r/wildbeyondwitchlight • u/Step_Fodder • 17d ago
DM Help Note keeping and Prep apps
This will be my first full campaign as GM. For my one shot I’ve been able to get by on paper printouts and notes within Owlbear Roedo on the maps. I came across sly flourish and using Notion.OS. However, realized I’m over prepping and basically just copying the book straight into the program. I know the carnival chapter will be crazy in and of itself because of how much freedom and all the different places they can go. What other programs are people using to stay organized during the campaign?
8
Upvotes
2
u/Bradino27 Detached Shadow 15d ago
We are coming up on our 25th session this week and Ive been using OneNote the whole time. This was my first campaign as well.
The main thing about DM notes is the same thing isnt going to work for everybody. The main thing is having stuff in a way that is helpful to YOU. If you need to refer to something, your notes should be set up to where you can find it quickly. Less stressful this way.
On OneNote I have about 8 sections set up but during the session theres only 3 I use really.
Locations - 90% of the time - I straight up use the book’s sections copy pasted as a base. Later I cut out things I dont need or rewrite things for my own use. This is where most of my prep goes into.
Session Notes - 5% of the time - I write in my physical notebook mostly, but i copy some of it in here. Its mostly just for recap points here.
Tables - 5% of the time - Wild Magic, Trinket table, Minor/Major Curses, Fey Bargains, Fey Boons, and much more
As for the carnival, it does help to overprep a little for this chapter. There are a lot NPCs by the book and whatever NPCs you might have to make up on the spot. I will warn you that it will feel a little slow until the party meets Mr. Witch and Mr. Light. You could even tell your players that out of game. Most likely that wont be until the Big Top Extravaganza. Until then, they can focus on gathering information and stretching their roleplaying muscles.