DM Tools & Online Resources

Curated list of online tools for running D&D 5e sessions.

Encounter Building & Combat

Kobold Plus Fight Club — dedicated encounter builder with D&D 5e 2024 support. Best “pick monsters fast and move on” tool.
Improved Initiative — lightweight 5e combat tracker with quick initiative rolling, HP adjustment, statblocks, and a build/join encounter flow. Best “I just need combat to run cleanly” option for in-person tables.

5etools — all-in-one lookup tab: rules glossary, conditions, bestiary, DM Screen, loot generator, CR calculator. One browser tab that answers most questions fast.
Open5e — cleaner open-source backup reference: classes, conditions, combat, equipment, magic items, spells, monsters, running-a-game material, and an API. Some content missing (not released in the 5e SRD), so excellent as a clean reference but not always complete.
Donjon — emergency utility belt. 5e and 5.5 tools include quick reference, spell sheet, monster list, encounter size calculator, initiative tracker, random generators, random dungeons, five-room dungeons, random encounters, magic shops, and treasure.

D&D Beyond Basic Rules (2024) — official quick-reference for current play: actions, combat, conditions, character creation, core play basics.
Donjon Quick Reference — useful on a phone or side monitor. Condenses movement, action, bonus action, reaction, conditions, and environmental effects into one fast screen.

Sly Flourish’s Lazy Dungeon Master prep template — simplest useful prep system. Covers characters, strong start, scenes, secrets/clues, locations, NPCs, monsters, and treasure without turning prep into homework.
The Lazy GM’s Resource Document — single self-contained document of resources and guidelines for preparing and running 5e and other fantasy RPGs. Can be saved offline or converted to other formats.

D&D Beyond Maps + Encounters — low-friction path if the group already uses DDB characters. Maps is the official browser-based VTT, free accounts can host sessions, paired with Encounters and the Game Log.

Fantasy Name Generators — fastest fix for “I need an NPC / tavern / title / town name right now.” Also has description generators, not just names.