Choose the sharing method by what your players need to do: use Obsidian Publish for a curated campaign wiki they can read in a browser, or Obsidian Sync when invited players need to edit a shared vault in Obsidian. For Sync, keep GM-only prep in a separate vault: collaborators receive the owner’s permissions, not a restricted player view.
Which way should you share your campaign?
| Players need to… | Start with… | Key trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Browse lore and session information in a browser | Obsidian Publish | You choose which notes appear on the site. A password, if enabled, protects the whole site rather than individual notes. |
| Edit campaign notes in Obsidian | Obsidian Sync shared vault | Every collaborator needs an active Sync subscription, and collaborators have the owner’s permissions. There is no live, cursor-based co-editing of a file. |
| Share selected folders through Google Drive | Vault Share community plugin | Requires plugin and conflict management; its behavior is not equivalent to guaranteed real-time collaboration. |
| Provide material that will not need regular updates | Export or copy a player-safe snapshot | The copy can become outdated, so remove private notes before distributing it. |
For a campaign that needs both private GM prep and player contributions, the cleanest boundary is a GM vault kept private plus a separate player vault or a Publish site. A shared vault is not a safe place to mix secrets with player-accessible notes.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Use Obsidian Publish for a player-facing wiki
Publish hosts selected notes as a website. The owner needs an active Publish subscription. In the Publish workflow, select only notes intended for players, then share the site link. Notes not selected for publication remain local to your vault. Unpublishing a note removes it from the published set but does not delete the local note.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Set the site boundary deliberately
A site password can restrict access to the entire site. It cannot protect individual notes separately. Obsidian’s security and privacy documentation says only notes selected for publication are sent to its servers and states: “Individual password protection for published notes is currently not supported.” See Obsidian Publish security and privacy.
#1 Best Overall
- Ultimate 5e Player's Journal for D&D Campaigns: Take your Dungeons & Dragons experience to the next level with this expertly designed Player’s Journal, tailored specifically for 5e campaigns. With a detailed layout, it enables both beginner and veteran players to meticulously track every facet of their character's journey, from creation to campaign’s end.
- Track Spells, Equipment, and Character Stats: Keep everything you need in one place with dedicated sections for spell tracking, equipment management, and character stats. The journal ensures you’ll always have the critical information at your fingertips when planning your next move or leveling up.
- Massive Notes Section for In-Game Details: Stay organized during sessions with a generous notes section that allows you to jot down key details, NPC interactions, quests, and important developments. Never forget a plot twist or character moment with this essential tool for detailed campaign tracking.
- Stylish Art and Design for a Personal Touch: Not just functional, this journal features stylish art throughout, adding personality and flair to your character’s story. It’s a practical tool that also looks great on the table, adding an extra layer of immersion to your gaming experience.
- Multiple Color Options and Portable Size: Available in Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Yellow, Purple, and Red (one color per pack), these journals are compact and portable at 5.63" x 8.27" x 0.59". Bring it to every session with ease and combine with our 5e DM’s Journals for full campaign tracking power for the entire group.
Before sharing, check the selected notes and attachments for GM clues, hidden plot details, private annotations, or links that expose material you did not intend to publish. A password does not create different player roles within the site.
Know what Publish collaboration does
Publish collaborators are other Obsidian users who help publish or unpublish site pages; readers do not automatically receive an editable copy of your vault. Only the site owner can configure site options and manage permissions. Publish also does not synchronize collaborators’ local vaults. If several people edit notes, arrange a separate sync or version-control workflow and coordinate changes: Obsidian’s Publish guide warns that using a live version can overwrite a local note. See Collaborate on Publish.
Rank #2
- Ultimate 5e Player's Journal for D&D Campaigns: Take your Dungeons & Dragons experience to the next level with this expertly designed Player’s Journal, tailored specifically for 5e campaigns. With a detailed layout, it enables both beginner and veteran players to meticulously track every facet of their character's journey, from creation to campaign’s end.
- Track Spells, Equipment, and Character Stats: Keep everything you need in one place with dedicated sections for spell tracking, equipment management, and character stats. The journal ensures you’ll always have the critical information at your fingertips when planning your next move or leveling up.
- Massive Notes Section for In-Game Details: Stay organized during sessions with a generous notes section that allows you to jot down key details, NPC interactions, quests, and important developments. Never forget a plot twist or character moment with this essential tool for detailed campaign tracking.
- Stylish Art and Design for a Personal Touch: Not just functional, this journal features stylish art throughout, adding personality and flair to your character’s story. It’s a practical tool that also looks great on the table, adding an extra layer of immersion to your gaming experience.
- Multiple Color Options and Portable Size: Available in Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Yellow, Purple, and Red (one color per pack), these journals are compact and portable at 5.63" x 8.27" x 0.59". Bring it to every session with ease and combine with our 5e DM’s Journals for full campaign tracking power for the entire group.
