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World desk4 min

Atlas VTT Turns Obsidian Into a Free Offline Virtual Tabletop

Atlas VTT adds maps, tokens, fog of war, and campaign-note tools to Obsidian. It is free and local-first, but desktop-only and not a proven online VTT replacement.
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Atlas VTT turns Obsidian into a desktop virtual tabletop: install it as a Community plugin, then build scenes from maps and keep tokens, campaign notes, and other game files in your vault. Its core features are free and designed to work locally, including offline. It is a fit for in-person games that want a map and GM tools alongside Obsidian notes—not a direct replacement for hosted VTTs when browser access, mobile support, or remote-play features are essential.

What Atlas VTT does inside Obsidian

Atlas is a virtual tabletop plugin for Obsidian, the note-taking app. It organizes play around collections and scenes: a map image becomes a scene, and you can align a square or hex grid, place tokens, and use fog of war. You can also manage dice, initiative, counters, clocks, timers, and game-system presets. Atlas describes itself as game-system agnostic, so these tools are not limited to one role-playing ruleset. Atlas VTT’s official site

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Atlas connects the tabletop to Obsidian’s notes. You can pin notes to places on a map and open them while running a scene. If you use the optional Fantasy Statblocks plugin, creature notes can also supply tokens. The DM screen can keep an adventure note beside creature statblocks; a separate player window is intended to show players the map without exposing GM information on a second display. Atlas VTT’s official site Obsidian Community plugin listing

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How to install Atlas VTT

Atlas requires Obsidian 1.8.7 or newer and runs on desktop Windows, macOS, and Linux. It does not run in Obsidian’s mobile apps. Obsidian Community plugin listing

  1. In Obsidian, open Settings → Community plugins. If Restricted mode is enabled, disable it to install community plugins.
  2. Choose the option to browse community plugins, search for Atlas VTT, install it, and enable it.
  3. Open the command palette and run Atlas VTT: Open dashboard.
  4. Create a collection, import a map and create a scene, then place tokens.
  5. When ready to play, show the scene to players. For an in-person game, Atlas’s separate player window can be placed on a second display.

The Atlas guide documents this first-session flow: install the plugin, make a collection, import a map, create a scene, add tokens, and show the map. Atlas VTT’s official site

Is Atlas really free and offline?

The core software is presented as free. Atlas is released under the GNU AGPL version 3, and its author says streamed, recorded, and paid games are permitted. Atlas VTT about page

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Its local-first design means campaign files and assets stay in the Obsidian vault, and local assets can be used without a network connection. The Community listing says Atlas has no account requirement, telemetry, or advertising. This does not mean every action is offline: if you choose an external image URL, Atlas downloads that image, and submitting an issue report sends report data to the project endpoint. Obsidian Community plugin listing

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Atlas stores its content in the vault’s atlas-vtt folder. Do not move or rename that folder; Atlas expects it at the vault root. Atlas VTT’s official site

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When Atlas fits—and what it does not replace

Atlas makes the most sense when the game is happening around a physical table and the GM wants maps, notes, and local assets together in Obsidian. A second display can show players a separate view, while the GM works with adventure notes and statblocks. Its offline operation is also useful when the session setup should not depend on a network connection.

It is not a universal substitute for a hosted VTT. Atlas is desktop-only, and the documented player view is a second-screen feature for table play. The available official descriptions do not establish feature parity for online multiplayer with services such as Foundry, Roll20, or Owlbear. If remote players need to connect from their own devices, confirm Atlas’s current multiplayer capabilities before choosing it. Obsidian Community plugin listing Atlas VTT’s official site

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Consideration Atlas VTT Hosted VTTs
Hosting and data Designed for local-first use; game files and assets are kept in the Obsidian vault and local assets work offline. No account is required, according to the Community listing. Typically rely on hosted accounts or services; exact storage and offline behavior depend on the product.
Platform Obsidian desktop on Windows, macOS, or Linux; Obsidian mobile apps are not supported. Requires Obsidian 1.8.7 or newer. Varies by service; check the chosen product for browser and mobile support.
Campaign notes Maps and scenes sit alongside Obsidian notes; map pins can open notes, and Fantasy Statblocks can provide creature tokens. Usually managed in a separate VTT environment; integrations vary by product.
Player access A separate player window supports a second-screen setup at the table. Online multiplayer parity is not established in the cited official descriptions. Remote play is a common use case, but available tools and access requirements vary.
Extensibility and license Open source under AGPL-3.0-only; the author permits streamed, recorded, and paid games. Licensing and extensibility depend on the service.

What to prepare for a first session

  • Install the supported desktop version of Obsidian and Atlas VTT.
  • Have your map image available locally if you want a fully offline setup.
  • Decide whether you need a square or hex grid, then align it to the map.
  • Import token images or, if you use Fantasy Statblocks, prepare creature notes.
  • For player viewing, arrange a second display and test the separate player window before the session.
  • Keep Atlas’s atlas-vtt folder at the vault root.

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