GM Organization

[needo]

I realize GM Organization really depends on the individual and the type of game they are playing.

 

However I was wondering how all the GM's out there organize their binders before each game, etc. I have some good ideas but I really do not want to reinvent the wheel. Plus learning from experienced GM's would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you.

[Tom McCarthy]

I just have the basics.

 

Character sheets for each character, for players who forget.

 

Character sheets for each villain, rarely used.

 

A summary sheet/speed chart for each fight. The characters are sorted by DEX down the left, then their name appears in each of the next 12 columns according to their phases. Below that is a line for each with CON, REC, PD/rPD, ED/rED, MV, major attacks and vulnarabilites/disads, OCV, DCV, levels, and STUN. A few have END; for most END isn't a factor.

 

The adventure usually has some kind of a flowchart or ideas for major encounters and how to get from one to the next. Major combat scenes have a map.

[austenandrews]

I'm terrible at remembering names, so I keep a list of all NPC names handy. (I tend to have a lot of NPCs.)

 

-AA

[VictorVonDoom]

small items like standup cardboard figurines, lttle memory notes, a GM screen (so people won't see the dice rolling protects the GM that people won't see cheating himself)

the book ofcourse with little poss-it notes attached at the critical pages...

[needo]

Originally posted by VictorVonDoom

small items like standup cardboard figurines, lttle memory notes, a GM screen (so people won't see the dice rolling protects the GM that people won't see cheating himself)

the book ofcourse with little poss-it notes attached at the critical pages...

 

Does a Hero Fifth Edition GM screen exist?

[Crimson Arrow]

Originally posted by needo

Does a Hero Fifth Edition GM screen exist?

 

Technically, yes, but is out of print and, IIRC might not get reprinted any time soon. It was part of the HERO System Resource Kit (at least, I think that's what the package was called, it's not listed on the online store, even as an o/p item).

 

There is a generic product called the Master Screen (again IIRC, what's wrong with my memory today?) It's a fairly rigid multi-section screen with pockets, into which you can put your own tables and charts. Not quite as easy as using the official one (and moderately expensive), but you can use it for other games (some companies allow you to download charts to go with the screen) and you can tailor the information to your particular needs.

[Al_Beddow]

I have a GM binder with stuff in it like blank character sheets, my copies of the players characters, etc.

 

90% of my stuff is in my laptop, which I keep powered up with Hero Designer, MS Word, and a dice rolling program so I can make notes and check things on the fly.

[Beowulf]

I use color coded folders. Once for NPCs, one with a summery of PCs, one with an overview of the campaign and key notes to keep my head straight and a generic reference where I have assorted material that I have acquired over time, such as generic maps, name lists for various genres and such.

 

In my campaign folder the first thing I have is an overview of the game. The flowchart mentioned earlier is a great idea and I might switch to it. Then I have more detailed notes on the different parts of the story/campagin, and then I have any maps, charts or misc. info at the back.

 

Taking a second to put a piece of paper back where it belongs can sometimes buy a little time when you need to work out a response to a situation, and you can quickly get to any type of info you need.

 

The big drawback is the papers can get spread everywhere if you don't stay on top of them, and if things do get out of order you can find yourself wasting game time.

[JohnTaber]

Hi Gents,

 

My binder is pretty simple. I use one with clear plastic sleeves on the outside.

+ The front cover is a speed chart with the PC.

+ The first section inside is the campaign material.

+ Next the adventures. I use a yellow sticky to keep my place. The adventures have check boxes so I know what has been done.

+ Then copies of the PC. In fact my players often leave the sheets with me in case they can't make the next session.

+ NPC info.

+ Villains split into two sections. The first is groups the second is solo bad guys.

+ Back cover. Quick cheat sheet with rules and such.

[Hugh Neilson]

Does EVERYONE use a Speed Chart?

 

I just sort all the NPC's involved (character sheets) by DEX, mark their phases and the figure representing them at the top of the page.

 

I played once with a GM who lived by his Dex chart, and you would be amazed how badly a DEX drain (or Aid) would blow his ability to track combat.

 

"Dex 26 - Big Bill goes"

 

"wasn't Big Bill DEX drained?"

