Guide sections

Session workflow

Move a session through planning, ready, in progress, completed, or cancelled while keeping outcomes clear.

Before the session

Final prep (30-60 minutes before)

Review your session:

  1. Open your session
  2. Scan objectives - what should happen?
  3. Check linked creations - what might you need?
  4. Review key scenes - refresh your memory

Quick creation review: Click through linked NPCs and locations. Refresh on:

  • Personality notes for roleplay
  • Voice/mannerisms for consistency
  • Secrets to remember
  • Current status (what happened last time?)

Check Quick Prep: Have it ready for emergencies:

  1. Open Quick Prep panel
  2. Set default tone to match your campaign
  3. Generate any last-minute content

Pre-generate backup content: If time allows:

  • 2-3 extra NPCs (keep as recent creations)
  • 1 extra encounter
  • Some treasure options

Starting the session

Update session status

  1. Open your session
  2. Change status to In Progress
  3. This marks it as the active session

Quick setup

Arrange your workspace:

  • Session plan open for reference
  • Quick Prep accessible
  • Session Companion ready (if using)

Recap

Before play begins:

  • Review previous session’s outcomes (in session)
  • Note unresolved threads to pick up
  • Share relevant recap with players

During the session

Referencing content

Find creations fast:

  • Use Campaign Search to find anything across your creations
  • Click through session links
  • Filter creation lists by tag

NPC roleplay:

  • Check personality before speaking
  • Reference voice/mannerisms
  • Check goals to guide behavior

Location descriptions:

  • Read sensory details (Sights, Sounds, Smells)
  • Reference features for interactable elements
  • Check dangers for hazards

Quick generation

When you need content now:

NPC appears unexpectedly:

  1. Quick Prep -> NPC NOW!
  2. Generate in 5 seconds
  3. Use immediately
  4. Promote later if they matter

Combat breaks out:

  1. Quick Prep -> Quick Encounter
  2. Set difficulty
  3. Use environmental factors
  4. Run the encounter

Players ask about treasure:

  1. Quick Prep -> Treasure/Loot
  2. Choose a tone if useful
  3. Generate the treasure
  4. Describe and distribute

Session Companion

Use for improvisation:

  • “What would this NPC say if accused?”
  • “Describe the moment the spell fails”
  • “What’s an interesting complication?”

Attach relevant creations for context-aware responses.

Taking notes

In-session notes:

  • Use session’s DM notes field
  • Or creation notes for character-specific info
  • Quick bullet points - clean up later

Track important events:

  • What decisions did players make?
  • What did they learn?
  • What changed in the world?

Managing pacing

Checking your plan

Periodically glance at:

  • How many objectives have been hit?
  • How much session time remains?
  • What’s left to cover?

Adjusting on-the-fly

Running long:

  • Cut optional content
  • Summarize travel/shopping
  • End on a natural break

Running short:

  • Expand roleplay opportunities
  • Add a complication (Random Event)
  • Explore character moments

Finding break points

Good session endings:

  • After major revelation
  • After significant combat
  • At a cliffhanger
  • When the party reaches a new location

Mark these in your session if you spot them ahead.

Handling the unexpected

Players go off-script

Use contingency plans: Check your session’s contingency section. If you prepared for this, you’re covered.

Generate what you need: Quick Prep handles most surprises in seconds.

Session Companion: “The party decided to [unexpected thing]. What are some interesting consequences?”

Rules questions

If you know where to look: Reference your books or digital resources.

If unsure: Make a ruling, note it, verify after session.

Session Companion: Can help with rules lookups: “How does climbing work while grappled?”

Ending the session

Find a good stop point

Aim for:

  • After resolution of current scene
  • At a cliffhanger
  • When energy naturally dips
  • When you’ve hit key objectives

Quick wrap-up

At the table:

  • Summarize what happened
  • Preview what’s coming (vaguely)
  • Ask for any immediate player questions
  • Award XP if you track it per-session

In Campaign Familiar:

  1. Update session status to Completed
  2. Quick notes in outcomes (can expand later)
  3. Note any immediate follow-ups needed

Post-session tasks

Immediately after

Run the engine Session Recap: Open the session’s Recap, paste your session notes (or a recording transcript), and click Analyze Notes. AI reads what happened and suggests creation changes for you to review and accept - who died, what relationships shifted, which markers resolved - instead of you updating each one by hand. See Session recap for the full flow.

Promote ephemeral content: Any Quick Prep content worth keeping - NPCs players loved, locations that became important.

Quick notes: While fresh:

  • Key events
  • Surprising decisions
  • Things to remember

Session review (next day)

Update session:

  1. Fill in Actual duration
  2. Write Outcomes summary
  3. Note Unresolved threads
  4. Add Player feedback notes

Finish the recap: Accept any remaining AI suggestions, add manual changes the engine missed, then mark the session complete. The recorded outcomes feed your Creation Evolution timelines and Campaign Intelligence.

Prep next session: Based on what happened, what do you need to prepare?

Flow checklist

Pre-session

  • Review session
  • Review linked creations
  • Check Quick Prep is ready
  • Pre-generate backup content (optional)

Session start

  • Update status to In Progress
  • Arrange workspace
  • Deliver recap

During session

  • Reference linked content as needed
  • Generate content for surprises
  • Take notes on key events
  • Monitor pacing

Session end

  • Find natural stopping point
  • Quick summary for players
  • Update status to Completed
  • Quick notes while fresh

Post-session

  • Run the engine Session Recap (Analyze Notes)
  • Promote important ephemeral content
  • Complete session outcomes
  • Accept/add creation changes from the recap
  • Begin next session prep

Tips for smooth sessions

Keep Campaign Familiar accessible

  • Second monitor if available
  • Tablet next to main screen
  • Quick alt-tab flow

Trust your prep

You’ve prepared. When in doubt:

  • Check your session
  • Reference creation notes
  • Use what you’ve built

Let AI handle surprises

That’s what Quick Prep is for:

  • Don’t stress about the unexpected
  • Generate what you need
  • Keep the game moving

Notes now, details later

During play:

  • Bullet points and keywords
  • Names and outcomes
  • Things to remember

After play:

  • Expand into full notes
  • Update creations properly
  • Take your time