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<blockquote data-quote="Arilyn" data-source="post: 8226229" data-attributes="member: 6816042">From a purely mechanical perspective I have stat blocks on hand for conflicts. As mentioned, notes help ground things in my head, so I know who is likely to be in area, or the name of the shopkeeper or that homeless man who is actually a faery, etc. Writing helps me think.Other than stat blocks, I don't actually consult my notes, even though they're sitting there. By the end of the session, the adventure often has very little resemblance to what I wrote down. So, I use them during play as a very rough sketch of places, people and potential problems, but at the table play becomes much more collaborative. Things happen, or players do things or have ideas that we run with, destroying my prepped plans completely and utterly. That's why, even if I'm using an AP, it becomes pretty unrecognizable pretty quickly. I've learned not to do extensive planning, but still do some notes. So using them as a psychological prop would be their main purpose. I guess, I'd have to say when I prep for games, it's for my peace of mind. Once I start GMing, notes fall to the wayside.In terms of preplanned encounters I know I want to have occur, I have those in my head cause I already wrote them down. I don't look during play, except maybe for name. These characters and encounters may morph organically depending on what's happening. A change might feel better.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Arilyn, post: 8226229, member: 6816042"] From a purely mechanical perspective I have stat blocks on hand for conflicts. As mentioned, notes help ground things in my head, so I know who is likely to be in area, or the name of the shopkeeper or that homeless man who is actually a faery, etc. Writing helps me think. Other than stat blocks, I don't actually consult my notes, even though they're sitting there. By the end of the session, the adventure often has very little resemblance to what I wrote down. So, I use them during play as a very rough sketch of places, people and potential problems, but at the table play becomes much more collaborative. Things happen, or players do things or have ideas that we run with, destroying my prepped plans completely and utterly. That's why, even if I'm using an AP, it becomes pretty unrecognizable pretty quickly. I've learned not to do extensive planning, but still do some notes. So using them as a psychological prop would be their main purpose. I guess, I'd have to say when I prep for games, it's for my peace of mind. Once I start GMing, notes fall to the wayside. In terms of preplanned encounters I know I want to have occur, I have those in my head cause I already wrote them down. I don't look during play, except maybe for name. These characters and encounters may morph organically depending on what's happening. A change might feel better. [/QUOTE]

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