New Session Checklist

Update player XP

Award XP from last session — base bump plus any London Rules bumps (creativity, character, teamwork, RP, donuts, costumes). See the XP help card for the rubric.

Update last session's journal entry

Close the loop on what just happened. The session diary auto-attached DM comms and notes while the table was live — review, edit, and lock it in before this week's events overwrite the picture.

Set the marketplace spotlight

Pick the "On Sale" item players see at the top of the market and as the broadsheet ad (section 6). Publishing the Raven Post freezes whichever item the draft was pointing at — set it before you publish.

Publish the Raven Post

Publishing freezes the draft to the archive and increments volume/issue. See the layout help card for the full section map.

Add any new workshop cards

New magic items, scrolls, or spells the party might encounter or buy this session. Card preview is fixed parchment; image prompts auto-generate via Haiku for Midjourney.

Create sheets for new players, hero NPCs, and city NPCs

Stand up a brand-new sheet for anyone joining the table this session — fresh PCs, hero NPCs being introduced, and city NPCs the party may meet. Get them into the roster before the night starts so XP, initiative, and messaging all have somewhere to land.

Confirm hero NPC opt-in

Decide which hero NPCs (Zaknafein, Perrin, others) are at the table tonight. Selections appear blue + square in the initiative roster and on /dm. Unselected heroes stay out of combat.

Swap the splash image

The first thing players see when they open the site tonight. Art-direct a 9:16 mobile + 16:9 desktop pair for full fidelity, or a single 4:5 portrait with focal point upper-center if you'd rather upload one image. Each session's splash is also the opening page of that session's chapter in the end-of-campaign graphic novel — so make it a real cover, and keep the source high-res.

Set the home music

The arrival soundtrack — loops on the home page while players are getting settled. Keep it short and atmospheric; ~4 min of 192 kbps MP3 fits comfortably under the cap.

Send any pre-session DM messages

Last whispers, sendings, or private hooks. Messages drop a ⚡ red-dot on the player's nav and push to Discord (best-effort) if their Discord ID is linked.

Start audio recording

Plug in the USB mic (set it as your Mac's input) and press the red Record circle under Start / Long Rest / Stop. Records the session in-browser — no QuickTime. Keep the laptop plugged in with the lid open. After the game, review the transcript on the Journey page, then Publish.

Click START to start the session