Campaign Design

[Matt Larkin (author)]

When designing a campaign (not the setting), how do you organize your notes? Or do you use notes at all, or just ad hoc everything?

Do you like handwritten notebooks, Word Docs, Powerpoint, or is there another method that works well. Is there a good program that works to keep your adventure threads organized?

[LordVreeg]

I have an access database for almost everything.  History, spells, items...

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Care to elaborate on how you use it for history? I could see spells and items, as that's fairly mechanical, but I'm curious how you organize history.

But really, I'm interested in how I'm going to organize the adventures in a new campaign, rather than setting elements, which I keep on the wiki.

[Ra-Tiel]

When designing a campaign (not the setting), how do you organize your notes? Or do you use notes at all, or just ad hoc everything?

Do you like handwritten notebooks, Word Docs, Powerpoint, or is there another method that works well. Is there a good program that works to keep your adventure threads organized?

Microsoft Office OneNote and Freemind is (almost) everything I need. ;-) When away from my computers (or not in the mood of staring at a display) I revert back to handwritten notes that I translate into digital format with the two mentioned programs later on.

[Lmns Crn]

I have a large notebook with lots of post-its marking the pages, and a lot of handwritten flowcharts, notes, sketches, and malformed ideas.

Occasionally I try to type things up instead, but I've found I work better when I'm handwriting things.

[Nomadic]

I don't organize anything campaign wise. Occasionally I will write something down but that is generally for the benefit of others. I have a really good memory so most of my notes are in my head.

[Elemental_Elf]

I come up with a basic frame work, then I give my players free will to do with in the world as they like. Typically this boils down to the PCs working through the basic frame work but going about it in novel and unexpected ways. Often their novel approaches lead me to alter a given plot in the name of fun (nothing spoils fun faster than 'no').

Out of the game, I typically create a rough sketch of meta-plot in  Master Plan. Each link in the meta-adventure is then tagged with reminders and info concerning key/important plot points, NPCs and a number of side quest ideas.

Of course that sounds very impressive but in the end my notes are typically all for not as I follow the PC's, not the plot (so ad hoc is my king, though I have become quite deft at nudging the PCs back to a semblance of the original plot (even if it took 6 caves, 4 liches, 2 Princesses and a T-Rex to get them back...)).  :)

[Superfluous Crow]

When designing the campaign I usually just write down some ideas and then figure out how to "gamify" it when the session draws close and I have to prepare anyway. I usually make a single onenote or word doc where the basic outline of that setting is written on. My biggest problem really is to remember what the players have done... I have an indexed word-doc with all NPC's, but there is a good chance that I'll forget anything else. I have tried compiling some of it in OneNote after realising my mistake.

[Nomadic]

When designing the campaign I usually just write down some ideas and then figure out how to "gamify" it when the session draws close and I have to prepare anyway. I usually make a single onenote or word doc where the basic outline of that setting is written on. My biggest problem really is to remember what the players have done... I have an indexed word-doc with all NPC's, but there is a good chance that I'll forget anything else. I have tried compiling some of it in OneNote after realising my mistake.

Best thing to do I have found is right after the session write down a quick outline of what the PCs did (talked with prince, promised to protect caravan to Eirgsville, visited blacksmith, ordered sword made (at discount since sir jeffrim knows the blacksmith; good social roll), etc...). That way when you start looking into your next sessions you can adjust things to match what the PCs did.

[Drizztrocks]

I have one notebook with all my ideas and everything in it. It really helps if your not good with computers, because your keeping your thoughts organized in one place.

[Hibou]

I'm much like Nomadic, except sometimes my attention gets drawn elsewhere and I lose some ideas I had. I've very rarely written anything down, because every time I have (before posting it for others to read, that is) it has seemed very forced.