Obsidian - Canvas

Obsidian’s new Canvas feature turns tabletop RPG planning into a drag-and-link workflow: notes, stat blocks, images, and decision points can be arranged visually on a board, with connections that mirror how a campaign unfolds. The practical payoff is speed—Dungeon Masters can map an adventure from start to finish, then jump between sections during prep or play without constantly hunting through a long document.

The walkthrough centers on a real use case: a “getting paid” cyberpunk red module imported into Obsidian and then rebuilt as a Canvas map. Canvas nodes are created by right-clicking a folder and choosing “New canvas,” then adding content via “add note and media,” “add card,” “add web page,” or “create group.” Cards act like lightweight, embedded notes on the board. They support Obsidian-style linking, including deep links to specific headings inside a note using a hash (e.g., linking to a “Mission summary” section rather than the entire document). That lets one adventure note serve as the source of multiple board cards—useful when a module is organized by sections rather than requiring one note per chapter.

Connections between cards are drawn by dragging from one node to another, and the board can be organized with arrows and color-coded elements. The creator demonstrates building a mission flow: a phone-call hook becomes its own card, linked to the relevant section in the source note, and later decision points—like a climax at a warehouse—can branch into different cards representing player choices. Even when branches converge, the visual structure makes it easy to see where the party can go next and what information belongs to each step.

Canvas also supports richer prep artifacts. Images can be added from the Vault (PNG filtering is mentioned), then shared to players via links that trigger a “Second Window” plugin workflow on a separate screen. The transcript notes a distinction between native “Second Window” behavior and the Javelin plugin: the plugin is preferred because it better maximizes the display area for player-facing images.

For encounter prep, Canvas cards can contain TTRPG stat blocks and template-driven content. The workflow uses templates (triggered with Alt+T) to populate creatures or NPCs, and it tests encounter blocks—initially flaky, then working again for certain cases. The result is a board that not only shows narrative flow but also visually ties scenes to the specific enemies and encounter parameters needed for each chapter.

Finally, Canvas is compared with Excalidraw-based alternatives (called “Excalibur” in the transcript). Canvas is praised for cleanliness and simplicity, especially for note-centric mapping where hover previews aren’t as immediate. Excalidraw is described as more flexible for true flowchart drawing—shapes, arrow styles, and richer editing—but with more functionality hidden behind menus. The takeaway is a preference split: Canvas fits when the goal is linking and navigating notes; Excalidraw fits when the goal is diagram-first flowcharting. The creator’s wishlist is clear: more flowchart shapes, better arrow formats, and card-to-note click behavior that loads content quickly—moving Canvas closer to a full Vizio/flowchart experience while keeping its note-linking strengths.