Gamemaster and/or player campaign journal or notebook.

[Antilles]

Greetings!

I was wondering if some of you use some kind of journal or notebook as players or gamesters to track all things that you think are important in your adventures or in your campaigns.

I'm thinking in making a printable pdf for me as GM and for my group of players that would be –so to say– "ready to fill up".

What do you think about this idea? Would it be useful or, on the contrary, Star Wars D6 is so "simple" that it doesn't make the things easier?

If yes, what size of page would you use, A4 or smaller A5?

In my head, for a GM journal for Star Wars D6, I have this "index" in mind:

1. "The Campaign" (with a fillable forms for: a) a brief description of the campaign, b) players and character names, c) Adventures and events planned, d) referenced books and materials.

2. 6 or 10 blank Character sheets

3. Allies and adversaries (with fillable forms for: a) main NPCs, b) minor allied NPCs, c) minor enemy NPCs, d) droid blank sheets, e) aliens & beast.

4. Ships and vehicles. (with fillable sheets for spacecrafts and vehicles)

5. Weapons and equipment (blank sheets for them too).

6. Locations and maps. (with: a) Planet fillable blank sheet, and then b) square, hexagonal and dot gridded sheets + ruled sheets for description.

7. Campaign/Adventure log or register. (Blank or ruled sheets)

8. Adventure hooks and ideas (blank or ruled sheets)

9. Houserules

10. Gamemastering resources (with a) quick rules reference, b) typical enemies stats, c) typical allies stats, e) typical ships and vehicles stats, f) quick reference sheet for weapons and equipment, g) Map of the galaxy, h) galaxy's chronology, i) fillable documents ---> Thank you very much, rancor pit <---, j) The Aurebesh alphabet.


For the Players, it would be a "thinner" document:

1. "The Campaign" (with a fillable forms for: a) a brief description of the campaign, b) players and character names, c) Adventures and events already played.

2. Character Sheets (2 or 3). + Inventory

3. Allied and adversaries (only a form to quick note main PNJs info).

4.Ships and vehicles (blank fillable sheets)

5. Weapons and equipment. (Blank fillable sheets)

6. Campaign/adventure register or log.

7. Help and resources. (with: a) Quick rules reference, b) Houserules, c) Quick equipment and weapons... reference, d) Map of the galaxy, e) Chronology, f) Aurebesh alphabet.

Let me know, you wise members of the Rancor Pit, your ideas!!!

[Whill]

Sounds like a great idea. I would make everything standard paper size, whichever of those is 8.5" x 11".
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[Antilles]

[pakman]

It would be useful - kind of like the old (very old...dang) DND adventure journal logs ....

I have a spreadsheet as the GM, and the players keep a running log, that I write summaries for.

GM CAMPAIGN SPREADSHEET
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Has many tabs
Plotline - this is the main list for the campaign (I have a campaign story arc). It has the overall arc, the main npcs, their motivations and methods, allies etc.
Modules - a list of adventures, both homebrew and published, with notes on how they integrate with bigger events (not all do) or locations or npcs (most do).
Locations and Events Listing of key locations in campaign and significant npcs. This is absolutely essential - as when working on backgrounds or other events, I can place them in locations that have relevance.
Significant NPCs - more detailed lights of NPCs that important in more than one adventure (or at least that is the plan). Popular npcs might move from side modules or as minor characters to more important over time.
Scenes and subplots - Important events of setup (past of future) that I have not placed into timeline, or specific adventures yet.
Timeline - list of events and their significance to overall timeline. Besides just campaign focuses events, also includes relevant lore events either as anchor points, or in their relation to campaign plot.
Background Scenes - a listing of planned, and blank for unplanned background events. We did an interactive narrative covering many years prior to start of t he game, similar to a fiasco game. This is the log of that.
Adventure tabs - one fore each adventures, published or homebrew (once gets too many, move to another document). Has sections for key points similar to overall document.

As my game has a lot of hidden information (a larger part of defeating the enemy is trying to figure out who they are and what they are doing....) I have a list of "facts" - and can list if the party knows them or not.

That REALLY helps me the GM in giving them clues, and when I can list a fact in their "Discoveries" summary I send out.

PLAYER LOGS:
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Have an adventure log, one of my players keeps the log during a session, and publishes it afterwards. I write up a key points synopsis for the next session - with clues etc. This log is great, as times I forget details - especially random NPC names that they talk to which I may later care, but never made up a name for.

Sections on the adventure log.
A word document, with heading layers for details etc.
There are summaries for each session, and adventure.

