Please help- trouble with time tracking in game

[caudor]

I want to be a better DM. However, one of the challenges I've grappled with, rather unsuccessfully so far, is how to keep track of time during play. My players and I agree that this aspect of play is important since many aspects of the rules are based on time.

I've tried using a graph paper 'ticker' as suggest in the DMG, but I always seem to lose track during play (especially the non-combat portion of play when time passes at different rates). Time tracking also seems to elude me when I'm wrapped up in other aspects of the game. I scanned the first 10 pages of the message board, but didn't see this topic listed.

I welcome any advice you care to offer. Also, if there are any sourcebooks, aids, articles, etc. that might be useful, I certainly would appreciate a tip in that direction as well.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[Shin Okada]

The most of the real time during a game session is spent for conversation and discussion between players (and DM). And that is when a DM tend to loose track of the game time. During such time, I tend to consider real time=gaming time. It is kind of fair enough in the most cases. Characters should spend roughly the same length of time to argue something IMO.

Of course, you should count some of the activity that certainly take in game time and do not take much real time. Like travelling through roads for half a day and such.

 

[caudor]

Thanks for the response. Yes, come to think of it, I think you are right on the money. I tend to lose track of time when while I am engaged in conversion/roleplaying with the players. Of course, that does account for a majority of the 'real' time. Using real-time for tracking for gameplay is an excellent idea, although I know I will have to practice/train myself to check my watch occasionally and mark it down. But it is a nice and simple solution. I'll give it a try.

If anyone else has any suggestion, ideas, comments, or tools for keeping track on game time, I'm all ears.

Thanks again.

 

[vic20]

I have been using DMGenie for a while now. It handles both short term and long term time tracking. You can check out a 60-day demo at www.dmgenie.com.

 

[The It's Man]

Players in my Deluxe GM (tm) campaign have witnessed the "round-miss" and the "round-mister"; (S)he walks around with a large easy to read carboard with ofcourse the number of the round we're in.

 

[Stalker0]

Real=game time is preety good for most tracking, since a lot of the talking in real time would be replaceed with traveling in game time.

For combat, a d20 round ticker is good. It helps to use those for round based spells and poison counters, etc.

 

[Shallown]

I use a print out that is broken into 30 minute or 15 minute (Dungeon) slots. It looks a lot like an appointment book. I just keep track of time on it when they adventure and the hour of day is important. Otherwise I have a home made calender that I use. It is shaded to indicate the cycle of the moon and I use it to keep track of all day to day things making notes so I know when they did what and sometimes who they did it with. I also have all the holidays for the world and characters birthdays just for fun.

I only use what I need when I need it. Being to exact is a waste most days. the only time it matters is in combat and that uses the same system except a round for round style chart and columns to list spell effects during the rounds And who they affect. Makes things easy.

Later

 

[dkilgo]

I like to go by the real time=game time in the event of roleplay/conversation time.

In combat I give my players 1 minute to make thier decisions, and if the time ellapses then they get no move. I keep this time with a stop watch. (This is a House Rule that me and another Dm use.)

In long term game time, like traveling long distances, my players use a form of the Faerunian calender. It has all the months listed with slots for all the days in those months. In those slots the characters wright down what they accomplish, and they are able to keep track of how long it has taken them to do so.

 

[thullgrim]

I too have time issues, particularly when it comes to the amount of time that it takes to search a room well, and things of that nature, I mean, how long does it take to search for secret passages, etc in a 20x30 room? or the equivalent, how long does it take for a thief to examine a door for traps...things like that. Large time I have no problem with, traveling etc, even combat time ie easy, have a sheet of graph paper I tick on, but its the other things that elude me.

 

[jasper]

I stole the 20 year calendar from the phone book a few years ago.
In dungeon i track combat time. Out side combat I use real time and add a couple of mintues for check for traps etc.

Also imc your birthday is your character birthday. I do include aging affects.