Campaign Management
Organize your NPCs, plots, maps, and encounters into cohesive campaign groups
Welcome to Campaign Management! Campaigns (or "Adventures" in Simple Mode) help you organize your NPCs, plots, maps, and encounters into cohesive groups for your tabletop RPG sessions.
What Are Campaigns?
Think of campaigns as folders for your game content. Instead of searching through dozens of NPCs in your library, you can group related content together:
- "Dragon Heist Campaign" - All NPCs, maps, and encounters for that adventure
- "One-Shot: Goblin Raid" - Quick session with just the essentials
- "Recurring NPCs" - Characters that appear across multiple adventures
Benefits
✅ Stay Organized - Group related content together ✅ Quick Access - Find campaign content in one place ✅ Easy Export - Generate PDF packets with all campaign content (Premium) ✅ Track Progress - See what content you've prepared for each campaign
Creating Your First Campaign
Step 1: Navigate to Campaigns
From your dashboard, click "Create Campaign" (or "Create Adventure" in Simple Mode).
Step 2: Fill in Campaign Details
Required:
- Name: Give your campaign a memorable name (e.g., "Lost Mine of Phandelver")
Optional but Recommended:
- Description: Brief summary of what the campaign is about
- Tags: Keywords for easy searching (e.g., "urban", "dungeon", "level 1-5")
- Party Level: Average character level (helps you find appropriate content)
- Party Size: Number of players (useful for encounter balancing)
Step 3: Save Your Campaign
Click "Create" and your campaign appears on the dashboard!
Adding Content to Campaigns
Once you've created a campaign, you can add content in two ways:
Method 1: From Campaign Detail Page
- Click on your campaign from the dashboard or campaigns page
- Click "Add Content" button
- Select content from your library (NPCs, plots, maps, encounters)
- Click "Add Selected"
Tip: You can select multiple items at once by clicking each one before adding.
Method 2: From Content Detail Page
- View any content item (NPC, plot, map, encounter)
- Scroll to "Associated Campaigns" section
- Click "Add to Campaign"
- Select the campaign(s) to add it to
Managing Campaign Content
Viewing Content
Campaigns organize content by type:
Expert Mode (tabs):
- NPCs | Plots | Maps | Encounters
Simple Mode (collapsible sections):
- ▶ Characters | ▶ Stories | ▶ Locations | ▶ Battles
Click any content item to view full details or make changes.
Removing Content
- From campaign detail page, find the content you want to remove
- Click the trash icon next to the content
- Confirm removal
Important: Removing content from a campaign does not delete it from your library. The content remains accessible in your library for other campaigns.
Pinning Campaigns
Pin your most-used campaigns for quick dashboard access:
- Go to campaign detail page
- Click the pin icon in the header
- Pinned campaigns appear first on your dashboard
Dashboard Campaign Context
The dashboard includes a Session Context Bar at the top that ties your active campaign into the workspace.
Active Campaign Selector
Use the campaign dropdown in the context bar to set your active campaign. The bar also shows:
- Last prep - When you last generated content (e.g., "3h ago")
- Generation quota - Remaining generations for your tier, or "Unlimited"
- Stat chips - Faction count, reference card count, and storage usage
Quick Generate with Campaign Context
When you select an active campaign in the context bar, the Quick Generate buttons automatically thread ?campaignId= into the generator URL. This means any content you generate from the dashboard is associated with the active campaign without extra steps.
To generate content without a campaign association, set the campaign selector to "All Campaigns" (the default).
Changing Active Campaign
Switching the active campaign does not filter your content library. It only affects new content generation. Your library always shows content across all campaigns (use the association filter to narrow by campaign membership).
Exporting Campaigns to PDF
Premium Feature - Upgrade to export campaigns as professional PDF packets.
How to Export
- Open your campaign detail page
- Click "Export PDF" button
- Select which content types to include:
- ☑ Include NPCs
- ☑ Include Plots
- ☑ Include Maps
- ☑ Include Encounters
- Click "Export"
- Your PDF downloads automatically!
