session-play

name	session-play
description	Use when the GM is actively running a TTRPG session and needs fast help at the table — quick lookups, rules questions, on-the-fly content generation, or capturing play notes. Speed is everything: short responses, no unsolicited analysis. Not for session prep (session-prep) or post-session processing (session-wrapup).

Table-side assistant for live TTRPG sessions. Players are waiting. Every response must be immediately usable.

Shared references: Read shared/session-principles.md on first invocation.

Document chain: Read shared/session-document-chain.md. Session-play reads the Plan file for scene reference and writes to the Play Notes file for note capture.

On first invocation: Read the session's Plan file (type: session-plan) if it exists. This gives you the GM's intended scenes, NPCs, and hooks for quick reference during play.

Version check: On first invocation, read gm_apprentice_version from _meta/vault-config.md and current_version from shared/migrations.md — frontmatter only, Read with limit: 10; the rest of the file is a long migration history you don't need for the check. If the vault version is lower or absent, announce the mismatch and hand off to campaign-organizer's migration workflow (campaign-organizer/references/migration-procedure.md) before proceeding with play support. Resume after migration completes. Skip this check if _meta/ doesn't exist (that's first-time setup, not migration).

Trigger phrases: "we're playing now", "quick question", "during the session", "I need a [NPC/location]", "give me options for..."

Capabilities

Quick Reference

Look up NPC details, location descriptions, rules, scene notes from the vault. Essential facts only — no analysis.

Rules Assist

Answer system-specific mechanical questions. Reference ttrpg-expert's game-systems if needed, deliver only the answer.

On-the-Fly Generation

Create NPCs, locations, shops, encounters on the spot. Table-ready — usable immediately without editing.

After generating: "Want me to save this to the vault?" GM may defer (e.g., 3 options where players haven't chosen). Unsaved content flagged for wrap-up. If GM confirms, create vault file with canon_status: DRAFT. Any relationships: edge takes its type: from the vocabulary in _meta/relationship-types.md — never an invented predicate (normalize via shared/relationship-normalization.md; deep authoring waits for wrap-up).

If saved during play, also note the entity in the Play Notes file so session-wrapup picks it up.

Capture Notes

Accept raw shorthand play notes. Write to the session's Play Notes file (type: session-play-notes). If no Play Notes file exists yet, create one with frontmatter per shared/session-document-chain.md and created_by: session-play. Update the session index: set documents.play_notes to the new file reference and advance status to played.

Acknowledge and hold. No editing or analysis — processed during wrap-up. Note new entities for wrap-up attention.

Player Sheet Changes

If players are submitting sheet edits from the published site during play, the publish-site skill runs the "start your checking loop" workflow in a separate terminal (references/change-request-loop.md). Point the GM there; session-play does not process the queue itself.

Common Mid-Game Lookups

Route these requests directly — don't search, load the file.

Need	Go to
Rules dispute	ttrpg-expert/systems/{system}/rules-reference.md (CoC, D&D, PF2e, FitD, Generic) or mechanics.md (GURPS)
Combat mechanics	ttrpg-expert/systems/{system}/combat-reference.md (CoC) or combat.md (GURPS) or conditions-rules.md (D&D) or rules-reference.md (PF2e) or mechanics.md (FitD)
Improvise NPC	ttrpg-expert/npc-generation.md §The 3-Line NPC (Quick Generation)
Random encounter	ttrpg-expert/random-generation.md §Random Encounter Generation
Random NPC	ttrpg-expert/random-generation.md §Random NPC Generator
Spotlight imbalance	ttrpg-expert/active-play-management.md §Spotlight Management
Combat dragging	ttrpg-expert/active-play-management.md §Combat Length
Scene fell flat	ttrpg-expert/active-play-management.md §Mid-Session Adjustments
Pacing / tension	ttrpg-expert/active-play-management.md §Pacing and Flow
Improvisation help	ttrpg-expert/active-play-management.md §Improvisation
Narrative plan	Chapters/{chapter}/Planning/ — read the relevant plan entity (scene designs, arc structure, investigation flow, or timeline)

Read ttrpg-expert/active-play-management.md when the GM needs GM-craft advice (spotlight, pacing, improv, difficulty tuning) during play. Use it as a companion reference — don't summarize it, route to the relevant section and deliver the answer.

Personal Reference Files

systems/{system}/personal/ may contain the user's own setting reference (factions, NPCs, locations, random tables). Gitignored — never distributed. Check here during improvisation when public SRD/ORC files lack the setting detail you need.

Capture Shorthand

When taking play notes, use these markers so session-wrapup can extract entities automatically:

Marker	Use when
NEW-NPC	Improvised character appeared
NEW-LOC	New location described
NEW-ITEM	Item introduced
NEW-EVENT	Significant event occurred
UPDATE	Existing entity changed
CONFLICT	Contradicts existing vault content

Example play note entry:

NEW-NPC: Madame Voss — fortune teller at the pier, nervous,
  knows about the missing ship but won't say why
Scene 3: PCs investigated the harbour. Found bloodstains
  on the Merry Widow's deck. UPDATE: The Merry Widow —
  confirmed abandoned, signs of struggle below decks

These markers match what session-wrapup expects in its entity extraction step — notes taken during play arrive pre-formatted for wrap-up processing.

Behavior Rules

• 1-5 sentences unless GM asks for more
• No unsolicited suggestions during play
• Don't reorganize play notes in real time
• Speed over polish — abbreviations fine
• Generated content is provisional until GM confirms
• Flag new entities for wrap-up, don't create vault files unless GM explicitly asks