Taking Notes During the Game - Lazy RPG Talk Show

[@joshuabrown-clay4858]

I’m glad you’re feeling better, Mike!

[@ShurkerOmega]

I love all of Mike's (Sly Flourish's) Videos

[@saltheart2023]

A DungeonCraft follower I presume? --- Love Professor DM!!!

[@fezbot]

Missed you last week. My Monday morning commute isn't the same without Sly Flourish!

[@Jason-96]

I love everything SLY FLOURISH!!!

[@frontendchaos]

I feel your list of needed notes is extremely close to mine. I usually run campaigns for just my wife, and they often have low up front prep; in the same vein as campfire tales, during conversations with NPCs, she'll often just state some fact about her past or the world and we just run with it. Since these tend to be pretty spontaneous and surprise me, I have to make sure to make notes of these new parts of the setting/history.

[@patrickwest5516]

Thank you for your continuing videos on DM advice. They are always a benefit to watch, even for vets like myself. Keep them coming!

[@bobbycrosby9765]

I don't take notes much during the game. I take notes right after the game. I add them to my planning notes for that session. I add a new section to them and call it the "Postmortem". Anything important to the campaign also gets put into the main campaign notes.

[@MrExit181]

I love all Sly Flourish videos

[@Fnorder23]

Wait, you're Robert Shea's son? Wow! Loved "Illuminatus" when I was young, but I have to admit I re-read your works much more often ;)

[@ericzauche4309]

I enjoy everything from sly flourish. The return of the lazy dm book is the best dm advice!!! I'm dm since 1981. Currently dm ezd6 group and a separate shadowdark group.

[@Shu_BLN]

Oh Mike! I was craving another episode!!!!

[@louisgarcia2415]

As always, good stuff. I love all Sly Flourish videos.

[@da12ofSpades]

Something that has helped me take notes as a primarily online DM is having a paper notebook in front of me instead of trying to take notes on my laptop. I find if I don't have a dedicated space in front of me at all time, it will be too much trouble to have to find the right window/ screen with all of my other stuff going on.

[@JonnyMithrandir]

I love Sly’s videos!

[@edwardwalter3100]

Don't you mean the Abadia Cultural Relevance Scale? Any time the bologna gets mentioned it makes me smile.I honestly didn't track this as being in line with lunch meats but you totally make a great point. Thank Mike, glad you're back and feeling better.

[@douglascheesman]

Great to have you back

[@northvikingman]

I love ALL Sly Flourish videos.

[@howirunit2033]

One way I remember where we left off is to snap a photo with my phone of the battlemat/scene/map. Since we play pretty tactical mini/terrain style game and frequently end just before, just after, or even during a battle, the photo helps a lot esp. for mini placement and distances.

[@kamphuis89]

Thanks for the vids, it is a perfect package of video length and topics!

[@EternalRanger337]

I take quick notes during the game: NPC or other key names, a reminder i might need to implement a game mechanic a bit later, monster xp if I'm not using event leveling. All this on scrap paper. After the game, i use my game journal (one for each group of players I GM). The pages of that journal are split 60 / 30 vertically. On the larger lefthand side, i right a synopsis of the events of the session, as detailed or point form as I need to recall. The smaller righthand side has a spot to record NPCs, loot of note, the character To Do list (if there is something they need to do, achieve, etc to succeed, or that they've said they want to do) and then XP or character level. Each session's notes are headed with session #, location of the characters throughout the session, and the real world date. I put a horizontal line across the page after the session notes are complete.

[@pdubb9754]

Write out random names in prep notes. I use fantasy name generator and copy 5-10 names per session. Then hopefully a make a note during the game on what name gets used in what context.

[@darcyw156]

Wow, you put in so much work on this! Thanks for that.

[@agilemonk6305]

Monday’s are my Mike Mondays. I need my Sly Flourish videos. ❤

[@alfredsilver8566]

Glad you’re feeling better!! Glad you’re back! I have a busted up iPad that’s all taped up so I don’t get glass shards in my hand. I use voice memos and record my sessions. It has so much storage space on it and voice memos don’t take up much space at all. I have on headphones so it’s only recording myself but it’s good reference even if it’s only my voice (Dm) being recorded. I’ve had it recording everything before but I think headphones help me hear myself and my players better plus it’s a better mic. Names places accents voices all documented. Although my players don’t care when we forget the npcs name is I could probably make it up different from session to session and they are so cool and understanding.

