Hey all.

I am brand new to the world of not only GMing but RPGs in general. Call me insane but this is the first game system I have looked at and thought. "If I ever want to learn an RPG system, this is the system I want to learn."

My one problem so far is organizing myself in a way that information I need will be on hand but not cluttering up the table. Naturally with my I have my trusty journal with the adventures prepped and ready to go as well as other handy information specific to the session at hand.

However, there are many rule supplements I wish to incorporate into my game such as a spice crafting mechanic I found as well as a d100 cargo generator and odd job generator.

As experienced GMs, how would you have these sheets available to you should you need them yet not clutter up the table when they are not needed. Was thinking of a folder and having them labelled clearly but I am concerned that if I suddenly need one, getting out the folder would break the immersion of my players. Am I thinking about it too much?

Ideally I'd have a laptop with me always on hand with the necessary sheets up and ready so I can quickly search for any exact piece of info I need. However I don't have a laptop. The cloest thing I have is a 4th generation iPod and that works on wi-fi....not exactly reliable.

Until I can get either a laptop or an iPad where I can store full sheets and switch between them with ease I need a more traditional solution.

Seems like a basic file folder would work fine. You don't have to have everything at your fingertips. It's not uncommon for the GM to have to look up some rule. If that happens, try to give the players something to work out while you're looking it up (maybe their general plan of action). Or, if it will take more than a few minutes, maybe suggest a break, get somebody to refill the snacks, etc.

All I usually have is the GM shield, a notebook of graph paper for quick-sketch maps, a handy initiative/encounter sheet, and my iPad with notes on what I want to do (I could probably print them, and it would come to no more than a few pages). To the PCs I give their sheets, the charts for Advantage/Threat/Triumph/Despair, the chart for non-pilot ship actions, and any other resources I think they need, all bundled together with a clipboard. This saves me the work of having to help them find basic things in the rules. Anything you can foist onto the players will help.

Don't tell my players, but in all honesty I'm usually only 1 or 2 steps ahead of them. If I've planned encounter A, they usually somehow end up in direction B, and I have to wing something, which I find in this system is very easy to do. If you don't know something off the top of your head, don't be afraid to make it up on the spot. After a few sessions you should discover the general power level the PCs can handle.

An old school D ring note-book with dividers works great for me. I have sections on allied npcs, neutral npcs, villains, important locations, random ideas, creatures, important events, and fan made game aids.

I put most everything inside sheet protectors and I am usually good to go.

That said, I have become lazier with my Star Wars game. Now I have my laptop and a leather bound notepad with a single pocket.

I would suggest using OggDude's Character Generator for the GM tools it contains when you get access to a PC. They make life SO much easier. Now I can simply pre-make adversaries and build encounters very quickly and neatly.

If you have your laptop on hand, you're in luck! I run nearly 100% from my laptop, and I use the following tools:

Evernote - npc stats & random notes

Dropbox - everything lives in here

Scrivener - I organize my story in here and keep all my notes, tables, maps, you name it in this

Scapple - mind mapping & brainstorming

Mindnode - also mind mapping

PDF viewer - for...viewing pdfs not in my Scrivener doc

Music player - I use iTunes for my Star Wars playlists

Web browser - for random name generators, Wookiepedia, etc

Air Display - (pending) for sharing pictures from my laptop to an ipad on the table for players - might go with another solution when I think it up

[edit] okay, so no laptop, but perhaps someone else will find this useful. My bad!

If you have your laptop on hand, you're in luck! I run nearly 100% from my laptop, and I use the following tools:

Evernote - npc stats & random notes

Dropbox - everything lives in here

Scrivener - I organize my story in here and keep all my notes, tables, maps, you name it in this

Scapple - mind mapping & brainstorming

Mindnode - also mind mapping

PDF viewer - for...viewing pdfs not in my Scrivener doc

Music player - I use iTunes for my Star Wars playlists

Web browser - for random name generators, Wookiepedia, etc

Air Display - (pending) for sharing pictures from my laptop to an ipad on the table for players - might go with another solution when I think it up

He doesn't have a laptop, just a tablet.

So, Evernote, Dropbox, and a PDF viewer at least should be available.

Dropbox has been my greatest asset. I can work on campaign stuff at home, at work, and be able to bring it up on my tablet when it's time to play.

Dropbox has been my greatest asset. I can work on campaign stuff at home, at work, and be able to bring it up on my tablet when it's time to play.

So true. And you can share certain directories with your players.

I'd say just put any reference sheets in sheet protectors and use the sticky note labels to mark them clearly and throw all of that in a file folder or binder (preferably one that stands on its own so you can have it open at all times) In time you'll get faster and faster at looking up information or you'll eventually just get to the point where you have the most pertinent information memorized.

He doesn't have a laptop, just a tablet.

So, Evernote, Dropbox, and a PDF viewer at least should be available.

Reading is hard

Although, I bet there are analogous tools for tablet users! Not for an iPod user though, I can only imagine this would be an exercise in frustration. So, the simple 3-ring D binder it is!

