D&D Campaign Manager

Plan and run D&D 5e campaigns entirely inside Obsidian. One plugin replaces a stack of single-purpose tools: typed entity management, a session runner dashboard, an in-house initiative tracker, an interactive map with fog of war, and more.

Device support: Optimized for desktop and tablet use. Mobile (phone) is usable for quick additions and references — slash commands, secrets, quick notes, statblock reading, quest board, timeline — but canvas-based views (Campaign Map, NPC Relationship Graph) are not an ideal experience on small touch screens. Multi-panel layouts like the Session Runner also work best with a wider display.

Quick Start

1. Install — Copy main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css into your vault's .obsidian/plugins/dnd-campaign-manager/ folder. Enable the plugin in Settings > Community Plugins.
2. Initialize your vault — Open the command palette (Ctrl/Cmd + P) and run "Campaign: Initialize Campaign Vault". Enter your campaign name (e.g., Curse of Strahd). This creates all the folders and templates you need. This can be done in an already existing vault.
3. Create your first entity — Run "Campaign: Create NPC" from the command palette, or type /add npc Goruk the Mighty in any note.

Required Companion Plugins

Features

Initialize Campaign Vault

Command: Campaign: Initialize Campaign Vault

Sets up a fresh vault for campaign management in seconds. Perfect for DMs who start a new vault for each campaign.

What it creates:

Campaign/
  PCs/
  NPCs/
  Quests/
  Locations/
  Sessions/
  Factions/
  Items/
Templates/
  Campaign/
    npc.md
    pc.md
    quest.md
    location.md
    session.md
    faction.md
    item.md

D&D Example: You're starting Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. Run the command, type "Waterdeep: Dragon Heist", and you've got a fully organized vault ready to fill with NPCs, locations, and session prep.

Entity Creation & Templates

Commands: Campaign: Create NPC, Create PC, Create Quest, Create Location, Create Session, Create Faction, Create Item

Each command prompts you for a name and creates a fully structured markdown file with frontmatter fields tailored to that entity type.

D&D Example — Creating an NPC: Run Campaign: Create NPC and type "Volothamp Geddarm". The plugin creates Campaign/NPCs/Volothamp Geddarm.md with:

---
id: 01HXK...
kind: npc
disposition: neutral
status: alive
role:
race:
factions: []
location:
relationships: []
secrets: []
---

Plus sections for Appearance, Personality (Ideal/Bond/Flaw), Voice & Mannerisms, Secrets (GM-only), Plot Hooks, and Relationships.

Templates live in your vault at Templates/Campaign/. You can edit them to match your style — add custom sections, change the prompts, restructure as you like.

Slash Commands

Type / in any note to access quick commands. A suggestion popup appears as you type.

Tip: If you type /add npc without a name, the plugin will prompt you for one instead of creating a dead link.

D&D Example — Mid-session notes: You're running a session and the party meets a new NPC. In your session note, type:

/add npc Renaer Neverember

This creates the NPC file, links it in your session note, and you can flesh out the NPC later. Then log what happened:

/log event Party rescued Renaer from the Zhentarim warehouse
/roll 2d6+3

Result: - **2026-04-16 19:30** — Party rescued Renaer from the Zhentarim warehouse and: `2d6+3 = 11` (4, 4)

Dice Rolling

Type /roll followed by standard dice notation.

The result is inserted inline: `1d20 = 15` (15)

Auto-Linking

Command: Campaign: Auto-link entities in current file

Scans your note for entity names and wraps them in [[wikilinks]]. Knows all entity names and aliases. Respects existing links, code blocks, and frontmatter — won't double-link or break formatting.

D&D Example: You write a session note with plain text:

The party met Goruk at the Yawning Portal. He told them about the Zhentarim's plot.

Run the auto-link command and it becomes:

The party met [[Goruk]] at the [[Yawning Portal]]. He told them about the [[Zhentarim]]'s plot.

Quest Board

Command: Campaign: Open Quest Board | Ribbon icon: Scroll

A dedicated panel that groups all your quests by state: Hook (rumors the party hasn't engaged with), Active, Completed, Failed, Abandoned.

D&D Example: You've created quests like "Find the Stone of Golorr" (active), "Rescue Floon" (completed), and "Investigate the Fireball" (hook). The Quest Board shows them grouped and color-coded. Click any quest to jump to its note.

Quest states are controlled by the state: field in quest frontmatter. Update it to active, completed, failed, or abandoned and the board updates automatically.

Campaign Issues (Diagnostics)

Command: Campaign: Open Campaign Issues

Shows all entity files with schema validation errors — missing required fields, wrong types, invalid values. Like a linter for your campaign notes.

D&D Example: You accidentally set an NPC's disposition: grumpy (not a valid value — should be hostile/unfriendly/neutral/friendly/allied). The diagnostics panel flags it with the file, field, and error message. Click the filename to jump there and fix it.

Initiative Tracker

Command: Campaign: Open Initiative Tracker | Ribbon icon: Swords

A full combat tracker built into Obsidian. No external dependencies.

