I’m starting up another campaign shortly and I used to use OneNote for my session notes because it’s so easy to just put stuff anywhere on the page, which is really helpful for the scattered way I think.

But I switched to Linux since my last campaign and I can’t find something that I like that’s similar in that sort of freeform canvas.

I tried obsidian and hated it. I tried OneNote in browser and it’s just so much worse. I tried Notion and I did like it for a bit, but it’s really pushy about using its AI and linking to other pages and such.

So, yeah. I mean, my next thought is literally to start using Krita or Paint or something because I can’t find a program that’s just kinda bare bones and free form but lets me enter text wherever and slap down some character art, maybe draw a few arrows or something.

Help?

  • The Owlbear@ttrpg.networkEnglish
    2·
    18 hours ago

    I dunno if you’re still lookin’, but there are a few options. I’m not sure why you bounced off of Obsidian (it’s what I use), but I’m gonna assume you need a more visual system. Obsidian’s Canvas provides that, but if you’re not using the other features, it’s a bit like swatting flies with a Buick.

    The simplest option might be Gnome Notes. It’s very barebones, and probably not as freeform as you’d like, but if all you need is a simple note taking app where you can sorta Post-It stuff, it might be enough.

    There aren’t a lot of options that work like One Note. Other folks have said Joplin, and that might be the closest. You could also look into:

    • Logseq, which has a Canvas mode like Obsidian’s but doesn’t work quite the same way and might be a better fit for you (also it’s open source, which is a huge plus)
    • Tomboy NG which offers automatic linking between notes and some other features that you might like, but is kinda old-fashioned, and doesn’t have that “post-it” feel
    • Tagspaces which is pretty and very visually oriented, although it’s tag driven, so that might not be your thing. Still, it’s worth a look.
    • Notable which is tree structured, but also offers a visual note overview. It’s not super powerful, but it is easy to use.

    That said, IIRC it is still possible to disable all AI stuff in the Notions settings. It’s something like Settings>NotionAI and then set all options to “off”. I dunno if that’ll stop Notion from suggesting you turn it back on, though.

    Anyway, hope this helps.