Lets Learn Obsidian.md - Installation and First Notes

Obsidian.md is pitched as a free, markdown-based note system built for tabletop role-playing games—where the standout feature is how effortlessly one note can link to another, turning NPCs, locations, items, and campaign lore into a connected knowledge base. The practical payoff is speed and organization: as notes are written, links form automatically, and the resulting structure can be visualized (via graph view) or navigated through folders and headings.

A key theme is control over data. Notes live locally on a PC or device inside a “vault,” which is essentially a folder Obsidian manages. That local-first approach is contrasted with subscription-based online campaign managers, especially in scenarios where internet access fails at the table. The workflow described is straightforward: download Obsidian for the operating system (Mac, Linux, Windows) and also use it on mobile devices (iOS/Android), then create a new vault by pointing Obsidian to a folder location.

From there, the tutorial demonstrates the basics that make the tool feel powerful even before plugins. Notes are plain text files, typically with a .md extension, meaning they can be opened later in standard editors like Notepad. Formatting relies on markdown conventions: headings use hash marks (#, ##, ###) to create a collapsible hierarchy; bullet points use dashes; bold uses Control+B; italics uses single asterisks. The emphasis is that markdown is easy to learn and future-proof, since the underlying data remains accessible.

The “core feature” is linking. By typing [[ and then selecting or typing a note name, Obsidian creates internal links between notes. Hovering can show previews, and those links then power navigation and visualization. Graph view is introduced as a way to see connections between notes as nodes and edges; it can be fun and useful for understanding a campaign’s structure, though it may slow down if used heavily.

Organization is handled through folders and a recommended attachment strategy. The tutorial shows creating folders for categories like NPCs and locations, then linking notes across that structure (e.g., an NPC working at a blacksmith in a city, which sits inside a region). For images, it recommends a dedicated “Z_” attachments folder and using “Set as attachment folder” so pasted images land in a consistent place. Renaming images can optionally update all references automatically.

Finally, settings are framed as the difference between “just notes” and a tailored RPG workspace. Appearance themes can be swapped, editor options can change readability and line length, and spell check can be enabled with a chosen dictionary (including an Australian English option). Rendering behavior is adjustable through editing/preview modes and “live preview” preferences. The tutorial also points to core and community plugins as the “magic garden” that can transform Obsidian into a full campaign management system—mentioning features like automatic linking, step blocks, initiative trackers, maps with pins, and even AI-assisted generation—while keeping the initial learning curve manageable.