[Seneschal Tips] The paperwork and advice?

[Chris Passeno]

I will be starting my first attempt at running TROS this Sunday at my FLGS.  It will be our first meeting of a newly assembled group.  I believe that I've got a grasp of the system, though I would like some advice.

What type of paperwork and accounting should the Seneschal keep track of?  Has anyone put together a combat chart to keep track of who's doing what or any other cheat sheets?

Any advice, not mentioned in the book, that makes your games run smoothly would be appreciated.

-Chris

[Jake Norwood]

I keep everyones Gifts, flaws, and SA's (with scores) down. And their CP for combat-heavy games.

jake

[Chris Passeno]

Jake:  Thanks.

How about for NPC's?  What is the minimum things to keep track of for them, short of doing a character creation for every one?

I imagine some of this is covered in OBAM.

-Chris

[Jake Norwood]

I use what's in the Bestiary, etc. section at most. For combat NPC's usually just Damage bonus (ST + Weapon), Damage Resistance (AV + TO), Reflex, and CP.

For others...whatever I'll need in play, but I keep pretty sparse notes.

Jake

[Draigh]

I agree with Jake... I've been running TRoS for over a year steady *and before that D&D for years*, and the less prep I do, the better the game seems to flow.  Get to know the area that you're running, or be able to wing it enough to where you can make stuff up on the fly, and then just let the story unfold.  At most I'll keep the stats of any monsters or what not that I create, but most of the time, NPCs are just a personality and maybe one stat...  For instance, a tribal cheiftan that my player just met was just a stern quiet personality, and a 6 Endurace...  Get a mental picture of the NPC in your head, and then use whatever stats "fit",  maybe a gift or a flaw to round out the character... then, if they stick around and become a major influence in your game, flesh them out as the players get to know them.  As far as PCs and their spiritual attributes, i look at their sheets after the game and then dole out SA points... but that's just my way, I'm not above giving a couple out during play if they really show their roleplaying skills.  I guess my point is, just try to keep it simple and keep the game flowing... if you have a fight breaking out, with multiple PCs involved, use a "base" template and tweak it for a couple of the guys...  Try not to get too involved in your NPCs skills and stats, but more in their personality and attitude... TROS is a realistic game, and you're not always as a player, going to know exactly how much anyone is bullshitting you.  Keep your NPC as real as possible, and it'll make your game alot of fun, give them real motivations, real personalities, and real capabilities.  

Anyway, sorry if I've rambled, hope some of this might help you out.

*ps: try to keep the "stereotypical NPC guys" to a minimum... it'll add to the realism*

[Chris Passeno]

Thanks Jake and Draigh.

I'm all for minimal paperwork.  I guess I just wanted to hear it from more experienced TROS runners than me.