Then there is a log entry for each session; that contains.
Party logistics - Real world date, and players there. Includes also campaign date.
Summary: A short summary of the session - I post this on our facebook group before the next session. Also include open party goals etc.
Condition updates: Any long term conditions or injuries between sessions. Bob is wounded, etc.
Conflict tests - potential dark side transgressions - I use a custom system, and they are measured at the end of the adventure - this is where individual events are recorded.
Equipment Resource Updates - new gear acquired, ship damage, major expendables consumed or lost, etc. Kind of like party treasure.
Session Log: the session my player scribes. usually about 1-2+ pages.


These are all the things we keep track of - I have my list as the GM (both for set up and during) and the players have their log, which I add summaries too.

If we did not have such a great guy who takes notes - I would prolly make a one page sheet for them - but it would have similar sections - logistics, date, major points, health, party loot, etc.

Best of luck in your game!
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SW Fan, Gamer, Comic, Corporate nerd.
Working on massive House Rules document - pretty much a new book. Will post soon....

[DougRed4]

I have an old school binder (also using 8.5 x 11" paper) with things like my adventure summaries, copies of the various PCs and their ship, lists of enemies and contacts, and lots of other stuff I find useful, like house rules.
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green

[KageRyu]

Typically when I run a game, I do a few things to track the progress. I make a master Cheat-sheet, which is 1-2 pages (depending on how many players I have), and I keep running notes either on a notepad, legal pad, note book paper, or blue booking (see classic D&D Blue Booking). I encourage players to keep notes and/or journals, but I do not force them...exactly (I tell them any important details that their character needs to remember is their responsibility to keep track of).

Master Cheat Sheet
Typically the Master cheat Sheet for an game (usually kept on loose leaf notebook paper) is arranged with important details needed at a glance. At the top, in HUGE letters is the Game and Campaign name. On the line bellow is usually the in-campaign starting date followed by the elapsed time of the campaign since starting. I usually leave a few lines blank which my later be used to write in current or completed episodes if I so chose to name episodes and arcs.
The remainder of these cheat sheets is dedicated to tracking any important details of the Players Characters I need to see at a glance. For this, the First line of a PC block has the Players Name, followed immediately by his character's name in quotes. On that same line, at the far right is Level*
In D6 this is an abstraction, but I still refer to it as a level. This number I used is the Die Code of skill increases bought with CP or through other means since the game started. This is how I track the power level of my NPCs and Villains, and it also allows me to see at a glance the base power level of the game should a new player join so I can insure they do not start too under powered (I will usually start new players within 3D-5D of the least advanced player)
The Following line is usually CP, FP, and DSP, tracked as they are earned in the adventures and then cumulative current totals.
The Lines below this are any important notes, accolades won, contacts made, enemies made, etc... Extremely important possessions and GM notes. This is all stuff for my reference as GM - players need to track these themselves as well.
In non-SW D6 I also make an abbreviated list of Perks and Flaws so I can bring them into play as necessary or insure the players are adhering to them.
I try to keep 3 players to a page and keep a few lines blank between each to make important fast notes (such as the result of a disguise roll, or sneak roll for NPCs to check against, or a status effect a player may not know about aside from hints unless checked medically).
I tend to treat the groups ship as a PC on the cheat Sheet - though it mostly gets it's name, class, a few brief notes on equipment, and tracking it's state of repair.

The Log
As the game unfolds I will keep abridged chronological notes of each players important deeds or actions. These are usually a few hastily jotted notes during the session that then are laid out in better context at the end of the session either as everyone is leaving or while handing out awards for the session. I may even further detail and elaborate them later as I was doing in the Fall of the Republic logs I had been keeping and posting here (sad I did not get almost a dozen of the adventures detailed and posted).

Given my methods of tracking, I am unsure if a pre-made log or template would be handy for me. I would be happy to provide ideas and input for what to include though. I definitely think a section for tracking elapsed game time and in-world date and time is necessary (unless running a time travel campaign of course, then it is all relative). I find this critical, especially when coordinating with established events and setting up cameos and appearances.

