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How do I capture notes and updates after a session?

How do I capture notes and updates after a session?

After a session ends, a few minutes of documentation keeps your campaign organized and makes future prep easier. This guide covers what to do and how to do it efficiently.

Why Post-Session Matters

For future you:

  • Remember what happened months from now
  • Track story threads across sessions
  • Know what changed in your world

For better prep:

  • See unresolved threads to pick up
  • Know what players engaged with
  • Build continuity into future sessions

For your campaign:

  • Keep world state accurate
  • Reflect consequences of player actions
  • Maintain consistency

Immediate Tasks (5 minutes)

Do these right after the session while memory is fresh:

1. Promote Important Content

If you generated content during the session:

  1. Open the Super Swift drawer
  2. Find NPCs or content that mattered
  3. Click Promote for keepers
  4. Delete obvious throwaways

[!TIP] If players interacted with it meaningfully, promote it.

2. Quick Session Notes

In your session plan, jot quick notes:

  • Major events (2-3 bullets)
  • Surprising player decisions
  • Things that need follow-up
  • What players seemed to enjoy

You will expand these later. For now, capture what you might forget.

3. Update Status

Change session plan status from "In Progress" to "Completed."

Full Documentation (15-30 minutes)

Do this before your next prep session:

Complete Session Outcomes

Fill in the session plan post-session fields:

Actual duration: How long did it really run?

Outcomes: What happened? Write a summary covering:

  • Key events and decisions
  • Plot threads advanced
  • Major NPC interactions
  • Combat results (who won, casualties)
  • Discoveries and revelations

Example:

"Party infiltrated the warehouse and discovered the smuggling operation is larger than expected. They captured the lieutenant but traded his freedom for information about the boss. Aldric was injured and the player leaned into the injury for roleplay. Session ended with party deciding to report to the guard captain (they do not know she is compromised)."

Unresolved threads: What is hanging for next session?

  • Questions unanswered
  • Decisions unmade
  • Threats still active
  • NPCs waiting for follow-up

Player feedback: Notes on what worked:

  • What got good reactions?
  • What fell flat?
  • What surprised you?

Update Affected Entities

Your world changed. Update it:

NPCs

  • Dead? Note their death, when, how
  • Relationship changed? Update relationship status
  • New information revealed? Update their secrets or knowledge
  • Location changed? Update current location

Locations

  • Destroyed or changed? Update description
  • Cleared or conquered? Note new status
  • New inhabitants? Update inhabitants list

Plot Hooks

  • Resolved? Change status to Resolved, add resolution notes
  • Advanced? Update description with progress
  • Stakes changed? Update urgency
  • Abandoned? Change status to Abandoned

Items

  • Changed hands? Update owner
  • Destroyed or modified? Update description
  • Identified? Mark as identified

Relationships

  • New connections formed? Create relationship links
  • Alliances broken? Update or remove relationships
  • Enemies made? Add enemy relationships

Planning Forward

While the session is fresh, note what you need next:

Next Session Hooks

What are players likely to pursue?

  • What did they say they wanted to do?
  • What unresolved threads are most urgent?
  • What did they seem most excited about?

Content to Prepare

What will you need?

  • NPCs to create or develop
  • Locations to detail
  • Encounters to plan
  • Information to reveal

Questions to Answer

Things you need to decide:

  • How does the faction react to player actions?
  • What happens if they pursue this thread?
  • What is the consequence of their decision?

Efficient Documentation

Do Not Over-Document

You do not need:

  • Transcripts of every conversation
  • Detailed tactical blow-by-blow
  • Exhaustive NPC dialogue
  • Perfect prose

You need:

  • Key events and outcomes
  • Decisions and consequences
  • Changes to world state
  • Threads for future sessions

Use Bullet Points

Save narrative writing for your session prep. Post-session notes can be brief:

- Party learned Varen leads the cult - Mira agreed to spy for them - Combat at warehouse: 2 smugglers killed, leader escaped - Aldric injured (broken arm, player roleplayed) - Next: meeting with guard captain (she is compromised)

Templates Help

Use the session plan fields as your template. Fill them in order:

  1. Outcomes (what happened)
  2. Unresolved (what is hanging)
  3. Player feedback (what worked)

Weekly Review (Optional)

If you run weekly sessions, consider a brief review:

Campaign health check:

  • Are major plot threads advancing?
  • Is every player getting spotlight time?
  • Are there forgotten NPCs or threads to revisit?

World consistency:

  • Does the timeline make sense?
  • Are faction relationships coherent?
  • Have consequences played out?

Graph check:

  • View the graph
  • Look for orphaned entities
  • Find connection opportunities

Post-Session Checklist

Immediately After Session

  • Promote important ephemeral content
  • Quick notes on key events
  • Update session status to Completed

Before Next Prep Session

  • Complete session outcomes
  • Document unresolved threads
  • Note player feedback
  • Update affected NPCs
  • Update affected locations
  • Update plot hook statuses
  • Update changed relationships
  • Note what to prepare next

Optional Weekly

  • Review campaign health
  • Check world consistency
  • Review graph for gaps

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