Features:

• Add PCs from index — One click pulls all your PC entities in with their HP, AC, and initiative bonuses
• Add NPCs manually — Name, HP, AC, initiative
• Roll initiative — "Roll All NPCs" button, or edit individual values
• Track HP — +1/+5/-1/-5 buttons, temp HP support, damage absorbs temp HP first
• Conditions — All 16 D&D 5e conditions (blinded, charmed, frightened, etc.) plus Concentrating and Exhaustion
• Turn tracking — Round counter, current turn highlighted, forward/back navigation

D&D Example: The party is ambushed by 3 goblins and a bugbear.

1. Click Add PCs — your 4 PCs appear with their stats from the entity index
2. Click Add NPC four times for the enemies (Goblin 1, Goblin 2, Goblin 3, Bugbear)
3. Click Roll All NPCs — goblins and bugbear get initiative rolls
4. Combat! Track HP with the +/- buttons. Toggle prone on a goblin when the fighter shoves it. Mark the wizard as concentrating on Hold Person.
5. The bugbear hits the rogue hard — click -12 (hold -5, -5, -1, -1) or edit HP directly

Session Runner

Command: Campaign: Start Session (layout) | Ribbon icon: Play

Opens a three-panel layout optimized for running a live game session:

• Left sidebar: Session Runner dashboard
• Center: Your session note in the editor
• Right sidebar: Initiative Tracker

Session Runner features:

• Pick Session — Load any session entity from the index
• Quick Insert buttons — Insert NPC Link, Roll, Event, Loot, Mark Secret Revealed
• Session info panel — Shows session number, date, PCs present, strong start
• NPC panel — Quick access to all campaign NPCs with disposition badges
• Quick Note capture — Type in the text box and hit Enter to append a timestamped line to the session log

D&D Example: Session 12 of your campaign. You:

1. Run "Start Session" from the command palette
2. Pick "Session 12 - The Dragon's Lair"
3. Click "Open in Editor" to get your session note in the center pane
4. During play, use Quick Insert buttons to drop NPC links and log events
5. When combat starts, the Initiative Tracker is already open on the right
6. Use the Quick Note box to jot observations: "Players really enjoyed the puzzle with the colored gems"

PC Sheet

Command: Campaign: Open PC Sheet

A read-only character sheet view that displays ability scores, combat stats, spell slots, and a link to the full note.

Importing from D&D Beyond:

1. Click Import from DDB in the PC Sheet view
2. Paste a D&D Beyond character URL (e.g., https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/12345678) — the character must be set to Public on DDB
3. The plugin fetches the character data and creates a fully populated PC file

Fallback: If the URL doesn't work (character is private or DDB changes their API), paste the character's JSON export from the Beyond20 browser extension instead.

D&D Example: Your player just leveled up on DDB. Paste their character URL into the importer and the PC file updates with new HP, spell slots, and ability scores.

NPC Relationship Graph

Command: Campaign: Open NPC Relationship Graph

A canvas-based visual graph showing NPCs and factions as nodes, with edges drawn from relationships, factions, allies, and enemies frontmatter fields.

• Drag nodes to rearrange the layout
• Double-click a node to open that entity's note
• Color-coded edges: green = ally, red = enemy, gray = other relationships

D&D Example: You've built out the Waterdeep faction network — Zhentarim, Xanathar Guild, Harpers, Lords' Alliance, Force Grey. Open the graph and instantly see who's allied, who's at war, and which NPCs belong to which faction. Drag the Xanathar node next to the Zhentarim to visually group the antagonists.

Campaign Map

Command: Campaign: Open Campaign Map

An interactive map view with fog of war and pin placement.

Setup:

1. Create a Location entity with a map_image: field pointing to an image in your vault (e.g., map_image: Maps/waterdeep.png)
2. Open the Campaign Map and click Pick Location
3. Select your location — the map loads with full fog of war (map is hidden)

Using the map:

• Pan: Click and drag
• Zoom: Scroll wheel
• Reveal fog: Click "Fog: OFF" to toggle to "Fog: REVEAL", then paint circles on the map to uncover areas
• Place pins: Double-click anywhere (with fog mode off) to add a labeled pin
• Navigate pins: Double-click an existing pin to open its linked entity
• Save: Click "Save Fog/Pins" to persist revealed areas and pins to the location's frontmatter

D&D Example: You have a dungeon map. As the party explores, toggle fog reveal and paint the rooms they've entered. Place pins labeled "Trapped Door", "Boss Room", "Secret Passage". The fog state saves to frontmatter so it persists between sessions.

