I'm a Dm that runs on Roll20 and I try to build a nice world and describe every place the players get to though due to short term memory issues I tend to forget Npc's I make up and sometimes the towns I describe feel either the same or just flat was hoping if anybody had any tips on how to be more organized or maybe some programs that might help.
I would love to build a world for my players that really sticks out to them any tips are appreciated.
A lot of NPCs and cities are going to be imitations of one another, and that's fine. If you watch shows like Critical Role, you may notice that Mercer really only uses a small handful of archetypes for NPCs and gives them a slight voice/personality change based on the setting.
The players will use their imagination to fill in a lot of the details, so focus on a few key details and don't worry about the rest unless asked directly. For example, give a city a distinct smell and sound. Even without an explanation for the sensory features, the players will likely make assumptions about the hygiene, economics, and culture of the location that you can then encourage as they engage with it.
Random NPCs can often be boiled down to a personality type and a catchphrase. Player-favorite NPCs can then be given a few additional notes.
The best way to stay organized is to streamline and reduce waste. Your players will only remember a fraction of your world, so don't exhaust yourself with the minutia. If they retain 1%, then you need to retain 10%, and the rest you can improvise on the fly.
If you encourage your players to make assumptions about the world, such as the types of shops that would be available, or the kind of debris in the streets that they can use for cover, then you can work directly off of their understanding of the world, which feeds into their sense of continuity and depth, even if it's not what you had in mind or used previously.
I too use Roll20 for the tabletop (but video is here), and Discord for the Voice. For notes... I use Obsidian Portal... but any kind of Wiki format will work. Basically you just want to be able to jump back to locations quickly and markup language is nice that you can type it in fast and reference it faster when needed. I put all my main categories (locations, character notes, plot points, etc.) in my footnotes at the bottom and then I build an outline of my story. Then I build my encounter notes and link to anything relevant in the upper area so I can jump back and forth or even link to DNDBeyond for monsters etc. Or the Encounter Builder, though I usually have that pulled up as well. I can keep everything on two monitors and be fairly efficient with it... you just want to have the same tabs in the same spot every time.
Edit: And yes... I have a page of pregen names and locations ready if I need to pull something on the fly... it is hyperlinked so it's easy to get to... then I just type that in to the storyline area and put the details I am telling them and save it at the end of the session.
During the session I quickly add the name and description of any NPC I made up on the fly and then flesh it out a bit more post session. I usually spend an hour or two after each session updating notes, or if it went late then I do it the next day but it takes longer because it’s less fresh in my mind.
My big tip on taking notes is having an page of notes or an little note book so when your in school for example you can write down ideas in it (i do this so often for ideas for dnd stories as an DM) but also if you want your story to stick out id recommed long titles and they will give you an better idea for an story
I will add that my job requires me to invent names and details about imaginary family members off the top of my head, so that is one aspect where vocation and avocation have mutual requirements. That helps improve the skill when it’s one’s job.
I'm a Dm that runs on Roll20 and I try to build a nice world and describe every place the players get to though due to short term memory issues I tend to forget Npc's I make up and sometimes the towns I describe feel either the same or just flat was hoping if anybody had any tips on how to be more organized or maybe some programs that might help.
I would love to build a world for my players that really sticks out to them any tips are appreciated.
Create a page somewhere with lots of names on it. When you need a name, just a note next to the name about where you used the name.
Are you playing online, or around a table? If online, what technology are you using? VTT, discord, etc?
A lot of NPCs and cities are going to be imitations of one another, and that's fine. If you watch shows like Critical Role, you may notice that Mercer really only uses a small handful of archetypes for NPCs and gives them a slight voice/personality change based on the setting.
The players will use their imagination to fill in a lot of the details, so focus on a few key details and don't worry about the rest unless asked directly. For example, give a city a distinct smell and sound. Even without an explanation for the sensory features, the players will likely make assumptions about the hygiene, economics, and culture of the location that you can then encourage as they engage with it.
Random NPCs can often be boiled down to a personality type and a catchphrase. Player-favorite NPCs can then be given a few additional notes.
The best way to stay organized is to streamline and reduce waste. Your players will only remember a fraction of your world, so don't exhaust yourself with the minutia. If they retain 1%, then you need to retain 10%, and the rest you can improvise on the fly.
If you encourage your players to make assumptions about the world, such as the types of shops that would be available, or the kind of debris in the streets that they can use for cover, then you can work directly off of their understanding of the world, which feeds into their sense of continuity and depth, even if it's not what you had in mind or used previously.
Thank you this really helps a lot.
We are doing online through role20 for maps but we use Discord for video and voice.
I too use Roll20 for the tabletop (but video is here), and Discord for the Voice. For notes... I use Obsidian Portal... but any kind of Wiki format will work. Basically you just want to be able to jump back to locations quickly and markup language is nice that you can type it in fast and reference it faster when needed. I put all my main categories (locations, character notes, plot points, etc.) in my footnotes at the bottom and then I build an outline of my story. Then I build my encounter notes and link to anything relevant in the upper area so I can jump back and forth or even link to DNDBeyond for monsters etc. Or the Encounter Builder, though I usually have that pulled up as well. I can keep everything on two monitors and be fairly efficient with it... you just want to have the same tabs in the same spot every time.
Edit: And yes... I have a page of pregen names and locations ready if I need to pull something on the fly... it is hyperlinked so it's easy to get to... then I just type that in to the storyline area and put the details I am telling them and save it at the end of the session.
During the session I quickly add the name and description of any NPC I made up on the fly and then flesh it out a bit more post session. I usually spend an hour or two after each session updating notes, or if it went late then I do it the next day but it takes longer because it’s less fresh in my mind.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
My big tip on taking notes is having an page of notes or an little note book so when your in school for example you can write down ideas in it (i do this so often for ideas for dnd stories as an DM) but also if you want your story to stick out id recommed long titles and they will give you an better idea for an story
I will add that my job requires me to invent names and details about imaginary family members off the top of my head, so that is one aspect where vocation and avocation have mutual requirements. That helps improve the skill when it’s one’s job.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting