Game Master's Tips

When running games, I often find the hardest thing is keeping track of … everything. This is true whether you’re running live at a table, or virtually in a play-by-post or virtual table top.

I keep a notepad file to keep track of initiative, notes on the party, and the Ded GM Award that I give for anybody who can make me laugh so hard I can’t talk. For the GMs who don’t go paperless, Paizo’s Gamemastery line has a magnetic dry-erase board that I’ve found handy for keeping track of initiative. It doesn’t have enough space for notes, though; the space there is isn’t very generous. Post-its are a decent substitute, but I suspect most of you are going to be using smartphone apps or tablets or so.

Either way, come up with an organization system; it’ll save you a lot of aggravation.