Comments

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  arsheesh

  Posts: 850 June 2010

  I tend to write separate adventure outlines (in Microsoft Word) which act as a sort of quick reference for the flow of events (or several possible flow of events) in an adventure. However, when introducing important figures, or new scenes etc. I try to take time to write out a bit of flavor text describing the scene, or a bit of NPC monologue, something to bring the scene alive. I used to write more in depth adventures but I found that more often than not, players react to events in ways that you can't anticipate beforehand, in which case allot of time was wasted planning out scenes that never happen. The outline/flavor text compromise has tended to work pretty well for me. It allows me some flexibility while still being able to highlight important scenes. Course I'm always open to new ideas, so I'm curious to see how other DM's tend to plan their adventures.
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  FrankSirmarco

  Posts: 250 June 2010

  I write a flow sheet in Word before every session. It's a quick reference of the NPCs, enemies, information, saving throws, and skill checks the PCs will encounter during the session. I also have a HP tracker that I've created in Excel that I use for combat.
  
  In game, I have tons of info written in the GM-Only section of the NPC tracker and wiki pages. As the players encounter new persons, places, or things, I make them available to the players in OP in real time. This is great, especially if your players tend to forget an NPC's name or information in a book they've found, etc.
  
  I also use a lot of handouts and props, and come up with accents and quirks for the NPCs. I think this helps immerse the players in the action a little more.
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  BrokenClock

  Posts: 51 June 2010

  Cool.
  
  I think I might just make a template based on the official D&D stuff. I like the way they have things organized (adventure background, synopsis, hooks, etc) It will be good for when the players do something weird and then half of everything I wrote gets tossed in the can.
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  twiggyleaf

  Posts: 2,011 June 2010

  I am still designing on OP and so haven't played with my players yet, but the place where we play has no WIFI so in anticipation of this, all my WIKI Pages fall into 6 sections, which I have copied and pasted into Word Documents. I also have two workbooks which have all maps and monster stats, with the odd thing added in - so that I can more or less get by with little need to resort to source material. The D&D adventure layouts are good, but I found from running my last campaign that I still used my own A4 Workbook.

  "I met a traveller from an antique land....."

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  JimTriche

  Posts: 483 June 2010

  I have a notepad with big plot points outlined, and a binder with separate 'mini' adventures for the players to do if they come across them (indexed by type of job and time of year) other than that, I let the players have free run.
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  gnunn

  Posts: 423 June 2010

  In game, I've started using word to draft my adventure outlines. I usually plug in descriptive text, any likely rolls that will need to be made along with DC. I usually roll known npc checks during the planning process. (e.g. if a bunch of orcs set an ambush, I roll their hide checks in advance, which provides a known DC that the PCs need to beat.) The outline also has any loot listings and/or bits of information that can be gathered from particular NPCs.
  
  I use a second word document to track NPC/monster stat blocks. I used to store monster stat blocks as comments in Excel. That was when I had a fancy initiative tracker (I could mouse over a monster to see its stats). Since I have switched to a low-tech card-based initiative system, I've done away with my complex excel tracker. Now I just plug in monster & HP into excel while keeping stats in word.
  
  
  Those are the big 3 documents adventure outline, npc stats, HP tracker.
  
  My general trend has been to pare down my planning docs to the minimum necessary to run a smooth game. I try to put stuff into tables &/or hilight types of text in different colors for maximum scannability at the game table.
  
  
  Oh, I also use the online dice roller from WOTC to make most of my rolls as a GM. It's great because in a fight with lots of baddies, I can just tell it to roll 12d20 when they attack and it gives the number on each dice in a list. I've found it makes big fights go quicker, because I don't have to actually HAVE a crapload of dice all organized, or roll a single set a bajillion times.
  
  I mostly use OP to help me remember what is going on between sessions. My players love to wait months before ID-ing a potion. OP is invaluable when they say, "Hey, my character sheet says I have this thing I never identified... You know, the one I got two adventures ago..."
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  FemmeLegion

  Posts: 521 June 2010

  I don't own a laptop, so OP at the time of play is not an option. Moreover, I don't like it when other people use laptops, and I've had to use one to run RPGA mods before and I hated it. For me, there's just something about using a computer rather than paper that takes up more of my attention. And for me, anything that divides my attention during a game is a bad thing - especially when I'm the judge/GM and I need those brain cycles free to make stuff up quickly. =)
  
  I have bunches of little slips of scrap paper that I've crafted out of junk mail. I jot ideas and notes on them as they come to me, and then I put them into OP afterward - embellishing as needed.
  
  I am, however, very fond of the idea of using a RNG website to pre-roll a bunch of rolls that would normally be made in secret. I prefer to roll attack dice out in the open, where the players can (if they choose) cling to the hope that they can somehow subliminally influence the result. But as long as I can be honest with myself when it comes time to apply those pre-rolled results, that will save me a lot of time.
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  BrokenClock

  Posts: 51 June 2010

  I think it will depend on how savy the individual is with a computer. To me, using a computer is just as natural as using a pen and paper.
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  Dyluth

  Posts: 92 June 2010

  Though I don't have a laptop, I do use my iPod Touch to read back notes on events, rolls, descriptions and such that I made before hand here on OP. I also use my PS3 to showcase character illustrations on OP as well as other visual references to the player party when appropriate. Like Arsheesh up above I don't waste time planning out events down to the last detail on OP, simple on a count of the likelihood the players will take a completely different route, change their minds or somehow find another way to make the plans you laid out obsolete before they could be used.
  
  That said I do still keep a binder full of notes I've written down for the game, old Planet Hopper Guides from Wizards web site, so I guess you can say I supplement my old fashion DM binder with OP during games.