5e Random Tools Mega-Guide to Characters, Dungeons, Treasure Encounters & Settings
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5e Random Tools Mega-Guide to Characters, Dungeons, Treasure Encounters & Settings

Duncan Thomson

The Mega-Guide with combined guide from several previous articles. Charac

5E Tools Guides - tools full guide | dm's guild | gen guides list

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Disclaimer. I'm an affiliate for DM's Guild and I also create a lot of products with random tables on DM's Guild..

Starting Points

pdfs | characters | dungeons | treasure | npcs | encounters | theros | ravenloft

5th Edition is the most recent version of the most popular roleplaying game in the world.

There are many random generators and tables out there, but the ones collected here are specific to D&D and 5e in particular.

And there is also a guide of PDFs with random tables at DM's Guild.

Random PDFs at DM's Guild

pdfs | characters | dungeons | treasure | npcs | encounters | theros | ravenloft

If you like random tables in pdf format then the DM's Guild has a few choices.

The Caverns of Chaos has puzzles, riddles, tricks and traps

The Random Dungeon Room Generator has rooms and chambers covered.

For more on doors you can try Deadly Dungeon Doors with tables including wooden, exotic, door traps and oddities

5E has DM's Guild and on there you can find tables with Loot and Fortune with tables for mundane and different monster types.

DND Speak has lots of random tables on DM's Guild, including 100 Magical Herbs and Plants.

A Pay What You Want option is Random Encounters Expanded with 76 pages of statted encounters, with options for different environments.

For cities look for ideas in Waterdeep: City Encounters.

My most popular or different one is 200 Non-Combat Encounters

If you want to try solo adventuring then the Solo Adventurer's Toolbox is for you.

Caverns of Chaos Random Dungeon Room Generator Deadly Dungeon Doors Loot and Fortune 100 Magical Herbs and Plants Random Encounters Expanded 200 Non-Combat Creature Encounters 200 Non-Combat Creature Encounters Solo Adventurer's Toolbox

Characters

pdfs | characters | dungeons | treasure | npcs | encounters | theros | ravenloft

Characters start with names there are gnomes, tieflings and other D&D names from name generator tool (under npcs in the filter) at Dungeon Master's Vault. It also has names for adventures, cities and continents.

One of the best known places is Fantasy Name Generators, which has names by DnD race. You can find them on one page with Kassoon.

Then Codex Nomina is a site dedicated to names, with an impressive selection at their D&D Names Generator . There is a community that helps with picking and adding names.

For a character in a hurry then fast character gives a full character sheet. You can specify race, class, level and more.

D&D characters need trinkets so go to the 5e Trinket Generator at donjon. Or I've built a D&D trinket gen with themes at Chaos Gen.

DM Heroes has a portrait generator with the core races of 5e and which can be edited

Pets are a source of fun for many groups and there is a guide for pet generators or I have a D&D pet tool at Chaos Gen.

Some characters can be customised by class.

Plot Hooks by character class at D&D Flavor Generators (example is for a fighter).

For Characters during a campaign, you might go carousing generator at donjon, find yourself running a business (also donjon) or wandering what to spend gold pieces on at Chaos Gen.

Dungeon Generators

pdfs | characters | dungeons | treasure | npcs | encounters | theros | ravenloft

Starting off is a generator using the tables from the Dungeon Master's Guide at Chartopia. It has filters

Next is a dungeon map and dungeon room generator from donjon, one of the most recommended tools around. Kassoon has a random dungeon generator where you can tinker with areas such as the Dungeon Start, doors, contents, random hazards and random traps

Onto Traps which every dungeon needs. Donjon has a trap generators which gives 10 traps each time with filters for level and danger. OMGM has a trap generator with details of trigger, save DC, how to spot the trap or the trigger

Another generator from 5nddnd will tell you if a door is locked or trapped.

For dungeon encounters Kobold Fight Club has an option for selecting "Dungeon" as the environment as well as several other encounter filters.

Treasure and Items

pdfs | characters | dungeons | treasure | npcs | encounters | theros | ravenloft

Redkat's Treasure Generator has more detail on the items and art and includes a variety of mundane items. Donjon has a treasure generator by CR, and Mithril and Mages has a similar one with the option of more details for gems and art.

For Magic Items, Donjon has a magic item generator with filters by rarity and type.

