Usually... I'm a bit late on the current one...

-Reddist

 

[pogre]

I use DM Logs as well. I sometimes reread them to see where the campaign has some unfinished threads I can stir up. I'm a big fan of three-ring notebooks too.

 

[Evilhalfling]

organized?
I have a 3 ring binder, a spiral notebook, several word files, and a spreadsheet for gods.
The last campaign had a running time line with minimal info of important dates. This was modified and handed out at the begining of each game, a summary might be even better, but for a weekly game, thats a lot of work.
example:

Month of Mym : Winter – God of Hatred
9th Meeting Kindle and demon pack
20th Midnight finishes his Sword
27th St Rispan’s Day (fast and feast)
35rd Icerus begins to enchant axe
37th RttToEE
42nd Gaining the Sword of Normality (from Elmo)

Month of Mystan: Spring – God of Magic
Traveling
21st Return of the Gods (masked parade)
22nd Arrival in Refuge
28th Royal Duke arrives in Pitnue
30th Dreams in Pastin, capital of Denumbria
35th that Keria wears part of King’s Regalia is noticed in Pastin
42nd Taxes Due

Things in Italics are regular events, and the calanders have about 2 months into the future.