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## Vault Structure
> [!infobox]+
> # Mechanics Folder
> ![[Pasted image 20230604133347.png]]
> # World Folder
> ![[Pasted image 20230610075934.png|right]]
> # DM Screen Folder
> ![[Pasted image 20230610080259.png]]
A common questions we see is "How do you structure your vault?"
Obsidian.md is very much an open canvas when you start and for some people that can be overwhelming. So with that in mind... this is how I structure my vault.
### Folder Structure
The basis of my structure is folders. I like to have everything organised into a place so that I know where things go and know where to go to find things. Folders are not necessary. There are people who simply throw all their files into a single folder and then rely on #tags to maintain order.
I always create a base set of folders.
| Folder Name | Purpose |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 0.DM Screen | This is a Folder Note that uses the Kanban plugin to create a custom DM Screen. I fill this folder with notes on commonly used rules. |
| 0. Scratch Notes | This is a folder where I create temporary notes or test notes. It's a dumping ground for when I need to write down something quickly that I may delete or move at a later time. |
| 1. The Party | This is a folder that contains a note per player. The note contains basic stats which are used in the Initiative Tracker plugin. |
| 1. World Almanac | This is the folder where I store notes about my world. So I might have a note for the planet or continent and then a note per location. |
| 2. Mechanics | This is the folder where I store all the rules. There are sub-folders in here for different categories of rules. |
| 2. Session Journals | This is where I document our sessions. I create 1 note per session and keep track of who attended and what happened. |
| z_Assets | This is very important folder. I right click this folder and select `set as attachment folder`. Any images or files that are added to my notes are automatically moved into this folder. Out of sight, out of mind. |
| z_Templates | This is a very important folder. This is where I store all the templates that I use with the [[Templates]] Core Plugin. |
#### The World Almanac Folder
Within the World Almanac Folder I have a few sub-folders.
| Folder Name | Purpose | Thoughts |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Modules | Create a folder per module that I run and copy the module/adventure into that folder. | 1x Folder per module name. Then 1x Folder per chapter that I turn into a Folder Note. Within that folder I will have any sub notes to support that chapter. |
| World | Create a folder for the world we play in. Have a note per continent/region/place. | This is my world wiki. I use Folder Notes so that folders becomes parent notes. A region for example will have a parent note and within that there will be Folder Notes per location such as a city or a forest. Within that I will have notes that describe more specific locations such as a building or dungeon. |
#### The Mechanics Folder
Within the Mechanics Folder I have the following sub-folders. The folders and notes stored here are really dependant on the TTRPG system that you play. This structure is largely suitable for D&D 5e or Pathfinder 2e but could also be useful for all sorts of games.
| Folder Name | Purpose | Thoughts |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Backgrounds | One note per background for the system I play. | I don't really ever use these notes. My players manage their backgrounds via their character sheets. |
| Bestiary | There are sub-folders within this folder. One folder per book <br>(example: Monster Manual, Tome of Beasts). Within those folders I have one note per monster. This is important for linking. | I use these constantly. |
| Classes | One note per class for the system I play. | Honestly I do not use these. We have copies of the physical books at the table and DnDBeyond available to all so it's normally the players who look up anything to do with their classes. |
| Dangers | One note per danger or trap for the system I play. | Similar to monsters. This means any mentions of traps in my notes link directly to the rules for that trap. |
| Deities | One note per deity for the system I play. | Primarily I use these to learn about a Deity during my prep. I make one note per Deity and as I create that note I research and learn about that Deity. I can then link to the Deity as well. |
| Dictionary | One note per word for words I do not know the meaning for. | This is just to help me learn new words. If I come across a word I don't know, I create a note with the definition so that I can link to the word and see the definition in the hover preview. |
| Feats | One note per feat for the system I play. | This allows me to link to the feats. I don't use these very often currently but expect that might change when playing PF2e. |
| Guilds and Groups | One note per guild or group for the campaign I am playing. | This is the place where I document the guilds and groups that exist in my world. I document the key members of the groups from within these notes. |
| Items | One note per item for the system I play. | These are used to document the common and magical items that exist in my world. Magical Items are specifically useful so I can link to the magical items when I give them out and see the rules for each item. |
| Languages | One note per language for the system I play. | Honestly I don't use these. I like the idea of having a note that documents the languages used in the world but more often than not, they conflict with monster names and cause linking conflicts. |
| Non-Player Characters | One note per NPC for the system I play. | One note per NPC. These are used to describe the NPC and keep track of who they are, what they look like, etc. |
| Random Tables | One note per random table for the system I play. | I honestly don't really use Random Tables during my games. I have replaced these with ChatGPT powered AI Templates. |
| Sound Board | One note that has a list of sounds that I can trigger. | This was a great idea on paper. But we don't tend to use sounds at the table. |
| Spells | One note per spell for the system I play. | I use these constantly. |
## How Do I Use These Notes
I like to think of my notes breaking down into a few categories.
**Session Plan Notes:** These are the notes that document what I think is going to happen in my sessions. In my mind, these notes sit on top of the rest of my vault and act as a navigational note, linking to other notes that might be used in a session.
**Reference Notes:** These are the notes that are references by the Session Plan Notes. Things like monsters, places, magic items. These notes are largely static. I don't look up things in books, instead of just reference the note for the thing I want to look up instead.
### Example of a Session Plan Note
> [!note]+ Excalidraw
> ![[Obsidian_muhW5HAquC.gif]]