* Recommendations on holding higher marketing campaign notes with out slowing down the tempo of classes

I’ve been in the identical boat.

For me, I by no means wish to trigger a pause in gameplay.

So it seems like I’m at all times too busy to take notes.

Nonetheless, there are some things we are able to do.

Whereas I produced with my enterprise associate, Jochen Linnemann, an app referred to as Marketing campaign Logger to unravel this precise drawback, the next suggestions are common.

They’ll show you how to get higher notes whether or not you utilize Marketing campaign Logger, Google Docs, index playing cards, or one other device.

Right here’s Our Technique

We start with the top in thoughts.

What’s our aim?

What are our most needed outcomes?

My aim is to have a helpful file of gameplay particulars that feeds seamlessly into my world, marketing campaign, journey, and session notes.

The session logs, as I name them, change into our reminiscence as classes fade into time.

We use these particulars to maintain our video games constant. We will additionally mine them for brand spanking new adventures and 5 Room Dungeons.

However we don’t need a file of each phrase spoken or deed carried out. We may simply file classes with audio or video in that case.

As an alternative, we’d like a model trimmed to the important bits.

For me, that’s:

• Names we’ve made up throughout classes
• Participant/character said long-term intentions, plans
• Opened and closed loops, and subsequent actions
• Adjustments in occasion assets and prices paid
• New Legal guidelines, Legends, and Lore made up throughout classes
• Concepts
• Maps and drawings

With these outcomes in thoughts, we muse on obstacles:

• Not sufficient time to take detailed notes
• Notes should be legible and have sufficient element to set off reminiscence
• Notes should have sufficient context to make sense
• Sooner tempo = extra gameplay = extra notes wanted
• Gamers who take notes miss particulars and write from their POV (which is usually amusing, nonetheless)
• Bodily area is likely to be restricted for notebooks or computer systems
• Electronics won’t be near energy
• All notes should be collected right into a single Supply of Fact

Whew!

That would stack as much as quite a lot of notes and a number of other the reason why you may’t sustain with taking them.

Armed with desired outcomes and obstacles, let’s speak about options.

Add Extra Intra-Social gathering Roleplay

When gamers roleplay amongst themselves, you instantly have free time.

First precedence is to consider what would possibly occur subsequent.

After that, use your bonus time to compensate for notes.

To get gamers roleplaying extra usually:

• Ask gamers to talk in-character, even whereas planning
• Create dilemmas (puzzles are okay however you usually get pelted with questions, whereas dilemmas are largely mentioned between gamers)
• Have gamers run and roleplay NPCs akin to animal companions, hirelings, clever gadgets, and familiars
• Reward roleplaying with boons
• Create conditions that require planning (supply sufficient info, maps, and particulars so gamers have heaps to consider)
• Run downtime actions and let gamers management or personal items of your setting like their very own enterprise
• Set the bar by roleplaying as a lot as doable your self

Image Issues As You Go

In case you can observe together with gameplay by imagining what’s taking place in full color, sound, and video, with as a lot element as you may muster, you’ll bear in mind extra.

This additionally helps along with your descriptions and storytelling.

Then, after the session, you may then compensate for your notes with higher recollection.

I discover envisioning issues earlier than the session helps. You’ll be able to prep successfully by operating encounters and conditions over in your creativeness. Imaginary playtesting.

This provides me an ideal base of beginning element come recreation day.

And enjoying issues out in your thoughts forward of time is sort of like reinforcing your long-term reminiscence for one thing that hasn’t occur but. #InTheMatrix

Get Visible

In case you enhance your descriptions, you’ll feed not simply your classes with fantastic particulars and evocative storytelling.

You’ll even have higher recall of particulars when curating session logs afterwards.

So work onerous to enhance your descriptions.

One other visible tip: they are saying an image is value a thousand phrases.

I’ve discovered utilizing pictures of individuals, locations, and issues saves you much more note-taking time due to all the data packed inside these photos.

Imagery saves you documenting as a lot in regards to the who, what, and the place so you’ve extra time for logging what occurred or what is going to occur.

Draw Extra Maps

On-theme with getting extra visible is to make use of extra maps.

You don’t want fancy or fairly maps.

I draw most of mine throughout classes on an enormous roll of paper.

The important thing tip right here is to annotate your maps.

You then get a residing file that’s detailed and visible.

For instance, on area maps you may draw routes the occasion takes of their travels.

It’s also possible to draw symbols or label websites the place encounters occurred.

For city maps, you may label the who, what, the place as you make issues up.

For encounter maps, you may be aware outcomes like treasure and escaped foes.

Additionally invite your gamers to attract and write in your maps. Get everybody concerned for an much more complete and vibrant file of gameplay.

