How do I set up my first campaign after installation?

After installing SwiftPrep and signing in, your next step is creating a campaign. This guide covers the initial setup and configuration options.

[!TIP] For a hands-on walkthrough of creating your first NPC and connecting entities, see How do I create my first campaign in SwiftPrep? in the Quick Start guide.

What Is a Campaign?

A campaign is your container for everything related to one game you are running. Each campaign has its own:

• NPCs, locations, items, and encounters
• Factions, plot hooks, and story elements
• Session plans and session history
• Player characters and party information
• Relationship graph connecting all entities
• Tags and organization system

Create separate campaigns for separate games. You can run multiple campaigns simultaneously and switch between them from the sidebar.

Creating Your First Campaign

Step 1: Click Create Campaign

From the home screen after signing in, click Create Campaign. If you already have campaigns, click the campaign selector in the sidebar and choose New Campaign.

Step 2: Enter Campaign Details

Campaign Name (required) Enter a name that identifies this game. Examples:

• "Curse of Strahd - Tuesday Group"
• "Homebrew: The Sunken Isles"
• "One-Shot: Goblin Heist"

Game System (optional) Select your ruleset:

• D&D 5th Edition
• Pathfinder 2nd Edition
• Other (custom systems)

The game system affects stat blocks and some generator defaults, but SwiftPrep works with any tabletop RPG.

Description (optional) Add notes about the campaign for your own reference:

• Setting overview
• Tone and themes
• Player group notes

Step 3: Click Create

Your campaign is now ready. You'll see the campaign dashboard with options to:

• Create your first entities
• Import content from other tools
• Explore AI generators

Campaign Configuration

After creating your campaign, you can adjust settings anytime.

Access Campaign Settings

1. Open the campaign
2. Click the gear icon next to the campaign name, or
3. Go to Settings then Campaign Settings

Available Options

Campaign Name Rename your campaign at any time.

Game System Change the ruleset. This affects generator defaults but doesn't modify existing content.

Default Entity Visibility

• DM Only (default): New entities are private
• Player Visible: New entities can be shared

Tags View and manage all tags used in this campaign.

Export Export your campaign to JSON, Markdown, or CSV.

Archive Archive campaigns you're no longer running. Archived campaigns are hidden from the main list but can be restored.

Delete Permanently delete a campaign and all its content. This cannot be undone.

Your Campaign Dashboard

The dashboard shows:

Recent Activity Entities you've recently viewed or edited.

Upcoming Sessions Scheduled session plans with dates.

Entity Counts How many NPCs, locations, and other entities exist in this campaign.

Quick Actions

• Create new entities
• Open Super Swift generators
• View the relationship graph

Sidebar Navigation

The left sidebar organizes your campaign:

Next Steps After Setup

Import Existing Content

If you're migrating from another tool:

1. Go to Settings then Import
2. Choose your source (Fantasy Grounds, Foundry VTT, or file)
3. Follow the import wizard
4. Review imported content

Create Your First Entity

The Quick Start guide walks you through:

• Creating an NPC with personality and description
• Understanding the 8 entity types
• Connecting entities with relationships
• Using the relationship graph

See How do I create my first campaign in SwiftPrep?

Try AI Generation

Generate content with Super Swift:

1. Click Super Swift in the sidebar
2. Choose a generator (NPC, location, encounter)
3. Configure options
4. Generate and review
5. Promote to library or use immediately

See How do I use AI features to generate content?

Plan Your First Session

Once you have some entities:

1. Go to Session Plans
2. Click Create Session Plan
3. Add objectives and scenes
4. Link relevant NPCs, locations, encounters
5. Generate any missing content

See How do I create and organize session plans?

Tips for Campaign Organization

Start with what you need Create entities for your next session first. Build your world gradually.

Use tags consistently Develop a tagging system early:

• Story arcs: "arc-1", "main-plot", "side-quest"
• Roles: "villain", "ally", "neutral"
• Locations: "city-name", "region-name"
• Status: "needs-prep", "introduced", "deceased"

Link as you create Add relationships when creating entities. Connected content is easier to navigate later.

Review the graph Periodically check the Graph view to see how your world connects. It often reveals forgotten characters or unexplored connections.

Related Articles

• How do I create my first campaign in SwiftPrep? - Hands-on Quick Start guide
• What is SwiftPrep and what can it do?
• How do I use AI features to generate content?
• How do I import my content from Fantasy Grounds?
• What are entities and how do they work in SwiftPrep?