Last month, I started a new way to manage the information [1] for my campaigns, and I have been excited about it. Excited enough, that I started doing something that in my 40 years of gaming I have not really done before, that is to have a post-session debrief. It happened by accident, the first time, but then I caught on and made it more formal, and now I think I might be on to something. So, let’s talk about it.
Disclaimer: I may have just been late to the party… The internet being what it is, I suspect I am not the first person to discover this, but I do think that those of us doing this are in the minority.
What is a Post-Session Debrief?
First, for the sake of this article, let’s go with PSD (back off Adobe). Ok, the definition… the PSD is where the GM performs a set of activities after a session has been played and before they prep the next session. This activity ideally takes place directly after or shortly after the season. If done too far from the end of the last session, this winds up more like prep.
What kind of activities make up a PSD?
There are a number of different activities that could occur in this space. Rather than list them individually, I will try to lay out some categories:
Knowledge Documentation
We know that during the course of a game, a story is generated, and depending on your style of GMing, many campaign elements could be created at the table – such as NPCs, locations, items, etc. In addition, notable events may have occurred during the game that have changed the campaign world. This information needs to be cataloged and stored so that it can be called upon in future sessions. This will often take the form of updating your campaign notes or database.
Engaging Inter-Session Mechanics
Some games have inter-session mechanics, things that the GM needs to do between sessions. For instance, in Blades in the Dark, the GM is to review the various factions that are in play and advance any clocks. They can do this on their own or make Fortune rolls. The outcomes of these mechanics need to be documented and may be communicated in upcoming sessions.
Updating the Session Notes
Depending on your style of prep, you may prep more material than you play in a given session. After a session has been played, the actions of the characters may cause changes to your original prep. This is a good time, while the ideas are fresh, to make those changes to your prep for the upcoming session.
Reminders for the Next Session
During the course of play, the actions of the characters may set into motion future consequences from NPCs or other forces. Rather than forgetting these things, during the PSD, this information can be captured to be included in the upcoming session.
What is the function of the PSD?
There are reasons why the PSD is a valuable activity, rather than pushing these activities into the prep for the next session. First, and most important, everything is still fresh in your mind. You just played the session, and all the details that you did not write down are fresh in your mind, so you can take the time to document them. Second, if you do have inter-session mechanics, doing them in the PSD allows you to ruminate on them before you start the prep for the next session, giving you time to elaborate on them and work them into your next session. Third, it shortens your prep. If your campaign notes and inter-session mechanics are updated, then you have less to prep for your next session.
Being deliberate about your PSD
In order to get the most out of your PSD, consider creating a checklist of activities to perform. This will make your PSD more efficient and consistent. You can start the list with some simple tasks, such as “document any NPCs created”. Then, after you have a short list, you can try it out, adding on to it as needed.
Your checklist will be a function of your information tools, your game, and your GMing style. Some activities will be pervasive between games, and other activities will change due to the type of game you are running.
As an example, here is the list of my PSD for my Blades in the Dark campaign:
- Transfer a PDF copy of my session notes (in GoodNotes) to OneNote.
- Create Obsidian entries for any new elements (NPCs, Factions, Locations, etc).
- Fill in a score page if a score was completed this session.
- Update Faction Statuses from the score (inter-session mechanic)
- NPC & Faction Downtime (inter-session mechanic)
Step 1 is to ensure that my session notes are merged with my prep for the session. I like to have everything for a session in one place, after the game. The bulk of my work during the PSD is step 2, as I create the entries in Obsidian for the things created during the session. These are then the elements I can reference in future prep and future sessions. The last two steps are from the Blades rules, so that I don’t forget to do them.
Do you PSD?
In the 40 years I have been gaming, I have never done a PSD. I ran my sessions, captured my session notes, and “future Phil” took care of all of that stuff when I would prep the next session. It was fine, I got by with it for a long time, but in the past few weeks, I have noticed how much easier my prep is when my campaign management system is updated, and I have finished my inter-session mechanics before I sit down to prep. Now I am working on creating PSD checklists for all my campaigns.
What about you? Do you have a post-campaign debrief? If you do what goes into yours? If you don’t, are you considering it?