In much of my later gaming life I’ve been a (or the) note-taker for the group, allowing the players to return to the table after a week, a month, or sometimes longer with at least an idea of what previously transpired. This habit of chronicling the events of the session began when I was GMing and using the actions of the characters as plot hooks. I needed the notes to remind myself of any unusual events that occurred and actions the players had taken. I would share edited versions of the notes with my players for their benefit.
As some of my gaming moved online — well before the events of 2020, as I continued gaming with friends when I moved states — it was easy to be the note-taker as a player. I’m not the quickest or most legible of hand-writers but I am a speedy typist. For the most part, these were bullet-point notes of the game, unlike the more verbose summaries I would write as a GM.
In late 2020, all gaming was done online and I joined my friends in a Pathfinder 2nd Edition campaign. My initial character was Verusha “ViVi” Vernyhora, a tiefling sorcerer. I decided to continue being the note-taker for the group. Beyond this, I also wanted to keep a journal as my character.
Character journals and diaries not only provide a sense of what occurred, but also can help bring new insight into the mind of the player character. A player doing anything outside of the context of the session also lets the GM know they’re an invested player and that’s a good feeling for any GM.
ViVi’s journal, however, was short-lived. They were long, often dry pieces that transcribed every minor detail of the session. The entries weren’t that fun to write and I doubt they were that fun to read. I had this idea of ViVi changing her style and noting in the text itself that her writing would make for dull tomes should they ever be published by the Pathfinder Society. Instead, I changed characters. Verusha left the party, in search of answers about herself.
Introduced in her place was Orchid Caligo, a selfish and self-centered tiefling summoner. With this character I continued taking session bullet-point notes for the group, but would write shorter and more personal diary entries. Often these would be filled with more inside jokes to the group, so I decided not to make a website feature of them.
For example…
22-Abadius-4721
Dear Diary,
While it’s been a great field test for Kumeatel, this trip can feel like a waste. Three weeks in this wretched jungle and it’s nothing but monsters and humanoids! Sure, I’ve seen giant war elephants and a dinosaur, but have had no time to properly dissect and study either. I was hoping to see more animals, but perhaps the monsters chased them away.We did fight a particularly challenging monster called a Charau-Ka, but after a quick examination, it reminded me that unnatural creatures would not provide me the insights I’m looking for.
Also, it turns out that the horrible Pendegrast person had an equally horrible brother. Now they’re both dead and good riddance. Edwin has wisely consulted with me to write to the Pathfinder Society to expose the frauds as what they are. He’s a good little guy and I quite like his quick thinking.
Tlali, though completely destitute and a poor money manager, is team mom all the way! She’s quick to make sure I’m healed, looking at my needs before anyone else’s. What an excellent companion!
Skitnik is still a grumpypants, but at least he’s been a quiet grumpypants lately.
Entourage shenanigans and fraud exposure aside, I’m rather put out by this trip and I’m really hoping we find some of nature’s real predators soon.
Kisses,
Orchid
I’m not sure anyone outside the group would be as amused by my character’s skewed take on the session as we were.
Note-taking is an important part of the table-top RPG experience. I believe that any player who is able to split their focus on the game and take notes should; especially as some players may notice different things or find aspects of the session that others might not think as initially important.
Beyond notes of the session’s events and clues I encourage writing in your character’s style. Let your character have a journal, diary, or notebook. Maybe your character composes poetry or lyrics of some of the events or companions. It’s a new way to discover aspects of your own character that you might bring to the table in different ways. You don’t have to share these writings with anyone, but your GM would probably appreciate it if you did.
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