Core Concepts & Terminology

TL;DR: Understanding key Scrollbook terminology will help you navigate the platform and documentation more effectively.

This guide explains the fundamental concepts and terms used throughout Scrollbook and Cipher.

Platform Components

Cipher

Cipher is the AI Dungeon Master powered by Claude 4.5 Sonnet. It:

• Narrates your D&D sessions
• Voices NPCs
• Tracks combat and rules
• Generates session summaries
• Answers D&D questions

Think of Cipher as: Your AI assistant that helps run the game, but you (the DM) are still in control.

Scrollbook

Scrollbook is the web application companion to Cipher. It provides:

• Campaign management tools
• Digital character sheets
• Session history and analytics
• Homebrew content creation
• Content library (spells, monsters, items)

Think of Scrollbook as: Your campaign headquarters and digital game table.

Campaign Structure

Guild

A guild refers to your Discord server. In Scrollbook:

• Each Discord server is a separate guild
• Campaigns are tied to specific guilds
• Guild isolation ensures data privacy
• One Scrollbook account can manage multiple guilds

Example: If you have two Discord servers ("Friday Night D&D" and "Weekend Warriors"), each is a separate guild in Scrollbook.

Campaign

A campaign is a D&D adventure with its own:

• Setting and story
• Group of players and characters
• Session history
• NPCs, locations, and quests
• Homebrew content (optional)

Example: "Curse of Strahd" or "Lost Mines of Phandelver"

Relationship: One guild can have multiple campaigns (depending on your tier).

Era

An era defines the time period and overall technological level of your campaign:

• Ancient (mythic, bronze age, early civilizations)
• Medieval (classic fantasy, kingdoms, swords & sorcery)
• Renaissance (early firearms, exploration, invention)
• Industrial (steam power, early modern tech)
• Modern (contemporary, urban fantasy, realism)
• Post-Modern (near-future, advanced tech)
• Cyberpunk (high-tech, low-life, neon dystopia)
• Spacefaring / Sci-Fi (interstellar, high technology)
• Apocalyptic / Post-Apocalyptic
• Custom (homebrew time period or mixed genre)

Purpose: Establishes the technological level, available equipment, societal structure, and thematic tone of your campaign’s world.

Session

A session is a single game session with:

• Start and end time
• Participating players and characters
• AI hours used
• Transcript of what happened
• AI-generated summary

Example: "Session 12: Into the Dragon's Lair" played on 2025-12-05

Characters & Players

User

A user is anyone with a Scrollbook account linked to Discord:

• Has a Discord user ID
• Can be a player in multiple campaigns
• Can be a DM for campaigns (tier permitting)
• Owns characters they create

Character

A character is a D&D player character with:

• Name, class, species, level
• Ability scores and skills
• Equipment and inventory
• Spells (if applicable)
• Features and traits
• Session participation history

Relationship: One user can have multiple characters across different campaigns.

DM (Dungeon Master)

The DM is the user who:

• Creates and manages the campaign
• Runs sessions
• Controls NPCs and encounters
• Uses Cipher as an assistant
• Has special permissions

Role: The DM is the campaign owner and storyteller.

Player

A player is a user who:

• Joins campaigns (doesn't create them on Free tier)
• Creates and plays characters
• Participates in sessions
• Can view campaign information

Role: Players interact with the world the DM creates.

AI & Features

Cipher Context

Cipher context is the information Cipher uses to run your game:

• Campaign setting and tone
• Active characters and their details
• Recent session history
• NPCs and locations
• Current conversation

Important: Context has limits (token budget). Cipher focuses on recent/relevant information.

Conversation Memory

Conversation memory is Cipher's short-term memory:

• Per-channel memory (each Discord channel separate)
• Stores recent messages and interactions
• Resets after 24 hours of inactivity (DM context)
• Can be manually cleared by DM

Use Case: Cipher remembers what happened earlier in the session.

AI Hours

AI hours measure the amount of time the AI is actively generating responses for your game. Tracking begins the moment a request is sent to the AI and ends when the final response is returned.

AI hours include:

• Time the AI spends thinking, narrating, or processing actions
• Time spent generating story content, NPC dialogue, rulings, etc.

AI hours do NOT include:

• Player downtime or chatting
• Dice rolling or mechanics handled outside the AI
• Character creation or browsing Scrollbook

Reset behavior:

• Subscription plans: AI hours reset monthly
• Hour packs: AI hours never expire

Example: A 3-hour play session might use ~2.5 AI hours, since player discussion, dice rolls, and other non-AI moments don’t count.