[@joshuabrown-clay4858]

It’s funny that the Planestrider’s journal project is finished and ready to go as soon as the kickstarter ends, while Strangehollow says it’s about 14 months away. I suppose patience is called for on that one.

[@vbm7157]

Mike, love your videos, glad you're feeling better.

[@ivancarabano]

I LOVE Sly Flourish videos!

[@bluecanarylite]

After the game I usually write a pretty thorough recap, so I don't tend to take a lot of notes during the session (except for the aforementioned Names rule). But what I'm always on the lookout for are things my players want, or hope, or wonder about. If I hear that, or phrases like "oh man, wouldn't it be cool if," or "I'm imaging my character with an x [anime, lotr, marvel hero etc] vibe" I try to drop everything and write those down. I end up putting those in a master list at the top of my google doc and trying to reference them later (it's especially helpful to have during the "Review Characters" part of my prep). They don't get fulfilled immediately or every time, but it's really handy to have a growing list what my players want for the game without having to solicit them for feedback.

[@ShannonFerguson]

I love all Sly Flourish videos! 😊

[@millsfamilyexperiences5284]

Thanks from the sunny Gold Coast, Australia. Glad your feeling better

[@no2pencilman]

I love the variety of info in your videos

[@RedDiceDiaries]

Glad you're on the road to recovery, another great show with some cool answers to interesting questions 👍

[@nathanaelthomas9243]

Thanks for the video! I love all the sly flourish videos.

[@boxxie]

Glad you're back and hopefully feeling better!

[@chrisherzog7013]

Super intrigued by the idea of camp fire tales, would love to hear more about them as you flesh out the concept.

[@SlyFlourish]

slyflourish.com/campfire_talk.html

[@paulsavas2394]

I love all Sly Flourish videos! ;)

[@southron_d1349]

I take a few notes as I run the game. Particularly something which was improvised on the spot - a tavern name, a heretofore unknown spirit, an NPC trader. It has become my job to write up the recap and post on Roll20. The players can point out errors or omissions but that's not frequent. Usually a mistake arises when there's been a need to go into a bit of detail on a major battle and I get two characters mixed up. Or if there was a lot of dithering over who gets which magical item, then I might make a mistake. The recaps are more highlights and reminders of the important events and questions so they run to about a page. Anything longer and it was likely a very important session or the finale to the campaign. There's enough to help everyone recall what happened a fortnight ago. Of course, if the players don't read it, that's their problem.

[@mithren86]

Hey Mikes back! Just in time for my morning commute.

[@williamatkins3465]

Love Sly Flourish videos

[@johncasebeer179]

Great work. I love all of your videos!

[@petermaldonado7379]

Big fan, I love all Sly Flourish content (videos and books)!

[@SlyFlourish]

Glad you like them!

[@JamesMillsNeutralBase]

It's interesting that the assumption is that the NASA adventure is for 5e, when they're pretty explicit in the very beginning that it can be used with "your favorite system", and it also doesn't contain any stat blocks or specific references to any system.

[@SeanSmithPit]

I only write down names and a couple notes about npcs or places if that. That evening or the next day I'll take rough notes about what happened during the session and share that with my players through discord. They'll usually catch something I missed. These bring the most value and verisimilitude and genuinely are almost as valuable as my session prep. They'll start as rough scratch, often not using proper nouns, and then I'll flesh them out with proper names and links. I have a bunch of examples I wanted to share but it looks like KZbin keeps (quietly) deleting my comments.

[@leahwilton785]

I am a post game note taker. But I have to push back on the secrets and clues thing. I don't have a spreadsheet or anything, but I do jot down a few quick notes about what players learned vs didn't, especially in "sliding scale" of success situations. On several occasions I have had players ask for clarification at a later time, and I have no idea what I told them originally. The other thing I write down that wasn't mentioned is anything players mention they might be interested in exploring/pursing at a later time.

[@saltheart2023]

Interesting Ideas on Note Taking.... Perfect for Future Hook Ideas... Thanks for your content!

[@Nick-dc6ix]

What a great show!

[@andrewshears2077]

Great content as usual. I also love the new letter and your site!

[@andrewshears2077]

NewS letter.

[@jerzyswiecicki4519]

Thanks to you I like being a GM. Forge of foes is awesome!

