# Obsidian - Patreon Vault 2024 ![[images/Obsidian-Patreon-Vault-2024.webp]] [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA-eHfJGO20) · 43:46 · Josh Plunkett · 2024-01-19 ## Outline ### 00:00 Introduction to the vault - All of Josh's tutorials are free; the Patreon exists because people wanted a way to say thanks. Members get a "foundational" vault with plugins, themes, templates and pre-built notes already in place. - Joining the Patreon (J Plunkett) sends download links automatically. Tonight's plan: download it, tour it, and talk about adapting it to your own games. ### 01:25 Installing the vault - Unzip, drag the vault folder wherever you keep vaults, and rename it (he uses "My New Vault"). - In Obsidian use **Open another vault**, then **Open folder as vault**, pick the folder, and click **Trust author and enable plugins**. This is also how you open any vault someone shares with you. ### 03:15 Updating plugins and themes - First job: Settings, Community plugins, **Check for updates**. Josh does this about once a day because community plugins update constantly; the vault ships with versions as of when he last saved it. - Also update the theme under Appearance (the vault uses the **ITS Theme**, built with TTRPG styles) and check General for a new Obsidian version. He's on the paid Insider/beta channel, so his builds can be ahead of yours. - In **Style Settings**, ITS Theme, Alternate colour schemes, pick a look. He uses blue to tell this vault apart; the TTRPG schemes include Slurbs' D&D theme, Wizards of the Coast Beyond and Pathfinder, which he likes. Dark mode is under Appearance. ![[images/Obsidian-Patreon-Vault-2024-t0530.webp]] ### 06:58 Navigating vault structure - The numbered folders show one way to organise a TTRPG vault. The Obsidian TTRPG Tutorial readme introduces it and can be deleted. - **Scratch Notes** holds throwaway test notes (a new statblock or plugin) and quick "link" notes he uses instead of search, which he finds returns too many results. ### 08:36 Using the DM toolkit - The **DM board** uses Dataview to pull from party notes (player names, passive perception, AC), Meta Bind buttons that trigger templates, and a query that builds a unique list of languages the party knows. ![[images/Obsidian-Patreon-Vault-2024-t0850.webp]] - He drags it into the right sidebar and **pins** it so links open in the main pane, turning notes into custom sidebar "apps". - A **DM side screen** customised for D&D 5e has rules links, which are broken until you generate notes with the CLI tool. ### 10:33 Setting up CLI tools - The CLI turns content you own (spells, monsters, adventures, books) into notes fast. Links to the process live in the Mechanics CLI folder; he suggests doing it first. - Broken-link reports usually come from leaving the three basic 5e books out of the books setting: the side screen links to headings inside book notes (for example chapter 8's Dexterity and Strength sections) rather than separate notes. - Generated notes drop into `3- Mechanics/CLI`. ### 13:00 Customizing for other systems - The side screen is just a note and a table, so you can swap the links for Pathfinder or any system. Use Live Preview so the new table editing works. - A horizontal DM screen is included, though he now prefers the sidebar approach. ### 14:25 Configuring the home note - The **home note** opens with the plus key, is meant for reading mode, has top links to vault areas, and uses Dataview for players, session journals, the last 10 modified NPCs, recent locations and recently modified notes, which is handy just before a session. ![[images/Obsidian-Patreon-Vault-2024-t1430.webp]] - A **journey board** uses Excalidraw rather than Canvas, which in his testing is visibly faster, and Excalidraw can be published to Obsidian Publish sites. A 5e **travel calculator** is included, with other versions such as Pathfinder on the website. Meta Bind errors usually clear on refresh or in reading mode. - He plans to add Charts View graphs of note types. Notes can be docked in any sidebar section you like. ### 18:08 Managing party notes - The **Party** folder holds one note per player (Bob and Fred as examples); subfolders can separate multiple parties. - The DM board's **New Player** button creates a note from `Z Templates/Template Player`. In source mode the Meta Bind button has a label, a style (primary/secondary changes colour) and a Templater "create note" action pointing at a template and a file name. - To make your own button, copy that block and change the label, template and file name. The template sets properties, moves the note to `1- Party` (use "1-" not "1." because dots break some plugins), and prompts for the player name when the note is called "New Player", which is why the button's file name matters. ### 22:12 Integrating character sheets - Player notes keep level, HP, AC and modifier in properties for Dataview and for **Initiative Tracker**, where you add each player under Settings, Players, then build and set a default