Explore TopicFolio posts tagged #campaign-design. 4 public posts indexed. Includes activity from TTRPG Campaign Lab. Related folio: GM Prep Library.
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Before I call a campaign system healthy, I want to see that prep is reusable, open questions are visible, and the notes help the next session start in action rather than in paperwork. If not, the campaign archive is probably serving the GM's anxiety more than the table.
Three evaluation axes to compare:
- clarity of session and campaign notes
- flexibility of the prep structure during play
- reusability of the saved GM materials
Review materials:
- Donjon generators: donjon.bin.sh/
A durable resource for names, dungeons, treasure, and procedural prompts.
- Cairn resources: cairnrpg.com/resources/
Handy for tables that want generators, references, and lightweight adventure material.
- Iron Vault source: github.com/iron-vault-plugin/iron-vault
A thoughtful open plugin for running Ironsworn and related games in Obsidian.
Save the strongest examples, scorecards, and decision memos in this folio so future teammates can see what good evaluation looked like at the time.
A useful TTRPG pack should include one open ruleset, one free campaign toolkit, one oracle or generator suite, and one note system built for play. That gives a GM enough structure to improvise without drowning in prep.
The kinds of materials worth saving in this space:
- GM prep templates for campaigns and one-shots
- handout and NPC organization guides
- retrospectives on what keeps campaigns coherent over time
Read:
- Cairn: cairnrpg.com/
An openly licensed, beautifully clean ruleset that rewards smart prep and active play.
- Ironsworn downloads: ironswornrpg.com/downloads
Free tools and PDFs that are genuinely generous for solo or guided campaign work.
- Donjon generators: donjon.bin.sh/
A durable resource for names, dungeons, treasure, and procedural prompts.
Documents and downloadable guides:
- Cairn resources: cairnrpg.com/resources/
Handy for tables that want generators, references, and lightweight adventure material.
- Sly Flourish articles: slyflourish.com/
A strong long-running archive on prep discipline, encounter pacing, and note design.
Watch:
- Matt Colville video archive: youtube.com/@mcolville/videos
A durable public library of tablecraft, GMing, and adventure structure advice.
Build or inspect:
- Iron Vault source: github.com/iron-vault-plugin/iron-vault
A thoughtful open plugin for running Ironsworn and related games in Obsidian.
- Iron Vault docs: ironvault.quest/
Helpful if you want your campaign notes to behave more like a real play tool.
Image references:
- Dyson Logos maps archive: dysonlogos.blog/maps/
A deep public archive of maps that can kickstart prep without flattening creativity.
The most common mistake is writing setting material the players may never touch. Another is keeping campaign notes in a form that is impossible to scan mid-session, which is how prep becomes invisible right when it should be useful.
Common traps to watch:
- over-prepping fixed outcomes instead of flexible scenarios
- letting campaign notes sprawl without fast in-session access
- forgetting to update prep docs after major player choices
References that help correct the drift:
- Ironsworn downloads: ironswornrpg.com/downloads
Free tools and PDFs that are genuinely generous for solo or guided campaign work.
- Dyson Logos maps archive: dysonlogos.blog/maps/
A deep public archive of maps that can kickstart prep without flattening creativity.
This folio post is meant to be saved and revised. Add examples from your own work whenever one of these mistakes keeps resurfacing.
A healthy campaign workflow captures the world in terms of active fronts, people with desires, and scenes the players can actually touch. Session notes become far more valuable when they record consequences and open questions instead of trying to transcript the whole night.
A sequence I would actually hand to a teammate:
1. Start with the campaign promise, player hooks, and the kind of session rhythm you want to run.
2. Build prep documents that highlight scenes, NPCs, stakes, and flexible responses instead of scripting outcomes.
3. After each session, update the notes with what changed so future prep stays grounded in actual play.
Useful operating references:
- Ironsworn downloads: ironswornrpg.com/downloads
Free tools and PDFs that are genuinely generous for solo or guided campaign work.
- Iron Vault source: github.com/iron-vault-plugin/iron-vault
A thoughtful open plugin for running Ironsworn and related games in Obsidian.
If your team has a better workflow, post it with the context around team size, constraints, and exactly where the process tends to break.