Take Notes During and After your TTRPG Session

Mike discusses the importance of taking particular notes during and after your RPG session.
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[@bl00dywelld0ne]

Hands down, the best note-taking technique I use is recording my sessions. As part of my prep for the following session I listen back to the recording. It's invaluable. You would be amazed at how many things get missed, even if you're taking good notes.

[@Shon-wn6wi]

THANKS TO ALL YALL 4 MAKING HOBBYING USER FRIENDLY AND REALLY NICE!! ALSO FOR LETTING THOSE LIKE ME HAVE ACCESS 2 IT !!!

[@daxterwous]

- Biggest addition: WRITE DOWN THEIR CONSPIRACY THEORIES! This is GM prep gold. It's so great to take their ideas of whats going on as just straight up whats going on or at least inspiration. They will love it. Don't always do it and add a twist, but it really allows your players to feel like geniuses and it matches the fantasy in their head with the story that unfolds and thats very satisfying. Otherwise, my notes are typically just 20 words or so, because I can remember the context of it after the game and I summarise a bit more after the game. During the session, I write down words about: - what my players wish for. Things they are looking for their character, but most importantly, what they need to live the fantasy. If they feel like their wizard needs a certain spell to do a cool thing, I write down that so I can put it in a dungeon or shop somewhere. Example "Chaos explosion spell" - NPC names, +1 memorable trait to jog my memory. This can be a personality trait, a phrase, a stereotype, the encounter they were in... something. Example "Swampella barmaid big nose" - Ending of sessions, especially if it was mid combat. I write down whos turn it was + damage dealt to enemies an take a picture of the battle position if it wasnt theater of the mind. - Emotional responses from characters. If they express sadness, love or frustration towards a character, faction or concept that wasnt clear from their backstory. - If a reward was already paid (my players tend to test me on this "no they hadnt given us the 2000g yet!!", the bastards) After the game I write down a few more things about what happened in the session in chronological order. Example: It started in Swamp Town, they went to tavern, spoke to Swampella barmaid big nose, quest to gather crocodile goo from the swamp, found crocs in lake but they had fire breath. Bob on fire, Jill saved the day, Francis had the killing blow. Found goo, returned it, got paid already. I actually dont write down in much detail about magic items or who has them. I leave that to players. And from my prep notes, I can see which magic items I couldve given out and I typically remember if they found the World Destroyer staff or not if I see the item name in my prep notes. As extra support, I like to do my session recap by asking the players "Sooo.. what do you remember from last time". By opening it up to the group, they get to bounce off each other with their "ohh this was soo cool!! Ohh yeah and then you did that!". And while they recap, you can add stuff you missed to your notes. Because what they remembered is probably the most important thing for them.

[@RedRaggedFiend]

I started doing a similar exercise to the campfire tales, just at a different time. Players are busy resetting their PCs during a rest and I'm looked forward in my notes to what's upcoming. Instead I ask players to tell me what their PCs are talking about when they're traveling for days on end. Unlike rests, players generally aren't doing anything during in-game travel time (thus why we often handwave it). With this they can have a PC-driven intraparty RP scene while I'm getting things ready for the next scene. I'll listen along and if they say something interesting I can jot down a note to review or ask them about later!

[@sleepinggiant4062]

Names, time, things they want to research, things they learned. I try to write the recap the following day so it's fresh in my head.

[@theoldgoat3000]

I type up a paragraph summary immediately after the session and send it to the players. I try to treat it like it's prep for my next session, because it is. It's the highlights and proper nouns, story beats, but the players can add to it, which tells me where there interest and focus are as well.

[@marcoornelas-mendoza182]

I used to do this but then my players took it as an excuse to zone out or get distracted from the middle of the session. It was breeding bad habits.

[@VinStJohn]

I do the same! A few bullet points of things accomplished, proper nouns, and the current objective and state (combat about to break out, trying to escape the dungeon, etc)

[@RedRaggedFiend]

I try to write my session recaps (bullets) as soon as possible after game sessions, while the info is fresh in my mind. Usually that's right when I get home but sometimes it's the next morning. I have my players provide the session recap at the start of the next session going through my bullets to ensure they have the right info, haven't forgotten something important, and gives me a place to take a sneaky note when they make an assumption about what's going on that's a cool idea I can lean into!

[@RenethDeshmira]

During the session, I jot down names, topics of conversation, and characters' reactions. After the session, I write a campaign diary to cement it all in my head. I feel terrible when I miss something that a player found significant, but I can only do so much.

