Swashbuckler

Getting Started

A hands-on walkthrough of Swashbuckler's core loop — from creating your first space to linking entries together.

What is Swashbuckler?

Swashbuckler is a knowledge base built for tabletop RPGs — and flexible enough for anything else. Instead of forcing you into a fixed structure, Swashbuckler lets you define your own templates — like Characters, Locations, Factions, Session Logs, or anything else — each with custom properties, icons, and starter content.

Write with a rich block editor that supports slash commands, mentions, tables, code blocks, and more. Link entries together with @ mentions or manual relations, then visualize the connections in an interactive graph view. Organize with tags, filter and sort with powerful template-level views, and pin your most important entries to the dashboard for quick access.

Swashbuckler works entirely in-browser as a guest, or you can create an account to sync across devices, share spaces with collaborators, and edit in real time.

Visit and Sign Up

Head to swashbuckler.quest to get started. You can:

  • Create an account with an invite code and email/password (or Google/GitHub) to sync your data and unlock collaboration features
  • Continue as guest to try everything locally — your data stays in the browser with no account required

Guest mode supports all features except sharing and real-time collaboration. You can create an account later and your local data will be preserved.

Your First Space

Spaces are top-level workspaces that keep your content organized and isolated. Think of them like separate notebooks — each space has its own templates, entries, and tags.

When you create an account or start as a guest, a default space is created for you automatically. To create additional spaces:

  1. Click the space switcher in the sidebar header
  2. Select Create Space
  3. Give it a name and pick an emoji icon
  4. Your new space is ready — switch between spaces anytime using the switcher

Create a Template

Templates define the structure of your entries. Your default space comes with a built-in Page template, but the real power is in creating your own.

  1. Go to Settings > Templates (gear icon in the sidebar)
  2. Click New Template
  3. Give it a name (e.g., "Task") and pick an icon
  4. Add properties to define the structure:
    • Click Add Property and choose a type — try Select for a "Status" field, then add options like "To Do", "In Progress", and "Done"
    • Add another property — try Date for a "Due Date" field
  5. Click Save

Your new template appears in the sidebar. You can always come back to Settings to add, reorder, or remove properties.

Create Your First Entry

Now that you have a template, create an entry:

  1. Click the + button next to a template in the sidebar, or press Cmd+E to open Quick Capture
  2. If using Quick Capture, pick the template you want
  3. Give your entry a title
  4. Optionally set an emoji icon by clicking the icon area next to the title
  5. Fill in any properties (like Status or Due Date)

Write with the Editor

Click into the body of your entry to start writing. The editor is a full block editor with:

  • Slash menu — type / to insert blocks like headings, bullet lists, callouts, code blocks, tables, and more
  • Inline formatting — select text to see the floating toolbar with bold, italic, code, links, highlights, and other formatting options
  • Drag and drop — reorder blocks by dragging the handle that appears on hover

Try it out:

  1. Type / and select Heading 1 to add a section title
  2. Press Enter and type a bullet list (start a line with - or type / and select Bullet List)
  3. Type / and insert a Callout block for a highlighted note
  4. Select some text and click the Bold button or press Cmd+B

Your work saves automatically — no save button needed.

Connect your entries together to build a knowledge graph:

Mentions — Type @ in the editor to search for and mention another entry inline. Mentions are automatically synced as relations when the entry saves, so they show up in the graph view and in the Linked Entries section.

Manual links — Scroll below the editor to the Linked Entries section. Search for an entry and add it as a link. Manual links work the same as mentions for the graph and relations, but they live outside the editor content.

Pin to the Dashboard

Found an entry you want quick access to? Pin it:

  1. Open the entry
  2. Click the pin icon in the entry header
  3. The entry now appears in the Pinned section on your dashboard

The dashboard also shows a Recent section with your most recently edited entries, so you can always pick up where you left off.

What's Next?

You've covered the core loop — spaces, templates, entries, editing, linking, and the dashboard. Swashbuckler has much more to offer:

  • Tabletop RPG Guide — Set up a campaign workspace with templates, sharing, private GM content, and the knowledge graph
  • Entries & Templates — Deep dive into the property system and entry management
  • Templates — Save and reuse entry structures with built-in variables
  • Editor — Full reference for all block types, formatting options, and shortcuts
  • Board View — Kanban-style boards grouped by select properties
  • Graph View — Visualize connections between entries
  • Tags — Flexible cross-type organization
  • Search — Find anything with Cmd+K
  • Sharing — Invite collaborators to your spaces
  • Themes — Customize colors with the theme builder

Tabletop RPG Guide

How to use Swashbuckler to organize your TTRPG campaign — templates, sharing, private content, and the knowledge graph.

On this page

What is Swashbuckler?Visit and Sign UpYour First SpaceCreate a TemplateCreate Your First EntryWrite with the EditorMention and Link EntriesPin to the DashboardWhat's Next?