Keeping count in RPG: The importance of keeping score.

Hello again. This time I will talk about keeping scores. What ever kind of scores you have to keep, grudges, money, items, favours, expenses, etc., it is important to do it as you go.

The best tool for keeping scores are a pencil and a notebook. I like to make a new page for each type of thing to keep score of. This is something I learned after playing with Mmimas Nasnan (my druid) for a few years. I have, right now, about 8 or 9 years worth of notes on her, most of which is not sorted (from the early days), so now and then I come across some loot that we have found and later forgotten. This is especially true with potions and scrolls. So now I have a notebook that have a page for each type of item/loot/score-keeping-worthy-happening and write down the scores as we go.

On really busy nights when I don't feel like flipping through the pages to write down things (or the DM is telling everything we found quickly, or I have forgotten the notebook somewhere) I write everything down on a single piece of paper, making notes for references, values, who got the item etc., behind every item. Then, later when I have a moment to myself, I take out the notebook and transfer the notes to the correct pages.

You can also do this on a computer, using a spreadsheet or something similar. I have actually been working on a document that I can share with Mrs. C, whom plays Cordelia Bukkenback, so she too can have easy access to the records and can add to them as she pleases. For this I am actually using OpenOffice Base to make a database that I can later search, edit and display at my leasure. I will, when i finish it, share it with you here.

Mrs. K

How to Start Dungeon Mastering

Introduction

So, you’’ve got your group of friends gathered, you’’ve got the books, dice and paraphernalia gathered, and you’’’re set to start playing, but someone’’’s got to master the game, and you’’’ve been given the honour of having the group entitling you Dungeon Master. Congratulations! Now what do you do?

Comment: For sake of ease, I will throughout this article use the term “dungeon master”, as I’’m a Dungeons & Dragons-player and have been for years. Read this synonymously with all other titles used, such as game master, storyteller, rolemaster et cetera.

The Planning Step

The more experienced you are, the less planning you’’’ll probably feel the need to do. When running your first adventure, it is always a good idea to start by deciding what your setting is going to be. Do you want your players to play an urban, rural or wilderness adventure? Should it be focused on the roleplaying bit, or should they explore the lands (over and/or below ground); should they be investigators or mercenaries; is the world high or low tech and high or low magic; do the characters know each other, some of each other or none of each other? All these are important questions you need to find the answer to. Let’’’s start by exploring them one by one: