D&D General Template for Session Notes

[Mercurius]

Anyone use a session cheatsheet? By this I mean a single page of notes for the upcoming session - including things like PC names, race and class, passive perception, AC and HP; reminders from previous sessions, including dangling threads, player suggestions and request, etc; comments and reminders on possible encounters; notes on important NPCs; and miscellaneous stuff that I don't want to forget. And so on.

I like to do this even when I'm running a pre-published adventure as a handy cheatsheet, but was wondering if anyone has a template they use that I can look over, or something they've seen online.

The idea being, a document I revisit and update before and after each session. I tend to like keeping this separate from other notes - campaign and setting stuff.

 

[McCrackenPoston]

Try the SlyFlourish lazy dungeon master method. That's what I've been using for three years, and it's worked really well. He's got a PDF, a blog, and a youtube series explaining it. Just google "SlyFlourish".

 

[jasper]

I have a dm Cheat sheet which I make the players sign in each session.

 

[Malmuria]

Try the SlyFlourish lazy dungeon master method. That's what I've been using for three years, and it's worked really well. He's got a PDF, a blog, and a youtube series explaining it. Just google "SlyFlourish".

Yep

Lazy Dungeon Master Adventure Prep Template

One of the nice things about the eight steps for preparing a session of D&D from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master is that it works with just about any tool you already like to use. If you're a pen-an...

slyflourish.com

 

[SakanaSensei]

I’m gonna put my hat in the ring for Lazy DM method too. I’ve adjusted to fit my needs over the years, sometimes changing my approach based on the type of session incoming, but using Mike Shea’s method of planning and finally conceding to myself that I run dungeons better as point crawls than as whole maps were both transformative to my GMing.

 

[Malmuria]

I usually have two things: 1. A google doc or similar with any long term notes and 2. a physical notebook that I use at the table. Recently I've tried using my ipad at the table, which is ok, but still would rather keep it minimal: notebook, rulebook, dice, index cards. Leaves more space for food.

fwiw, I found the lazy dm prep method is actually overkill if anything for a single session. For a dnd-style game, if I follow those steps I've prepped 2-3 sessions easily.

p.s. the Runehammer vibe matches how I think about, or would like to think about, prep. See this video starting at about min 5

 

[SakanaSensei]

Just in case it might help, I’m attaching an image of what my prep using Lazy DM looks like. I can almost always fit things onto one or two pages.

 

[not-so-newguy]

Just in case it might help, I’m attaching an image of what my prep using Lazy DM looks like. I can almost always fit things onto one or two pages.
View attachment 257209

Kind of a dumb question, but what kind of notebook is that?

 

[Malmuria]

I love dnd notebooks

 

[SakanaSensei]

Kind of a dumb question, but what kind of notebook is that?

It’s, I think, called a “Leuchtturm 1917.” I think it’s German? It’s the best option I was able to find in a Japanese department store, but it came with stuff in English so it should be obtainable elsewhere too.