If your players favour convenience then try the 5E Magic Shop or a second version which includes description and location.

A variety of weird magic items can be found, from potions of gelatinous transformation to the prismatic blade.

For individuals then take a look at the individual monster tables of Lady Tiefling for Giants, Hags and everything else D&D

And last is a generator for drawing cards from a deck of many things... from Mithril and Mages

NPCs

pdfs | characters | dungeons | treasure | npcs | encounters | theros | ravenloft

For an NPC with a detailed description try NPC Generator. It also has traits, ability scores, a plot hook, physical features and religion. And lots of opportunity for customisation

NPC tool at TotalPartyKill gives stats, skills and personality traits. The NPC Generator at DM's Vault has a summary, description and stats. A nice touch is a short descriptor for each stat explaining the value (constitution: 18 robust). The NPC generator at negatherium also has detailed appearance, personality and an adventure hook as well as a basic stat block.

For a more stat block with a templated approach rpgTinker will let you customise by NPC type, race and attribute array. Templates include combat, spellcaster and non-combat options.

The NPC Generator at 7Tools lets you choose from many heritages, generating character details that tie into the other generators of the site.

Some NPCs only need a brief description, for which Donjon has an NPC generator with class, stats, armour and weapons. The quick npc generator(one of mine) gives name, physical trait and a bit of personality.

DND Speak also has d100 tables of shopkeepers and merchants, interesting pirates and hosts for a night's stay.

Finally for a randomly generated monster try Darehart's Monstrous Codex

Encounters

pdfs | characters | dungeons | treasure | npcs | encounters | theros | ravenloft

If you are looking for combat encounters start with Donjon's elegant encounter generator or the more builder-styled Kassoon's combat generator.

Kobold+ Fight Club is my goto place for filtering monsters and it also features a random encounter feature.

I've got a 5e Encounter Generator from Chaos Gen with options for combat and non-combat and gives extras like location and activity. Dnd speak has a whole list of d100 encounter tables.

Then 7Tools has an Encounter Generator with Challenge, environment and encounter type

For a randomly generated monster try Darehart's Monstrous Codex. For Ravenloft there is a Curse of Strahd encounter generator.

Lastly I've created a slew of simple D&D encounter tables.

Theros

pdfs | characters | dungeons | treasure | npcs | encounters | theros | ravenloft

Start with names from the Ancient Greek-ish Name Generator at springhole.net

Names are so important for characters and fantasy name generators has a whole page of Magic: the Gathering names useful for Theros. Of note are those for gorgons, sphinxes and giants

Omens and oracles are a big part of life with the gods. Prophecies are all around, with prophecies with the option of scrambling the words, several short ones or character foretellings (one of mine). There is a name generator for prophets too.

Also covered are superstitions, omens & portents, riddles and a riddle maker (no answers though).

Seas and islands are a big part of Theros and there is a separate guide on Sea Tools. Masks are prominent in Thoros lore and there is a costume masks generator, replacing modern materials with wood, ceramic or metal.

and I've got a Theros Trinkets Generator

For PDFs

Trinkets of Theros Gray Merchant of Asphodel Encounters in Theros Theros Trinkets and Creation Tables

Ravenloft

pdfs | characters | dungeons | treasure | npcs | encounters | theros | ravenloft

Another resource for Ravenloft is the Generators Guide for Horror.

One of the first themed adventures for dark fantasy was Ravenloft, which grew into a setting and has returned for fifth edition with Van Richten.

For new ideas try 100 new darklords and domains.

You might want some names for Ravenloft or Goth sounding vampire names.

For 5e support take a look at 100 horror trinkets or spooky trinkets

You might find a use for a deck of Tarot Cards

Curse of Strahd is the best-known vampire adventure for fifth edition

To support it there is collection of tables from Curse of Strahd, a Curse of Strahd encounter generator and a Fortunes generator for different setups of Curse of Strahd

For more vampire specific tools try vampire descriptions with magical abilities, vampire names, Graveyard Names

For PDFs

Encounters in the Mists - additional random encounters for Dungeon Masters Ravenloft Tables: Random Tables for your gothic horror games Spooky Encounters Spooky Trinkets and Creation Tables

D&D Tool Recommendations

If you liked these there are Generators at Chaos Gen and a monthly random tools Newsletter. Or find us on the Rand Roll Discord or an instagram of Random Tables.