[@fredrikappelberg4321]

I'll admit that when I saw the name Shea I immediately thought of Robert Shea, but I never realized he actually was your father :)

[@keithvanboskirk7327]

love sly flourish videos

[@ziggwam]

Another 5e kickstarter that looks interesting is born from ice free quick starter set looks great

[@Pinworthy]

Yay, I love the Lazy way!!

[@RichardtheregularDM]

I write bullet points as soon as the game is over. My first bullet is where the session ended. Other bullets include things that will help with the next session. I try to write down improv NPCs but often forget. If I tie an archetype to the NPC I'll remember them better.

[@ZeKiwiOfTheNorth]

The point about keeping track of secrets given has been covered once before, and i didn't understand the concern. Mine are written in my notebook, when i give one out i mark a check next to it, sometimes a note about how the PCs received it. If you have your notes digitally, you can mark it digitally. As long as you're not deleting things as you go.. I'm not seeing the difficulty (or the importance, as you mention Mike) of keeping track.

[@pacodance29]

lazy dm for another win! I struggle with note taking while 'in flow.' Having players track NPC's is probably a better way of note taking.

[@125Epsilon]

17:39 It doesn’t look like the contest is to create a full RPG, just a pitch for one, so the award seems more reasonable in that light.

[@Washburnello]

Love me some Sly.

[@spamphobic6070]

I love ALL the Sly Flourish videos. What I don't love is jumping through hoops to keep people like Mike from getting penalized in the way that Prof. DM discussed in his recent video over at Dungeoncraft. If more of us supported a creator-controlled platform like....N E B U L A....we could reduce the unethical BS that KZbin does to creators.

[@beavcoug7132]

I try to put all of my energy into presenting the world in a fun and entertaining way, so I ask my players to take a lot of notes and then at the end of the session we compare notes. Otherwise, the game bogs down while I write notes.

[@SummerOtaku]

The nasa RPG reminds me when the CDC had the surviving the Zombie Outbreak guide…like real info in a whimsical nerdy way.

[@davidrempel4862]

The ORC license game mechanic clause just makes it clear something that already exists in the law. There are no IP protections for game mechanics. Just like there are no IP protections for recipes. The description of the mechanics can be copyrighted. But the mechanics themselves have zero protection. Any one can already take a mechanic, describe it in thier own words and include it in their game. What licenses like this do is give some peace of mind to people using the mechanics that they won’t be sued by a big fish with an army of lawyers hoping to destroy you with legal fees even though you’d win the case. If you want a lawyers opinion, Legal eagle made it pretty clear during the OGL controversy.

[@Shu_BLN]

I was following the newsletter for years but unsubscribed because it doubled with the podcast feed. (I am a Patreon wohoo). Is there stuff coming through the newsletter that is not a "blog entry" wich will appear on the podcast? Should I re-sub?

[@SlyFlourish]

It doesn’t double the podcast feed.

[@Blairrows]

I'm also very bad at taking notes mid-game. I think the most important notes to take are the meaningful choices that players make, you can reference them later when you want to introduce delayed consequences or show how the players are impacting the world. I don't trust my memory enough to remember even all of the big decisions that the players made along the way to get to where they're at.

[@matthewwhelehan5185]

I find it difficult to keep connected to the live gaming when I'm trying to make detailed notes.

[@weswtf]

i believe the NASA Adventure is system-agnostic good for doctor who or COC

[@keithvanboskirk7327]

Chaosium in space

[@anathema1828]

LITERALLY SECONDS!

[@dlmcnamara]

They could always run a level 3 or 5 level shadowdark game

[@shawnibanez]

Hey I just stumbled on your content prepping for my first campaign and I was interested in your book but I can not seem to get the slyflourish site to open.. Is it just me or is something wrong with the site??

[@SlyFlourish]

It should be fine slyflourish.com/

[@SageMasterRPG]

You do understand that most of us GM's are nerds? We take notes constantly, I have blank campaign journals that is filled with notes in 2 colored ink. Black and red so I know what is more important.

[@ChurchAtNight]

Nouns really

[@mariooooo.o3404]

I dont understand the obsession with note taking in general. Just pay attention. I still know names from unimportant NPCs from 4 months ago. One of my players is crazy about taking notes. He forgets the simplest plotpoints even after hearing them 3 times because his attention is divided.

[@JonathanWebContact]

Great topics (as always) Thks