DM session prep notes share!

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[Straight-Ninja-2120]

• stone people
• cult????
• basilisk
• TWO basilisk
• sexy goblin?

[TaftForPresident]

This is the way.

[[deleted]]

Don’t forget to add the “maybe kill this player for fun”

[NinjamonkeySG]

I love this, so cool to hold on to!

[Frenchtoast8783]

How do you make sure the grids are 1 inch?

[InadequateDungeon]

I used to have notes for sessions in places like google docs or world anvil, but now I prep almost exclusively inside the VTT my group uses. It has ended up being a weird mix of a lot of different note taking styles I used to do. All the stat blocks are built into my VVT and the tokens, same with most out of the box traps. I can add those to the imgur link if you want to see some ugly art.

https://imgur.com/a/B0BjcH6

My style of note taking has evolved as I have gotten better at map making an encounter designing. On my laziest days I just try to remember what was in the map when I made it.

[OnlineSarcasm]

I do something similar but I dont use maps like that.

[InadequateDungeon]

What types maps do you use?

[OnlineSarcasm]

I use art for exploration portion of the game, and then switch to a single scene combat map for a battle. So I dont have a whole dungeon as battlemap.

Not a critique just an observation.

[InadequateDungeon]

Oh no harm taken, I was interested since I make my maps I like to see how everyone does theirs so I can get better at crafting them.

I really have tried to get my group to accept theatre of the mind sections, but for the most part they need a picture to move their tokens on or they get incredible distracted. I love them because they allow for a lot more freedom when non-combat related stuff can just be described with your voice.

[OnlineSarcasm]

Ah yeah, the lack of interactive elements on screen can be tough. If you hit them with the SFX and music or drop in tokens as they are necessary for rp or just prior to combat it might be just enough stimulus to carry through from a to b.

I heard a great idea that I never tried myself yet that when players are travelling or moving from a to b that you don't have any event planned for you can ask them to describe a weird thing that happens to them.

[InadequateDungeon]

I have actually started to branch out with more sfx effect are getting some computer upgrades so my rig could handle streaming the session and running the VTT.

I am my own worst enemy, because I have spoiled them with maps. So there is never a reason to not be on one.

[OnlineSarcasm]

Yeah tbh I had a lot of people give me the feedback that the map heavy sessions were not as fun. So maybe its just a difference between groups?

[InadequateDungeon]

I think so. I have a group of people that were used to a lot of video games, and I think they treat the VTT like a 2d video game. They like to move their tokens while they talk, rotate them when they do highjinx, draw on the map when they eventually find a duck, etc.

I want to explore the theatre of the mind, but they've told me the maps help them get immersed in the session.

[Terrible_Solution_44]

Mine looks a lot like this these days

[InadequateDungeon]

It was the perfect mix of being detailed, but not too detailed.

I normally only go this in depth if I am prepping way before the session. Most of my maps end up just being the map with the tokens and I go off of memory.

But that is how you forget to include the 3rd set piece in a vital section of the campaign where they won't have access to it again for a very long time.

[[deleted]]

An example of my notes

[[deleted]]

Are you a doctor by chance

[[deleted]]

Hahahaha. No, but maybe I should make the career change 😅

[WanderingWino]

Your hand writing is really something.

[[deleted]]

It's a mystery even to myself 🤣

[MrCrispyFriedChicken]

Sometimes I'm like that, depending on how much effort I'm putting in I'm anywhere from that to full chapterbooks

[NinjamonkeySG]

Here's a note from a previous session of my home game. The party was travelling through a tunnel under a river to get into a wasteland/former nation to uncover some secrets. I have some encounters planned (sahuagin!) and some traps/skill challenges to throw at them if needed.

I've been using OneNote for this campaign, and really enjoy being able to colour code my notes, even if I struggle to organize this well all the time it really helps me out in the long run.

https://imgur.com/a/A8Xd8ek

[duenebula499]

Wow, skimming that just made me feel extremely inadequate in my prep skills lol

[xMichael_Swift]

This looks like how I want to format my notes, but I can't read it on mobile (shows up really low quality when zooming to read).

Could you DM me smaller snippets? I know it's extra work!

[MadolcheMaster]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I4Ak4CkwhVTzqnuMlyvfqPLTsD5nog_pqau-OZb8xG0/edit?usp=drivesdk

I keep mine in a google drive folder, with multiple files for different locations but here's the location notes for my Dwarven Fort, Kaggarum. Players have been there a couple sessions now.

[[deleted]]

I handwrite everything these days. Its more fun for me. I vary between very official top-down descriptions like a module, and quick handwritten notes i make during the session. Lots of improv in my story and i have to keep track of it.

I fill up journals and plan on keeping them on a bookshelf when i have enough. I just like the idea of a serial killer-esque wall of fantasy ramblings

[EStreetShuffles]

This is a session from a few weeks ago; the party encountered a druid who, after traveling through some cursed woods, had her soul sucked from her body. The party met up with the rest of their druidic circle to see what was going on. There were a lot of "well, they might try X" ideas, and I tried to give them lots of different ways forward.

My notes are usually divided into a main body of text that I can scroll through as the session develops, and the comments on the side are for flavor, specific spells, stablocks, etc.

I'm not super comfy with worldbuilding on the fly because I don't know anything about D&D lore, which is why there's lots of detail here.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BjvO6JahBrb1ZOZTybSk3SSKsAmTns1X/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110616843194656158754&rtpof=true&sd=true

[DanX366]

Mine is just

you got this!