party. ![[images/Obsidian-Patreon-Vault-2024-t2210.webp]] - Josh doesn't recommend building full character sheets in Obsidian as a DM: they're complex code, and buying a book on **Demiplane** or **D&D Beyond** costs less than the time spent. Tracking your own sheet manually as a player is fine. - Demiplane supports Pathfinder, Candela Obscura, Avatar Legends, Vampire and more, with Alien, new Starfinder and third-party 5e on the way; no subscription needed, just bought content. - The sheets embed via the **Custom Frames** plugin: add a frame named like `demiplane_charactername`, paste the site's share link, and reference it at the bottom of the note. It works for any website. ### 28:10 Setting up session journals - Kept deliberately simple (attendance plus a session overview) so he actually fills it in when tired after a game. Edit the session template to suit; journals feed the home note. ### 29:16 World building and mapping - The **World** folder holds a folder per setting (for example Forgotten Realms) and per city or dungeon, turned into **folder notes** with Ctrl+click. - An example region map he made in 2018 links to areas such as Creeper's Cave, whose note uses a heading per room, linked as `Note#Heading`. His maps are free to use. A New Location button files notes into the folder. ![[images/Obsidian-Patreon-Vault-2024-t2950.webp]] - Mechanics: 5e players should use the CLI; Pathfinder 2e notes allowed to be hosted are on GitHub, and the community is exploring exporting adventures and custom monsters from Foundry VTT (licence around $50). Other systems: ask in the Discord. ### 32:54 Managing items and NPCs - The **Help Mate** plugin opens obsidianttrpgtutorials.com inside Obsidian, including the community/Discord section and an updated Getting Started page with GIFs for basic formatting. - Guilds and Groups, Items and NPCs folders each have buttons and templates. CLI notes get their own folders and the CLI folder is locked as read-only. Pasted images go to Assets. ### 34:48 Utilizing templates - **Alt+T** opens the Templater list: treasure and read-aloud callouts, ITS wiki-style left/right sections (which need reading mode), insert monster, custom encounter, timelines, map code, website embeds, a map calculator, a community weather generator he'll fix, and chart examples. - He uses templates to add components he doesn't want to memorise rather than whole notes. - Also installed: Advanced Tables (probably unnecessary now), Dice Roller's dice tray, and Initiative Tracker. ### 38:45 Finalizing vault setup - Start by reviewing the templates. Renaming folders will break Dataview queries that expect those paths, so update them if you do. - The home note's four main image buttons (world map, journey board, current module, party) can get your own images and targets; spaces in note names become `%20`. - Pull it apart and learn how parts work together, and share what you build in the Discord. He wants to add community examples like character sheets. - Patreon is about $3 a month; signing up for one month to get the vault is fine by him. ## Things Mentioned ### Obsidian plugins and themes - **ITS Theme** with **Style Settings**: free; TTRPG colour schemes (Slurbs D&D, Wizards of the Coast Beyond, Pathfinder). - **Dataview**: free; drives the DM board, home note and player tables. - **Meta Bind**: free; buttons and input fields such as the travel calculator. - **Templater**: free; button actions and the Alt+T component templates. - **Initiative Tracker**, **Dice Roller** and **Fantasy Statblocks**-style monster inserts: free Javalent TTRPG plugins. - **Excalidraw**: free; journey board, preferred over core **Canvas** for speed. - **Custom Frames**: free; embeds Demiplane and D&D Beyond character sheets. - **Folder Notes**, **Help Mate**, **Charts View**, **Advanced Tables**: free community plugins. - **Obsidian Publish** (paid) and the Obsidian Insider/Catalyst beta (paid). ### Tools and websites - [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/): free. - [Obsidian TTRPG Tutorials](https://obsidianttrpgtutorials.com/): Josh's free site with the CLI guides and travel calculators. - [Josh Plunkett on Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/JPlunkett): paid (about $3 a month), includes the Foundation Vault. - The 5e CLI tool for converting owned content into notes, free. - Obsidian TTRPG Community Discord, free. ### TTRPG systems and products - **D&D 5e** and **D&D Beyond** (paid content), the Forgotten Realms. - **Pathfinder 2e** notes on GitHub, **Foundry VTT** (paid licence, around $50). - **Demiplane** digital sheets (paid content): Pathfinder, Candela Obscura, Avatar Legends, Vampire, with Alien and Starfinder coming. ## Bios - **Josh Plunkett**: Australian GM and YouTuber behind Obsidian TTRPG Tutorials, who teaches running tabletop campaigns in Obsidian and helps run the Obsidian TTRPG Community Discord. - **Bob and Fred**: the example party members in the vault's Party folder (Wilmer is created live as a demo).