Campaign Arc Tracker
Track campaign: $ARGUMENTS
Overview
This skill manages long-running campaign narratives by tracking:
- •Story Arcs: Multi-session plot threads with beginning, middle, and end
- •Plot Threads: Individual storylines that weave through sessions
- •Party Goals: What the players are working toward
- •NPC Relationships: How NPCs feel about the party over time
- •Session Continuity: Where things left off and what's pending
- •Foreshadowing: Seeds planted for future reveals
- •Consequences: Delayed effects of party actions
Campaign State File
Campaign data is stored in Worlds/[World Name]/.campaign-state.json:
{
"version": "1.0",
"world_name": "Eldermyr",
"campaign_name": "The Shattered Crown",
"party": {
"members": ["Thorin", "Elara", "Marcus", "Zara"],
"level": 5,
"base_of_operations": "[[Aldersgate]]"
},
"current_session": 12,
"session_log": [
{
"number": 12,
"date": "2025-01-15",
"location": "[[The Sunken Palace]]",
"summary": "Explored underwater ruins, found ancient artifact",
"cliffhanger": "Cultists arrived as party found the artifact"
}
],
"story_arcs": [],
"plot_threads": [],
"npc_relationships": {},
"foreshadowing": [],
"consequences": [],
"last_updated": "ISO timestamp"
}
Instructions
Parse Arguments
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
[world] | View campaign status for this world |
[world] --new | Create new campaign tracker |
[world] --status | Show full campaign dashboard |
[world] --update | Update after a session |
[world] --session N | View specific session details |
[world] --arc [name] | View or create specific story arc |
[world] --thread [name] | View or create specific plot thread |
Creating a New Campaign (--new)
Step 1: Campaign Basics
Ask the user:
"Let's set up campaign tracking for [World Name]."
- •Campaign Name: What's this campaign called?
- •Party Members: Who are the player characters?
- •Starting Level: What level is the party?
- •Base of Operations: Where does the party call home?
- •Campaign Hook: What's the main premise or goal?
Step 2: Initial Story Arc
Ask:
"What's the main story arc the party is currently pursuing?"
Arc Name: (e.g., "The Search for the Lost King") Arc Goal: What does completing this arc achieve? Current Phase: Beginning / Rising Action / Climax / Resolution Key NPCs: Who are the major players in this arc? Key Locations: Where does this arc take place?
Step 3: Active Plot Threads
Ask:
"What ongoing plot threads exist? List any subplots, side quests, or dangling mysteries."
For each thread:
- •Thread Name: (e.g., "The Missing Merchant")
- •Status: Active / Dormant / Resolved
- •Related Arc: Which story arc does this connect to?
- •Urgency: Low / Medium / High / Critical
- •Next Beat: What happens next if players engage?
Step 4: NPC Relationship Baseline
Ask:
"List key NPCs and their current relationship with the party:"
NPC Disposition Reason [[Lord Varic]] Friendly Party saved his daughter [[The Owl]] Neutral Hasn't met them yet [[High Confessor Maren]] Hostile Party exposed his corruption
Step 5: Save Campaign State
Create the .campaign-state.json file with all gathered information.
Campaign Status Dashboard (--status)
Display comprehensive overview:
╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ CAMPAIGN: The Shattered Crown ║ ║ World: Eldermyr | Session: 12 | Party Level: 5 ║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ ║ PARTY ║ ║ • Thorin (Dwarf Fighter) • Elara (Elf Wizard) ║ ║ • Marcus (Human Cleric) • Zara (Halfling Rogue) ║ ║ Base: [[Aldersgate]] ║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ ║ ACTIVE STORY ARCS ║ ║ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ ║ ║ │ [■■■■■□□□□□] The Shattered Crown (50% - Rising Action) │ ║ ║ │ [■■■□□□□□□□] The Cult of Shadows (30% - Beginning) │ ║ ║ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ ║ PLOT THREADS ║ ║ 🔴 CRITICAL: The Ritual begins at the next full moon (2 sessions)║ ║ 🟠 HIGH: [[The Owl]] requests a meeting ║ ║ 🟡 MEDIUM: Missing merchant still unresolved ║ ║ 🟢 LOW: Elara's family sword needs reforging ║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ ║ NPC RELATIONSHIPS ║ ║ 😊 Friendly: [[Lord Varic]], [[Sister Elspeth]], [[Grom Smith]] ║ ║ 😐 Neutral: [[The Owl]], [[Captain Aldric]] ║ ║ 😠 Hostile: [[High Confessor Maren]], [[The Crimson Hand]] ║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ ║ FORESHADOWING (planted seeds) ║ ║ • Session 8: Strange symbol found in ruins (not yet revealed) ║ ║ • Session 10: NPC mentioned "the sleeper beneath" cryptically ║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ ║ PENDING CONSEQUENCES ║ ║ • Session 9: Party killed the Baron's son - revenge coming ║ ║ • Session 11: Left cultist alive - he reported to superiors ║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ ║ LAST SESSION (#12) CLIFFHANGER: ║ ║ "Cultists arrived as party found the artifact in the Sunken ║ ║ Palace. Roll initiative next session!" ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Post-Session Update (--update)
Step 1: Session Summary
Ask:
"Let's record Session [N+1]. What happened?"
