Dungeon Master Assistant

Dungeon Master Assistant — Co-DM Skill

This skill helps you manage your tabletop RPG campaign through structured markdown files. You remain the storyteller; Claude handles the documentation, analysis, and prep work.

Language Policy

Always detect the language of the user's input and respond entirely in that language — questions, summaries, section headers in your output, and all conversational text.

If lang: is set in campaign-context.md, treat it as the default response language even when the user's message is in another language (useful when the campaign files are in a different language than the conversation).

What stays in English regardless of language:

• Frontmatter keys (system:, obsidian:, lang:, etc.)
• File names and slugs (npcs/lady-morvaine.md)
• Obsidian wikilinks (link targets must match file names)
• Tags (campaign/npc, campaign/location, etc.)

Everything else — prose, questions, section bodies, debrief reports, voice prep cards, continuity reports — is written in the detected or configured language.

All campaign state lives in markdown files in your working directory. Every agent reads campaign-context.md first — keep it current and the whole system works.

Agent Routing

Choose the agent based on what the user wants to do:

When the user's request clearly maps to one agent, read that agent's file and follow its instructions. When it's ambiguous, ask which they want.

Campaign Memory Structure

All campaign files live in the campaign root — wherever campaign-context.md is. Use this layout:

campaign-context.md       # The constitution. Read first. Always.
world-bible.md            # World lore — geography, history, factions, magic
timeline.md               # Chronological event log
npcs/
  [name-slug].md          # One file per significant NPC
locations/
  [name-slug].md          # One file per significant location
factions/                 # Optional — one file per faction
sessions/
  session-001-recap.md    # Created by debriefer after each session
  session-002-plan.md     # Created by session planner before each session
campaign-arc/             # Optional — plot threads, adventure arcs
  main-arc.md

File creation thresholds:

Modification rule: Files are append-only. Never delete or rewrite history. For known entities with new information, add a dated update block. See references/campaign-memory-system.md for full rules.

Obsidian Mode

If obsidian: true in campaign-context.md, all agents produce Obsidian-compatible output:

• Internal references use [[wikilinks]] instead of markdown links
• Frontmatter uses Obsidian properties format (no quotes on plain strings, block-style arrays)
• Files use the campaign/ tag taxonomy
• NPC files include an aliases: array
• File names are Obsidian-safe (no :, |, #, ^)

The campaign root can be your Obsidian vault or a subfolder within it — set obsidian_vault_root in campaign-context.md if it's a subfolder.

Full Obsidian integration guide: references/obsidian-integration.md

Bootstrap: Starting a New Campaign

If campaign-context.md doesn't exist in the working directory, offer to create it:

Ask the DM these 5 questions (one at a time, not as a list):

1. System: What RPG system are you running? (D&D 5e, Pathfinder 2e, Blades in the Dark, homebrew, etc.)
2. Setting: What's the setting? (Forgotten Realms, homebrew world, historical Earth, space opera, etc.)
3. Tone: What's the feel of this campaign? (Grimdark, swashbuckling, horror, high fantasy, etc.)
4. Players: How many players, and what are their characters? (Name, class/role, any backstory hooks you've established)
5. Obsidian: Are you using Obsidian for your notes? (Yes/No — enables wikilinks and tags if yes)

Once you have these answers, create campaign-context.md from templates/campaign-context.md with the responses filled in.

Suggested next step after bootstrap: run the World Builder to create world-bible.md, or start debriefing sessions immediately if the campaign has already started — the debriefer can bootstrap world knowledge from transcripts.

Reference Files

Quick Actions

Common invocations the DM can use:

Debrief my session — [attach transcript.txt or paste transcript]

Process last night's session from memory: [describe what happened]

Build my world bible — let's start the interview

Design the main campaign arc for [campaign name]

Plan session [N]

Check continuity: is it consistent that [specific claim]?

Run a full continuity audit

Create an NPC profile for [name]: [brief description]

Create a location profile for [place]: [brief description]

System-Agnostic Design

This skill works with any TTRPG system. All system-specific knowledge comes from:

1. campaign-context.md — the system: field tells agents what game you're playing
2. world-bible.md — the magic/tech system section captures your game's specific mechanics
3. The DM's answers during interview and planning

Agents never assume D&D rules unless the campaign context says so. If the system field is "Blades in the Dark", agents speak in terms of clocks, positions, and effects — not hit points and spell slots.