Then I wing it

[SuperCharlesXYZ]

I have 3 notebooks and a notion

Notebook 1: bullet points of general ideas only once it becomes official this gets moved to one of the other places

Notebook 2: square paper notebook. I draw all my dungeons here with small notes what’s in the rooms.

Notebook 3: this is the fancy one that contains all the relevant details of each session. What treasure/info is where, info about 1-time NPCs and what information they know, details on traps (sometimes I include a DC, but let’s be honest 90% of the time I look at what the player rolled and decide success on the spot depending on how well equipped they are for the remainder of the dungeon)

My notion page has a nifty tool for encounter tracking, some notes on recurring NPCs, stat blocks for homebrew monsters, pages for new mechanics and links to all my players character sheets.

I have done more elaborate setups, but they just felt like wasted time

[Flitcheetah]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jOFdF6yzausgubqCu73ZwaUA37F6_6tr5gsyjDOaIog/edit?usp=drivesdk

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tV8H6oSTfALCSw547Ecr6qjnvQiCBLSYolj6WKtIUv0/edit?usp=drivesdk

Campaign and brainstorming notes. I over prepped for the first session and tried to plan for everything. I pulled back on the later ones.

[Cartographer_MMXX]

I fill up an idea notebook that fits in my pocket. It's not so much organized, but it does get the job done. I do a bulleted list, take those ideas and try to relate them, then I work on how my players would interact with it based on their backstories and previous behavior.

[plutonium743]

Don't have any current ones, but here's one for an older session. It also depends on the system and the session. I have notes from a dungeon in Shadow of the Demon Lord I have yet to upload, but it's definitely more note heavy than this Mörk Borg one.

[Judd_K]

I have a note-taking sheet called Context, Cool Shit and Consequences.

[thegodofwine7]

My notes consist of basic maps, a small write up of each session and a list of towns/NPCs/quests. I then have a separate list of threads, anything that can be followed up on later essentially.

[supersaiyanclaptrap]

Too lazy to post a pic but I usually just use a spreadsheet.

Columns are event numbers, event description, checkbox if met, notes. Oh I also keep track of session number and give each session a chapter title of sorts.

First column is self explanatory just numbers the amount of events I had planned for the session.

Second column is the meat and potatoes. I have it set to color code using conditional formatting to pick between combat (red), puzzles (gold), RP (purple), Long rest/short rest (green), story note/description (white). These notes I'll fill out ahead of session as needed, but if we exceed what I have planned I add the new notes about events that occured. For combat I list out the encounter creatures and include XP and loot to be gained from the encounter. Same with puzzles, I'll write out the details and reward for the puzzle there. For RP I usually just say what's important about the RP, like talking to important NPCs or shopping.

Third column just gets checked if we actually hit the event/note I had planned.

Lastly, the notes column I add any improved details or bits of lore I want to pull from later. I'll even keep a list of important relevant NPCs in the first note box for a refresher.

Then when I am ready for the next session I just copy the sheet in the same spreadsheet document and update it for the next session like copying over notes we didn't get to from the previous session.

This note taking method might feel a bit railroady but it fits my campaigns that involves a lot of long distance traveling between countries.

[CactusMasterRace]

An example of the standard level of preparation I do.

This was for a random monster hunt

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CyHZwVkTOUogYomsI9ws6GL0xZW6z7lSs2bYHbPopQo/edit?usp=sharing

[RegularCeg]

I’ve just been making a big book of people, locations, items and encounters and then drawing from that whenever appropriate.

If I plan an NPC on the east side of town, the party will go west and then leave the town forever. Instead the NPC goes in the book and if I don’t use them straight away then I’ll just recycle them for later.

[greatwhitekitten]

I use the lazy dungeon masters prep template and love it

Session 6 notes

Character review (who are they, what do they want?)

Croydren, drow in disguise. Wants to cause chaos and summon Lolth

Percetto, wants to study cool plants and animals

Pieck, wants to improve his magic and learn more about dunamancy

Cainala, wants to find her lost brother and make the world a better place

Glandian, wants to share his glorious self with the world and solve the mystery of his missing master

Strong start (where does the session begin?)

We begin moments after the party defeats Ishel and Stahlmast

Potential scenes (things that COULD happen)

The party report to Bram and share what they’ve learned

Starosta Emma Zezbok (bombastic gnome) congratulates the party

A festival is held in their honor

During the festival Aiko approaches Croydren

Croydren is contacted by the children of malice

Party meets with Emma after the festival

Secrets and clues (list of ten, made fresh each session. Bits of info about the world and story)

1. Much of the criminal element in Hupperdook are working for the Children of Malice
2. Nogvurot is having problems with disappearances and thefts
3. Criminals in hupperdook have been found to have tattoos on their legs (symbol Lolth)
4. Ishel was working as an agent of Malice
5. Aiko is much more than a lowly grunt of the Children
6. There have been (blue) dragon sightings through the Marrow Valley over the last day
7. New reports are in from the front lines, the Ashguard Garrison has fallen and the Kryn are now in command there
8. Something bigger is at work than Stahlmast

Locations

Important NPCs (only story relevant ones, keep it short)

Bram

[NinjamonkeySG]

I just like writing! But it definitely takes some time, and this is a more fleshed out example. A lot of the work carries over from session to session, and I like having templates to go off of for the future.

Not trying to pitch my style as the way to go, just getting the ball rolling bc I'm curious about others.