He doesn't have a laptop, just a tablet.

So, Evernote, Dropbox, and a PDF viewer at least should be available.

Reading is hard

Although, I bet there are analogous tools for tablet users! Not for an iPod user though, I can only imagine this would be an exercise in frustration. So, the simple 3-ring D binder it is!

I just listed the products that I can get on my phone. There may be analogous tools for i-phone, I just don't know what they would be.

Some of my players use tablets while gaming, but I quite like old-school paper.

That said, I have way too many old gaming binders filled with memories. Every so often I will dig them out and use events and npcs in later chronicles. I doubt I would do that with digital notes.

I just listed the products that I can get on my phone. There may be analogous tools for i-phone, I just don't know what they would be.

Some of my players use tablets while gaming, but I quite like old-school paper.

I hear ya there; my ipads, while neat, just aren't up to snuff for me for gaming beyond storing rulebooks. As a gamer that started back in the days of the red box, I'm aways interested in in how people are using new tech for this old hobby.

I don't tend to use them during actual campaigns, but I certainly use Dropbox to view documents (usually PDFs) that relate to my campaign.

When I was running Long Arm of the Hutt I would actually read the book as a PDF stored in Dropbox using my iPhone.

During the campaign itself I would use a printed copy (which to be honest was pretty clumsy, as it wasn't bound and I'd lose pages, get them out of order, etc.), but until the actual campaign I pretty much used just Dropbox to read docs.

my best advice - do what works best for you. organize things the way that makes the most sense.

for me, i have a running list of NPCs on one sheet, so i can look them up quickly. i also keep a page for plot hooks, another for random notes. after my sessions i tend to review my notes and organize things so i can find it next session. if i don't do this within a few hours after the session is over, i forget everything. i also like to write a brief 4-8 sentence summary of the session. this is invaluable for next week's planning, and is also really fun to look back on in a few years.

like others have said already, you will trim down on what you "need" as you gain experience (and gain laziness) as a GM. most likely you will over-prepare for your first half dozen sessions, and then you will start getting the hang of it. there is some notes that i have which don't get brought out during the session, but that i look at a lot in between sessions (big picture stuff, overall story/character arcs, etc.)

try it out, expect to be uncomfortable at first. don't feel bad if you have to pause to look something up, or slow down and take notes. players will expect this - even from an experienced GM

If you're going with low-tech solutions, nothing beats a binder with dividers and clear pocket sheets (for those occasions you want to use dry erase markers on a tracker page).

Also, while the GM screen has a good overall selection of tables, it is missing some that should have been there in lieu of repeated die code explanations, etc. I find PostIt tabs and PostIt flags my best friends when running a game with a robust rules set. I used the wider tabs to mark off major sections/categories of my rulebooks and the smaller flags for specific tables and rules I want to be able to find quickly. Since the tabs aren't permanent, you can adjust them over time as you start to memorize certain rules and/or find there are other things you need quick reference to instead. I color code to my own personal preference. Which color you use for what isn't important, just that you color code consistently to whatever scheme you devise.

There are plenty of suggestions on tech solutions from others. I get most of my tech mileage out of my google drive and open office b/c I choose not to support Apple with my purchasing dollars. Google drive lets you d/l common format versions of your documents in case you will need them in a non wi-fi location.

However, there are many rule supplements I wish to incorporate into my game such as a spice crafting mechanic I found as well as a d100 cargo generator and odd job generator....

Am I thinking about it too much?

Yes.

If it's your first time playing the game, keep things simple. I use the core book with some post-it notes sticking out to mark important tables and a small stack of index cards with NPC details on them. Use one of the downloadable adventures and have a sheet or two of paper for notes.

Don't be afraid to ask for pauses in the game while you look something up, but don't have so much clutter that you spend ages finding the right document.

Ah, sheet protectors! Brilliant! I wonder if dry-erase markers would work on those.

Yes, run off of the core at first. (I tend to dislike supplements as a knee-jerk reaction, but the ones I've seen for this system look pretty darned useful.)

And an iPod.... Hm... I say maybe avoid technology if you're not super-comfortable with it. Go with what you know.

Things I need for my games (and I keep them in Evernote, but you can easily just make a one- or two-sheet guide:

The Crawl : Three paragraphs, one paragraph per index card, handed to a player to read while I play the theme music.

Scene Breakdowns : key setting descriptions, important dialogue, "Things to Cover", important rules systems (cheat sheets for things like chase rules, social roll rules, etc., & maybe a page reference, if it comes to that), difficulties for certain rolls to move forward.

Stats : Per character or ship. I have abilities, skills, talents, and then weapons. Just above a list of checkboxes for wounds I write the soak (I used to be really bad about forgetting soak on my NPC's), and then checkboxes for strain for nemeses. Any talents I can't memorize I have a shorthand for the rules system. Multiple minions get multiple rows of checkboxes with slashes to divide the group (as per minion rules).

Maps are totally optional. I downloaded the Alcatraz map & printed it for the Prison Break scenario I'm about to run. Some GM's say they're totally unnecessary in this system.

