After experiencing a few game cancelations recently, I started thinking about the space between gaming sessions. It’s an inevitable part of life that the “scheduling gods” (as I have heard many players lament) will put a variety of obstacles in our way: exams, vacations, illnesses, family obligations, Internet difficulties, work, lack of transportation, and the like. At some point, we have all dealt with the disappointment of having our games disrupted.

Instead of disappointment, what if GMs and players chose to look at those moments as opportunities to do character development? How, you may ask? One option is to use personal logs as a way to bridge the gap between game days. That’s what I will explore in this article.

SET THE STAGE

Asking players to create personal logs between games accomplishes two things: it helps to keep them engaged in the campaign, and allows them to share more about their characters than they are able to do during a game session. Before taking action, there are a few things that game masters should do first:

Get player feedback: Some players might balk at the idea of crafting personal logs, and that’s fair. Fostering player agency and learning what they find enjoyable at the table is essential to any campaign. I would recommend making any between-session assignments voluntary, and avoid stigmatizing any player who does not wish to participate.

Communicate your expectations: Convey that the goal of creating personal logs is to let other players know more about each other’s characters. What are their routines? What are their likes and dislikes? What are their hopes and fears? What (or who) frustrates them, or brings them joy? For players that have changed or added to their character sheet because of a Milestone or Story Arc advancement, a personal log is a fantastic means to explain how the change occurred for their character.

Also, remind players that the events occurring in their logs should complement, not contradict, the main story. For example, it would be appropriate for a Chief Engineer to log about their efforts to maintain or repair a system, but blowing up the ship would severely change the story! A good rule of thumb is for players to check with the GM first if anything in their log would require a major task roll.

Set parameters: Collaborate with players on when and how they will create and share their logs with the table. Will players share their logs with the group between sessions as they complete them, or would they prefer to wait and share them at the beginning of their next game? Factor the size of the group into your decision. Larger groups may take more time to share their logs, which could affect the overall schedule for the session. Instead, tables with several players might benefit from sharing their logs in a group chat or email between sessions.

Establish a reward: After acknowledging the contributions of the players, consider offering them a group reward when they submit a log, and collaborate with everyone on what would be appropriate. Ideas for possible rewards include granting the players one or two points (total) of Momentum added to the group pool or creating a beneficial Trait for the session that is related to something the players presented in their logs.

LEAN INTO YOUR PLAYERS’ STRENGTHS

Personal logs are usually associated with journaling and writing. While some of us may have zealously assembled volumes of written material about our characters, not everyone enjoys writing. Because this is intended to be a fun and inclusive activity for your players, let’s talk about expanding the definition of a “Personal Log” beyond writing, and lean into the players’ strengths.

For those who do not enjoy writing, ask players to use their hobbies or creative interests to create their logs. Are they artistic? Invite them to visually portray their characters’ on-or-off duty activities using whatever medium they prefer. Examples include sketching out a few comic book panels, creating a painting, sculpting a relevant object in wood or ceramics, and the like. Maybe they are more into dance and movement arts? Ask them to choreograph a short routine. Perhaps they are musically inclined? Challenge them to compose or arrange a short song or rap that evokes the feeling of what their characters are experiencing.

Do you have players who enjoy crafts or a creative trade? Encourage them to show a slice of their character’s life in folk art. They could make a diorama of their captain’s quarters or create their character’s favorite off-duty blanket through knitting or crocheting. Are they scrapbookers? That’s a fantastic way to document their characters’ experiences through mementos, pictures, etc. Are your players talented bakers or cooks? For in-person games, it’s a genuine treat to have them make and share their character’s favorite comfort food with the table (always check for dietary requirements and allergies first).

Let’s not forget players that enjoy more technical or analytical pursuits. Invite them to apply those skills to their logs. Do they love spreadsheets? They could create duty rosters for the NPCs in their department. Or, they can plot a flow chart of an experiment their character is conducting. Or use Blender3D or another applicable program to imagine their character’s workspace, a new piece of technology they are testing, or something else that occupies their character’s imagination. Do you have a player that codes? They could create a small app that their character would use in their daily duties. The sky is the limit!

HELPING PLAYERS THAT ARE STUCK

There may be times when a GM’s players want to participate in making a personal log, but are stuck for ideas. Real life might be getting in the way, or they may just not know their character well enough yet. Everyone falls into a creative rut sometimes. Fortunately, there are a couple of helpful tables and resources in the Star Trek Adventures source books that may jog their creativity. Here are two recommendations:

Star Trek: Lower Decks Campaign Guide: There is a lot of good material in this book about activities that occur on a ship, but in particular, the table titled “Side Missions For Lower Deckers” on page 78 is full of fantastic suggestions for personal log activities.

Captain’s Log Solo Roleplaying Game: This book is built on random tables specifically designed for all scales of adventures. While GMs might want to ask their players to run any ideas they get from these tables by them first, there are plenty of suggestions that would be appropriate for a small scale personal log. In particular, check out “Appendix IV: Additional Matrices – Downtime on a Ship,” pages 312–313.

FINAL THOUGHTS…

Life will always have a way of disrupting even the best-laid gaming schedules, but that doesn’t mean campaigns must grind to a halt. By giving players meaningful opportunities to explore their characters between sessions, a GM can transform unavoidable downtime into another creative way to learn about their characters. Whether through a written log, a piece of artwork, craft, music, spreadsheet, or flowchart, these alternate activities can help keep players connected until everyone’s schedules sync again.

No matter the medium a player uses, my final suggestion is to pay attention to the content they are submitting. It’s easy to get so caught up in the grand vision of a GM’s carefully planned campaign that they lose sight of the proverbial trees. The best campaigns are those that are told in partnership with the players. Their logs are fertile soil for future stories and potential B-plots. While the goal of this article was to suggest a tool that can be used to keep players engaged, the ultimate way to keep players engaged is for them to feel seen, heard, and that their characters matter to the story.

I hope this has been helpful. If you have similar activities going on in your game, I’d love to hear about them! Feel free to elaborate in the comments below.