DM prep notes for each session of the Tempus campaign, from our first session in November 2022 through Session 48 in February 2026. These notes evolved significantly over three years as I figured out what worked best for me at the table.
Early sessions used a loose, experimental format while I ran off my iPad. Middle sessions adopted the Lazy Dungeon Master template (Strong Start, Scenes, Secrets & Clues, NPCs, Monsters) and I switched to printed notes to stay more present at the table. Later sessions became more elaborate with detailed stat blocks, Cold Open prose, and d12 encounter tables – more prep in service of better improvisation.
I initially used Notion to manage my notes, but I transitioned to using Obsidian for my prep. Notion was starting to feel heavy and restrictive because it lived in the cloud. Obsidian was free, simple, portable, and entirely offline.