Session Prep Canvas

The Session Prep Canvas is a node-graph planning tool for mapping how a session might unfold. You place nodes representing entities, narrative beats, and decision points, then connect them to sketch the flow — without locking yourself into a linear script.

This is a GM-private tool. Players cannot see it, even with the companion link active.

Accessing the canvas

Open the Canvas from the Session Prep section of your world navigation, or from the session prep sidebar in Session Mode. Each world can have multiple canvases — create one per session or per scenario and name them accordingly.

Node types

Entity nodes represent a world entity — an NPC, location, item, or faction. Drag one from the left palette onto the canvas and a search popover opens. Type to search your world entities and select one. The node renders with the entity's portrait, title, and type badge. Clicking the node in the canvas links directly to the entity's full article.

Narrative nodes are free-form text blocks. Four subtypes cover the most common uses:

  • Read-aloud text — prose you plan to read to players
  • GM description — your private notes about the scene
  • Encounter note — a reminder about a prepared encounter
  • General note — anything else

Choose the subtype from the node's header dropdown. The visual styling differs per subtype so you can scan a large canvas quickly.

Branch nodes are decision diamonds. Add a question label — for example, "Do they trust the contact?" — then draw connections from the diamond's output handles to the nodes that represent each possible outcome. Branch nodes do not enforce any logic; they are a visual planning aid.

Building a flow

  1. Click the node type you want in the left palette, or drag it directly onto the canvas.
  2. For entity nodes, use the inline search popover to select the entity from your world.
  3. Connect nodes by hovering over a node until handles (small circles) appear on its edges, then dragging from one handle to another node's handle.
  4. Label connections by double-clicking the connecting line and typing a short description — useful on branch outputs like "accepts" or "refuses."
💡Tip

Hold Space and drag to pan the canvas. Scroll to zoom. For large session plans, use the MiniMap in the bottom-right corner to navigate — click anywhere on the MiniMap to jump to that area.

Auto-save

The canvas saves automatically two seconds after any change. You do not need to hit a save button. A small "Saved" indicator appears briefly in the top bar to confirm. If you lose connection, an "Unsaved changes" warning appears — reconnect and wait for the auto-save to complete before closing the tab.

Multiple flows per world

You can create as many canvases as you need. A world might have:

  • One canvas per session ("Session 14 — The Heist")
  • One canvas per story arc ("Arc 2 — The Corruption Plot")
  • One canvas for open-ended scenario prep ("Market District Sandbox")

To add a canvas, click New Canvas from the canvas list view. Rename or delete canvases from the same list. Canvases are not versioned — if you want to preserve a state, duplicate the canvas before editing.

📝Note

The canvas does not auto-link to your session log or Connection Gravity. It is a freestanding planning document. If you want an entity you placed on the canvas to influence Gravity suggestions, make sure it has wikilinks and relationship entries in its article — those drive Gravity, not canvas placement.

Practical example

A simple three-act session might look like this: a Location entity node for the starting tavern → a Narrative node with your read-aloud opening → a Branch node for "Do they take the job?" → one path to the wilderness encounter, another to a social investigation track. That structure takes two minutes to sketch and gives you a clear mental map to glance at during play.