Guide sections

Installation and first launch

Install Campaign Familiar, open it for the first time, and confirm the app can create local campaign data on your machine.

Campaign Familiar is a local-first, privacy-first desktop app for D&D Dungeon Masters that stores your entire campaign in a local database on your own machine.

Goal: Download, install, and launch Campaign Familiar on your computer Requirements: Internet connection for download and license activation

Step 1: download Campaign Familiar

  1. Visit campaignfamiliar.com
  2. Click Download
  3. Select your platform:
PlatformFile Type
Windows 10/11 (64-bit).exe installer
macOS (Intel or Apple Silicon).dmg disk image
Linux.AppImage or .deb
  1. Save the installer to your computer

Step 2: install Campaign Familiar

Windows

  1. Double-click the downloaded .exe file
  2. If Windows SmartScreen appears, click More info, then Run anyway (this is normal for new applications)
  3. Follow the installation wizard
  4. Click Finish to launch

macOS

  1. Double-click the downloaded .dmg file
  2. Drag the Campaign Familiar icon to the Applications folder
  3. Open Campaign Familiar from Applications
  4. If macOS blocks the app, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway

Linux

AppImage:

chmod +x Campaign.Familiar_*_amd64.AppImage
./Campaign.Familiar_*_amd64.AppImage

Debian/Ubuntu (.deb):

sudo dpkg -i Campaign.Familiar_*_amd64.deb

For detailed platform-specific instructions, see:

Step 3: first launch

When Campaign Familiar opens for the first time:

  1. The app initializes its local database (takes a few seconds)
  2. You’re prompted to sign in or create an account
  3. Your subscription activates automatically if you have one
  4. You see the home screen with a New Campaign button

That’s it - you’re ready to build your first campaign.

Your data stays on your computer

Campaign Familiar stores all your campaign data locally:

PlatformLocation
Windows%LOCALAPPDATA%\campaign-familiar
macOS~/Library/Application Support/campaign-familiar
Linux~/.local/share/campaign-familiar

Your campaigns never leave your machine - Campaign Familiar doesn’t upload your world to the cloud. Back up this folder to protect your work.

Optional: activate a paid subscription

If you purchased Companion or Power tier:

  1. Click Sign In on the home screen
  2. Enter your account credentials
  3. Your subscription is verified and activated
  4. Your tier appears in the app sidebar

Don’t have an AI subscription yet? No problem - you own the full app, so creation management, relationships, session planning, search, and import/export all work without any subscription. An AI subscription only adds AI generation on top, and you can add one anytime.

For subscription details, see Subscription tiers.

Troubleshooting

Windows SmartScreen blocks the installer Click More info, then Run anyway. This appears because Campaign Familiar is a new application.

macOS says the app is from an unidentified developer Open System Settings > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.

App doesn’t start Check that you meet the system requirements: Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+, or a modern Linux distribution with WebKit2GTK.

For more help, see Installation troubleshooting.

Next steps