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RECAP RAVEN

Guides

Guides for Game Masters

Practical, system-agnostic advice for running a tabletop campaign on Discord.

Playing today? Use the free 3D dice roller for checks and damage, or create a character with the D&D stat roller.

Tablecraft

Run a better table

Practical ways to read the room, share the spotlight, and keep your own energy for the game.

A Recap Raven graph showing the DM share of words varying across ten D&D sessions

From my own table

Published

My players told me I talk too much as a DM. So I measured it.

I measured 10 D&D sessions after my players told me I talked too much. My DM word share averaged 38.5%, compared with 48% across other campaigns.

Read guide7 min

A dungeon master deep in thought behind a raven-embossed GM screen at a candlelit table, a raven perched at his shoulder

The honest check

Published

Am I a good dungeon master? How to actually tell

Am I a good dungeon master? Check five signs of a great DND game: player spotlight, pillars of play, world consistency, table energy and engagement.

Read guide9 min

Recording and recaps

Keep the session without writing through it

Notes, consent-first Discord recording, player-safe recaps, and fast catch-ups for missed games.

Illustration for the best Discord bots and tools for D&D and TTRPG

Tools

Updated

Best D&D and TTRPG Discord bots (2026)

The best D&D Discord bots in 2026: Avrae for dice and combat, Craig for recording, Recap Raven for recaps and session notes, and Kenku FM for music.

Read guide8 min

Illustration for taking D&D session notes without writing during the game

Session notes

Published

How to take D&D session notes (without writing during the game)

Learn how to take DND session notes with a player scribe, shorthand templates or recordings, plus a practical checklist of what to write down.

Read guide6 min

Illustration for recording and recapping a D&D session on Discord

Recording

Published

How to record and recap a D&D session on Discord

Record your DND session on Discord with consent using Craig or a dedicated bot, then turn the recording into a player-safe recap for your table.

Read guide8 min

Illustration for player-safe D&D recaps that keep GM secrets

Player-safe recaps

Published

Player-safe recaps: share the story without spoiling your secrets

What player-safe means, a checklist of what to keep out of a session recap, how to write one by hand, and why GM-only notes stay separate.

Read guide6 min

Illustration for catching up a player who missed a D&D session

Catch-up

Published

How to catch up a player who missed a session

Fast ways to get a returning player current without burning table time: what a catch-up should include, handling their character, and letting them self-serve.

Read guide6 min

Campaign memory and prep

Remember what matters next session

Keep canon straight, bring recurring NPCs back consistently, and prep from what the party actually did.

Illustration for remembering everything in a D&D campaign

Campaign memory

Updated

How to remember everything that happens in your D&D campaign

Forgot last session? Compare ways to track a long DND campaign, the effort each needs, and how searchable memory with transcript citations helps.

Read guide7 min

Illustration for trustworthy AI campaign memory with cited sources

Trust and accuracy

Published

Can you trust an AI to remember your D&D campaign?

What makes AI campaign memory trustworthy? Cited sources you can check, answers that admit uncertainty, and retrieval grounded in your DND sessions.

Read guide8 min

Illustration for prepping a D&D session with NPC cards

Session prep

Published

How to prep your next D&D session (NPCs, handouts, and reading the party)

A fast, focused way to prep: give NPCs a want, make one-minute handouts, read where the party will go next, and check what is already canon before you invent.

Read guide8 min

Illustration for running better NPCs in D&D

Running the game

Published

How to run better NPCs in D&D

Give every NPC one want and one flaw, use fast voice shortcuts, decide what they reveal, and keep recurring NPCs consistent across a long campaign.

Read guide7 min

D&D tools

Comparisons

Source-checked guides to choosing the recording, notes, and recap workflow that fits your table.

Illustration for comparing D&D recording, note taking and recap tools

D&D session tools

Updated

Compare D&D session tools by what your table needs

Compare D&D session recorders, note takers and recap bots by where you play, what you want after the game, and whether you need player-safe recaps.

Read guide7 min

A raven comparing two stacks of session notes on a candlelit gaming table

DiscMeet alternative

Updated

DiscMeet alternative for D&D sessions on Discord

Compare DiscMeet and Recap Raven for D&D sessions on Discord, including recording, recaps, player-safe notes, campaign history, audio and cited answers.

Read guide6 min

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