Install Familiar and create your first module.

Install

Install the alpha.

Choose the desktop workspace for guided campaign preparation, or choose the skills edition to work inside your existing agent.

Enable PDF formatting

Install Python 3.10+ and Poppler, plus the Python packages ReportLab, pdfplumber, and pypdf. Use a Python virtual environment if your system manages Python packages; launch Familiar with PYTHON_BIN pointing to that environment’s Python. Familiar includes its renderer and fonts. The skills installer prints a setup command that creates its own PDF environment.

Prefer your own agent? Follow the skills setup guide →

Collaborator source build

You will need Node.js 22 or newer, pnpm 10, Git, a separately installed Codex CLI, and access to the private source repository.

cd the-familiar-codex
pnpm install
pnpm dev:desktop

The development command starts the renderer and Electron shell together. Keep the terminal open while using the source build.

Agent access

Sign in to Codex.

Familiar does not include or update the Codex executable. Install Codex using the official OpenAI guide, run codex login, and then open Familiar. Familiar connects to codex app-server, so the desktop app uses the same threads, approvals, questions, plans, and tool events as Codex.

Campaigns

Choose your campaign folder.

A Familiar campaign is a normal local folder. Start empty or use a folder with existing Markdown, images, PDFs, rules references, and notes. Familiar stores runtime state in .familiar/codex/; the campaign material remains readable outside the app.

my-campaign/
├── campaign.md
├── characters/
├── locations/
├── sessions/
├── artifacts/
├── modules/
└── .familiar/
    └── codex/

Your first conversation

1. 1

   Create a campaign or select an existing one from the left rail.

2. 2

   Start a conversation with an idea, a question, or something you want help preparing.

3. 3

   Include your party’s level, the game system, and any campaign details you want to use.

4. 4

   Talk through the suggestions and tell Familiar which parts you want to develop.

Module workflow

Draft your first adventure.

Choose Make a ready-to-run adventure on the start screen when you’re ready to draft. Fill in the brief and decide whether to compare hooks or use an idea you already have.

1. 01
   Brief

   Describe your idea, party, tone, and session length in the adventure brief.

2. 02
   Hooks

   Compare three to five adventure hooks, or use an idea you have already chosen.

3. 03
   Selection

   Choose a hook and confirm it before Familiar starts the full draft.

4. 04
   Draft

   Codex writes the complete adventure inside the campaign workspace using the selected hook.

5. 05
   Evaluate

   Familiar checks for inconsistent details, missing material, rules references, and how well the adventure will work in play.

6. 06
   Save and export

   If needed, Familiar revises the draft once. It then saves the adventure, linked notes, and an export bundle. PDF formatting needs the dependencies below.

Give Familiar a starting point

Create a one-session mystery for four level-3 characters.
Use the people and unresolved debts in this campaign.
Keep the threat intimate, include one social confrontation,
one dangerous location, and a player-facing handout.
Pause so I can choose the hook before drafting.

Files and ownership

Find and reuse your finished work.

Familiar saves the adventure and separate files for its NPCs, locations, encounters, secrets, and handouts. Export a module bundle to move the adventure and its supporting files between Familiar campaigns.

Printing

Review the PDFs before checkout.

The print flow renders the module, checks page count and trim requirements, produces separate cover and interior PDFs, and opens a private proof page. Nothing is sent to print until checkout is complete.

1. 1

   Review the interior PDF page by page and inspect the full cover spread.

2. 2

   Request a live price based on format, page count, destination, and shipping method.

3. 3

   Pay in your browser through Stripe Checkout.

4. 4

   Familiar submits the approved files to Lulu and keeps the private order page updated.

Architecture

What runs locally and what uses the web.

Troubleshooting

Fix common setup and order issues.