- •Date: When was this session?
- •Location(s): Where did the party go?
- •Summary: What happened in 2-3 sentences?
- •Major Events: Any significant occurrences?
- •Cliffhanger: How did the session end?
Step 2: Arc Progress
For each active story arc:
"Did 'The Shattered Crown' arc progress?"
- •No change
- •Minor progress (moved forward slightly)
- •Major progress (completed a phase)
- •Resolved (arc complete!)
- •Complicated (new obstacles emerged)
Step 3: Plot Thread Updates
"Update plot thread status:"
Thread Previous New Status Notes Missing Merchant Active Resolved Found him in dungeon The Ritual Active Critical Only 2 sessions left!
Step 4: NPC Relationship Changes
"Did any NPC relationships change?"
- •[[Lord Varic]]: Friendly → Grateful (party saved the city)
- •[[The Owl]]: Neutral → Suspicious (party broke into his office)
Step 5: New Seeds
"Any foreshadowing planted this session?"
- •What was hinted at?
- •What's the eventual reveal?
- •When might it pay off?
Step 6: New Consequences
"Any actions that will have future consequences?"
- •What did the party do?
- •What's the consequence?
- •When will it trigger?
Step 7: Save Updates
Update .campaign-state.json with all new information.
Story Arc Management (--arc)
Creating a New Arc
/campaign-arc Eldermyr --arc "The Dragon's Return"
Ask:
Arc Name: The Dragon's Return Arc Type: Main Quest / Side Quest / Character Arc / World Event Description: What's this arc about? Phases:
- •Beginning: What starts the arc?
- •Rising Action: What complications arise?
- •Climax: What's the pivotal moment?
- •Resolution: How might it end?
Connections:
- •Related NPCs: [[list]]
- •Related Locations: [[list]]
- •Related Plot Threads: [[list]]
Arc Progress Tracking
Arc: The Shattered Crown Phase: Rising Action (2 of 4) Progress: ████████░░░░░░░░░░░░ 40% Milestones: ✓ Discovered the crown was shattered ✓ Found the first fragment ○ Find the second fragment ○ Find the third fragment ○ Reforge the crown ○ Crown the true heir
Plot Thread Management (--thread)
Creating a Thread
/campaign-arc Eldermyr --thread "The Poisoned Well"
Ask:
Thread Name: The Poisoned Well Type: Mystery / Combat / Social / Exploration Status: Active Urgency: Medium Related Arc: (optional)
Thread Beats:
- •Discovery: Village reports illness
- •Investigation: Clues point to old mine
- •Confrontation: Undead necromancer in mine
- •Resolution: Destroy phylactery, cure village
Current Beat: 2 (Investigation)
Thread Tracking
Active Threads: 5 ───────────────────────────────────────── 🔴 The Ritual (CRITICAL) - 2 sessions until trigger Beat 3/4: Locate ritual site before full moon 🟠 The Owl's Request (HIGH) - Meeting scheduled Beat 1/3: Accept or decline the job 🟡 Missing Merchant (MEDIUM) - Dormant 3 sessions Beat 2/4: Follow leads to Trader's Rest 🟢 Elara's Sword (LOW) - Character goal Beat 1/3: Find the legendary smith 🟢 Haunted Lighthouse (LOW) - Optional side quest Beat 1/4: Hear rumors at tavern
Integration with Other Skills
With /session-prep
Campaign state informs session prep:
- •Active plot threads become session focus options
- •NPC relationships affect NPC behavior suggestions
- •Pending consequences can trigger
With /random-encounter
- •NPC relationship status affects encounter tone
- •Active plot threads can spawn related encounters
With /create-entity
- •New NPCs automatically added to relationship tracker
- •New locations linked to active arcs
Examples
# Create new campaign tracker /campaign-arc Eldermyr --new # View campaign dashboard /campaign-arc Eldermyr --status # Update after session 13 /campaign-arc Eldermyr --update # View session 10 details /campaign-arc Eldermyr --session 10 # Create new story arc /campaign-arc Eldermyr --arc "The Dragon's Return" # Create new plot thread /campaign-arc Eldermyr --thread "The Missing Heir" # Quick status check /campaign-arc Eldermyr