Buying Time

Sometimes I run adventures for which I have prepared extensively, and those are fun (especially if I've written them myself), but sometimes the best adventures are those I've concocted an hour before running them—and those rely on a heavy dose of improvisation inspired by a hastily composed mental outline and some notes. Regardless of the amount of preparation involved, there will inevitably be moments during any session when the player characters will do something unexpected and I will need to create a locale, non-player character, or bit of information spontaneously. Improvising is one of my favorite aspects of role-playing and I am happy to go with the flow of it, but there is always a chance I might forget about this wonderful thing I brought into existence at the spur of the moment and it will be lost forever—instead of being integrated into the setting and the shared experience of the participants—if no one records it. This can be a tragic loss of lore and gaming potential. All it takes is someone to write down the details, but how can it be done without destroying the momentum that helped create it? These ideas are born of the moment, and if I, as the GM, just clear my throat and mumble apologetically, "Give me a moment to write this down before I forget it, please"—the flow of the game is disrupted and the willing suspension of disbelief is compromised.

The solution is simple. Misdirect attention like a magician and query like a psychoanalyst. Just pick a player at random and say, "[insert character name], how does that make you feel?" The player will probably be delighted to supply a brief monologue, and that gives you the time to jot down the details of whatever you just made up without interrupting the role-play. If the player declines, you can ask another player.

Of course, you could hire a stenographer or use a dictaphone, but "How does that make you feel?" is free.