Live Session Mode

CritForge is a prep tool, not a virtual tabletop. Live Session mode is the part of it that stays useful once dice start rolling — a second tab or screen you glance at when you need a quick NPC voice, an improvised encounter, or a rule lookup without breaking pace.

What live mode is (and isn't)

Live mode runs inside the CritForge chat panel. It doesn't replace your VTT, doesn't track initiative, and doesn't show your players anything. Think of it as an AI co-GM in another browser tab: you ask short questions, get short answers, and get back to the table.

Prep mode is for building content carefully — confirmations before changes, detailed previews, no surprises. Live mode flips those priorities: responses are brief, commands execute immediately, and the quick-action bar shows combat-focused buttons instead of prep-focused ones.

Switching to live mode

Look for the mode indicator at the top of the chat panel. It shows PREP by default.

Click the play button (or the indicator itself) to go live. The badge changes to LIVE with a red pulse so it's visible at a glance. Click it again, or press Ctrl+2 (Windows/Linux) / Cmd+2 (Mac), to switch back to prep.

You can also type into the chat:

• "go live"
• "switch to session mode"
• "start the session"

The mode persists in your browser between page loads, so if you open CritForge mid-session it picks up where you left off.

Keyboard shortcuts

What you can ask in live mode

Live mode understands natural language. You don't need to memorize commands — describe what you need.

Improvised NPCs

• "Quick NPC — nervous stable hand who saw something last night"
• "Give me a merchant who recognizes one of the players"
• "Generate a bandit captain, gruff, wants out of this life"

Encounters on the fly

• "Add reinforcements — two more guards heard the noise"
• "Make this fight harder, the players are breezing it"
• "Add an ambush from the east corridor"

Combat actions

• "Apply frightened condition to the rogue"
• "Roll initiative"
• "Loot the bodies"
• "End combat"

Lookups and queries

• "What's the poisoned condition again?"
• "What did we establish about the blacksmith earlier?"
• "Show me what's in this campaign"

Improv support

• "The players just ignored the plot and went to the docks — give me three hooks"
• "They're asking the innkeeper about the missing shipment, what does she know?"
• "Give me a short rest encounter — something low-stakes but interesting"

The quick-action bar

Below the mode indicator, a collapsible bar shows one-click buttons tuned for wherever you are in the session:

Click any button to pre-fill the command. Edit it if needed, then send.

How live mode differs from prep mode

Review mode (Ctrl/Cmd + 3) is a third option: read-only queries only, no content changes. Useful if a player is watching over your shoulder.

Undo in live mode

Because live mode skips confirmation prompts, an undo toast appears after each action. You have a few seconds to click Undo before the change is final. After that, use the chat versioning commands (/undo, show history) to roll back further.

Clearing the chat without losing context

If the message history gets long and cluttered during a session:

• /clear — wipes the visible messages but keeps campaign context, content associations, and any pending commands. Use this freely.
• /new — full reset: clears everything including campaign context. Use this between sessions, not during them.

Tips for use at the table

Keep it in a second tab or on a secondary screen. The chat doesn't need to be visible to players, and having it off to the side keeps prep separate from play.

Be specific about context. "Give me an NPC" works, but "Give me a suspicious halfling fence in the Night Market who knows about the heist" works better and faster.

Use short questions. Live mode is tuned for brevity. If you ask for a full stat block mid-combat you'll get one, but "quick goblin boss" gets you something useful in under ten seconds.

Switch back to prep after the session. Mode persists in your browser. When you sit down to prep next week, make sure you're back in prep mode so confirmations and previews are on again.