I also have two manilla folders. One marked "Player's" that has their sheets, the ship/group sheet, and a list of non-combat ship actions (Big-ups to whafrog!). The other folder is marked "GM", which has my key NPC "teams" (factions), an envelope with dream sequences & hallucinations I've used with the players, & any maps that I use (No, the players don't see them; they have to draw their own).

I also have a scratch pad to take brief notes on during my game of little things the players do or rules I make up on the fly. All of their little projects are on there, too. "I want to study the creature's DNA in my lab", etc.. Stuff I need to remember or look into; personal agendas for the players.

I also mentioned this in another thread: I have a set of blue & pink post-its, folded in half and in half again to crease & drape over the GM screen, keeping track of player (blue lightsaber) and enemy (pink lightsaber) initiative slots.

Before the GM screen came out, I made my own with printouts for players on their side, and GM stuff on my side. I think I'll take a page out of whafrog, RebelScum, and Liloki's proverbial books and put Post-its or rules bites on the players' side of the screen.

In between games: The other thing that is becoming very valuable to me now that we are 15 games deep into what may be a 21-game "season"... A separate document containing my "overarching elements" and "things to wrap up." I am also using the three-clue rule that someone linked to in another post to keep track and make sure I'm dropping enough hints.

So now that you've read my novel, here's some more.

Phil V's book is amazing. A great resource:
http://www.enginepublishing.com/never-unprepared-the-complete-game-masters-guide-to-session-prep

The Three-Clue Rule: A great article
http://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/1118/roleplaying-games/three-clue-rule

And you might find some good stuff on Gnome Stew.
http://www.gnomestew.com/

I also found some yummies in the DM Experience:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Archive.aspx?category=all&subcategory=dmexperience

Just remember to have fun. My favorite thing about gaming is that I can roll like **** and it doesn't affect my paycheck, health, or family. Go with what you know, and you will try new things as soon as you are comfortable. Don't be afraid to screw up once in a while. Lord knows I have.

my best advice - do what works best for you. organize things the way that makes the most sense.

If you're going with low-tech solutions, nothing beats a binder with dividers and clear pocket sheets (for those occasions you want to use dry erase markers on a tracker page).

Yes and yes.

For myself I only use a computer for prep work and never ever at the gaming table. I used to but discovered a major issue:

If you have a computer/tablet at the table it prompts everyone else to do the same.

If all the players have devices at the table they tend to stop paying attention and spend their time playing in the device when they are not 'in scene'.

This leads to longer games and the constant need to go over old ground to catch up dingleberry who was playing some game instead of listening.

It also thoroughly kills the level of player participation that makes a good game great. While there is difference in Character Knowledge and Player Knowledge a great game happens when ALL the player are actively participating with advice and suggestions.

All just my opinion of course and I ma very sure there are players that can have devices at the table without getting too distracted. I'm just not one of them

I agree, SSand. I don't have any devices at all with me at the table.

I'm the kind of guy who uses a computer all day and is glued to my phone constantly.

But for some reason, tabletop roleplaying is the one thing I'd rather not have computers anywhere near. I just like the face-to-face interaction and physical feeling of rolling dice, writing with pencils or markers, etc.

Two thumbs up!

Honestly, I've stopped prepping for games.

No, really.

All I bring to our weekly sessions is my rulebook (tabbed with post-its for easy reference), a tablet for the dice roller app and other PDF reference materials, and a thin notebook to take notes on what the players do (which really just becomes a list of people they've pissed off). I'll spend the twenty minutes between dinner and the start the game figuring out where to start from where we left off last week and that's the opening of the game. After that it's all improv.

Coming from the 40k system, GMing EotE feels like cheating.

I really wanted to use my ipad for everything, but in the end I wound up most comfortable with the old three ring binder. The ipad is used for accompanying music and pics I may want to use as visual props.

Everything else is in the notebook, which is pretty thin really. The more I play, the less I need that too.

Here's what I wind up using more than anything once I'm at the table, the core rulebook and two pieces of white paper in a clear binder sleeve. I use dry erase to keep track of enemies and the second piece of paper is for maps that I draw with absolutely NO real detail. Just a sketch I erase as soon as we're finished with the encounter.

There's a certain pleasure I get from using a cheap composition notebook.

Honestly, I've stopped prepping for games.

No, really.

All I bring to our weekly sessions is my rulebook (tabbed with post-its for easy reference), a tablet for the dice roller app and other PDF reference materials, and a thin notebook to take notes on what the players do (which really just becomes a list of people they've pissed off). I'll spend the twenty minutes between dinner and the start the game figuring out where to start from where we left off last week and that's the opening of the game. After that it's all improv.

Coming from the 40k system, GMing EotE feels like cheating.

I'm returning to RPGs after about a twenty year hiatus, and I'm actually really fired up about GMing with this system.

In the interim I've done a lot of theatre, and I'm especially fond of improvised theatre - this has built a love of narrative and of making stuff up on the fly.

So, I'm intrigued by your approach, and will probably be doing something similar