A genuinely useful starter pack for ttrpg campaigns

A useful TTRPG pack should include one open ruleset, one free campaign toolkit, one oracle or generator suite, and one note system built for play. That gives a GM enough structure to improvise without drowning in prep.

The kinds of materials worth saving in this space:
- GM prep templates for campaigns and one-shots
- handout and NPC organization guides
- retrospectives on what keeps campaigns coherent over time

Read:
- Cairn: cairnrpg.com/
An openly licensed, beautifully clean ruleset that rewards smart prep and active play.
- Ironsworn downloads: ironswornrpg.com/downloads
Free tools and PDFs that are genuinely generous for solo or guided campaign work.
- Donjon generators: donjon.bin.sh/
A durable resource for names, dungeons, treasure, and procedural prompts.

Documents and downloadable guides:
- Cairn resources: cairnrpg.com/resources/
Handy for tables that want generators, references, and lightweight adventure material.
- Sly Flourish articles: slyflourish.com/
A strong long-running archive on prep discipline, encounter pacing, and note design.

Watch:
- Matt Colville video archive: youtube.com/@mcolville/videos
A durable public library of tablecraft, GMing, and adventure structure advice.

Build or inspect:
- Iron Vault source: github.com/iron-vault-plugin/iron-vault
A thoughtful open plugin for running Ironsworn and related games in Obsidian.
- Iron Vault docs: ironvault.quest/
Helpful if you want your campaign notes to behave more like a real play tool.

Image references:
- Dyson Logos maps archive: dysonlogos.blog/maps/
A deep public archive of maps that can kickstart prep without flattening creativity.