http://darkreign.org/sites/default/files/AcolytePlotTracker.pdf

Working on this, would like some input from the community.

Goal: To make an easy to use plot tracker-thing.

This is for the DM's eyes only, yes?

I create similar documents for my games. I get that you're trying to keep this to a single page, but I think that might be too limiting. To be useful to me, the list of dramatis personae would have to be longer and with wider rows to have room for more notes.

You've also got evidence broken down into 3 levels, but it's not really clear what those levels mean. I would break it down into Evidence - pieces of information that conclusively prove something, and Leads - pieces of information that indicate something.

The Locations and Objects are good, but usually those tie to either a person or a faction, which this sheet doesn't reflect.

Just some thoughts. Personally I usually just use a text file or notebook paper with a page for each category. My plots often shift as the players misinterpret information or think up something I haven't, so I find having something I can change messily useful.

Well I obviously don't have much to add; you addressed basically all issues I had when you first showed me, and it looks overall super-useful and something I hope to (one day) use myself.

I still suggest making Objectives Secundus, Evidence Primaris, Secundus, Tertius and Method of Investigation all the same size, and have Evidence Primaris, Secundus, Tertius and Method of Investigation the same size, with two of them being as large as Objective Secundus, and have Locations of Interest, Objects of Interest and Requisitions/Resources thus all be the same size.

If that makes any sense.

I actually think it would be quite handy from the Players' perspective. In my game, there is always someone around the table keeping notes throughout an Investigation, sometimes more than one, and a handout like this would be something useful instead of "Crap, where'd that note sheet hare off to now?" It might be interesting as well for the Players to compare their notes, add a level of immersion. And interesting if the GM were to occasionally audit the Players' Investigation notes, see where they think the Investigation is going, use that for micro plot twists...

Thanks for the input guys. To respond to some of the questions here:

This document was originally intended for both player and gm use. On the player end, to help keep track of their own theories and what they perceive the mission as it unfolds. On the gm end, to have a base-line reference and to use the player's sheets to audit (as Orpheo suggested).

I see the points raised in space limitation, and I was leaning towards making it a two page document after some input. I may make a few variations to reflect the different scopes of missions an Acolyte may suffer in his career. (And suffer they shall....muahhahaha)

CPS, you made a great point I'd like to inquire more about. In regards to the Objectives and Locations tying to a person, how would you suggest handling it? In my head when I first drafted this, I had a hard time not rationalizing that those such connections should be written down by hand. I can see a block for identifying the faction/person it's related to. Is that what you suggest?

As for the three levels of Evidence, there is no real distinction. It was meant to be just three different brackets (for Evidence 1, 2, 3, etc). Not a denotation of importance. However, breaking it into just two blocks for Evidence and Leads is a great idea.

As for the sizing issue Fg, I'm resolved to fix that once I can repair my primary pc which is currently out of order (power supply fried).

It's probably easier to just show you. I use a system of nested indentation to denote hierarchy. I list out all the factions, major players in those factions, and locations of interest related to those factions in a separate list. For example:

FACTIONS

--ADMINISTRATUM

----CHIEF MAGISTRATE LUCIUS

----JUNIOR MAGISTRATE Samilla

--ARBITES...

LOCATIONS

--ADMINISTRATUM

----WAREHOUSE

----RESTRICTED OFFICES

----LOW-LEVEL CLERK OFFICES

Repeat for each faction. This keeps all of the characters in one place and all of the locations in another. You can add information about each thing underneath it with another level of indentation (like whether Samilla is dead, a heretic, etc.). For your sheet you could line these two things up in a table.

For Objectives, the games I run are usually mystery oriented, so the objective is essentially to find the answer to a question. I do the same format as above for each question/objective with who/what/where/when/why, the final being the most important. In those sections I'll list out possible clues. Definite/discovered clues go in caps.

I've experimented with plot diagrams as well and found them to sometimes be helpful for stitching together BS I had to improv into a coherent plot after a session that got farther than I'd planned for.

This system works for me but it's not exactly a neat 1-page form, so maybe this isn't that helpful. It also works a heck of a lot better in a text file than on actual paper. I'll usually take notes by hand during the session and collate everything into a sensible format later.