Are there any official rules about note taking in tournaments?

I started working on a Dragonstone Port, Dragonstone Watchtower and Core Set Varys deck. Its not very good (yet, maybe ever), but it would be better if I could take notes of my opponents' plot deck after trading with Varys. Also, can I bring notes with me? Could I bring a list of all plots (to help with random guessing with the Port before I use Varys).

Thanks,

~Rehlow

There is no specific rule against it, but it is a sportsmanship question, so you should check with the TO of the actual tourney.

Most people I know would say that if you are going to build a deck around Dragonstone Port and Varys, you are banking on your own memory and skill to remember what you see. If you are going to take notes, or bring a list of all plots to the tournament, why not just ask your opponent for their decklist before the game? If nothing else, there are game delay questions involved while you stop playing for a few minutes to write down the names of all the plots.

How about the card "Dark Prophecy"? After you look at the top 5 cards of an opponent's deck, are you going to take notes on what cards you put back on their deck, or are you expected to just remember what their next 4 cards are?

My personal opinion is that it is your choice to use those cards, so you should know how to play them to their best advantage without crutches. There is no specific rule against it, but there is no specific rule allowing it, either. That makes it a TO call.

Thanks. I'll work on my memorization skills, since even if the TO allows for note taking, I imagine my opponents will have some sportsmanship issues with me taking specific notes about their deck. Anyways, the goal is to force an opponent into playing a specific plot by making them use my deck with Varys, but knowing their plot deck is a good backup plan.

As an aside - the Vampire card game allowed for extensive note taking as long as you didn't slow the game down. Someone I played with took it to the nth degree with a Vampire that allowed you to look at the top five cards of someone's deck once per turn, but then you had to shuffle those 5 cards and put them back on top. He quickly noted the cards and then crossed them off as you played them, so while not perfect knowledge, he had a pretty good idea of what you could draw.

Later,
~Rehlow

If I were TO I'd allow you to take all the notes you wanted as long as it didn't interrupt the normal flow of the game. IOW look at your opponents hand noted the cards in it, and then hand them back, then after you have finished your action and while your opponent takes his you scribble furiously to get it all down while fresh. Taking notes mid-effect I would say brings up sportsmanship issues and potential charges of stalling.