Search for Better Recaps
- Ilinx
- Nov 23, 2024
- 9 min read
When running a role-playing game across multiple sessions, it is important to recap the previous session to bring everyone up to speed. This also helps signal the end of catching up and when to get into character. Over the past five years, I have been adjusting my method of recapping to suit my party, but I am still not satisfied with how it goes. Join me as I review what I have tried before and the issues I have come across with them. From there, we will create a new method for preparing the best recap suited to my game group, and some options for you to explore with your own.
Disclaimer: This article represents my experience with these methods in regards to my players. All of these methods are viable and will work well with the right group; my group just isn't that one.
"Last we left off..."
The classic. A strong opening to the game narrated by the GM that covers plot points both large and small, and resurfaces relevant information the players may have forgotten. This is how I started my games when I first began playing, following the example of Actual-Plays like Critical Role and The Adventure Zone. This method is effective in those shows to get the audience up to speed, but falls short in regards to preparing players at the home table. For one, the recap's perspective is entirely of the GM's. This can lead to many problems, including revealing information I forgot the players hadn't discovered yet, or players not paying full attention as I spend a long time narrating at them instead of engaging them. Worst of all, however, is that this method heavily favours plot over mood. As the GM, I am more focused on what is happening and keeping the players on task. This means the recap does a great job of covering the events of the previous session, but doesn't prepare the group to shift back into the feelings we ended with.
I did not consider this until I read Jakub Zachnik's article, Better Session Recap and Why You Need It. His last point on how to improve session recaps is that mood is more important than plot. He writes, "You and your players are already thinking. Now it’s time to shift gears towards feeling. Recap is a perfect moment to slowly bring the mood of the campaign and the immediate situation you left off." Looking back, this puts into words why I disliked this method of recapping and moved away from it. At the end of each recap, I would ask my players if I missed anything (I don't keep notes while running the game). Whenever something was brought up, it was always one of our favourite parts of the session, and it was never plot-related. It was the details that really caught my players' attention, or a scene that developed a character more thoroughly. Because of this, I changed tactics.
"Who would like to recap?"
After some discussion with my players, we switched from the GM giving the recap to the players giving the recap. I would signal the beginning of the session by asking for someone to volunteer. Then, with help from the other players, they would recap to the best of their ability. This immediately solved a few problems; with a player perspective, there was no chance for spoilers and it immediately engaged everyone as they shared their notes. The biggest benefit to this method was that it allowed me to hear what my players thought was most important to the story. I could correct any vital misunderstandings in their notes, and learn if I needed to draw more attention to certain details in the coming session that they did not mention in the recap.
However, this method does come with its own drawbacks. My players very quickly made a habit of deferring to the one "note taker" as the volunteer. This meant the recap was always from their perspective and only used their notes, and the other players became passive listeners again. Handing the responsibility of the recap to players also meant I had much less control over creating a strong start to the session. This method of recap blurred the lines between the game and chatting, and made it harder to jump straight into character. But what was most egregious of all was that it did not solve the Plot versus Mood problem! The recaps were more character focused, but the players recounted the last session in a list of events and details. It was still up to me to draw them in once we were caught up.
"Everyone roll a d20!"
Player-led recaps had more potential so I kept with them, but to address their issues, I introduced a structure to our recaps. I would ask every player to roll a d20 to show they were ready to start. Once everyone was, I would begin with the player who rolled the highest and ask them a generic question about the last session. This continued with the next highest roll and so on, until everyone had answered a question and contributed to the recap. This solved the problem of one person taking the spotlight every time. The questions started broad, possibly looking back even further than the last session (e.g. What is your current plot-relevant goal and how does it get you closer to a larger goal?), and would get more specific as they went on (e.g. What challenge did you last encounter?). These questions were written with the intention of putting the party's actions in context of why they were doing it (more on this later), and they created a focusing effect as we drew in towards the present.
After a player answered one of these questions, I would also have them answer a character question, usually related to what events they recapped. This was great for most of my players to get into their character's head or reveal to the other players things their character has been thinking but has not had the chance to say.
Unfortunately, the effectiveness of this method didn't last. In discussions with my players, they told me they found the questions more difficult than helpful, especially the character questions. The first questions also often had the same answer week after week as the larger scale plot wouldn't move on. They did not put the game in context like I had hoped they would.
"Tell me what you remember."
So we scaled back. Until now, we have been rolling for the recap without questions. I like this method, and it has worked the best so far. Each player gets a chance to add some detail to the recap, and I ask them how their character was feeling in the event they mention so everyone is engaged. Everyone rolling at the top of the game is also a great way to grab attention and something I will pull through into future methods. Without set questions, it also means I can cycle through the players more than once until everyone is satisfied with what has been said.