NPCs
Most of my NPCs, both stock and important, are tracked on 3.5 Note Cards. Major NPCs may earn detailed write ups in a dedicated notebook (I like to use Mead 5 Star 5x3.5 Multi-Subject Pocket Notebooks as they can hold a lot of NPCs and easily hide behind the GM screen with the note cards). The Index Cards usually contain the important details such as the NPC name or type (Borin Gress, Urtz Nadow, Imperial Stormtrooper), Species and/or Gender if needed, Attribute Die Codes, Skills above base, and special equipment (for major NPCs also FP, CP, and DSP). Any relative adventure details are in the adventure and not needed on the cards. The Cards also contain a note of Level (above 0D... so 7D is Starting PC comparable and many stock characters...though these Stock Characters may have fewer than 18D). The Index Cards also usually have a brief note of the characters purpose (background, grunt, supporting role, major character). In the Right Hand corner of the index cards I color code these for quick and easy reference based on likely starting disposition to the PCs - it's not a simple code, but the basic is Green are Staunch Allies, Blue are likely to be friendly, Yellow may be neutral, orange are likely to be obstacles, and red are hostile (I use intermediary levels denoted with a diagonal swipe to indicate for example if a neutral is more likely to become hostile or friendly) - these color codes I also used as a quick determining factor for persuasion, charm, command, bargain, and other interaction difficulty modifiers (neutral was a 0D modifier).

If a character was significant enough to make it into one of the notebooks, then I would get very detailed. In the detail write ups I would include personality notes, quotable quotes, detailed description, background, special story notes and hooks, equipment of note, goals and aspirations, basicly whatever was needed to use the character in future campaigns.

Campaign Track
I also kept a master campaign log that included important campaign and timeline details that may or may not be covered by the adventures. Events happening elsewhere in universe that could shape upcoming adventures. Things some of the NPCs may be up to off-camera, and the results of those adventures. I always warn my players, my campaigns are not static, and this is not a Sega JRPG. If you want to wander aimlessly trying to power up, story elements will advance without you, and the villains will not sit around and wait for you.

I could say so much more, but this is getting lengthy.
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"There's a set way to gain new Force Points and it represents a very nice system, where you're rewarded for heroism, not for being a poor conductor to electricity." ~Jachra

[Antilles]

[Antilles]

[KageRyu]

[pakman]

Lot of good thoughts and points in here.

Just a note - I keep all my GM notes in a simple excel - nothing too fancy.
The players log - is just a word document (or I think he uses open office and just sends me the word version - whatever - player has his chromebook right there at the table with the logs).

However, as party of my fools' errand of creating a major housefules/re-write for 2.5, I have a "Game Mastering" section.

I already has a "campaign startup checklist" kind of thing, but based upon some of the thoughts in this thread, I am going to add a "Suggested Session Tracker" entry.

Here are the things I was thinking of putting on it.
(these would be a list of a dozen or so bullet points on suggested topics).

Session Logistics
> When we played, who showed up, etc.

Starting Party Logistics
> Where, when and who - e.g. - Day 23 on corellia, governor's prison...etc.

Ending Party Logistics
> Where, when and who - e.g. - Day 30, Malastare - Grognak's cantina.

Adventure Plot points
> What did they accomplish, adventure wise. e.g. - recovered plans from governor, meeting contact on Malastare.

Secrets learned
> If you campaign has hidden knowledge, and they learned it, put it here (help's gm remember). e.g. - Governor's daughter is in the rebellion!

Enemies and Allies Update
> Relationship changes with individuals or factions. e.g. Governor put out bounty on party, and now friendly with Malastare Liberation league.

Significant Equipment or Resource Changes
> Major stuff - e.g. - ship took 2000 credits worth of damage, and party picked up 10 medpacs from medical shipment!

Campaign Connections
> Does this impact the overall story. e.g. - Governor's bounty will attract some random bounty encounters for a while, and party has met bartender who is major npc in later adventure.

Next session Implications
> Key takeaways for next session for gm. e.g. - ready for cantina encounters, possible meet up with governor's daughter, also party has to find way to get ship repairs done in small outpost - maybe have a miner camp nearby with repair equipment?

Anyway - thinking like a bulleted list which could be suggested topics for tracking some points of interest in a session - just all short answers for the gm's use. Yes, it could be 100 things - but goal here is just to add a bit of suggested structure, not track every npc's activity and credit spent...

Would love to hear more thoughts from others....
_________________
SW Fan, Gamer, Comic, Corporate nerd.
Working on massive House Rules document - pretty much a new book. Will post soon....

[DougRed4]

Just as a point of parliamentary procedure: Blue Booking comes from the Champions RPG (a superhero game) and Aaron Allston (who you can read about in the link you provided) is the one who came up with it, I believe.

If you ever get the chance, his Strike Force book (referenced in the same article) is worth reading for any GM.
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Currently Running: Villains & Vigilantes (a 32-year-old campaign with multiple groups) and D6 Star Wars; mostly on hiatus are Adventures in Middle-earth and Delta Green

[KageRyu]