Phlostin Pair of Dice

Using Obsidian

Written by

Thom Thetford

in

Grokology, post 2

I asked Grok, “Creating an Obsidian starting a traveller vault.” It replied:

To set up an Obsidian vault for a Traveller (likely Mongoose Traveller 2e) campaign, start with these basics and tailor for sci-fi elements like sectors, subsectors, worlds, ships, and characters.

Step 1: Create the Vault

  1. Download and install Obsidian (free at obsidian.md).
  2. Open Obsidian → Click “Create new vault” → Choose a folder location → Name it (e.g., “Traveller Campaign”).
  3. This creates an empty vault (just a folder of Markdown files).

Step 2: Recommended Folder Structure

Organize with folders to keep things manageable. Traveller campaigns involve vast universes, so prioritize linking notes over strict folders. A solid starting structure:

  • 01 Campaign — Overview, current adventure, session logs.
  • 02 Characters — PCs and major NPCs (one note per character).
  • 03 Ships — Ship designs, decks, crew rosters.
  • 04 Worlds & Sectors — Subfolders for sectors/subsectors, one note per world (with UWP codes, trade classifications).
  • 05 Factions & Organizations — Imperium, corporations, pirate groups.
  • 06 Rules & References — House rules, quick refs, skill lists.
  • 07 Sessions — One note per session (prep + actual play logs).
  • 08 Assets — Images, maps, PDFs (embed Traveller maps here).
  • Templates — Store note templates.
  • Attachments — For larger files.

Use Maps of Content (MOC) notes like “Sector – Spinward Marches.md” that link to all related world notes.

Step 3: Essential Community Plugins

Enable community plugins (Settings → Community plugins → Browse → Install & Enable):

  • Core recommendations:
    • Dataview → Query and list notes (e.g., all worlds with TL 12+).
    • Templater or QuickAdd → Fast note creation from templates.
    • Canvas → Visual mind maps for subsectors, ship decks, or patron encounters.
    • Dice Roller → Roll 2d6 inline (e.g., [[roll:2d6+DM]] for task checks).
    • Advanced Tables → Easier table editing for trade goods, skills.
  • TTRPG-specific:
    • RPG Manager → System-agnostic campaign manager (adventures, sessions, NPCs, relationships—highly recommended for tracking Traveller’s sandbox style).
    • Initiative Tracker (Generic) → If you run combat (rare in Traveller, but useful for boarding actions).
    • Leaflet or Obsidian Leaflet → Interactive maps (pin worlds, link to notes; great with travellermap.com exports).
    • Calendar & Periodic Notes → Track in-game time (jumps, travel dates).
  • Nice extras:
    • Banners or Iconize → Visual flair (e.g., banners for planet images).
    • Excalidraw or Excalibrain → Draw ship blueprints or relationship graphs.

Step 4: Templates to Speed Things Up

Create templates (in a Templates folder) for common Traveller elements:

  • World Template:
    # [[World Name]] (Hex: XXXX) UWP: X000000-0 ## Stats - Starport: - Size: - Atmosphere: - etc. ## Trade Codes ## Description ## Key Locations/NPCs ## Encounters
  • Character Template (for Travellers):
    # Name - Career (Terms) STR: DEX: END: INT: EDU: SOC: ## Skills ## Background/Events ## Connections
  • Ship Template:
    # Ship Name - Class Tonnage: Jump: Maneuver: Power: ## Crew ## Deck Plan [[canvas or image]] ## Cargo/Manifest

Use Templater to insert these quickly.

Step 5: Traveller-Specific Tips

  • Embed external tools → Link or embed travellermap.com posters (interactive sector maps). Use web view plugins for in-vault browsing.
  • World/Sector generation → If you generate worlds randomly, note UWP directly and expand with descriptions.
  • Sandbox play → Use Canvases for “current subsector” with pins linking to world notes, rumors, patrons.
  • Session logs → Date notes with in-game dates for chronology.
  • Images → Download sector maps, ship deck plans, or alien art and embed them.

Starter Templates to Jumpstart

Download and open these as your base vault (or copy elements):

Obsidian excels at Traveller’s emergent, interconnected style—links will create a web of your universe over time. Start simple, add plugins as needed, and iterate. If you’re running Mongoose 2e, focus on ship/world notes first. Enjoy the Far Future! 🚀

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