Protip: First thing you do when the group meets is fix the date for next game night.
First thing you do, when the group is done gaming for the night, is write the recap.
And for those us who know ourselves well enough to know that we’ll never, ever write that right after the session, just bullet point the main things and make sure you have one specific line about each character so everyone is included in a specific way in the final draft you scramble to write an hour before they arrive. It’s usually something like:
they got half way through the dungeon
rogue executed a prisoner
cleric saved barbarian from permadeath
barbarian found a new magic weapon
they learned BBEG has a clone army
Just really quick, easy to stitch back together notes
Idk about you but I find it way more fulfilling to make it more narratively structured. We’re all telling a story together, what better way to get everyone in the mindset then to give a recap with a little soul? Takes me about 20-30min tops to make a solid draft and it helps me organize my thoughts about story beats/the larger arc.
If your table is all about function over form than that’s great, do it your way! Some of us like a little ~* showmanship *~ and mood setting.
It’s also a great opportunity for creativity. Try having a specific character recap things, it’s fun.
Some of the acting is kind of cringe/over the top theatrical but it really is such a great show.
The mini series that launched it is particularly hard to watch except Adama’s speech about whether they deserved to survive (before the attack) and Gaius when he realized what was happening as nukes literally fell around him. That was so, so intense. Really foreshadows how critical those two characters’ performances would become for the show.
Best change I made for games was having a fixed schedule. I used to do a “when can everyone meet next?” but it was a disaster of people not responding or actually showing up when they said they would.
Now we just play every Thursday. Quorum is two players*. Anyone who can’t make it, tough.
*Turns out Fate works fine with two players. DND would probably be harder.
Everyone in my group is now in their 40s, living in different cities, with families.
We try to meet once a month, and actually manage 4-6x a year.
But it’s the same group I started out with when I got the Star Wars D6 RPG for my 14th birthday, so we make it work.
Protip: First thing you do when the group meets is fix the date for next game night.
First thing you do, when the group is done gaming for the night, is write the recap.
And for those us who know ourselves well enough to know that we’ll never, ever write that right after the session, just bullet point the main things and make sure you have one specific line about each character so everyone is included in a specific way in the final draft you scramble to write an hour before they arrive. It’s usually something like:
they got half way through the dungeon
rogue executed a prisoner
cleric saved barbarian from permadeath
barbarian found a new magic weapon
they learned BBEG has a clone army
Just really quick, easy to stitch back together notes
I’d call that a recap. If the players need retelling of the entire session, adjust to the reality and play one-shots.
Idk about you but I find it way more fulfilling to make it more narratively structured. We’re all telling a story together, what better way to get everyone in the mindset then to give a recap with a little soul? Takes me about 20-30min tops to make a solid draft and it helps me organize my thoughts about story beats/the larger arc.
If your table is all about function over form than that’s great, do it your way! Some of us like a little ~* showmanship *~ and mood setting.
It’s also a great opportunity for creativity. Try having a specific character recap things, it’s fun.
Elevates the recap from this
To this
That episode of BSG was so fun. Such a great wind up and delivery of awesome sci fi action
I started another re-watch this week and I’ve missed hearing Previously, on Battlestar Galactica.
Some of the acting is kind of cringe/over the top theatrical but it really is such a great show.
The mini series that launched it is particularly hard to watch except Adama’s speech about whether they deserved to survive (before the attack) and Gaius when he realized what was happening as nukes literally fell around him. That was so, so intense. Really foreshadows how critical those two characters’ performances would become for the show.
I like having a player write the recap, or notes as we go. If they goof something up we follow the notes!
At least everyone is on the same page that way and I don’t have to keep track of my own shenanigans.
“…and then at the end of the session I found a magic item that lets me cast Wish three times per short rest. Oh, was that a goof? Oh well.”
Best change I made for games was having a fixed schedule. I used to do a “when can everyone meet next?” but it was a disaster of people not responding or actually showing up when they said they would.
Now we just play every Thursday. Quorum is two players*. Anyone who can’t make it, tough.
*Turns out Fate works fine with two players. DND would probably be harder.
Everyone in my group is now in their 40s, living in different cities, with families.
We try to meet once a month, and actually manage 4-6x a year.
But it’s the same group I started out with when I got the Star Wars D6 RPG for my 14th birthday, so we make it work.