Ask them to put in writing rumours heard, transactions made, circumstances or flaws acquired, loops opened or closed, and so forth.

Thoughts maps are incredible reminiscence enhancers and reference instruments. Flip your journey maps into residing thoughts maps by getting your entire group concerned.

Think about migrating vital particulars captured on maps and participant handouts after classes into your Supply of Fact.

Mine Character Sheets

Alongside the identical traces as raiding participant notes: seize photographs or copies of character sheets.

You would possibly do that on the finish of each session, or after milestones like journey turning factors or leveling up in case your recreation system has that mechanic.

Take a look at what gamers have written since final overview and replace your logs.

I are likely to overlook what character has what particular gear or gadgets.

So in Marketing campaign Logger I tag gadgets shortly with character names for straightforward dynamic inventories and stories on who owns/carries what.

You also needs to test the roleplaying, background, and feedback sections of character sheets for any extra particulars.

And on that be aware (pun meant!), if gamers make classes logs, request entry to these as nicely and mine the heck out of them.

You may additionally create an official Scribe function inside the occasion and have a participant devoted to logging classes for you.

Take Notice

We wish to be clear with ourselves what notes and particulars would assist us most to run superior campaigns and have extra enjoyable at each recreation.

We would like consistency, good reference, and concepts.

Guided by that, take the fewest notes wanted to get the outcomes you need.

And to assist make note-taking simpler throughout classes:

• Get gamers roleplaying with one another extra to purchase you time to compensate for logging
• Visualize as a lot as you may, and train that muscle and talent so that you leverage your mind’s highly effective visible reminiscence system
• Use maps, photos, and participant handouts for fast annotations and for tactics to change into extra visible
• Overview character sheets and session logs ongoing for any particulars gamers would possibly’ve added throughout classes

In thrilling Marketing campaign Logger information, we’re at the moment testing participant logs and accounts!

It is possible for you to to ask your gamers to contribute to your session logs.

And it is going to be free on your gamers. Your account will cowl them.

Proper now it’s read-only. That means, you may deploy Log Entries to gamers for them to learn.

However in future section we’ll be including Write rights, so gamers can log classes alongside you, to assist take the load off.

Anywho, I hope the following tips assist, Keith. Please let me know the way it goes. Johnn, focus on the following tips and ask me questions right here.

Ideas From Roleplaying Ideas Recreation Masters

Have a roleplaying tip you’d prefer to share? E-mail it to [email protected] – thanks!

Monster Hunts As Ability Challenges

From RPT GM Derek Baert

I often run my hunts as a two section deal.

First, they do a talent problem to trace the monster.

They go in an initiative order, and so they want a specific amount of successes to find the monster.

Nonetheless, in the event that they attain a specific amount of failures, the monster turns into conscious of them and both runs, or readies an ambush if it’s extra of a predator.

To make it extra thrilling and dangerous, I allow them to choose the DC.

DC 10 is 1 success or failure, DC 15 is value 2, and DC 20 is value 3.

As soon as they’ve reached the set quantity of Successes with out failing, they get a enjoyable boss battle with the monster. Then I exploit Lair actions, legendary actions/resistances, and mythic traits to make the boss battle extra participating.

Methods to Make the Nu-Edge System Sing (Shadowrun)

From RPT GM Rudy Concepcion

Hello Johnn,

I simply needed to drop a line and allow you to know that your suggestions have completely impressed me and made an enormous distinction in my Shadowrun recreation.

I’ll be sincere, at first I struggled as a result of like I already talked about in a earlier e-mail, Shadowrun doesn’t actually have a resource-management side like D&D does, and I had slightly problem adapting your tricks to my Shadowrun 6E marketing campaign.

Just a few weeks in the past, the proverbial lightbulb went off in my head and I found out easy methods to make it work for my marketing campaign.

I can unequivocally say that it’s been a complete success, my gamers are having a lot extra enjoyable, and because the GM I’m too.I wrote a submit about it on Reddit right here.

Spruce Encounters Up This Method

From RPT GM Razor Chuckles

re: How To Deal with Hack & Slash and Plot-Breaking Character Powers

Wonderful suggestions, Johnn!

One factor I do typically if I wish to encourage exploration is so as to add a scavenger hunt ingredient to an encounter.

I’ll have a cleric request particular spiritual artifacts that may very well be discovered on the location with a purpose to craft a magical merchandise for the occasion.

Or I’ll have somebody rent the PCs to seek out uncommon magical parts which might be believed to be within the location.

Having the gamers test off every merchandise and have a function for looking each crate, drawer, and many others. provides a way of pleasure at any time when they get nearer to finishing the target.

Talk about these recreation grasp suggestions on this thread on the official Roleplaying Ideas group discussion board.