# Obsidian - Heraldry Weaver ![[images/Obsidian-Heraldry-Weaver.webp]] [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI6Rto9XqJg) · 22:35 · Josh Plunkett · 2026-07-31 > Rebuilt from the video transcript on 2026-10-11. An earlier version was written from the chapters and frames because captions weren't available then. ## Outline ### 00:00 Intro - Josh saw a worldbuilding Discord where people said Obsidian is great for TTRPGs but not for worldbuilders. He disagrees, because GMs bring worlds to life too, and tools like the Obsidian TTRPG Tools maps plugin (distance by travel mode) help both groups. - One complaint stuck with him: "I can't manage my heraldry." He'd never seen a heraldry builder in Obsidian, so he made one. - **01:34** Install it from community.obsidian.md/plugins/heraldry-weaver ("Add to Obsidian"), or go Settings → Community plugins → Browse → "Heraldry" → Install → Enable. ![[images/Obsidian-Heraldry-Weaver-t0100.webp]] ### 02:25 How it works - A shield icon in the left ribbon opens a Heraldry side tab, like Randomness had in his previous video. **Roll 9** gives nine random arms. Click one to select it. - **Save** it for later, or **Copy inline reference** to paste a one-line shield into a note. - **Insert block** adds a codeblock with a name, a **seed** and `controls: false`. The arms are built from shapes, not stored as an image, so the seed reproduces them. Set `controls: true` to reroll inside the note. ![[images/Obsidian-Heraldry-Weaver-t0320.webp]] - **03:52** Export as **SVG** or **PNG** for use in other apps, which people asked for. **Copy config** and **Import config** let you share arms with someone else. Importing opens the arms in the builder. - You can name the arms you roll, for example "House Plunkett". ### 05:15 The guide - Josh had to learn heraldry terminology while building the plugin, and he likes plugins that teach. The **Guide** button explains shield shapes used around the world, field divisions, variations and tinctures, with examples. ### 06:19 The builder - For when you have specific arms in mind. It also supports **flags**, a late addition. - Pick the shield type. Choose the field: plain, divided, or a variation, including fiddly furs like vair, counter-vair and ermine. Then pick colours, divisions and **ordinaries**, and save. ![[images/Obsidian-Heraldry-Weaver-t0700.webp]] ### 07:56 Add custom icons: the Plunkett arms - From Google research, the Plunkett family arms are most often a black shield with a white bend and a tower in the top corner. The tower was the only piece Obsidian couldn't already make. - Josh cut the tower out in an image editor: Paste as New Image → Layer → Transparency → Add Alpha Channel → magic wand to delete the background. Then export it as **SVG**, which is required. - **09:10** Settings → Heraldry Weaver → **Asset folder**. Point it at a folder such as `Assets/Heraldry Weaver`. Josh ties this to Obsidian's Files & links default attachment location, so images stay in one corner of the vault. Click **Create subfolders** to make the type subfolders (charges, ordinaries, shields), then drop the SVG into charges. ![[images/Obsidian-Heraldry-Weaver-t0920.webp]] - **10:42** Click **Reload** (or reload the vault). The tower shows up under Imported. Build black, white bend, and the tower placed top-right with the position buttons. One, two or three charges are possible, with size and rotation controls. Save it as **House Plunkett** and embed it in notes. ### 12:19 heraldryclipart.com - The community told him the plugin had to support **heraldryclipart.com**, a huge database of heraldic charges, shields and colours. Josh bought a standard collection pack (about **US$69**) and points to the "view included icons" lists. - **13:46** Put each file in the matching subfolder (charges → charges, and so on). Use "Show in system explorer" on the Heraldry Weaver folder and paste the pack's charges in. The pack's files are WMF. ![[images/Obsidian-Heraldry-Weaver-t1320.webp]] - **Warning:** more assets mean slower vault startup. Don't dump everything in just because GMs are hoarders. Only bring in what you need. - **16:48** After a vault reload, settings show **5,036 custom assets loaded**. The builder's charges now include bears, bulls, camels, castles and more. You can recolour, rotate and add lines behind them. - Josh is not affiliated with the site. Any image in the same format will work. - **19:09** A setting to **include custom content in rolls** brings the new assets into random rolls. The results aren't perfect, since some of the pack's shield shapes don't match the plugin's. Use the sizing controls so a charge overlaps, and the plugin clips it to the shield. ### 20:13 Outro - Heraldry Weaver was vibe-coded with **Claude** and tested heavily. Report bugs and feature requests on GitHub. - An **API** lets templates call the plugin to hard-code a result into a note. A full follow-up video on that is planned. - New users should start with Getting Started at obsidianttrpgtutorials.com rather than "buying my vault and jumping in the deep end". The Discord is the best place to get help, and you can drag a note in to share it. He thanks his Patreon supporters. ## Things Mentioned ### Obsidian plugins and tools - **Heraldry Weaver** (Josh Plunkett): random and custom heraldry and flags, with seeds, inline and codeblock embeds, SVG/PNG export, config sharing, a guide, a builder, custom assets and an API. Free. [Plugin page](https://community.obsidian.md/plugins/heraldry-weaver) - **Randomness** (Josh Plunkett): his earlier plugin, which uses the same side-tab layout. Free. - **Obsidian TTRPG Tools maps plugin**: pinnable maps with travel-distance measuring. Free. - **Obsidian** Files & links: default location for new attachments, used as the assets folder. - **Image editor** with alpha channel and magic wand (the GIMP-style workflow), used to cut out the SVG tower. - **Claude**: the AI used to vibe-code the plugin. - **GitHub**: where to file issues. ### Websites and resources - **heraldryclipart.com**: heraldic clip-art packs. The standard collection is about US$69 (paid). [heraldryclipart.com](https://www.heraldryclipart.com/) - **Obsidian TTRPG Tutorials and Discord community**: free. [obsidianttrpgtutorials.com](https://obsidianttrpgtutorials.com/) - **TTRPG Foundation Vault / Patreon**: paid. [Josh's Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/JPlunkett) ### Heraldry terms covered - Shield shapes (for example the heater), field (plain, divided, variation), divisions, tinctures, furs (vair, counter-vair, ermine), ordinaries (such as the bend) and charges (towers, bears, bulls, camels, castles). ### TTRPG uses - Coats of arms and flags for noble houses, factions, guilds and NPCs, embedded in notes or templates. ## Bios ### Josh Plunkett Josh Plunkett is an Australian game master and YouTuber who makes tutorials on running tabletop RPGs in Obsidian. He runs the Obsidian TTRPG Community, builds plugins (Randomness, Heraldry Weaver and others) with AI-assisted coding, and sells the TTRPG Foundation Vault through Patreon.