Removing the questions has meant the recap favours plot over mood again. This method is essentially a shared version of the second method, so there is lots of room for improvement. Some of my players have also expressed to me how they would rather not be involved in the recap because they find it too stressful.
Before continuing, let's recap the requirements for a good recap we've found:
A good recap...
Covers relevant plot points to the current session's events.
Gets everyone on the same page with important information.
Signals the end of casual conversation and the beginning of the session.
Grabs everyone's attention and makes them an active participant.
Helps players slip into character.
Sets the mood of the beginning of the session.
Taking all these into consideration, let's devise a better method of recapping that is suited to my party.
The New Method
First of all, we're keeping the d20 roll. It's great at grabbing the players' attention, notifying me when everyone is set up, and is a fun omen if a player rolls a 1. To relieve stress on my players who dislike doing the recap, I will be the main person to recap previous events. This also gives me some control over setting a tone (and possibly including foreshadowing). It is important that all the players are active listeners, though, and there needs to be a reason for rolling the d20, so I will intersperse character questions throughout the recap. What makes these questions different is that they are purely for character building. They will be similar to Ginny Di's 50 Character Builder Questions, which Zachnik mentions in his article. They will be asked interview style and won't be constrained to the setting.
There are still some variables that I will need to experiment with: Should every character answer the same question or different ones? Will the character questions feel out of place laced into the recap? Is there a way to connect them to the recap? The most glaring issue I see is formatting the recap to fit the questions in. Here are some ideas I am going to try:
At the end of each session, every player writes down something that happened during the session they think is important. This will give me a list of moments that I can expand on. It also gives me clear spaces to put questions between. The risk of this method is that my players are very tired by the end of our games since we play late, and may not like this idea.
Use Johnn Four's Plot Seeds from Roleplaying Tips to easily make notes at the end of a session. I will fall back to this method if my player's don't like the previous one. It would work the same, but have more emphasis on the GM's perspective, which is less ideal.
Life is a constant cycle of trying new things until they don't work anymore, and then trying again. There are still tweaks to be made to this new method, but I believe it will be an improvement. Of course, every table is different, and this method may not work for you. It has been designed specifically with my players in mind. If you want to try it, I have written instructions on how to use it at the end of this article. I want to conclude this with some other methods I have come across that sound good but don't suit my group. Mix and match these with other ideas, and let me know what you find works!
"Dear Diary,"
Have one or more players write each recap in character, as if they were writing a journal, sending letters to a loved one, or bragging in a tavern. This method depends entirely on the characters in your group, but I would encourage it and reward any player who commits to this method.
"Today's recapper is..."
Each session is recapped by a different person, cycling through the group. You could randomise this with a die roll (highest or lowest roll recaps) or have a set order. The GM can be included in this too!
"Who wants XP?"
Give an in-game reward to whoever volunteers to recap. Depending on the system, this could be experience points, Adversity Tokens, Inspiration, a temporary boon, or something similar. I would only recommend this method to groups that are comfortable with a mixed-strength party, especially if it is not a temporary bonus like experience points.
Ilinx's Recap
Version A | Version B |
At the End of a Session. Each player makes a bullet-point summary of an event that happened during the session. That bullet should contain:
Each player should summarise a different event to cover as much of the session as possible. The GM writes these points down along with the name of the player who gave it, adding any details they see fit. At the Beginning of a Session. Each player rolls a d50 (or d100 halved, rounded up). The GM begins the recap, using the bullet points made at the end of the previous session as guidance. After a bullet point, the GM asks the player who made that bullet point a character question, using their roll to choose one from Ginny Di's 50 Character Builder Questions. The player must answer in character, as if being interviewed. Once they answer, the GM continues with the next bullet point, until they have summarised the previous session and asked every player the character question. Optionally, the GM can give foreshadowing to coming events. They then open the game with an immediate opportunity for player decision. | At the End of a Session. The GM makes a bullet-point summary of each important event that happened during the session. Each bullet should contain:
The GM writes these points down, adding any details they see fit. At the Beginning of a Session. The GM rolls a d50 (or d100 halved, rounded up) on Ginny Di's 50 Character Builder Questions, and each player rolls a d20. The GM begins the recap, using the bullet points made at the end of the previous session as guidance. After a bullet point, the GM asks a player the character question rolled, starting with the player who rolled highest. The player must answer in character, as if being interviewed. Once they answer, the GM continues with the next bullet point, until they have summarised the previous session and asked every player the character question. Optionally, the GM can give foreshadowing to coming events. They then open the game with an immediate opportunity for player decision. |
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