Keeping journal-style notes [Archive] - Wizards Community

Keeping journal-style notes [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
stargate525
11-18-06, 12:55 AM I'm actually going to attempt to keep a in-game journal for my character. What sort of things should I be sure to include? The person in this is going to be recording the adventures of his travelling companions, and is a bard, so keep that in mind please.
Toloran
11-18-06, 01:55 AM I suggest you don't try writing the journal itself during a game since it slows things down a bit. During the game, just take general/random notes about what happens and then compile it into journal form.

As a bard, your writings of your adventure should be.... embellished a bit. Details added and details left out.

Example:

Bards Journal: "Today we found a ferocious green dragon! It put up a fierce fight but we were able to vanquish it soundly!"

Reality: "Today we found a wounded green dragon wyrmling. We put it out of its misery."
Kradlo
11-18-06, 12:12 PM One of the things I liked about the Amber RPG was that you got bonus building points for writing an in-character journal or diary.

I had a character that kept one, and was rather egocentric. His diary reflected this, and told the tale of the adventures in a rather skewed fashion. It was a great deal of fun to write it.

If you're a bard, remember that stories and tales are your bread and butter. Build up the adventures with dramatic license. In short, exaggerate things to make the events seem more worth of the telling.

Feel free to paint your fellow adventurers in whatever light you wish. You can build up one, making his actions seem bold and heroic, even if they weren't. Or you can ridicule another, turning every event into a scenario of comic ineptitude.

Have fun!
stargate525
11-18-06, 01:19 PM I suggest you don't try writing the journal itself during a game since it slows things down a bit. During the game, just take general/random notes about what happens and then compile it into journal form.

As a bard, your writings of your adventure should be.... embellished a bit. Details added and details left out.

Example:

Bards Journal: "Today we found a ferocious green dragon! It put up a fierce fight but we were able to vanquish it soundly!"

Reality: "Today we found a wounded green dragon wyrmling. We put it out of its misery."
I won't, of course, be keeping a longhand journal at the gaming table, but will probably shorthand alot of stuff that I want to put in, and build off it later. Since his in-game reason for the thing is to promote the church they're questing for, I'll probably be doing a bit of exaggeration.
Grizzled Gryphon
11-18-06, 02:49 PM One of my fellow players in a campaign wrote a "journal" (for lack of a better word) while we played. That was very nice, as we never had to remember anyones name, or anything. It never really slowed the game, either.
TheChilliGod
11-18-06, 03:27 PM I remember that, as a DM, I attempted to turn the events that happened IG into some short story, out of game time. I managed to get as far as the third or fourth session before I reached about 30-ish pages and just gave up after that. Too much detail, too much effort. Besides, I can still remember everything that's happened up to now anyway.

As a player, I also have attempted to keep a journal, of my halfling rogue and what he considers to be the major events of his life. Just short snippets, like how he met the newest PC, the poem he intends to read to his fiance, and meeting that one BBEG. My DM wanted me to keep a complete journal, but I wasn't about to do that again!
It was very opinionated as well. Here, I'll give you a sample entry: Remember when I said I hated mages? I still do, but I now have the constant blessing of being reminded why I hate them. A gnome has joined our party. She claims to specialize in the "art of warfare and destructive magic" or some drivel like that. As if I really care about what sort of mage-ick she does. Waving her hands around like she's trying to prove to us that she can dance, speaking a language that sounds like it came out of a hippopotamus' arse, and taking indescribable material out of his pouch to do something with. I swear, the mage once brought out what looked for all the world like a piece of bird crap!
And, the cream on the cake, the mage waltzes into battle like she's Kate [old Fighter] or something, and tries to battle the enemy all on her onesies. I remember when Elf [old Wizard] did that; he's dead now, so it shouldn't take too long.
What really gets to me is, when the mage does that silly spellcasting thing that mages do, things die. They die right before I get a good shot at their vitals! I swear, the mage is probably in this party for the sole purpose of showing me up, killing things before I even get a good swipe in. Might as well not bother with getting out of the flipping carriage! (Hm, that reminds me; I need to make more use of my crossbow. Haven't used it in a while. Poor thing.)
And she hasn't even told us her name. So I'm going to call her Poofterpants until she gives me a name (and maybe even after that, if the name catches on).
If the mage starts turning invisible and opens doors and picks traps better than me as well, I might have to do something I really don't want to consider doing.
I fuggin' hate mages.
WarColonel
11-18-06, 05:05 PM It's the little things, like dating it in game and complaining about the weather, that will make it seem alive. And be opioniated. You're a bard, and a bard is usually the center of attention, so you're journal will mostly be about you. And don't forget to insert poems and songs you are working on.
stargate525
11-18-06, 06:41 PM It's the little things, like dating it in game and complaining about the weather, that will make it seem alive. And be opioniated. You're a bard, and a bard is usually the center of attention, so you're journal will mostly be about you. And don't forget to insert poems and songs you are working on.

I like that kind of flavor; just what I'm looking for. However, the notes will have to contain the others, as they're going to be my next big seller (my character is playing a chaucer-esque writer type, his bardic 'music' is his oral storytelling).

