Author Topic: What to put in a binder/GM screen?  (Read 1790 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline BeggarKing (Thomas)

  • Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 127
  • OIC Points +40/-40
    • Wandering Monster Studios
What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« on: January 25, 2014, 12:06:25 AM »
Finished up our first playtest of the beta rules and shuffling between PDFs and charts felt painfully slow. I'm putting together a quick reference screen and a binder to help speed play up. Thinking:

Binder with player weapon charts, a couple common/generic weapons, associated crit tables and player known spells.

Screen with % activity chart, pace/charging tables, melee OB mod table, resistance roll chart, fear check chart, morale check chart, and various movement maneuver charts

Thoughts? Any suggestions? I'm curious to know what charts and rules other players and GMs are constantly referencing during play
Adventurer walks into a bar with Flint and Steel. Bartender says, "Don't start anything."

Offline Warl

  • Wise Elder
  • ***
  • Posts: 902
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2014, 12:22:33 AM »
Try to plan ahead with the monsters/opponents your players "Might" go up against during the next session and swap out the needed charts you might use. Don't clutter up with charts you aren't likely to use.

and if you haven't heard about this....

The Discussion
http://www.ironcrown.com/ICEforums/index.php?topic=13646.0

The App
http://www.web.com.au/rolemaster/minion/

We are all kinda waiting with baited breath for the release of the tables.

D Puncture crit 100
Strike through foes brain makes liffe Difficult for foe!

http://www.dragonlords.tolmanbros.com/forum/

http://www.dinnertablecreations.tolmanbros.com/

Offline BeggarKing (Thomas)

  • Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 127
  • OIC Points +40/-40
    • Wandering Monster Studios
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2014, 02:50:43 AM »
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I saw the App discussion. Looks interesting but to be honest I'm running pen-and-paper in part to get away from daily technology, so I think a good, organized binder will work better for me.
Adventurer walks into a bar with Flint and Steel. Bartender says, "Don't start anything."

Offline yammahoper

  • Sage
  • ****
  • Posts: 3,858
  • OIC Points +0/-0
  • Nothing to see here, move along.
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2014, 11:03:09 AM »
SCSM table (on the back is the RR table), crit tables from all the various books and optional spell attack tables too.  I have the Power Manipulation too, and a few spell list I need.  Finally, a MM Table.
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die.

Offline Cory Magel

  • Loremaster
  • ****
  • Posts: 5,629
  • OIC Points +5/-5
  • Fun > Balance > Realism
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2014, 12:54:33 PM »
What yamma said about the SCSM table.  Players often don't quite have that process down pat without that chart in front of them.  I think that's the only one you didn't list that I'd want.

I, personally (and our group in general), wouldn't bother with stuff that relates to the player characters weapons and specific spell lists they know unless you specifically want to be the one looking up the results yourself.  We find that players learn roughly how well their attacks are landing fairly easily, so we feel having their own weapon/crit tables and looking up their own results saves more time than suspends their disbelief, especially if you aren't going to use a computer based combat tracker (which I still suggest even though we are in this for the social/table-top aspect too).  In our games we require you have all weapon, critical, and spell lists that your character knows in your character folder.
- Cory Magel

Game design priority: Fun > Balance > Realism (greater than > less than).
(Channeling Companion, RMQ 1 & 2, and various Guild Companion articles author).

"The only thing I know about adults is that they are obsolete children." - Dr Seuss

Offline BeggarKing (Thomas)

  • Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 127
  • OIC Points +40/-40
    • Wandering Monster Studios
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2014, 04:48:53 PM »
I missed the spell casting table, good addition. As DM I've always looked up the weapon results, never really crossed my mind to have players do that themselves. That could actually really speed things up.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Adventurer walks into a bar with Flint and Steel. Bartender says, "Don't start anything."

Offline yammahoper

  • Sage
  • ****
  • Posts: 3,858
  • OIC Points +0/-0
  • Nothing to see here, move along.
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2014, 07:45:47 PM »
More on spell list: If you use list from old books, especially campaign or monster specific list, it is easier to copy those list and make a mini spell law in your folder.  Well, easier than carrying an extra 12 books with you  ;)

Plasma Law and Nether Law from RMCII and Ethereal Mastery from RMCI are must for me.  In my current game, the Druid list have been added, as the NPC allies are Druids.
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die.

Offline Cory Magel

  • Loremaster
  • ****
  • Posts: 5,629
  • OIC Points +5/-5
  • Fun > Balance > Realism
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2014, 08:12:34 PM »
With us players do all their own attack, critical and skill look ups.  They do their own spell info look up unless the GM feels s/he needs to verify it.
Our character folders have the following (use dry erase page sleeves);

Page 1 & 2: Basic info. Name, race, sex, background, stats, profession, realm, talents/flaws, known associates, and on...
Page 3 & 4: Exp page (on left) combat tracking page (on right).  PM me an email address and I can send you a version of our combat tracking sheet if you like.
Page 5 & 6:  Pretty much all skills (automated excel sheet).
Page 7 & 8: Regular equipment and currency (on left) and all magical items/equipment (on right).
Page 9 & 10 and on (facing): Weapon table on left, Primary Crit table on right.
After those: Every spell list you know (possibly condensed down ourselves if you only plan on a few ranks in some lists - i.e. Pure Arms users who pick up a few spells).
At the end some have a page or two for random notes.

