So after a couple years running 5E for a couple parties, I'm looking to improve on a couple things I know I'm lacking on. I've come to realize that I may be the over prepared type which leads to a LARGE amount of notes and shuffling through books constantly. I find it hard to remember all the things that happen and to remember what NPC's know what.
I dont know if its just me being anxious/nervous to play or if im just overwhelming myself with the task.
So I'm wondering, for the more minimalist DM's, what do you do to prepare for a session, and also how you deal with your post game notes?
I like to use Google Docs for all of my session prep, making headings for every small "section" including NPCs that are encountered. The reason I prefer this to the paper notes I've used in the past is the "View Outline" feature that lets me jump really easily around to every part of the document. Oh, they went to (this area) earlier than expected? No shuffling, just click, and good to go. Oh, they went BACK to this NPC later? Click!
Each session I aim to prepare enough content that I'll have 2 hours extra beyond what is needed. Sometimes, that's a ridiculous amount too much, because they take their time, get sidetracked, or spend a long time strategizing or talking to an NPC. Sometimes it's just right and it's a good thing I prepared extra, since they went through faster than expected. I also have a pile of encounters prepped for their group level, so if they go too-too fast I can throw random encounters at them to slow them down. The biggest thing to remember for an overpreparing DM: You have complete control of the pace of the story. If they're moving too fast, give them more obstacles. They won't know you didn't plan to put them in before hand.
I make pretty sparse notes during the session. I'll note the ways they interacted with NPCs (which are put into a ref document for them, so they remember NPCs), determining if the NPC has positive/negative/neutral feelings towards the party. I will note any significant items I give them. I will note anything THEY said about the future of the campaign, whether it's right or wrong, because it gives me an idea of what they're expecting, and what they want to see more of. It also makes them feel awesome when they can say "Hey! Didn't I say that was gonna happen?!" Otherwise I don't really go crazy with post-session notes. I know what happened in general, and my players take notes so I make them recap at the start of each session and fill in the gaps.
My prep is often as little as having a rough outline of things that will be going on in the world around the characters (whether the players decide to interfere or not is up to them), and then I run each session by reacting to whatever the players are having their characters do.
As for notes, I have put a player in charge of jotting down important notes (because I have this odd quirk of forgetting pretty much everything I write down as soon as I'm no longer writing it or looking at it). After a campaign is finished, I'll collect the player's notes and compile them into a document on my computer (expanding upon the usually sparse notes with what I remember of the campaign) so I can have a nearly full recounting for later use should I decide to have a later campaign be related to the events.
Thats definitely a better idea than the one i was playing with. I was truly thinking of audio recording our sessions and then writing it out, but thats a much better idea since i actually have one pc who takes really good notes. :P
I appreciate the idea, Its better to have a framework and let them build it up rather than having every path written out. this will make it easier to adjust to different plans.
yeah i think im going to make it a motion for the party to recap what they remember happening last session every time to encourage note taking. im gunna be running OoTA soon so i want the idea of feeling lost and confused really prominent in this campaign. I have always wanted to play around in the underdark and with Volo's guide's expanded information on beholders and such it will be fun to fill this place with nightmare fuel! :) but like a fun nightmare fuel...
Plus, Stool is such a fun NPC and i hope they carry him along in their journey.
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Hello all,
So after a couple years running 5E for a couple parties, I'm looking to improve on a couple things I know I'm lacking on. I've come to realize that I may be the over prepared type which leads to a LARGE amount of notes and shuffling through books constantly. I find it hard to remember all the things that happen and to remember what NPC's know what.
I dont know if its just me being anxious/nervous to play or if im just overwhelming myself with the task.
So I'm wondering, for the more minimalist DM's, what do you do to prepare for a session, and also how you deal with your post game notes?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I like to use Google Docs for all of my session prep, making headings for every small "section" including NPCs that are encountered. The reason I prefer this to the paper notes I've used in the past is the "View Outline" feature that lets me jump really easily around to every part of the document. Oh, they went to (this area) earlier than expected? No shuffling, just click, and good to go. Oh, they went BACK to this NPC later? Click!
Each session I aim to prepare enough content that I'll have 2 hours extra beyond what is needed. Sometimes, that's a ridiculous amount too much, because they take their time, get sidetracked, or spend a long time strategizing or talking to an NPC. Sometimes it's just right and it's a good thing I prepared extra, since they went through faster than expected. I also have a pile of encounters prepped for their group level, so if they go too-too fast I can throw random encounters at them to slow them down. The biggest thing to remember for an overpreparing DM: You have complete control of the pace of the story. If they're moving too fast, give them more obstacles. They won't know you didn't plan to put them in before hand.
I make pretty sparse notes during the session. I'll note the ways they interacted with NPCs (which are put into a ref document for them, so they remember NPCs), determining if the NPC has positive/negative/neutral feelings towards the party. I will note any significant items I give them. I will note anything THEY said about the future of the campaign, whether it's right or wrong, because it gives me an idea of what they're expecting, and what they want to see more of. It also makes them feel awesome when they can say "Hey! Didn't I say that was gonna happen?!" Otherwise I don't really go crazy with post-session notes. I know what happened in general, and my players take notes so I make them recap at the start of each session and fill in the gaps.
My prep is often as little as having a rough outline of things that will be going on in the world around the characters (whether the players decide to interfere or not is up to them), and then I run each session by reacting to whatever the players are having their characters do.
As for notes, I have put a player in charge of jotting down important notes (because I have this odd quirk of forgetting pretty much everything I write down as soon as I'm no longer writing it or looking at it). After a campaign is finished, I'll collect the player's notes and compile them into a document on my computer (expanding upon the usually sparse notes with what I remember of the campaign) so I can have a nearly full recounting for later use should I decide to have a later campaign be related to the events.
Thats definitely a better idea than the one i was playing with. I was truly thinking of audio recording our sessions and then writing it out, but thats a much better idea since i actually have one pc who takes really good notes. :P
I appreciate the idea, Its better to have a framework and let them build it up rather than having every path written out. this will make it easier to adjust to different plans.
yeah i think im going to make it a motion for the party to recap what they remember happening last session every time to encourage note taking. im gunna be running OoTA soon so i want the idea of feeling lost and confused really prominent in this campaign. I have always wanted to play around in the underdark and with Volo's guide's expanded information on beholders and such it will be fun to fill this place with nightmare fuel! :) but like a fun nightmare fuel...
Plus, Stool is such a fun NPC and i hope they carry him along in their journey.