🧙‍♂️ My Obsidian Setup for D&D
Let’s take a look “behind the screen” at my setup for Dungeons & Dragons. This is how I organize my world and campaigns within Obsidian.
It’s easy to get started with Obsidian but the organizational possibilities are endless. Let’s take a look “behind the screen” at my setup for Dungeons & Dragons. This is how I organize my world and campaigns within Obsidian.
One Vault to rule them all…
I started with two vaults: one for D&D and one for everything else (this blog, home projects, work, etc). My “everything else” has since moved to Notion. I find it better for that sort of stuff. As of today, my Obsidian vault is entirely used for D&D. For more on this topic, consider the big picture on vaults.
Why One Vault for D&D
You can make the argument for using a vault for each campaign or world. But I have a number of “shared” notes that I would be referencing in each (rules references, setting details, etc). That’s not easy to do with Obsidian without duplicating notes (something I try to avoid). So I lean into a single vault and organize it to meet my needs.
Dungeons & Dragons “Behind the Screen” Organization
Here’s my main folder structure. Let’s break it down.
main-vault
└───Atlas
└───Campaigns
└───Characters
└───Gamemaster Tools
└───Items
└───Lore
└───Organizations
└───Ω assets
└───Ω external
└───Ω utilityAtlas
The gazetteer for setting information.
I start with notes for my universal regions. Think “planes of existence.” For my universe, those are the Known World, Elder World, Dark World, Astral Dominion, and Elemental Chaos. I separate out world regions (typically individual settings) into folders. I use folders because I have a lot more notes for an entire setting than I do for the Elemental Chaos.
main-vault
└───Atlas
└───Aer
└───Algoria
└───Dragonmir
└───Eldramir
└───Kandalur
└───Nentir Vale
└───The Fold
└───Xanthomir
│ Astral Dominion.md
│ Dark World.md
│ Elder World.md
│ Elemental Chaos.md
│ The Known World.md
└───Campaigns
└───Characters
└───Gamemaster Tools
└───Items
└───Lore
└───Organizations
└───Ω assets
└───Ω external
└───Ω utilityCampaigns
Campaign-specific notes for planning and logging.
To start, I have a folder for each campaign. Within each, I use files for player characters, session notes, and anything else I need to organize for that specific campaign. If a campaign isn’t part of my overall setting, then I’ll keep setting details within the campaign’s folder instead of the Atlas.
Characters
A comprehensive list of NPCs across campaigns.
Gamemaster Tools
Tools to make my DM life easier.
Random tables (for NPCs, locations, wild magic, and other stuff)
Adventure building binder (design advice)
Homebrew rules
DM Screen
Items
Magical and non-magical items of interest.
Magic items and mundane items like books. I lean heavily into optional lore via books and scrolls.
Lore
Universal truths and systems that reach across settings.
This folder contains information on large-scale events, myths and legends, calendar, cosmology, magic, and the divine pantheon.
Organizations
A complete list of organizations from across my setting and campaigns.
That’s a quick overview of how I organize my Obsidian vault for Dungeons & Dragons.
If you want to dive deeper into my organizational schemas (probably too deep), become a Patron and get exclusive resources for Obsidian & TTRPGs.
Game on.