As far as how I'm going to roleplay him, think of chaucer from a knight's tale as the framework and you should be close.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
stargate525 11-18-06, 12:55 AM	I'm actually going to attempt to keep a in-game journal for my character. What sort of things should I be sure to include? The person in this is going to be recording the adventures of his travelling companions, and is a bard, so keep that in mind please.
Toloran 11-18-06, 01:55 AM	I suggest you don't try writing the journal itself during a game since it slows things down a bit. During the game, just take general/random notes about what happens and then compile it into journal form. As a bard, your writings of your adventure should be.... embellished a bit. Details added and details left out. Example: Bards Journal: "Today we found a ferocious green dragon! It put up a fierce fight but we were able to vanquish it soundly!" Reality: "Today we found a wounded green dragon wyrmling. We put it out of its misery."
Kradlo 11-18-06, 12:12 PM	One of the things I liked about the Amber RPG was that you got bonus building points for writing an in-character journal or diary. I had a character that kept one, and was rather egocentric. His diary reflected this, and told the tale of the adventures in a rather skewed fashion. It was a great deal of fun to write it. If you're a bard, remember that stories and tales are your bread and butter. Build up the adventures with dramatic license. In short, exaggerate things to make the events seem more worth of the telling. Feel free to paint your fellow adventurers in whatever light you wish. You can build up one, making his actions seem bold and heroic, even if they weren't. Or you can ridicule another, turning every event into a scenario of comic ineptitude. Have fun!
stargate525 11-18-06, 01:19 PM	I suggest you don't try writing the journal itself during a game since it slows things down a bit. During the game, just take general/random notes about what happens and then compile it into journal form. As a bard, your writings of your adventure should be.... embellished a bit. Details added and details left out. Example: Bards Journal: "Today we found a ferocious green dragon! It put up a fierce fight but we were able to vanquish it soundly!" Reality: "Today we found a wounded green dragon wyrmling. We put it out of its misery." I won't, of course, be keeping a longhand journal at the gaming table, but will probably shorthand alot of stuff that I want to put in, and build off it later. Since his in-game reason for the thing is to promote the church they're questing for, I'll probably be doing a bit of exaggeration.
Grizzled Gryphon 11-18-06, 02:49 PM	One of my fellow players in a campaign wrote a "journal" (for lack of a better word) while we played. That was very nice, as we never had to remember anyones name, or anything. It never really slowed the game, either.
TheChilliGod 11-18-06, 03:27 PM	I remember that, as a DM, I attempted to turn the events that happened IG into some short story, out of game time. I managed to get as far as the third or fourth session before I reached about 30-ish pages and just gave up after that. Too much detail, too much effort. Besides, I can still remember everything that's happened up to now anyway. As a player, I also have attempted to keep a journal, of my halfling rogue and what he considers to be the major events of his life. Just short snippets, like how he met the newest PC, the poem he intends to read to his fiance, and meeting that one BBEG. My DM wanted me to keep a complete journal, but I wasn't about to do that again! It was very opinionated as well. Here, I'll give you a sample entry: Remember when I said I hated mages? I still do, but I now have the constant blessing of being reminded why I hate them. A gnome has joined our party. She claims to specialize in the "art of warfare and destructive magic" or some drivel like that. As if I really care about what sort of mage-ick she does. Waving her hands around like she's trying to prove to us that she can dance, speaking a language that sounds like it came out of a hippopotamus' arse, and taking indescribable material out of his pouch to do something with. I swear, the mage once brought out what looked for all the world like a piece of bird crap! And, the cream on the cake, the mage waltzes into battle like she's Kate [old Fighter] or something, and tries to battle the enemy all on her onesies. I remember when Elf [old Wizard] did that; he's dead now, so it shouldn't take too long. What really gets to me is, when the mage does that silly spellcasting thing that mages do, things die. They die right before I get a good shot at their vitals! I swear, the mage is probably in this party for the sole purpose of showing me up, killing things before I even get a good swipe in. Might as well not bother with getting out of the flipping carriage! (Hm, that reminds me; I need to make more use of my crossbow. Haven't used it in a while. Poor thing.) And she hasn't even told us her name. So I'm going to call her Poofterpants until she gives me a name (and maybe even after that, if the name catches on). If the mage starts turning invisible and opens doors and picks traps better than me as well, I might have to do something I really don't want to consider doing. I fuggin' hate mages.
WarColonel 11-18-06, 05:05 PM	It's the little things, like dating it in game and complaining about the weather, that will make it seem alive. And be opioniated. You're a bard, and a bard is usually the center of attention, so you're journal will mostly be about you. And don't forget to insert poems and songs you are working on.
stargate525 11-18-06, 06:41 PM	It's the little things, like dating it in game and complaining about the weather, that will make it seem alive. And be opioniated. You're a bard, and a bard is usually the center of attention, so you're journal will mostly be about you. And don't forget to insert poems and songs you are working on. I like that kind of flavor; just what I'm looking for. However, the notes will have to contain the others, as they're going to be my next big seller (my character is playing a chaucer-esque writer type, his bardic 'music' is his oral storytelling). As far as how I'm going to roleplay him, think of chaucer from a knight's tale as the framework and you should be close.