How to Track NPC Appearances Across Multiple D&D Sessions

The party meets Captain Elira in Session 3. She gives them a quest. Twelve sessions later, they run into her again… and now you’re flipping through old notes trying to remember:
 What did she know? What did she promise? Did something happen to her while the party was away?

This is where most campaign notes break down.

The Problem: NPCs Change Between Sessions

Let’s say:

• Session 3: The party meets Elira at the docks.
• Session 5: She’s arrested off-screen after a failed smuggling operation.
• Session 14: The party returns to town and finds her running a legitimate trade house.

If those updates live in separate documents or loose notes, you’re forced to manually reconstruct her history every time she reappears.

That friction leads to:

• Inconsistent characterization
• Forgotten plot threads
• Missed payoff moments

The Better Way: Automatic NPC Linking

Instead of treating session notes as isolated documents, track NPC mentions as connected entries. When you log Session 3 and mention “Captain Elira,” her name becomes a reference point. 
When you later log her arrest in Session 5, that entry connects to her automatically.
 When she returns in Session 14, you can instantly see every prior appearance in one place. No searching. No scrolling. No guessing. Each NPC becomes a living timeline instead of a memory test.

Try It in The Log

The Log was built specifically for this use case. Write your session recap. Mention your NPCs naturally. The Log automatically connects them to their past appearances so you can track how they evolve across your campaign. If you’ve ever flipped through notes trying to remember what an NPC knew or how they changed, try logging your next session here and see the difference. Start your next entry in The Log and watch your campaign history build itself.