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100% GMing
Treasure Tables is dedicated to game masters, offering GMing advice and ideas since 2005. I'm Martin Ralya, and I've been GMing since 1989 and writing for the RPG industry since 2004.
Treasure Tables is on hiatus as of December 13th, 2007 -- after two years of daily posts, I needed a break. If you're looking for GMing material, I have two recommendations: the hundreds of posts in TT's archives, and my new project, the multi-author GMing blog Gnome Stew. Happy GMing! -- Martin
The Expandable File is Your Friend
Fri. December 23, 2005
When I run a game with a lot of support material, I use an expandable file to sort my notes. NPC sheets, handouts, maps, monsters, scribbled ideas, scenarios — every topic gets its own section, which makes finding things a breeze. (This is a basic idea, but one GM’s “basic” is another GM’s “Why didn’t I think of that?”)
More posts about: Organization, Tools
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15 Responses to “The Expandable File is Your Friend”
I use one of those plastic file boxes with a handle, again with folders. The box can also hold rule books and such if the game doesn’t use too many.
Since I hold on to the PC sheets, I have folders:
PCs, PC Info, Campaign Info, NPCs, other NPCs (not-active), dead PCs, maps, scenarios, and several more. One folder has my books of names.
Frank
Ditto what Frank said. I used to use the expandable file. Trouble is, it doesn’t travel well, at least not over time. You can buy the plastic file for a few dollars more, stacks better, doesn’t disintergrate in the rain, etc.
My preference is for the kind of expandable file that has a nylon outer sleeve with a zipper, and is made of plastic on the inside.
This travels really well, and is small enough that it reminds me to prune out the notes I don’t need.
I’ve never found a filebox that doesn’t pop open when I inevitably forget not to pick it up by the handle.
I use the ultimate expandable file: electronic documents.
My laptop makes up half of my GM screen, and I keep all relevant info “minimized” in seperate documents on the task bar. Switching between docs is just point and click.
Any other materials gets a “trapper” folder (I forget its true name). “Geography” is one: it holds maps. “Materials” is another (tangible written docs for the players).
For the players, everyone gets a small 3-ring binder with the char info inside broken down by section.
I am a big fan of electronic media as well. In the last two years, I have moved my entire GM-ing system to electronic. I have tried a number of ways to store my electronic notes, in plain Word, Word templates, etc. My personal favorite is a wiki program called TiddlyWiki (http://www.tiddlywiki.com/). This file allows for you to store blocks of text, called Tiddlers, into one portable HTML file. It is a great tool for RPG’s, allowing you to create tiddlers for different topics, and to cross link them.
I typically make one file for my campaign notes, and separate ones for my session notes. In my session notes, I have my encounter descriptions in one Tiddler, with links to stat blocks, or supplemental rules. If a specific encounter uses some rules that I don’t often use, and then I create a tiddler with the info for the rule, that way I don’t have to look it up during the session. On game day, I break out the laptop and use Firefox to display them, in different tabs during the game. In many cases I purchase the PDF version of the rules for the game I play, as well as the paper version, so that I have the rules available from my browser as well.
The only thing left on paper is maps. I have tried to use mapping software in the past, but I have limited success. So any maps I need to draw, I wind up drawing into my Moleskine (large), which I use for just RPG’s.
I have in the past used the file boxes as well, and still have a few for holding rule books and campaign materials for older campaigns. But I always found that I would break the handles on the boxes, by putting too much stuff in them.
I’ll have to check out the tiddlywiki program!
I use PDF’s as well, but try to usually only have one loaded at a time since it seems to consume a lot of system resources.
I havent found a mapping program yet that beats just drawing it on paper (IMO). I usually do a rough sketch then firm it up on graph paper. I use the paper with the light blue lines then photocopy it for the players. The copier (at least mine) does not pickup the lines and presto: the grid dissapears!
I’ve started using a wiki for developing world notes as well, though I’ve not added a lot of campaign-specific information. I don’t use TidldyWiki (though I’m aware of it), since I often end up editing from different machines. TiddlyWiki causes a lot of security warnings to pop up when saving for those of us with relatively paranoid perspectives.
