Discourse abounds on how to prepare and organize game master notes for tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons. Even on this very blog! But we also point out that play is the pinnacle of our hobby. Everything we do is in service of playing the game. So, do our notes really matter that much?
Our Process
For most game masters, half of this hobby exists outside of the actual game sessions. We research and discover the work of other GMs, often taking notes. We prepare for our games by creating session prep notes. We build worlds that only existed in our imaginations by putting them in our notes. Our worlds and ideas seem more real when we put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard). If our game is the pinnacle, then the path to it is our process.
When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running. - James Clear
This creative process is extremely personal. Frameworks and models can kickstart us but we must eventually craft our own way. It’s key to consistently running better games—ones that are expressions of our creativity. And our notes are at the heart of it.
Our Memories
Our stories of adventure and hijinks are born at the table. But after that, they live on only in memories and our notes. Those special memories are a powerful antidote in a world weighed down by algorithms and division. Reminiscing with friends about past adventures (akin to other positive social experiences) likely boosts dopamine1 and oxytocin2.
But our memories are imperfect, if not downright awful. No one forgets the balor fight on the collapsing skyscraper. But why were we fighting him again? Or the time the rogue became a dragon rider. Was that before or after the hag? Our notes can serve as an archive, a gateway to these good memories.
I’ve used a dozen campaign management tools over the course of my adventures. Because of that inconsistency, notes are scattered between websites, files on my computer, and physical folders. When I look back, entire arcs of campaigns are missing. No notes. Fleeting memories. Stories lost to time.
So yes, our notes matter. Even more than we may have thought. Luckily, the art of keeping notes isn’t rocket science. We have an abundance of tools, advice, and frameworks to handle it. But ultimately, you need a system and process that you enjoy. One that works for you by facilitating great games and capturing the memories behind it all. If you haven’t already, start taking notes.
Game on.
Footnotes
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Ziyan Yang, Tim Wildschut, Keise Izuma, Ruolei Gu, Yu L L Luo, Huajian Cai, Constantine Sedikides, Patterns of brain activity associated with nostalgia: a social-cognitive neuroscience perspective, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Volume 17, Issue 12, December 2022, Pages 1131–1144, https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsac036 ↩
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Uvnäs-Moberg K, Handlin L, Petersson M. Self-soothing behaviors with particular reference to oxytocin release induced by non-noxious sensory stimulation. Front Psychol. 2015 Jan 12;5:1529. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01529. PMID: 25628581; PMCID: PMC4290532. ↩