Settings Reference

Entity Frontmatter Reference

Every entity file has YAML frontmatter that the plugin validates. Here are the key fields for each kind:

NPC

kind: npc
disposition: neutral    # hostile | unfriendly | neutral | friendly | allied
status: alive           # alive | dead | missing | unknown
role: Tavern keeper
race: Dwarf
factions: ["[[Zhentarim]]"]
location: "[[Yawning Portal]]"
relationships:
  - target: "[[Renaer Neverember]]"
    kind: rival
secrets: ["Secretly reports to Manshoon"]

PC

kind: pc
player: Alex
class: Wizard
level: 5
race: High Elf
hp: { current: 32, max: 38, temp: 0 }
ac: 15
stats: { str: 8, dex: 14, con: 12, int: 20, wis: 13, cha: 10 }

Quest

kind: quest
state: active           # hook | active | completed | failed | abandoned
giver: "[[Volothamp Geddarm]]"
objectives:
  - text: Find Floon Blagmaar
    done: true
  - text: Investigate the warehouse
    done: false
rewards: ["10 gold dragons", "A map to the Vault"]

Location

kind: location
type: settlement        # region | settlement | dungeon | poi | realm | plane
parent: "[[Sword Coast]]"
map_image: Maps/waterdeep.png

Session

kind: session
number: 12
date: 2026-04-16
pcs_present: ["[[Elara]]", "[[Goruk]]", "[[Theron]]"]
strong_start: "A fireball explodes in Trollskull Alley"

Faction

kind: faction
alignment: Lawful Evil
leader: "[[Manshoon]]"
influence: 7            # 0-10 scale
allies: ["[[Doom Raiders]]"]
enemies: ["[[Harpers]]"]

Item

kind: item
rarity: rare            # common | uncommon | rare | very-rare | legendary | artifact
attunement: true
cursed: false
owner: "[[Elara]]"

Secrets & Clues Pool

Commands:

• Secrets: Add a secret or clue to the pool
• Secrets: Reveal a secret to the players
• Secrets: Open pool file

A Lazy DM pool of unrevealed plot threads for the current campaign. Stored as plain markdown at Campaigns/<name>/Secrets.md with GFM task-list syntax so you can also check boxes manually.

D&D Example: During session prep you brainstorm 10 secrets the players could uncover. Run "Add a secret or clue" for each: "The innkeeper is a werewolf", "The map was forged by the BBEG". During play, when the party discovers one, run "Reveal a secret" — it moves from the Unrevealed section to Revealed, tagged with the current session. Any unrevealed secrets roll forward to the next session automatically.

Statblock Rendering

Inline D&D 5e-style monster statblocks via a campaign-statblock code block. DM-friendly YAML format, no external plugin dependency.

Usage:

```campaign-statblock
name: Goblin
size: Small
type: humanoid (goblinoid)
alignment: Neutral Evil
ac: 15 (leather armor, shield)
hp: 7 (2d6)
speed: 30 ft.
stats:
  str: 8
  dex: 14
  con: 10
  int: 10
  wis: 8
  cha: 8
skills: Stealth +6
senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
languages: Common, Goblin
cr: 1/4
actions:
  - name: Scimitar
    text: "Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage."
  - name: Shortbow
    text: "Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage."
```

Supports all 5e statblock fields: AC, HP, speed, stats, saves, skills, damage/condition immunities/resistances, senses, languages, CR, traits, actions, bonus actions, reactions, legendary actions. Missing fields just don't render.

Name Generator

When creating an NPC — via the command palette or /add npc — the prompt includes a Generate name button. Click it to fill the field with a random fantasy-flavored name across 9 races (human, elf, dwarf, halfling, dragonborn, tiefling, gnome, half-orc, orc). Click again to cycle through suggestions. The generator is built-in and doesn't depend on any network call.

Campaign Timeline

Command: Open Campaign Timeline

A chronological ItemView that aggregates every ## Session log bullet from every session note in the active campaign. Sessions group by number (then date); entries within each session appear in their original order.

• Filter box at the top — type part of an entity name (e.g. Goruk) to show only lines that mention it.
• Click a session title to jump to the session note.
• Auto-refreshes when you switch campaigns or when the entity index changes.

D&D Example: Halfway through a campaign you ask "wait, when did the party first meet Strahd?" Open the Timeline, type Strahd in the filter, scroll to the first match — it's right there with a session link.

Command Reference

Interoperability

The plugin is designed to stay usable on its own, and to interoperate cleanly with a future hosted memory service (campaign-scribe, planned for v0.6) and other tools in the same ecosystem.

Every entity writes an envelope with a version stamp:

• id (ULID), kind, aliases, visibility, tags
• schema_version: 1
• canonical_name (optional; falls back to the note's file name)
• summary (optional, ≤240 characters)
• created, updated (ISO 8601)

NOTICE.md lists the exact values of every shared enum (EntityKind, Visibility, Disposition, NPCStatus, QuestState, LocationType, ItemRarity). Renaming or adding a value is treated as a schema_version bump.

A few things the plugin does not adopt on purpose:

• Flat relationship fields (friends:, factions:, etc.) remain canonical, editable directly in Obsidian's Properties panel. When a central relationship service lands, it will merge with those fields rather than replace them — the offline, in-Obsidian experience stays first-class.
• Per-character visibility is not modeled. Files are gm, player, or both. Per-player fog of knowledge is a future concern, not a v0.1 field.
• No codegen / shared npm package. The Zod schemas here are hand-written and ~200 LoC total; pulling them through a generator for a single TypeScript consumer isn't worth the build complexity yet.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.

This plugin vendors code from Fantasy Statblocks (MIT) and Zoom Map (MIT) — see NOTICE.md for attribution details. These are scheduled for integration in future releases.