At the simplest level, I like to create timelines - like the one below. This is for my Stars Without Number campaign. Such a list is handy because I create it in excel and can do odd date math on the fly - which is especially nice since now spreadsheets can handle dates into the far future. With an autosum, I can see that the campaign has lasted 311 days - Earth days, that is.
Little titles and notes keep everything straight in my head, and I can remember if an NPC was planning on hunting down and killing the party - and how long that npc has been formulating the plan and stalking them - waiting for the time to be ripe. You know, typical stuff to make the players paranoid. ;)
So that's why I like to do. How are YOU at note taking?
| Place/Event | Duration | Start Date | Events of Note | |
| Travel/Stay | ||||
| Halal System | 1 | 1-Jan-2300 | Ship assaulted by Captian Kaylah Tabari. | |
| Interstellar Travel | 6 | 7-Jan-2300 | On the Edmund Fitzgerald (Methan owned.) | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 9-Jan-2300 | '' | |
| Jaisalmar System | 2 | 11-Jan-2300 | Hijacked ore shipment on ice world. | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 13-Jan-2300 | On the Edmund Fitzgerald. | |
| Interstellar Travel | 5 | 18-Jan-2300 | '' | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 20-Jan-2300 | '' | |
| Hephaestus System | 87 | 17-Apr-2300 | Meet Methans, destoyed casino, Sgt. & Adam KIA. | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 19-Apr-2300 | On the Konjiki Yasha (Methan bio ship.) | |
| Interstellar Travel | 6 | 25-Apr-2300 | '' | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 27-Apr-2300 | '' | |
| Metha System | 1 | 28-Apr-2300 | Accepted by Methans. | |
| Interstellar Travel | 5 | 3-May-2300 | On the Fort Knox (Methan accountant transport.) | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 5-May-2300 | '' | |
| Perdurabo - Hard Light | 2 | 7-May-2300 | Begin clandestine criminal investigation. | |
| Travel to Comet | 2 | 9-May-2300 | On the Leadbelly with Captain Ranse Hardlee | |
| Stay in Comet | 4 | 13-May-2300 | Exploring tomb of the Ushans (asparagusheads) | |
| Travel to Hard Light | 3 | 16-May-2300 | On the Leadbelly with Captain Ranse Hardlee | |
| Perdurabo - Hard Light | 15 | 31-May-2300 | Foil evil plot on Hard Light | |
| Travel to Colony | 2 | 2-Jun-2300 | On the shuttle Bon Grunj with pilot Kingston | |
| Stay in Colony | 62 | 3-Aug-2300 | Fight pirates and capture pirate ship | |
| Travel to Hard Light | 2 | 5-Aug-2300 | Aboard the Fat Tuesday. | |
| Perdurabo - Hard Light | 2 | 7-Aug-2300 | Fuel up and say goodbyes. | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 9-Aug-2300 | Aboard the Fat Tuesday. | |
| Interstellar Travel | 6 | 15-Aug-2300 | '' | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 17-Aug-2300 | '' | |
| Euphrates System | 1 | 18-Aug-2300 | Refuel at mining asteroid. | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 20-Aug-2300 | Aboard the Fat Tuesday. | |
| Interstellar Travel | 6 | 26-Aug-2300 | '' | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 28-Aug-2300 | '' | |
| Tigris - Blue Saturn | 49 | 16-Oct-2300 | Destroy 2 pirate ships, meet the Kingpin. | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 18-Oct-2300 | Aboard the Fat Tuesday. | |
| Interstellar Travel | 6 | 24-Oct-2300 | '' | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 26-Oct-2300 | '' | |
| Nile System | 1 | 27-Oct-2300 | Return Thad, meet Captain Zarkon of White Chapel. | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 29-Oct-2300 | Aboard the Fat Tuesday. | |
| Interstellar Travel | 6 | 4-Nov-2300 | Aboard the Fat Tuesday. | |
| Interplanetary Travel | 2 | 6-Nov-2300 | Aboard the Fat Tuesday. | |
| Amazon System | 1 | 7-Nov-2300 | Arrive at Kyroth Colony. PLANT ATTACK! |
- Ark












