(...)
I will start:
One thing I still struggle with after all of these years is finding a concise but effective way to note the PC abilities. I believe that in an ongoing campaign, the DM should at least no and sometimes even cater to the mechanics of the PCs -- because those mechanics, the things the players chose, tells you as DM a lot about what they are looking for in play. I am fine with the broad strokes and character motivations and personalities. Where I have trouble is thinking about specific abilities or classes of abilities that individual characters have. I want that information at hand when prepping or running so i can use it as a tool, but I don't know how to organize it and I am just not going to review character sheets all the time (especially with complex versions of the game like PF2 or 5E; Shadowdark is easier).
So there we are. Help me out, and then ask a question of your own.
I have always striven to have all info relevant to sessions/campaigns on a single sheet of paper.
So, I’ve used versions of the DM sheet provided below* for info on PCs and short notes on the current state of affairs in the adventure. I keep this sheet on the table behind the DM screen and it is usually enough to keep me going without noticeable interruptions to play.
In addition, since this DM sheet doesn’t have room for all NPCs the party encounter, the stat blocks of my NPCs have a section called “Party Connection:”, with notes on which PCs they have encountered, when, and why. These stat blocks are where they are supposed to be in the text of the adventure, as well as on one or more separate sheets stapled together and within easy reach during play.
Finally, since these stat blocks allow for short notes only, I keep a timeline of what happened in each session, which is likewise within easy reach during play.
While all of this used to be quite a bit of work in the days of yore, things have become a lot easier with the invention of computers, which allow for files and folders, copy-pasting, easy color coding, and, above all, CTRL-F-ing.
Still some work to be done both before the adventure/campaign starts and after each session, but I find this to be very much worth my while in that it prevents me from having to frantically page through source books, modules, magazines, binders, and stacks of notes during play, which is a good thing.
* Although things can get complicated here as well, I suppose the stats of 2E PCs are a lot less.... um..., involved than those of later versions of the game. Similar sheets (for 1E) are provided in the
Dungeon Masters Adventure Log (TSR, 1980)