We often also have the next level already worked up in case we level mid adventure (we generally don't require official training and even if we were to impose that requirement we would assume skills that need to be trained can be if someone else in the group has that skill at a higher level).
- Cory Magel

Game design priority: Fun > Balance > Realism (greater than > less than).
(Channeling Companion, RMQ 1 & 2, and various Guild Companion articles author).

"The only thing I know about adults is that they are obsolete children." - Dr Seuss

Offline jdale

  • RMU Dev Team
  • ****
  • Posts: 7,122
  • OIC Points +25/-25
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2014, 11:19:57 AM »
+1 on player folders. Even if you don't make players look up their own attacks, having their own spell lists and other details means no time spent waiting for Spell Law or other books to be available.
System and Line Editor for Rolemaster

Offline Cory Magel

  • Loremaster
  • ****
  • Posts: 5,629
  • OIC Points +5/-5
  • Fun > Balance > Realism
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2014, 01:04:16 PM »
Absolutely a time saver.  Rolemaster really isn't all that much more difficult/complex than most systems, but even once you've learned most of what you need to know if you aren't prepared at the table it's going to bog down.  We have more players in our gaming circle than can reasonably fit in a single game too, so keeping things organized in order to get more people around the table without slowing down combat rounds is important.
- Cory Magel

Game design priority: Fun > Balance > Realism (greater than > less than).
(Channeling Companion, RMQ 1 & 2, and various Guild Companion articles author).

"The only thing I know about adults is that they are obsolete children." - Dr Seuss

Offline Hurin

  • Loremaster
  • ****
  • Posts: 7,359
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2014, 04:06:26 PM »
Totally agree with Cory. In the campaign I am currently running, I just for the first time started asking players to figure out their own attack results on their own weapon charts rather than doing it myself. It really saves you a lot of time, thereby allowing you to focus more on the other aspects of DMing (like storytelling). I still look up the critical results myself, because I don't like the characters knowing exactly how long their enemies will be stunned... but that's just me. I might even try that too Cory's way next time and see how it goes.
'Last of all, Húrin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed'. --J.R.R. Tolkien

'Every party needs at least one insane person.'  --Aspen of the Jade Isle

Offline Cory Magel

  • Loremaster
  • ****
  • Posts: 5,629
  • OIC Points +5/-5
  • Fun > Balance > Realism
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #11 on: January 27, 2014, 12:20:40 AM »
I find the players don't 'abuse' that information, however it might just be the way we play...
When we know someone is stunned there are two options really...

   1. Another part of the fight needs help, so while that foe is stunned you help over there.

   2. No one else needs any help so you continue dispatching the stunned foe.

There might be a shade of gray in there, but it's usually pretty black and white.  But then, with us, exp is either given and split evenly among the group at the end of a combat or mission (our usual GM) or not even used (in my case I just tell you when to level).  While we weeded out the players that didn't play well with others (kill stealing for example) some time ago we found it still just works better (another way we speed things up).  If you have completely individual exp earnings people might be tempted to 'pile on' the stunned foe rather than do what's good for the overall combat.
- Cory Magel

Game design priority: Fun > Balance > Realism (greater than > less than).
(Channeling Companion, RMQ 1 & 2, and various Guild Companion articles author).

"The only thing I know about adults is that they are obsolete children." - Dr Seuss

Offline intothatdarkness

  • Navigator
  • ***
  • Posts: 1,879
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #12 on: January 27, 2014, 09:57:49 AM »
I've always had my players look up their own attacks, and quite often there's a member of the party who's designated as the crit reader. We did have a player who was a kill stealer for a time, but then he ran into an opponent (Chaos Commander) who kicked his backside by pretending to be stunned. I've found it's a fairly easy behavior to correct...especially now that XPs don't come directly from combat.

The only tables and rolls I tended to keep to myself were skill checks (especially Perception) and some of the maneuvers. I kept my game pencil and paper, so organization was key. My binder tended to have quick reference PC information (HPs, important skill bonuses, and the like), campaign information (setting maps and notes, a couple of adventures, good encounter tables, and a list of ready NPCs for various locations), an XP tracker, and finally the set of maneuver tables and fumble charts. I also kept attack tables handy for NPC weapons or attacks.
Darn that salt pork!

Offline Hurin

  • Loremaster
  • ****
  • Posts: 7,359
  • OIC Points +0/-0
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2014, 10:59:20 AM »
But then, with us, exp is either given and split evenly among the group at the end of a combat or mission (our usual GM) or not even used (in my case I just tell you when to level). 

Yep, I do the same. It is just way too much work for me to track all the little things that give you xp in standard RM2. I like the option being there for those who want to do it, but I've found it is just so much easier to just give levels out rather than xp.
'Last of all, Húrin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed'. --J.R.R. Tolkien

'Every party needs at least one insane person.'  --Aspen of the Jade Isle

Offline BeggarKing (Thomas)

  • Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 127
  • OIC Points +40/-40
    • Wandering Monster Studios
Re: What to put in a binder/GM screen?
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2014, 01:55:02 PM »
Great information - thanks everyone. Cory, I will take you up on that offer and PM you an email address.
Adventurer walks into a bar with Flint and Steel. Bartender says, "Don't start anything."