 

"Oh yeah, he doesn't move until later (DEX 22, but he won't say the DEX)"

 

Dex 22 generally came and went without ol' Bill moving - he wasn't on the chart at Dex 22.

 

Actually, a 2d6 area effect DEX drain would have been very effective in that campaign...

[Beowulf]

I never got the hang of a speed chart. Just called the segments and let a character chime in on their phase. We resolved dex at that time.

[Al_Beddow]

Originally posted by Hugh Neilson

Does EVERYONE use a Speed Chart?

 

I don't know about "everyone", but what I do is:

- mark down the 12 segments on one edge of My megamat

- Write down everyone in dex order (with their speed) on to the left of the 12 segments

- Put everyones name in order on the appropriate segments

- Use a diff color marker to annotate changes in dex

- use "hashmarks" to annotate "turns".

 

It has been working quick, simple, and easy.

[needo]

Originally posted by Al_Beddow

I don't know about "everyone", but what I do is:

- mark down the 12 segments on one edge of My megamat

- Write down everyone in dex order (with their speed) on to the left of the 12 segments

- Put everyones name in order on the appropriate segments

- Use a diff color marker to annotate changes in dex

- use "hashmarks" to annotate "turns".

 

It has been working quick, simple, and easy.

 

megamat?

[Demonsong]

To get ready for a game I make sure I have:

 

1-copys of all my players character sheets, and major NPC’s character sheets

2-my GM Cheat Sheet.

3-my PC Cheat Sheet

4-a very board and general plan of what is going to happen be cause I have yet to plan an adventure that went as scheduled.

 

 

I don’t use the speed chart at all.

 

1-All PC’s and NPC’s get an action in order of DEX

2-start over, if a PC and NPC is out of actions (=SPD) they don’t get to go again.

 

This speeds thing up a lot. It’s not perfect, but I can live with it if because is speeds up combat so much.

[Killer Shrike]

I use a small whiteboard about 8" x 10".

 

Down the left I write an abbreviated name for each PC. Starting at 12 I write each PCs phases down, spaced appropriately. At the end of the row in a column I mark down thier combat DEX, in another column their suprise PER (without any non-sense Detects or other wierdness) and/or Danger Sense if they have it, and in another column thier default DCV (no counting Martial Dodge or any combat levels usually put into OCV, or other weirdness). When Im feeling lazy, or if I happen to have all the PCs down cold, I forego the extra details, but the Phases and DEX help me to keep my head in the game.

 

After the PCs I draw a line and do the same thing for major combat NPCs and a "mook-line" for any type of generic goon.

 

If anything changes during combat, like an aid or drain, I can use a different color to write a superscript line of new values and a subscript line counting off turns. Same thing with flashes and the like. I can tick off the segments and mark the segment where the effect wears off.

 

As for the rest of it, for supers games I tend to make do with character sheets and/or bio sheets for NPCs depending on thier role. Most comic plotlines are thin enough to keep straight without pages of backstory or exposition. Its a wing-it friendly environment. The bigger picture is in my head, and the rest of it is just riding the events as they play out.

[pinecone]

I personally belong to the "wingin it" style but I always have a "script" of cool things for the various NPCs to say, a flow chart of what connects to/influences what and character sheets for majors and 3x5 s of minor NPCs...I find that thinking up cool things to say a few days eary at Taco bell greatly improves my oratory skills....I also include phases that are clues,such as overhead conversations as well....

[projecktzero]

Roleplayingtips.com has an article on DM binders.

 

http://www.roleplayingtips.com/issue69.asp

 

Also, Johnn Four had a article in Dragon mag about DM binders.

[CourtFool]

I have an excel file that generates 20 random male and female names along with a psychological trait. It makes creating interesting NPCs on the fly a breeze.

[Hugh Neilson]

Originally posted by needo

megamat?

 

A big battlemat. Basically, a big roll-up hex map you can write on with eraseable markers. You can find them in hex maps and squares in various sizes. Megamats are fairly large, so there's room for a lot of scenery in the game (ie characters are less likely to be knocked off the map). Very helpful in combat for seeing where everyone is and mapping out movement.

[Al_Beddow]

Originally posted by needo

megamat?

 

by Chessex

 

A "Battlemat" is 2 foot x 3 foot.