[@danpreston1896]

I do something similar. I write down any improvised names during the game, and then after the game, I write down a bullet point list summary of everything significant that happened. Then the next day I turn that into a fleshed out recap which I send to the players. I also link all the NPCs, places, etc in the recap in obsidian, which is useful when I’m referencing stuff from a previous session or campaign as part of my prep.

[@Sheriffdann]

I use your Notion template and add rough notes as we play. But usually really hard when you're in the moment. For one of my games we do record/stream it to mates so it's fun to go back and watch some sections to be able to take notes ahead of next week's prep.

[@jenniferastbury5857]

I'm a big note-taker. I'm constantly taking things down in a session like a court stenographer because I don't want to forget anything. It's fun to write it up as my character's journal afterwards and make it a part of the game. My group actually said it's their favourite addition to the game, which makes me happy. I even write it out in a fancy notebook with a quill pen like a prop!

[@suerainey9250]

Where did it END! Damn! ME, TOO!

[@matthewwhelehan5185]

Smaller steno-notebooks help me. Easy to flip through and a dividing line down the middle for a visual barrier: one side for player-facing info vs. DM info,. Let your players take notes and then they can keep their own campaign journals. How THEY remember the story might be more important than the exact/specific/intricate details.

[@RichardtheregularDM]

My list is very similar. I would also add potential future hooks from character actions, passage of time, and potential directions for next session.

[@thenannymoh]

My players are AMAZING at taking notes, and they group edit them in a shared doc between games...they write down all the NPC names...as a DM, I just read their notes instead of taking mine :)

[@patrickwest5516]

Good advice; thank you.

[@Jacobwojo]

My notes are split into sections all shot bullet points: I’ve got the recap of the session. (What they did), Key moments (anything important, clocks and fronts (any completed or running clocks), ideas (any plot threats I thought of in season of stuff my players want), and a ToDo. What do I need for next sesh. It’s not always perfect but it seems to be a solid spread of info

[@LeeJCander]

First comment! Also I’m terrible with notes 😂 I find once I do session notes prior to the game I struggle to get motivation to do them after.

[@TinyEle]

I am pretty good about note taking as a player, but as a DM, I tend to just do things to promote my players taking the notes. Primarily in the form of inspiration or the system equivalent given to any player who wishes to submit a "journal" entry from that adventure. I am also super lenient on what it means, sometimes i get multiple super detailed in journal style entries and sometimes I get broad bullet points, but it always is super useful for both me and the party I find.

[@LeeJCander]

@@TinyEle I’m very lucky to have 2 players that take notes that I also reward with things whether it be lore, inspiration etc

[@RIVERSRPGChannel]

Yes the NPCs that I make up on the fly that the players really like I have to take notes on their name and personality. We have a note taker in our group and they type it directly to google docs. So that’s a huge help

[@EternalRanger337]

I have a journal for each campaign I run. Pages are split vertically 2/3 & 1/3. For each session, I record session #, location(s) session occurred in and real world date. Left (larger side) has point form narrative notes of what happened during the session. Smaller right side has new NPCs (name, context & other info required), Loot, party TO DO list (major items that I want to track or return to) and XP (when I use XP rather than milestone leveling). At the beginning of the next session, I read my narrative notes to be sure we all remember what happened and for the players to let me know if I've forgotten something, especially if it matters to their character. Players note real world date with their loot in case they have questions about it later and to help me remember / look up the details.

[@AKNeal81]

We're all bad about taking notes, and it has evolved into quick recaps with a joke. So now more people started taking notes to get to say their funny note at the top of the session. 😅 Also, our DM will type out statuses and pertinent info right into the Roll20 chat so everyone knows what's happening in mid battle session ends.

[@scottcarroll1102]

I have been trying to see if I can get a voice to text program to take notes of the games. Some are getting amazing and can take a recap of the session. If I can get this to work.. man this will make my post game DM/ prep so much easier

[@mrmidas8054]

I don't remember the podcast but the group I listened to would always associate a character and actor from a movie to the characters they created. This made it easy to describe and easy to align your accents to new characters. I don't necessarily like the idea of identifying something from our world to pull the people out of the roleplay but it helps with keeping consistent behaviors and accents. It also doesn't have to be shared with the players. Example: This character will be played by Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders.

[@AxiumVTT]

Yeah not been great at keeping notes during a game. Luckily as I record the video for KZbin of each session I can look back if needed or get the transcript from the video copy it to chat gpt and ask it to Summarise what happened as a good notes start point.

[@MinorLG]

Names, but not just people, cities towns what's the name of the tavern what's the name of the shop 3 doors down from the tavern,..

[@Blairrows]

Delayed consequences!!! If the players make a choice or succeed/fail on a check or whatever and you're not going to show them the impact of that choice/check right away, write it down so you can make sure you put it into play later!