Getting Started
Seven steps to go from signup to a published episode. New to Tabletop Arc? Start here.
Choose your path
Not every campaign starts the same way. Pick what matches you right now.
“I have a session recording”
Upload the audio and let Tabletop Arc transcribe it, extract lore, and draft your recap.
Upload audio and generate recap →“I only have notes”
No audio needed. Write your recap directly and publish it — the pipeline is entirely optional.
Write manual recap →“I'm prepping next session”
Arc Prep reads your campaign context and suggests open threads, NPC spotlights, and twists.
Open Arc Prep →“I want to share my campaign”
Go public with a shareable page for episodes, wiki, and maps — great for actual plays.
Create a public Arc →In 5 minutes
Create an Arc, add one episode, write or generate a recap, and see your first campaign timeline.
After your first session
Upload audio, extract lore, and publish the episode. You'll see value long before you touch every feature.
Step 1: Create your first Arc
An Arc is your campaign — one story world with episodes, lore, and maps. From the dashboard, create an arc and give it a name. You can have unlimited arcs; minutes are per account.
After this step: You now have a home for every episode, NPC, location, and open thread in this campaign.
Step 2: Create an episode
Each session is an episode. On your arc page, click "+ New Episode" and choose what you want to do: write a recap, upload session audio, or prep for an upcoming session.
After this step: You've got a place to attach a recap, audio, or prep notes for this session.
Step 3: Write or generate a recap
Write a recap directly in the Write Recap tab — no audio needed. Or upload your session recording in the Upload & Process tab for AI-powered transcription and story generation. Both paths let you publish.
After this step: Your session is captured — as an audio transcript or a written recap — ready to turn into canon.
Step 4: Review and enhance (optional)
If you uploaded audio, run Analysis to extract scenes, entities, and events. Review the AI-extracted lore, then generate an AI-written recap with tone options. You can also write a manual recap alongside the AI version.
After this step: This is the real magic: your campaign wiki starts filling itself with NPCs, locations, events, and open threads.
Step 5: Publish your episode
Once you have a recap (manual or AI-generated), publish it right from the episode editor. Add a cover image and customize details from the full episode page.
After this step: Your players — and the world, if you go public — can see the story so far.
Step 6: Invite your players
Go to Players and invite by email. Choose role: Player or GM. They receive a link to accept. Players can view the Lore Wall, maps (if you allow), and published episodes; only GMs can upload audio and run the pipeline.
After this step: Your table has a shared home — players can browse lore, maps, and past episodes anytime.
Step 7: Go public (optional)
In Arc settings, set Public status to Unlisted or Public and add a slug, title, and description. Your arc gets a shareable page with episodes, wiki, and map. Perfect for actual plays or sharing with friends.
After this step: Your campaign gets a shareable page that other people can discover and follow.
Common first-time issues
Quick answers — see the FAQ for more.
My audio is too long
We warn you before processing if the file exceeds your remaining minutes. Add minutes (upgrade or add-on pack) and retry. Read more
I cannot publish
You need either a generated story or a manual recap, and any pending player submissions in the Review queue must be approved or rejected first. Read more
I do not want to use audio
That's fine — write a manual recap in the Story tab and publish it. The audio pipeline is entirely optional. Read more
I invited a player but they cannot see the Arc
They need to accept the invite link sent to their email. Check Players for pending invites and resend if needed. Read more
I want my campaign private
Arcs are private by default — only invited players can see them. Public and Unlisted are opt-in in Arc settings. Read more
Next steps
For a full reference of every feature — Lore Wall, maps, players, publishing, billing — see the Guide. For common questions, check the FAQ. See what's new on the Changelog.