Using Topic/Article Views for Session Prep

[MNBlockHead]

Originally, I thought I would use topic/article views for greating regional and location views, but the limit on the number of views doesn't really allow for this and strategic use of topics works better for this.

So, what I'm using the topic and article views for is to put together all the items I will or think I will likely need for a specific session.

I'm not 100% happy with how I'm using them, but I'm getting better at RW session prep with each session. This is how I currently use views for session prep. I'd appreciate your feedback and learning how use use RW for session prep.

I no longer use article views for session prep, only topic views.
It would be nice to have, in addition to scenes, places, etc., certain game-mechanics articles and monsters that will likely play a part in the session. But setting up separate mechanics views per session was work that didn't pay many dividends. Instead, the hyperlinking functionality is sufficient to give ready access to a monster's stats, chase rules, random encounter tables, etc. Besides, in how I've entered data, looking up an article is easier than pulling up a topic. I really don't use article views for anything right now.

Multiple Topic Views Per Session
I find one topic view is not enough per session. My DM style is fairly open world. I try to get party decisions at the end of a session or between sessions, and there are usually a limited number of important quests on their plate. I find it helpful to have 2-3 topic views prepared for a session help me focus on content most helpful to respond to the party's decisions.

That said, I'm not trying to plan for every contingency. The views are for larger quests that are part of major plot lines. If the players go completely rogue, I can just have everyone take a 15 minute break to pull up appropriate enounter generators and generic quests appropriate to where they they decide to travel.

Session Options - F6
For session options (F6), I use the following settings on game day for the tab I'm using for the session's topic-views:

1. Show prefix before name when available
2. Show containing topic hierarchy
3. Collapse entire hierarchy

Note that I do NOT check "group similar kinds of topic" as that adds a lot of superflous items in the navigation panel that are not needed in a highly-focused view. I find that these options give me a clean view of, and access to, the topics I need for a session/adventure.

If I need to go to a different topic view, these settings will apply to it so long as I toggle them within the same tab.

Other Tabs
In addition to the tab with the session-specific top view, I usually have a couple more tabs prepared by the start of game day:

1. Player View
2. User note: last session
3. User note: intersession notes
4. World Almanac view, with same settings as the session-specific views, except that I also check "group similar kinds of topics"
5. Mechanics Reference tab with "group similar kinds of article" and "show containing article hierarchy" options selected
6. Tabs with necessary enounter generators that I will likely need

Regarding the last item: tabs with necessary encounter generators, this is one use I can see for creating an articles view. It would be helpful to have a view showing nothing but enounter, NPC, town, etc. generators. I'm putting all random generators into RW as "general game mastering" articles (for travel and city enounters, weather tables, and other non-loot tables) or "general" articles unter an equipment containter called "loot" for treature/item generators. RW has replaced IdeaPad for all my random tables. It isn't as powerful as IdeaPad, but I don't mind rolling dice and consulting a table.

Non-RW Software

I'm to the point where I use RW for most DM needs. But there are still some other programs I tend to find useful to have open and ready to go when/should I need them.

Google Chrome

I keep Google Chrome open with various random-name generators open. There are also some good on-line reference for price lists that I just open in Chrome rather than recreating in RW.

Evernote

I use Evernote to take quick notes and to capture pages, text, bookmarks of interesting resources that I don't always get around to entering into RW. Also, I have blank character sheets, inventory-management sheets, and other printable items that I don't see the need to put into Realmworks.

Cityographer

I have general demographics entered for my realms and regions but have only put major cities on the world map. When the party travels, I can consult the demographics stats to roll for the location of nearest village or town and then generate it on the fly in Cityographer if the party decides to visit it. Cityographer will also generate names, prices lists, etc. I can then save the map and building descriptions and put them into a topic in RW.

Things that are not Electronic

1. I use Paizo's Combat Pad for managing combat. Have not found a digital combat tracker that I can use to manage DD5 combat that is worth the hassle of another software program.
2. I use a mixture of wet-erase combat pads and gridless terrain with minis and pogs for complex battles. I might mix it up and try digital battlematts in the future, it is just that for the amount of work to deal with VTT software, I would rather get away from my computer and get out the glue gun, some carboard, and paint. If I don't have time for that, wet erase battlemats still do the trick.
3. Core manuals in print form. I play DD5 and it is not worth trying to enter in all the rules. I only put items I have to frequently reference, that would benefit from autolinking into RW.
4. Spell cards. I have spells entered into RW, but I hate having to look them up, even digitally. I see it as the player's responsibility to know his or her spells. I bought several sets of Gale Force 9s spell-card decks and have my players select the spells they have access to. I also use standard 52-card decks to have players track spell slots.
5. Food and drink. Beverages, snacks, and lunch taste better in analog.

[Zaphod Beebledoc]

Originally Posted by MNBlockHead

1. Food and drink. Beverages, snacks, and lunch taste better in analog.

Yeah. while emeals are great if you're trying to lose weight, they are not very nutritious, they are not very filling!