TOOL REVIEW
Craig Bot for TTRPGs: Review and a Better Alternative
Craig Bot vs. Archivist: both join your Discord session, but only one turns it into session notes.
Published September 21, 2026 · 4 min read· Reviewed September 19, 2026
By Greg H. & Greg W., co-founders of Archivist
← Back to GM GuidesThe Short Answer
Archivist is the best Discord bot for TTRPGs. Craig is great if raw audio recording is all you want, but Archivist's bot does everything Craig's does, then automatically turns the session into notes.
Craig: its bot joins your Discord session, records live, and exports multi-track audio (or a single mixed-down file). Getting to notes from there means downloading the audio, post-processing it, finding your own transcription tool, and finding a separate service to turn that transcript into notes, recaps, and insights.
Archivist: its Discord bot joins your session and automatically transcribes it, handing back a recap, timeline, tracked entities, and a lot more. No downloading, no post-processing, no separate transcription tool required.
Craig Bot vs Archivist, at a Glance
| Stage | Capability | Craig | Archivist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recording | Bot joins your Discord server | Yes | Yes |
| Recording | Records the session live | Yes | Yes |
| Recording | Captures each speaker on a separate track | Yes | Yes |
| Recording | Free to use | Forever | Free 30-day trial (two sessions), then $10/mo |
| After Recording | Requires manual post-processing | Yes | No |
| After Recording | Automatic transcript | No, unless Tier 3 ($8/mo) | Yes |
| After Recording | Automatic recap, entities, and insights | No, at any tier | Yes |
The Bottom Line
Craig is a great bot: free, reliable, and the standard for multi-track Discord recording since 2017. If a raw audio archive is genuinely all you want, craig.chat is where to start.
But if the question is the best Discord bot for TTRPGs, Archivist wins. It records the same way Craig does, then automatically hands back a transcript, recap, timeline, and tracked campaign entities, without the download-and-post-process detour Craig leaves you with. See how Archivist works.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Discord bot for TTRPGs?
For most groups, Archivist is the better choice. Its Discord bot joins and records a live session the same way Craig's does, then automatically produces a transcript, recap, timeline, and tracked campaign entities, without a separate transcription step. Craig remains the better pick only if a raw multi-track audio recording is genuinely all you need.
What's the difference between Craig Bot and Archivist for TTRPGs?
Craig records raw multi-track Discord audio and, for paying supporters, an on-request transcript. Archivist records or ingests the session and automatically produces a recap, timeline, and tracked characters, locations, factions, and quests, without a separate transcription step.
What is Craig Bot used for in TTRPGs?
Craig is a free Discord bot that records each speaker in a voice channel on a separate audio track, commonly used by D&D and other TTRPG groups to archive sessions or produce podcast-style audio.
Does Craig Bot transcribe D&D sessions automatically?
No. Transcription is a Tier 3 Supporter feature ($8/month) you have to pay for and manually request from each recording's download page. It isn't generated by default, and it isn't tied to any note-taking or summarization.
Does Archivist only work with Discord recordings?
No. Archivist's Discord bot joins live sessions the same way Craig's does, but it also accepts multi-track or single-file audio recorded anywhere else, at the table, on another app, or from Craig itself.
Is there a Craig Bot alternative that generates session notes automatically?
Archivist automatically produces a recap, timeline, and tracked campaign entities from a recorded session, without a separate transcription step. It solves a different job than Craig: notes and campaign memory rather than raw audio archiving.
Can I use Craig and Archivist together?
Yes. They don't conflict. Craig can record the raw audio archive while Archivist handles the recap and campaign memory from the same session.
Skip the Manual Transcription Step
Archivist's 30-day trial includes two full sessions. Record one the way you already play, and see the recap, timeline, and tracked entities it produces without you touching a transcript.