Obsidian Is Now a Free Virtual Tabletop

Atlas VTT (Obsidian.md Plugin)

Atlas VTT is a completely free, open-source virtual tabletop (VTT) plugin for Obsidian.md, created by Fabian. The video explains how it turns an Obsidian markdown world into a tabletop experience while reducing “context switching” between separate tools (e.g., Obsidian vs. Foundry/other VTTs).

---

Core positioning: privacy & offline behavior

• Runs locally on the user’s device: “nothing ever leaves it.”
• No ads, no AI features, no telemetry.
• Fully offline and no login/cookies required.
• User content stays as local files inside the Obsidian vault (with export/import possible).

---

DM view: map and tabletop interaction features

Maps and UI tools

• Fast, “super performant” local maps.
• Multiple maps/tabs within a collection.
• Map toolbar widgets/tools, including:
  • Fog of war
  • Drawing tools
  • Text placement
  • Measurement
  • Dice rolling

Pin notes to maps

• Notes can be pinned to maps and linked to:
  • A specific heading, or
  • The entire file
• Pinned notes can be:
  • Moved and resized
  • Previewed
  • Edited directly

Nesting and linking maps/notes

• Map hover preview with a command key.
• Linked maps can be opened, enabling hierarchical/world structure (maps inside maps).

Tokens and stat blocks

• Hover a token (with command held) to view a stat block.

Integrated dice rolling with Obsidian data

• Imports stat blocks via the Fantasy Stat Blocks plugin.
• Recognizes dice syntax and can roll dice from:
  • HP
  • Attributes
  • Actions
• Dice rolls can return the actual action name associated with the roll (for rules transparency).

---

Player view: sharing with players

• Supports sending a “minimal player view” to a second monitor/window.
• Player view mirrors DM actions, with drag-enabled panning.
• Player view is configurable:
  • Toggle grid visibility
  • Customize grid style:
    • Square vs hex
    • Hex numbering
    • Line thickness, alignment, opacity, etc.
• Freeze/unfreeze player camera:
  • DM can pause the player’s view, prep changes, then unfreeze and jump to the current DM view.
• Initiative tracker for players:
  • Toggle via Y key or collection settings.
• Show images to players:
  • Right-click an Obsidian image → “display on player view”
  • Used for things like monsters/scenes
• Mentions selectively controlling what UI elements players can see.

---

Data model and organization (Collections & assets)

Atlas uses a hierarchical asset structure:

• Collection
  • A folder within the Obsidian markdown vault with default settings.
  • Includes system-oriented defaults (example: Daggerheart).
  • Grid units: feet/meters, with metric mode vs abstract mode using range bands.
  • Default widgets/conditions and asset-manager filters.
• Within a collection:
  • Maps
  • Scenes
    • Instances of maps used to save state snapshots (“snapshots” appear under a scene)
  • Encounters
    • Save token groups to spawn together
  • Tags & advanced search
    • Example filters: “has stat block”, “tier 1”, “solo”, etc.
  • Token/state management across scenes

---

Asset import workflow

Token import

• Import tokens from Fantasy Stat Blocks by searching the vault.
• Auto-import requires stat blocks to have an image; otherwise it needs attention.
• Demonstrates linking a Fantasy Stat Blocks stat block to a new token.

Map import

• Maps can be imported into the asset system similarly.

---

Snapshots / campaign prep workflow

• Scenes/snapshots enable rapid swapping of different setups on the same underlying map.
• Restoring a snapshot allows quick DM iteration (example: adding a giant ruby dragon and jumping between configurations).
• A “token dashboard” helps when tokens get hard to find during play:
  • Link notes for the current map/scene
  • Display stat blocks currently on that map
  • Show token locations on the map (e.g., “click entry to locate token”)

---

Export/import for sharing whole campaigns

• Collections can be exported as a single file, including:
  • Maps/tokens/stat blocks/notes linked to scenes within that collection
• Others can import the file to load the campaign into their own vault.

---

Widgets and keyboard-first usability

Atlas includes a widget system beyond core VTT controls:

• Initiative tracker widget (example shown for 5e-like systems)
• Custom counters/timers
  • A timer widget controlled via keyboard shortcut (two-key “hold” behavior described)
  • Reset/increment via keys and UI
• Other examples:
  • “Fear token” (Daggerheart)
  • A “test widget” / clock-like widget for systems such as Blades in the Dark
• Keyboard-friendly navigation:
  • Scene switching (default G key)
  • Hotkeys configurable in settings
  • Tab switching and command palette integration

---

Support / contribution

• Issues can be reported via the Obsidian command palette (“report an issue” for Atlas).
• GitHub access via the change log.
• Community Discord mentioned for feedback and contributions (including pull requests).

---

Main speakers / sources

• Fabian (maker of Atlas VTT; primary speaker)
• Referenced external source/tools:
  • Obsidian.md
  • Fantasy Stat Blocks plugin
  • Example game systems: Daggerheart, 5e SRD, Blades in the Dark, Legacy Heart/Dolmenwood