Use Obsidian Sync when players need to edit
Sync is the option for inviting players into a shared vault they can use in Obsidian. Create a remote vault, connect the GM’s local vault, and invite players from Settings → Sync → Manage sharing. Each collaborator needs an Obsidian account and an active Sync subscription. If end-to-end encryption is enabled, send the vault encryption password to invitees through a private channel.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsDo not treat a shared vault as read-only or folder-restricted
Sync collaborators receive the same permissions as the owner, except that only the owner can invite other people. Obsidian’s collaboration documentation is explicit: “Fine-grained permissions are not supported yet.” That means Sync is not a way to let players edit one folder while hiding GM notes elsewhere in the same shared vault. Keep private prep in a separate vault. The official guidance currently sets a maximum of 20 collaborators on a shared vault; check the shared-vault collaboration guidance for current details.
Rank #3
- EXQUISITELY EMBOSSED WITH CTHULHU - This CALL OF CTHULHU inspired notebook embossed with a solid & fantasy Cthulhu on its hard PU leather cover. The vintage embossment adds depth and excitement to the journal for anyone holding it and will increase immersion during game night.
- GREAT TTRPG COMPANION - This is a personal Adventure/Character Journal for use in keeping track of whatever happens during game night while playing RPGs such as Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, etc. Try this quality d&d notebook for all the kills and regrets you make during your campaigns.
- MULTIPURPOSE - This DND notebook is also ideal for alternative Artists Sketchbooks, Girls Diaries, Travelling, Watercolor Painting, Teen Journals, Poetry Work, Journalists, Guest Book, Food Planner, Scrapbook, Bible Journaling and more.
- PORTABLE SIZE WITH QUALITY PAPER - The PU leather Adventurer's Journal has 200 blank pages suitable for various dry media as well as ink and marker. It measures approximately 8.5" length x 0.6" thick x 5.7" width(Closed), compact for carrying in your bag. So it can easily be brought on all of your adventures!
- IDEAL GIFT FOR RPG NERDS - Great for any Role Playing Game, ideal for spells or notes and will make the perfect gift for any gaming enthusiast. Treasure your gaming memories in our Leather Notebooks!
Plan for overlapping edits
Sync does not offer live cursor-based co-editing of one file. If two people change the same file, changes are merged during sync; use version history to review or restore versions if needed. Agree who is responsible for editing shared session notes or other frequently changed pages to reduce avoidable conflicts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Consider plugins or shared folders only if you can manage them
Vault Share with Google Drive
Vault Share is a community plugin that mirrors all or part of a local vault through a Google Drive group folder. Its plugin listing describes path exclusions, conflict handling, and an initial share operation. The author recommends starting with an empty or very similar group folder because differences already in Drive can produce many conflicts on the first run. Back up the vault and test with a disposable copy before using it for a live campaign.
The plugin’s documented bulk background operation runs hourly while Obsidian is running. Open files also check for updates; monitor mode can poll an open file more frequently. Conflict options include keeping both versions, keeping the newer timestamp, and a three-way merge for Markdown and text. If people edit the same lines, conflict markers may need manual resolution. Treat it as a workflow requiring oversight, not an assurance of instant collaboration. See the Vault Share plugin listing for the author’s description.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Understand the trust and conflict trade-offs
Obsidian warns that community plugins can access local files and the network, and that the app cannot reliably limit them to narrow permissions. That warning is general; it does not establish that Vault Share is malicious. For sensitive campaign or personal material, evaluate the plugin author and code, and consider Obsidian’s recommendation to seek an independent security audit. The plugin security guidance explains the broader risk.
Best Value
- Two 64-Page Character Journals
- Books measure 4.75" x 7.5"
- Pages contain fields for game information, character data, and level-by-level notes
Shared Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or Git workflows are also possible, but running multiple sync engines over the same vault can create conflicts. Obsidian recognizes file-based providers, Git, and network storage as possible approaches without prescribing one universal setup. Back up first, agree on who edits what, and test the workflow before relying on it for the campaign. See Obsidian’s team workflow guidance.
Quick Recap
Set up the share without exposing GM material
- Choose the access level. Decide whether players need browser reading, shared editing in Obsidian, or only an occasional snapshot.
- Separate player-safe content. For shared editing, use a distinct player vault if GM-only notes must remain private.
- Configure Publish or Sync. In Publish, select only intended notes and attachments and set a site-wide password if appropriate. In Sync, create the remote vault, review selective-sync settings, and invite only the intended collaborators; send any encryption password privately.
- Back up and test third-party workflows. For a plugin or cloud-folder sync, test on copies, agree on conflict handling, and verify that excluded paths stay excluded.
- Check from a player-only view. Use an account or device without GM access to verify links, attachments, and the absence of private clues or prep notes.
- Review after changes. Recheck the published or shared content before major sessions, especially after moving notes or changing folder structure.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
