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
Wizard of Adventure Storytelling Workshop
Ultimate Guide to 5 Room Dungeons
Campaign Logger
Campaign Table Top
Roleplaying Tips #0178 - 5 Post-Session Player and Campaign Development Tips
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Roleplaying Tips #0199 - The Session Checklist: Ingredients To A Successful Game Session Part II
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