PC Database in Notion
Welcome back to Earthmote. We are continuing our discussion on how to create a campaign management system in Notion. Today, we continue our discussion of the Meta databases with the Player Character’s database.
A campaign is nothing, without its Player Characters (PCs). If you are an action-oriented GM, then everything you do is to set up the world for the PCs. As a game master, I build my scenarios as powder kegs. And then I let the player’s interact with them. Chances are, things are going to explode.
When it comes to managing your Campaign, its a good idea to keep tabs on the PCs. Sometimes you need to know their stats. This helps when you are designing specific encounters, or explorations. Be careful not to overuse that information. You shouldn’t make every secret door a DC 25 because one player decided to have a passive perception of 20. Players invest in resources because they want to be good at things. So let them be good at it.
I also like keeping track of the items the PCs acquire in their adventures. I can see how the items have traded hands over the course of a campaign. And of course, you can connect the PCs to factions they join and so on.
If you run a West Marches style game, you may want to keep track of which adventures specific players went on. This can help you keep track of who-knows-what.
The PC database is largely a support database. It gives you information about your most important characters in the campaign. But, because you as a game master do not control them, they are merely your reference material.
Descriptive Properties
The Player Characters database contains several descriptive properties.
| Column | Property Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Title | Name of the PC. |
| Level | Number | Level of the PC. |
| AC | Number | Armor Class of the PC. |
| Pass. Perception | Formula | Passive Perception of the PC. I use a formula to calculate this based on prof bonus, wis modifier, and proficient skills. |
| Pass. Investigation | Formula | Passive Investigation of the PC. I use a formula to calculate this based on prof bonus, int modifier, and proficient skills. |
| Dex Save | Formula | Dexterity Saving Throw of the PC. |
| Wis Save | Formula | Wisdom Saving Throw of the PC. |
| Str Save | Formula | Strength Saving Throw of the PC. |
| Con Save | Formula | Constitution Saving Throw of the PC. |
| Cha Save | Formula | Charisma Saving Throw of the PC. |
| Int Save | Formula | Intelligence Saving Throw of the PC. |
| Prof. Skills | Multi-Select | List of skills the PC is proficient in. |
| Prof. Saves | Multi-Select | List of saving throws the PC is proficient in. |
| Proficiency Bonus | Formula | The proficiency bonus of the PC. I use a formula to calculate this based on the PC’s level. |
| Str Mod | Number | The strength modifier of the PC. |
| Dex Mod | Number | The dexterity modifier of the PC. |
| Con Mod | Number | The constitution modifier of the PC. |
| Wis Mod | Number | The wisdom modifier of the PC. |
| Int Mod | Number | The intelligence modifier of the PC. |
Relational Properties
Player Characters ties to a few databases in my Notion system. They include:
- Items. What items have the player’s accumulated from their adventuring?
- Factions. Which factions are the players members of?
- Campaign. Which campaign(s) is the PC a part of?
- Locations. Which locations do the player’s spend most of their time in? Do they have property in a specific location?
When I put everything together, this is an example of what my PCs database looks like:
Notion Template for Player Character’s
I do use a standard template for my PCs. Here are a few sections you may wish to include if you create your own template for your PCs:
- Section for backstory. If any provided by the player.
- Character art. If any provided by the player.
- Established relationships. In backstory for potential story seeds, and/or relationships formed from adventuring.
- Table of items acquired. Provides a quick summary of their magic available to them.
- List of any special rewards, boons, titles or deeds given to the player.
You should review your PCs often. They offer sources of inspiration. And having access to their information lets you build out encounters.
Next time, we will cover the Media Tome database.
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