At the table, I largely use notes on paper (often printed pages from the wiki and other files). I keep maps and printed material in a campaign-specific 3-ring binder that I try not to let get too thick, and keep PC character sheets in a separate folder.
I don’t really like having a laptop at the table, but have started to do so fairly often. This lets me check additional pages from the wiki that I didn’t print, as well as consult hypertext versions of the rulebooks (http://www.d20srd.org is my friend!).
I use my own product, The Journal, for campaign organization and session preparation. I also use the software to compile posts for the new campaign blog, which is a WordPress blog. However, when it comes time to actually *run* the game, I prefer to print out hardcopies and use those. I carry the paperwork in a simple manila folder in my cheapass duffle bag with the source books. When the folder gets too mangled, I just get another one. They sell ‘em in bulk at Office Depot…and I’m still working my way through the first package of them I bought about 4 years ago.
I’ve never *tried* to run with my laptop handy, it just seems…not exactly right. Not wrong, of course. But I’d have to alter how ran things. Might be worth an experiment. It *is* the New Year, after all.
-David
It’s interesting to note that a lot of other GMs hold onto their player’s character sheets. I only keep copies for my records, and let the players keep their master copies. When they level up, I request a new copy.
Is holding onto the player’s character sheet a question of trust, or is it more that as the character’s pick up or use or lose stuff, you (as GM) have an up to the minute accounting of the character sheet, to use as campaign fodder? Or is it simply that you don’t want the player to lose their character sheet? Is their any other reason? Not sure this is this relevant to the expandable file topic, but I’m honestly curious.
Straying from the topic on this post has produced a lot of good organizational tips for GMs — I may compile these into a post of their own.
DMN: Every GM I’ve ever known (including me) who keeps PC sheets does so because a) players tend to lose them, b) players often forget to bring them, or c) both.
I’ve usually got at least one “loses her sheet” player and one “forgets to bring his sheet” player in my groups, so I hold onto sheets more often than not.
I’ve never seen it as a trust issue. If I didn’t trust my players not to cheat, I wouldn’t be gaming with them.
Martin,
Thanks. I was hoping it was a “forgetfulness” issue, and nothing more serious, but I felt I had to ask. I trust my group explicitly, as I believe they trust me.
I keep the PC character sheets for a couple of reasons. The loses/forgets reason is the first. The second is more that one of my player’s isn’t as “connected” with reality as others, and is likely to write things down that he didn’t acquire in-game. I don’t think he wants to cheat (he understands that that’s bad), but he has issues with his connection to reality, and often just starts writing things down because of events that happen entirely in his head.
What’s odd is that I didn’t ask to keep the sheets when the group started (including the player described above); the kids just left them behind on the table. It’s simply worked out this way. When players have wanted to take their sheets to copy them over for neatness, I let them, and there’s never been a problem because of that.
I took the sheets in the past because, im sad to say, of player laziness. They would never update the sheets between sessions then attempt to do so before the next session kicks off, meaning they were doing it and asking questions while we are trying in vain to get underway. I mean really, they only had 2 weeks between games to get it done. (Sarcasm should be dripping from you monitor about now).
In the new year, I am running the next campaign, set to kick off in January. I’ve already sent out an email that for me, is unusually militant. That is, I’ve said that all players are required to update their sheets before the game or their updates are “pending” till they are updated. In other words; if you dont do your update ahead of time, the character has no change to level/power till you do.
I also performed a pre-emptive strike against the usual dodges: “I dont have the book” or “I was busy”. In the case of books, I mentioned that everyone in the game, whom I know are largely well-paid IT professionals, has no excuse to not at least own the Player’s Handbook. (The most stark example was one player who’s combined income exceeeds 200,000$ per year and didnt have the PHB, a whopping 30$ new). In the case of “i was busy” I said that it was unfair to expect the DM to update all the sheets, which can take 2 hours with 5 chars. While it only takes a few mintues to update a Fighter’s attacks, saves, and Hp, other classes take much longer, especially multi-classed chars. On top of that, the DM has to prep the next session.
Hope this didnt come off too rant-like. I consider my players (and fellow DMs) to be of the highest caliber, but this is “The One” sore spot.
Judas: I’ve met players who fall into this category, too — so no, not too rant-like.
Glad im not the only one!