How it works

The app, your device, the clipboard hand-off with players — and how to move a campaign from your desk to the table without losing your mind.

Website, app, and your data

Same model as the player app: this site is the manual; the app at /app/ is where you build and run. Campaigns, NPC catalogs, zones, and imported characters live in this browser's local storage until you export them.

PWA install, offline cache, and the “clear data = gone” rules are covered once on Player Guide » How it works — it applies to GMs too.

The GM ↔ player clipboard hand-off

Players export their party as JSON on the clipboard and send it through whatever channel you already use — email, chat, smoke signals. You paste it into the app on your side. The app does not send anything for you.

  • Receiving a party: in the campaign editor, open a party and use Import (clipboard). Collisions (same character key, or same name with a different key) land on an approval queue — Overwrite or Skip per character.
  • Sharing NPCs or zones with a co-GM: use Export all on the NPC list, per-row export on templates, or Export zone (clipboard) on the zone editor. Zone exports bundle the zone, its encounter references, templates, and the NPCs they need.
  • Import on the other side: Import (clipboard) on NPCs, encounter templates, or zones. Bulk overwrites ask for confirmation before replacing existing catalog entries.

Step-by-step: Parties · NPCs · Zones.

PC to tablet: moving a campaign to the table

Building on a widescreen is faster. Running on a tablet is nicer than squinting at a phone. The clipboard is your USB cable.

  1. On your PC, open the campaign and finish the heavy lifting — NPC catalog, templates, zone graph. Hit Save campaign (and Save zone on each zone you've edited).
  2. Export zone (clipboard) for the zone you'll run tonight, or Export all on the NPC list if you're travelling light on map data.
  3. Paste the JSON into a note, email, or chat you can open on the tablet.
  4. On the tablet, open the same app (or a fresh campaign), use Import zone (clipboard) or Import (clipboard) on the NPC panel. Confirm overwrites if prompted.
  5. Import the player party the same way you always would. Tap Play on the campaign row when the players arrive.

You don't have to sync the entire world every session — one zone and tonight's encounter templates are often enough.

Build big, run lean

Not every note needs to live in the app. Index cards, a paper map, and a dramatic voice are still valid GM tools. What the app is good at:

  • Reusable NPC stat blocks and attack lines.
  • Encounter templates you can fire from Play with a tap.
  • Initiative, rounds, and damage during a fight.
  • Player character sheets imported for reference during combat.

Minimum viable campaign in the app: NPC catalog + templates + party. Zones are wonderful; they're also optional if you're narrating travel yourself.

Known limitations

  • No campaign duplicate button. Export zones and NPC lists, then paste into a new campaign.
  • No live sync with players. They run their sheets; you run yours.
  • Mobile clipboard can need a long-press or a fresh copy before import.

Symptom-by-symptom fixes: Troubleshooting.

Open the app

Open the Campaigns list

New here? Try the Quick start next.

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