Keeping Track

[Grimolde]

Let's say 4 player characters are having a battle against 7 brigands.

1 Brigand is bleeding
2 Brigand has his weapon arm stunned
3 Brigand is blinded
4 Brigand has had his sword broken
5 Brigand is disarmed
6 Brigand has his weapon arm pinned
7 Brigand has his armour sundered

How does a GM keep track of all this during combat?

Thanks

 

[Deleriad]

Let's say 4 player characters are having a battle against 7 brigands.

1 Brigand is bleeding
2 Brigand has his weapon arm stunned
3 Brigand is blinded
4 Brigand has had his sword broken
5 Brigand is disarmed
6 Brigand has his weapon arm pinned
7 Brigand has his armour sundered

How does a GM keep track of all this during combat?

It generally doesn't happen that way. You usually find that in actual play, things are simpler. And, if nothing else, players usually remember the bad stuff that has happened to NPCs.

That said, when I'm using hit locations for multiple NPCs then it looks something like this.

2/5
2/5
3/6
3/7
2/4
2/4
4/5

I'll take a few seconds to make notes if I think it's important, using pencil. So the sheet might look something like

2/5
2/5
3/6
3/7
2/X 2 stun,
2/4
x/5
bleed 2
Blind 1
no sword

etc

It depends on the level of detail you want. Personally I reckon if I can keep track of about half of what's going on the players will remind me of the rest. I tend to prioritise on remembering the bad stuff for PCs as the players seem strangely likely to forget that first. 8)

 

[Grimolde]

Good idea

I'm thinking of using little chits/markers like the ones below I cobbled togehter:

I haven't actually run a game though, so like you said, it may not be as big an issue as I fear.

 

[taxboy]

Let's say 4 player characters are having a battle against 7 brigands.

1 Brigand is bleeding
2 Brigand has his weapon arm stunned
3 Brigand is blinded
4 Brigand has had his sword broken
5 Brigand is disarmed
6 Brigand has his weapon arm pinned
7 Brigand has his armour sundered

How does a GM keep track of all this during combat?

Thanks

I have each Brigand printed on its own sheet (usually the same one multiple times) and simply write all over the sheet - like a mini character sheet.

 

[soltakss]

I write the basic stats on a single sheet and keep track of the damage done and any special things against each NPC. It doesn't take that long and you can do it on a single sheet of paper.