 

A "Megamat" is 3 foot x 4 foot.

 

They also sell a mat that is 4 foot x 8 foot.

[Fur Face]

They also sell a mat that is 4 foot x 8 foot.

 

Dude, what you call a mat I call a rug!

[TheEmerged]

Personally, I use file jackets (like file folders, but closed on 3 sides instead of 1) for each of the major character groupings. So I have the Justice Battalion in one jacket, the Protectors in another (rather, I currently have one earmarked for the new writeups I'm working on)... I also have a rather large partioned jacket I use for the "generic" writeups -- like Area Man (AKA ordinary guy), Area Woman (AKA ordinary gal), Generic Flame Guy, Generic Ice Guy, etc.

 

I've tried making battlesheets, but the problem here is quasi-redundency. Since I tend to offer a lot of possibilities to the players I can never tell exactly how battles are going to turn out until they start. Complicating matters, one of my PC's (Hexadecimal) has 16 forms via multiform. As such I've adopted "premie" battlesheets with the other PC's already listed, to which I fill in the blank with Hexadecimal and the NPC's.

 

One thing I put on battlesheets that probably isn't the norm is "Expected END uses" -- three numbers that indicate the per-phase END cost to attack only (using the "main" attack), half-move and attack, or full move. These assume other END-draining powers are in use.

[Tech]

I have my GM stuff organized very simply: one folder contains my villains on the left side, notes on the right side of the folder. Two other folders contain heroes. Being very familiar with the rules, I don't have anything like a Speed chart, nor do I need one for the characters (I memorize those Speeds). It varies but I put notes for the episode down on paper, sometimes not.

[Shaddakim]

During a game I have:

- a pad of paper

- pencil

- handful of dice

- 3-5 page outline of the adventure, including descriptions of things I expect the PCs to see that are new

- 6 1" binders full of notes, brokendown by topic (Adventures, World Info, Magic, Equipment, People, References).

 

The binders help me find things when the PCs do something I don't expect (amazing how often that happens... ). It is also where I keep the lists of names for NPCs and all my spell writeups. I used to use one binder until I out grew a 3" binder and couldn't find all my notes.

 

I write down the PCs names in (roughly) their DEX order and write down their DEX and SPD. As we are playing Fantasy Hero, their speeds only range from 3-5 and I know what segments they go at (4,8,12 - 3,4,9,12 - 3,5,8,10,12). Plus, the players want to do things so they keep careful track of when they go next.

[zornwil]

I'm mostly electronic, the exception being maps for battle/scenery (with counters), pictures, and dice, I think.

 

At home, the session non-dice physical material (maps I think are applicable to this game, a box of cardboard pieces) sit mostly behind me in plastic shelving that happens to be behind near where I sit. Less used material (generic maps, maps for areas we've been but aren't likely to visit, photos of characters used in the past and not likely needed) sits in a stack that right now is very messy but is supposed to be organized by scene and character. By the way, for the box of cardboard pieces I use a plastic divider box normally used for needlepoint thread, with the PC and prominent NPCs in a couple sections, and generic different types sorted appropriately in other sections (police, gang-like people, bystanders, super-looking characters, etc.). Dice sit on the table. Photos sit under the laptop or equally nearby face down for new characters to be introduced/shown when appropriate.

 

When traveling I bring the appropriate physical material and a few generic things in case, ensuring all are sorted carefully so even if I have to scramble through the generic stuff it's in sections. As above, mostly just divided by character and then scenery.

 

On my PC, I have essentially 3 things always open during a game. First is a Word doc that may have some of the last game's notes but most importantly has this game's various plot notes (including things that we may not talk about but are going on independently) all put together. I make many notes as the game goes directly into this Word doc and eventually the campaign writeup is made from this.

 

Second is an Access app that allows me to run combat, with characters in DEX order and flagged as their SPD occurs. It allows me to track STUN and BOD and such.

 

Third is MetaCreator which sits open with various NPCs that are likely to be in combat.

 

Not open but "handy" are all PC and NPC electronic characters so they can be referred to if necessary. Also I cache all the web pages about the campaign (since that is the real history for reference), as well as sometimes applicable other pages I might need for reference.