CREATING SESSIONS

Four overall activities define roleplaying game sessions:

Prepare materials for the next session.
Plan the logistics of holding the next session.
Play the game, holding the session itself.
Review how the session went before looping back.

Session Preparation

☐ UPDATE ADVENTURER PLAYSHEETS

How have the Adventurers themselves changed since the last session?

☐ UPDATE ADVENTURER AND NPC RELATIONSHIPS

How have the relationships between Adventurers and NPCs changed since the last session?
How have the relationships between the NPCs themselves changed?

☐ UPDATE HOME BASE

What has changed in the Adventurers' home base?

☐ UPDATE FACTIONS

What has changed for the factions in and around the Adventurers' home base?

☐ UPDATE VILLAINS AND RIVALS

How have the Adventurers' Rivals plans changed?
How have the Villains' plans changed?

☐ UPDATE STORY OVERLAYS

What happens in the background of the world that may be noticed by the Adventurers?

☐ UPDATE EVENT TABLES

What are some possible upcoming events in the region which may affect the Adventurers?

☐ UPDATE MINING CARTS

Sketch out or fill in anything needed in surrounding hexes which may be explored next session

☐ UPDATE KNOWLEDGE TABLES

Rumors
Clues
Hooks
Campaign information

☐ UPDATE LEGENDS

What new whispers of legendary sites or foes have spread into the region?
What new hexes or areas have the Adventurers reached which have legendary hooks?

☐ UPDATE LOOPY TABLES

Update relevant random encounter tables
Tie into possible hooks, loops
Tie into home base, region, or Adventurer if possible

☐ UPDATE SPIKES OF DANGER

What has changed for any of the extremely dangerous threats hiding around the region?

☐ UPDATE TREASURE TABLE AND REWARDS

What has changed for the Adventurers and their possible interests and rewards?

☐ UPDATE OPEN PLOT LOOPS

What are the next steps of each of the open plot loops or threads?
What are the most likely plots the Adventurers may progress in next game?

☐ CREATE NEW VILLAIN STORIES

Introducing a new villain? Give them a story.

☐ CREATE NEW LOCATION STORIES

Introducing new locations? Give them a story.

☐ CREATE POSSIBLE NEEDED 5-ROOM DUNGEONS

Need to create a quick 5-room dungeon for the next session?

☐ CREATE POSSIBLE NEEDED MISSIONS

Need to create a quick mission for the next session?

☐ CREATE POSSIBLE ENCOUNTERS

Create needed plans for expected or possible encounters for next session
Consider each of the common five actions for next sesssion encounters

☐ CREATE POSSIBLE COMBAT PLANS

Create 3-round combat plan outlines for possible combat encounters

Session Logistics

☐ WHO

Guide?
Players?
Characters?

☐ WHEN

Date?
Start Time?
Estimated Duration?

☐ WHERE

Who is hosting?

☐ WHAT

Newsletter or other updates?
Game Rulebooks?
Game World?
Adventure?
Maps?
Miniatures or Counters?
NPCs?
Dice?
Pencils and Paper?
Food and Drink?

☐ HOW

Tabletop?
Virtual Tabletop?
Voice Chat?
Camera Chat?
Laptops or Mobile Devices?
Bluebook sessions?

Session

☐ CAMPAIGN LOGGER

Logs
Pages
Track experience points earned

☐ CAMPAIGN TABLE TOP

Maps
Tokens
Fog of War

After-Session Review

☐ AWARD EXPERIENCE POINTS

☐ REVIEW PLAYER SURVEYS

Who had fun?
Who had suggestions to make something better?

☐ REVIEW ENCOUNTERS

What worked well?
What did not?

☐ REVIEW COMBAT PLANS

What worked well?
What did not?
What was too easy?
What was too hard?

☐ REVIEW SESSION TIMINGS

What went too fast?
What went too slow?

Additional Resources

▲ Chronology :: ◢ References: Session Zero and Sessions