Prompt Caching

Prompt caching is a cost-saving feature:

• Caches campaign context, character sheets, etc.
• Reduces AI costs by ~90%
• Happens automatically in the background
• Makes Cipher faster and more affordable

You don't need to do anything - it works automatically!

Content & Data

SRD (Systems Reference Document)

The SRD is the free, open-source D&D content:

• Basic classes, spells, monsters
• Core rules and mechanics
• Available to all users for free

Limitation: Does NOT include all D&D content (e.g., specific subclasses, non-SRD species).

Homebrew

Homebrew is custom content you create:

• Custom classes and subclasses
• Custom species (races)
• Custom spells and items
• Custom monsters
• Custom backgrounds

Sharing: Can be private, campaign-only, server-wide, or public.

Template

A template is a blueprint for creating homebrew:

• Class template (define features by level)
• Species template (traits and bonuses)
• Used when creating custom content

Example: "Create a Blood Hunter class template with custom subclasses"

Sessions & Tracking

Session Transcript

A session transcript is the complete record of:

• All messages in the session
• Dice rolls and results
• Cipher narration
• Player actions
• Combat rounds

Use Case: Review what happened, create recaps, preserve memories.

Session Summary

A session summary is an AI-generated recap:

• Key events and highlights
• Character actions
• NPCs encountered
• Loot acquired
• Quest progress
• Next session hook

Created: Automatically when you end a session.

Attendance

Attendance tracks who played:

• Which players were present
• Which characters participated
• Used for XP distribution
• Analytics and insights

Permissions & Access

RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)

RBAC is the permission system:

• Admin: Full platform access
• DM: Create/manage campaigns
• Player: Join campaigns, create characters
• Moderator: Special permissions (server moderation)
• Beta Tester: Early access to new features

Set by: Campaign DM or server admin.

Guild Isolation

Guild isolation ensures:

• Each Discord server's data is separate
• Players in Server A can't see Server B's campaigns
• Security and privacy
• Multi-tenancy support

Why it matters: Your campaign data is private to your server.

Technical Terms

API Token

An API token is:

• Your authentication key for API access
• Required for Multi-Campaign tier and above
• Used to integrate with external tools
• Should be kept secret

Format: sb_live_abc123xyz789

Webhook

A webhook is:

• An HTTP callback for events
• Notifies your server when events occur
• Used for integrations
• Requires configuration

Example Events: session.ended, character.level_up, campaign.created

Rate Limiting

Rate limiting prevents abuse:

• Limits API requests per minute/hour
• Varies by tier
• Returns 429 error when exceeded
• Automatic retry recommended

Limits: Free tier: 30/min, Multi-Campaign: 60/min, etc.

Tiers & Billing

Subscription Tier

Your subscription tier determines:

• Number of campaigns you can create
• AI hours per month
• API access level
• Advanced features

Tiers: Free Adventurer, Single Campaign, Multi-Campaign, Unlimited Guild, Enterprise

Hour Pack

An hour pack is:

• Additional AI hours you can purchase
• Never expires (unlike subscription hours)
• Shared across all campaigns
• Used when subscription hours run out

Use Case: You ran out of monthly hours but have a session tonight.

Common Acronyms

• DM: Dungeon Master
• PC: Player Character
• NPC: Non-Player Character
• XP: Experience Points
• HP: Hit Points
• AC: Armor Class
• CR: Challenge Rating
• SRD: Systems Reference Document
• RBAC: Role-Based Access Control
• API: Application Programming Interface
• JWT: JSON Web Token

Relationships Diagram

Discord Server (Guild)
├── Campaign 1
│   ├── Session 1
│   ├── Session 2
│   ├── Character A (Player 1)
│   ├── Character B (Player 2)
│   ├── NPC 1
│   └── Quest 1
└── Campaign 2
    ├── Session 1
    └── Character C (Player 1)

User (You)
├── Character A (Campaign 1)
├── Character C (Campaign 2)
└── Character D (Campaign 3, different server)

Next Steps

Now that you understand the core concepts:

• New to Scrollbook? → Quickstart Guide
• Want to create a campaign? → Campaign Management
• Understanding Cipher AI? → AI Dungeon Master Guide
• Need more definitions? → Glossary

Still Confused?

• FAQ - Common questions answered
• Discord Community - Ask other users
• Contact Support - Get personalized help

Last Updated: 2025-12-07 Version: 1.0 Maintained by: Documentation Team