Starting a new character, location, or faction shouldn't start with staring at a blinking cursor on a blank screen. That cognitive friction, the "blank page syndrome," is the enemy of creative flow.

With the release of Default Entity Templates, Codex Cryptica now gives every new note a head start. Start a space smuggler or a ruins complex and your archive fills in a structure built for that entity type.

Markdown-First, Optional Structure

In keeping with our local-first, markdown-first philosophy, these templates are completely non-mandatory guides, not rigid database fields. They pre-populate the document editor with structured headings, but they remain 100% plain text.

If you don't need a section, delete it. If you want a completely empty slate, you can easily toggle "Start from default format" off directly in the creation card.

Create Entity Toggle Checkbox

Tailored to Your Active Theme

We didn't stop at a single generic outline. Because fantasy adventurers have vastly different needs than cyberpunk deckers, default formats adapt dynamically to your vault's active theme:

Fantasy Campaign: Creating a Character populates fields like Lineage, Oaths, and Magical Affinity.
Sci-Fi Campaign: A new Character immediately provides space for Augmentations, Corporate Ties, and Street Reputation.
Generic Settings: Standard fields like Appearance, Personality, and Goals keep you grounded in any setting.

Take Full Control: Vault-Level Customization

For worldbuilders, GMs, and writers with specific note-taking frameworks, you can override any built-in system template with your own local markdown files.

Create a folder in your local vault directory named .cc/templates/ (or .codex/templates/) and place a markdown file named after the entity type (e.g., .cc/templates/character.md).

Plain Markdown — No Metadata or Placeholders Needed

A common question when creating custom templates is whether you need to include frontmatter or placeholder fields for type, title, or labels.

You do not.

In Codex Cryptica, entity metadata (titles, entity types, label chips, and timestamps) is managed automatically by the application interface. When you create a note, you enter the title in the creation dialog and assign your labels in the app header. Your template file is strictly for the document body:

## Overview

A quick 1–2 sentence summary of who this figure is in the world.

## Appearance & Vibe

Distinctive visual details, attire, voice, and mannerisms.

## Goals & Agenda

What are they actively pursuing right now?

## Key Relationships

Bonds, rivalries, and allegiances to local factions or other entities.

## Secrets & DM Notes

Hidden motives or clues the players haven't uncovered yet.

Whenever you create a new Character, Codex Cryptica reads .cc/templates/character.md and pre-populates your editor with your custom structure.

Supported Template Types

You can drop custom templates into .cc/templates/ for any of the standard entity types:

character.md
faction.md
location.md
item.md
event.md
creature.md
note.md

Pro Tip: If you want a specific entity type to always start as a completely blank page without having to uncheck "Start from default format" every time, just create an empty file (e.g., an empty .cc/templates/note.md). Codex Cryptica recognizes empty template files as intentional blank canvases.

By keeping your overrides inside your vault, your custom templates sync across devices and stay private, right alongside your lore.