Use Fantasy Statblocks with Atlas

With Fantasy Statblocks, the creature notes in your vault become tokens. A token linked to a note takes its name and HP from the note and shows the statblock on the map.

A statblock is the block of game stats for one creature, such as hit points, attacks and abilities.

What Fantasy Statblocks is

Fantasy Statblocks is a free community plugin for Obsidian by Jeremy Valentine. It shows creature stats as statblocks in your notes and keeps a list of all creatures it knows, the bestiary.

Atlas needs it to link tokens to statblocks. Tokens without a statblock work without it.

Install Fantasy Statblocks

1. 1

   In Obsidian, open Settings, then Community plugins.

2. 2

   Click Browse and search for Fantasy Statblocks.

3. 3

   Click Install, then Enable.

Turn on frontmatter parsing

Fantasy Statblocks only adds your own notes to its bestiary when this setting is on, and it is off by default.

1. 1

   In Obsidian, open Settings and click Fantasy Statblocks in the list on the left.

2. 2

   Under Note Parsing, turn on Automatically Parse Frontmatter for Creatures.

   

3. 3

   Check Bestiary Folder. Fantasy Statblocks only reads notes in the folders listed there, and / means your whole vault.

Write a creature note

A note becomes a creature in one of two ways: with frontmatter or with a statblock code block. Use frontmatter when you can, because only frontmatter notes go into the bestiary.

With frontmatter

Frontmatter is the block between two --- lines at the top of a note. Put statblock: true in it, plus the creature's stats:

---
statblock: true
name: Goblin
size: Small
type: humanoid
cr: 1/4
hp: 7
image: "[[goblin.webp]]"
---

• statblock must be true. Atlas also accepts inline. A layout name in this field chooses a layout, but does not make the note a creature.
• name is the token's name. Without it, Atlas uses the note's file name.
• hp gives the token its hit points, as a number (7) or in the usual notation (45 (6d10 + 12)).
• size sets the token's size on the map: Large is 2×2, Huge 3×3, Gargantuan 4×4. Smaller creatures take one square.
• image is the token art. See Add token art.

With a statblock code block

Fantasy Statblocks also shows any note with a statblock code block. Atlas reads the first one in a note. The block can do three things:

• Name a creature from the bestiary with creature: or monster:.
• Point at another note with note:. The creature comes from that note's frontmatter.
• Describe the creature itself, with the same fields as frontmatter.

```statblock
creature: Goblin
name: Goblin Boss
hp: 21
image: "[[goblin-boss.webp]]"
```

Fields in the block replace the fields of the named creature. Here the note is a Goblin with its own name, HP and art.

Add token art

Atlas takes the token art from the image field, or from token-image when image is empty.

The image must be a file in your vault, written as a link ("[[goblin.webp]]") or a vault path. A web address does not work, so save such an image in your vault first. Atlas reads PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG and AVIF.

Import tokens from your notes

The import makes tokens for many creatures at once and links each one to its note. Your notes and their images stay as they are.

1. 1

   Open Obsidian's command palette with Ctrl + P (Cmd + P on macOS). Run Atlas VTT: Import tokens from Fantasy Statblocks.

   Or open the Asset Manager, click the + button, choose Create Token and click Fantasy Statblocks under Image source.

2. 2

   Wait while Atlas scans your notes. It lists every creature note with a status:

   • Ready: Atlas can make a token.
   • Already imported: a token is already linked to this note.
   • Missing image: the note has no image, or the file is missing.
   • Remote image: the image is a web address.
   • Conflict: the creature cannot be read, or more than one token links to the note.

   Hover a status to read the reason.

   

3. 3

   To see fewer creatures, choose a game system in System / layout or type in the search field.

4. 4

   Tick the creatures you want. All ready creatures start ticked. Click Add 5 to import, where the number is how many you ticked.

5. 5

   Check the preview cards and change crop, ring and tags if you want. Under Collection, choose where the tokens go.

6. 6

   Click Create.

If you fixed a note while the list is open, click Scan again.

Make a token from one note

1. 1

   Open the creature note. It must have statblock: true in its frontmatter, or the command does not show.

2. 2

   In Obsidian's command palette, run Atlas VTT: Create token from statblock image.

Atlas puts the new token in your default collection and links it to the note.

Link a token you already have

1. 1

   Right-click the token on the map, or its card in the Characters tab of the Asset Manager. Click Link Statblock.

2. 2

   Search by name, type or CR. The right side shows the statblock you select.

   

3. 3

   Click Link.

The token takes the creature's name and HP, and so does every copy of it on every map. Atlas writes the token's art into the note's image field, so the statblock shows the same picture.

One note links to one token. If another token has the note, Atlas asks before it moves the link.

On a linked card in the Asset Manager, the menu says Change Statblock instead.

To remove a link, right-click the token and click Unlink Statblock. The token loses the name and HP it took from the note. To open the note from the map, right-click the token and click Edit Statblock.

See a statblock on the map

Hold Ctrl (Cmd on macOS) and move the pointer over a linked token. A card with its statblock opens. Let go of the key to close it.

Click dice notation in the card, such as 2d6+3, to roll it with Atlas.

The same works on the cards of the initiative tracker. See Track initiative.

If something does not work

"No statblock notes found. Enable frontmatter parsing in Fantasy Statblocks, or add a statblock code block to a note." Atlas found no creature notes. Check that your notes have statblock: true in the frontmatter or a statblock code block. Then click Scan again.

"No note-based creatures found. Enable "Parse Frontmatter for Creatures" in the Fantasy Statblocks settings." The Link Statblock list is empty. Turn on Automatically Parse Frontmatter for Creatures and check that your notes are in a Bestiary Folder.

"Install and enable the Fantasy Statblocks plugin to link statblocks." or "Enable Fantasy Statblocks to import creatures." Fantasy Statblocks is not installed or not turned on.

"Fantasy Statblocks is still loading. Try scanning again in a moment." Fantasy Statblocks reads your vault after Obsidian starts. Wait a moment, then click Scan again.

If the Ctrl or Cmd hover shows the note instead of a statblock card, the note is not in the bestiary. Give it statblock: true frontmatter and turn on frontmatter parsing.