What's Included in PDF Exports
Cover Page
- Campaign name and description
- Party level and size
- Date generated
Table of Contents
- Quick navigation to each section
Content Sections
- NPC stat blocks with personality profiles
- Plot summaries and hooks
- Map descriptions (text-based)
- Encounter details and tactics
Export Tips
- Large Campaigns: Exports with 50+ items may take 10-15 seconds
- Organize First: Remove unused content before exporting for cleaner PDFs
- Multiple Versions: Export different content selections for different sessions
- Print-Friendly: PDFs are formatted for standard 8.5"x11" paper
Campaign Limits by Tier
Free Tier
- 2 campaigns per account
- Unlimited content per campaign
- No PDF export
Premium Tier
- Unlimited campaigns
- Unlimited content per campaign
- ✅ PDF export with all content types
Upgrade anytime from Settings → Billing
Simple Mode vs. Expert Mode
Campaign features adapt based on your display mode preference:
| Feature | Simple Mode | Expert Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign Name | "Adventures" | "Campaigns" |
| Content Organization | Collapsible sections | Tabbed interface |
| Empty States | Friendly beginner language | Detailed instructions |
| Terminology | Characters, Stories, Locations | NPCs, Plots, Maps, Encounters |
Change modes anytime: Settings → Display Mode
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add the same content to multiple campaigns?
Yes! Content can belong to multiple campaigns. For example, a recurring NPC can appear in multiple adventures.
What happens if I delete a campaign?
Campaigns are soft-deleted:
- Campaign is removed from your list
- Content inside is NOT deleted - it remains in your library
- You can recreate the campaign and re-add content
Can I recover a deleted campaign?
Not currently. Once deleted, campaign organization is lost. However, all content inside remains safe in your library.
How many content items can a campaign hold?
No limit! Add as many NPCs, plots, maps, and encounters as you need. Performance is optimized for campaigns with 100+ items.
Can I share campaigns with other players?
Not yet. Campaign sharing is planned for a future update (Phase 2).
Why can't I export PDFs?
PDF export requires a Premium subscription. Upgrade from Settings → Billing to unlock this feature.
Do PDFs include images?
Currently, PDFs are text-based with formatted stat blocks and descriptions. Image support is planned for a future update.
Can I import existing campaigns?
Not currently. You'll need to manually create campaigns and add your content. Bulk import tools are planned for Phase 2.
Troubleshooting
"Campaign tier limit reached"
Problem: You're on the free tier (2 campaign limit) and trying to create a 3rd campaign.
Solution:
- Delete an unused campaign, OR
- Upgrade to Premium for unlimited campaigns
Campaign won't load / Shows error
Problem: Campaign detail page shows an error or won't load content.
Solution:
- Refresh the page
- Check your internet connection
- If error persists, contact support with the campaign ID
Content not appearing after adding
Problem: You added content but it doesn't show in the campaign.
Solution:
- Refresh the page (content may be cached)
- Check if you're looking at the right campaign
- Verify content exists in your library (it may have been deleted)
PDF export times out
Problem: PDF export button spins forever or shows timeout error.
Solution:
- Reduce content count (try exporting with fewer items)
- Ensure you have a stable internet connection
- Try again in a few minutes (server may be under load)
- If problem persists, contact support
Dashboard showing old campaign count
Problem: Dashboard says you have X campaigns but you see Y.
Solution:
- Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R)
- Clear browser cache
- Log out and log back in
Tips & Best Practices
🎯 Organize by Adventure, Not Type
Don't: "All My NPCs", "All My Maps" Do: "Curse of Strahd", "Waterdeep Heist", "Goblin One-Shot"
Campaigns work best when organized by adventure rather than content type.
📝 Use Descriptive Names
Don't: "Campaign 1", "Test" Do: "Tomb of Annihilation - Chapters 1-3", "Friday Night Group"
Future you will thank you for clear, descriptive campaign names!
🏷️ Tag Everything
Use consistent tags across campaigns:
- Level: "level-1-5", "level-10+"
- Theme: "urban", "dungeon", "wilderness"
- Status: "active", "planned", "completed"
Tags make it easy to find campaigns later!
📌 Pin Your Active Campaign
Keep your current adventure pinned to the dashboard for instant access during game sessions.
🗑️ Clean Up After Sessions
Remove unused NPCs, outdated plots, or completed encounters to keep campaigns focused.
📦 Export Before Big Sessions
Generate a PDF the night before your session so you have a backup if your internet goes down.
What's Next?
Now that you know how to use campaigns, check out:
- Content Library Guide - Organize your full content collection
- NPC Generation - Create compelling NPCs quickly
- Premium Features - Unlock PDF export and more
Need More Help? Contact support: [email protected] Join our Discord: discord.gg/critforge
Happy adventuring! 🎲