My setup in Obsidian for TTRPGs in 2023

A tightly connected Obsidian vault can turn tabletop roleplaying prep and play into a single system: world-building pages feed session logs, maps, NPCs, statblocks, and even combat tracking—so the GM and players spend less time hunting information and more time running the game. The core idea is automation through Obsidian plugins (notably Buttons, QuickAdd, and Templater) plus structured templates that keep campaign data consistent across sessions.

The workflow starts at the “world” level. A new campaign is created inside an Obsidian vault using QuickAdd and Templater, with a dedicated folder and a world page that acts as a hub. From there, sessions are generated as either player or GM templates. The session template auto-populates strings like the world name and calendar naming conventions, and it includes a place for post-session summaries and a running log. After a session begins, the log can reference places and people that initially exist only as placeholders; clicking them opens their pages and converts them into real entities with descriptions.

That entity system is where the vault becomes more than note-taking. Locations, NPCs, and factions are linked so that a single query can list “NPCs in place” for a location like Absalom, optionally filtered by faction membership. Instead of manually maintaining indexes, the setup relies on Dataview-style queries and template-driven replacement so the network updates automatically as new pages are created.

For in-game support, the vault integrates mapping and visual prep. When a GM doesn’t provide a map, players can create one with Excalidraw, embed it into the active document, and save it as a PNG into the vault. When the GM does have maps, images can be imported (for example, from Dungeon Scrawl), then upgraded with Obsidian Leaflet so the map becomes zoomable and annotatable. Custom markers—like a thumbtack icon—link directly to location pages, letting the GM hover for context and click to jump to the right notes.

Prep work extends into statblocks and rules reference. The system uses TTRPG Statblocks (by Jeremy Valentine) to insert system-specific monster and character statblocks via templates. It also supports multiple game systems through a “Systems” folder, including Pathfinder 2e conditions as a hoverable reference and links to full rule resources for other systems.

During play, the vault can function as a “DM’s brain attic,” a concept credited to Sly Flourish: a curated set of inspiration and tools. Dice Roller (also by Jeremy Valentine) powers random tables for loot, trinkets, NPC ideas, and plot hooks, built from markdown tables that can be invoked with dice syntax. For monsters, a Dataview query can pull lists by attributes like type and CR range, while a separate “Xio’s Guide to Monsters” tool helps locate stat sources when the vault doesn’t store copyrighted stat text.

Combat is handled with an initiative-focused plugin setup. An Initiative Tracker workspace can be loaded mid-game, then NPCs/PCs and enemies are added with system-appropriate stats. As turns progress, the combat log records damage and condition changes; those condition descriptions can be copied into session notes, reducing the need to look up rules on the fly. The result is a modular system: a simple chronological log is enough for some campaigns, while a fully linked database—maps, statblocks, random tables, and combat tracking—supports heavier prep and smoother running.