The Library
GuidesData-driven answers, one click from the forge
Every guide here argues from data — SRD numbers, encounter math, real distributions — and ends at a generator, not a shrug.
Monster CR by the Numbers
Challenge Rating is the number every encounter hangs on — and the SRD's 334 monsters are not spread evenly across it. Here is the real…
Read the guide →The SRD Spell List in Numbers
The 5e SRD contains 319 spells, and their spread across levels and schools shapes every caster you will ever build. The numbers below are…
Read the guide →10 Proven D&D House Rules
Every DM hits the same wall: the rulebook says one thing, but your table needs another. Instead of inventing fixes from scratch, we…
Read the guide →D&D 5e vs Pathfinder 2e
The two giants of fantasy TTRPGs look similar from the outside — d20 rolls, classes, levels, saving throws. But under the hood they make…
Read the guide →The Best OSR Systems in 2026
You've heard old-school D&D is faster, deadlier and weirder than 5e. But "OSR" now covers everything from faithful B/X clones to…
Read the guide →Beyond Fantasy: A Practical Guide to Sci-Fi, Horror, and Universal TTRPGs
There's a whole universe of TTRPGs outside the dungeon. If your group wants spaceships instead of spellbooks, investigation instead of…
Read the guide →Rules-Light vs Crunchy TTRPGs
A 300-page core rulebook doesn't make a better game — it makes a different game. We analyzed 195 community discussions about system…
Read the guide →D&D 2014 vs 2024
The 2024 Player's Handbook isn't a new edition — but it changes enough that every table needs to make a decision. We analyzed 113 community…
Read the guide →Your First Month as a DM
Every DM starts the same way: rulebook in one hand, pre-written adventure in the other, and the quiet terror of "what if they ask about…
Read the guide →DM Burnout Is Real
Dungeon Masters burn out at alarming rates — some studies suggest 40% of new DMs stop running games within six months. We analyzed 172…
Read the guide →Encounter Design: The Complete Guide
Building a combat encounter is easy. Building one that's memorable, balanced, and serves your story is a craft. We analyzed over 4,100…
Read the guide →Worldbuilding That Actually Gets Used at the Table
Most worldbuilding never leaves the DM's notebook. Players don't read your 50-page setting document — but they do remember the city where…
Read the guide →TTRPG Map Tools Compared
Making maps is half the fun of DMing and half the frustration. We analyzed 174 community threads comparing mapping tools to give you the…
Read the guide →VTT Platforms Compared
Picking a virtual tabletop is the biggest infrastructure decision an online DM makes. Switch later and you're re-importing maps,…
Read the guide →Miniatures, Tokens, and Character Art
Whether you play at a physical table with painted minis or online with digital tokens, visual representation makes characters feel real. We…
Read the guide →Why Martial Characters Feel Weak in D&D
The "martial/caster disparity" is the most-debated topic in D&D forums. But the real issue isn't damage numbers — it's agency. We analyzed…
Read the guide →d20 Probability Intuition
Every D&D player has felt it: "I have +8 to hit, why am I missing so much?" The answer is almost always probability intuition — our brains…
Read the guide →How to Create a D&D Character
Building your first D&D character takes about 20 minutes if you know what you're doing, and two hours if you don't. This guide walks you…
Read the guide →How to Build a D&D Dungeon
Every DM builds their first dungeon wrong: 30 rooms, 28 of them empty, 2 combat encounters, no theme, no boss motivation. The fix is…
Read the guide →NPC Design for D&D
The difference between an NPC your players forget and one they name-drop three campaigns later is three things: a want, a secret, and a…
Read the guide →Monster Design 101
Building a custom monster for D&D 5e isn't about picking cool abilities — it's about understanding the math that makes a fight fair and the…
Read the guide →D&D Token Guide
A token is the most-seen visual at any virtual D&D table — more than maps, more than handouts, more than splash screens. This guide covers…
Read the guide →Where to Buy TTRPG Books, Games, Miniatures & Rare Finds
Finding the right TTRPG product is harder than it should be. Between out-of-print classics, Kickstarter exclusives, convention-only…
Read the guide →How TTRPG Mechanics Actually Work
Every TTRPG is built on a handful of mechanical decisions: how you roll, what you roll against, and what happens when you succeed. Once you…
Read the guide →Obscure TTRPGs Worth Discovering
Beyond D&D, Pathfinder, and Call of Cthulhu lies a world of games that do one thing spectacularly well. A game where you play as rabbits…
Read the guide →Horror TTRPGs
Horror is the hardest genre to run in a TTRPG. The players are sitting in a well-lit room with snacks. They know their character is…
Read the guide →How to Introduce New Players to TTRPGs
The hardest part of TTRPGs is session zero — not for your campaign, but for the hobby itself. How do you explain what an RPG is to someone…
Read the guide →Digital Tools and 3D Printing for TTRPGs
The TTRPG community has built an ecosystem of digital tools that range from "spreadsheet that calculates your carrying capacity" to "AI…
Read the guide →Homebrew Balance: How to Design Content That Will Not Break Your Game
Everyone homebrews. A custom magic item for the fighter. A feat you saw on Reddit. A subclass you wrote for your player. The difference…
Read the guide →Ethical Worldbuilding in TTRPGs
Every DM borrows from real-world cultures, religions, and history to build their setting. The line between inspiration and appropriation is…
Read the guide →Can This System Do That? The TTRPG Compatibility and Adaptability Guide
Every week on RPG forums, someone asks: "Can I run a sci-fi campaign in D&D 5e?" "Can I use this OSR module with Pathfinder 2e?" "Can this…
Read the guide →TTRPG Release Calendar
Keeping up with TTRPG releases is a hobby in itself. Between Wizards of the Coast's 2024/2025 refresh, Paizo's steady Pathfinder/Starfinder…
Read the guide →The Complete Barbarian Guide
D&D 5e barbarian: primal paths (subclasses), the Rage table, Unarmored Defense and the best stats — then generate a barbarian NPC in one…
Read the guide →The Complete Bard Guide
D&D 5e bard: colleges (subclasses), the spell list and slots, Bardic Inspiration and Magical Secrets — then generate a bard NPC in one…
Read the guide →The Complete Cleric Guide
D&D 5e cleric: divine domains (subclasses), the spell list and slots, Channel Divinity — then generate a cleric NPC in one…
Read the guide →The Complete Druid Guide
D&D 5e druid: circles (subclasses), the spell list and slots, the Wild Shape CR table — then generate a druid NPC in one…
Read the guide →The Complete Fighter Guide
D&D 5e fighter: martial archetypes (subclasses), every fighting style, Battle Master manoeuvres — then generate a fighter NPC in one…
Read the guide →The Complete Monk Guide
D&D 5e monk: monastic traditions (subclasses), the Martial Arts and ki tables, Stunning Strike — then generate a monk NPC in one…
Read the guide →The Complete Paladin Guide
D&D 5e paladin: sacred oaths (subclasses), the spell list and slots, features by level — then generate a paladin NPC in one…
Read the guide →The Complete Ranger Guide
D&D 5e ranger: archetypes (subclasses), the spell list and slots, Hunter’s Mark — then generate a ranger NPC in one…
Read the guide →The Complete Rogue Guide
D&D 5e rogue: roguish archetypes (subclasses), the Sneak Attack table, Cunning Action — then generate a rogue NPC in one…
Read the guide →The Complete Sorcerer Guide
D&D 5e sorcerer: sorcerous origins (subclasses), the spell list, every Metamagic option and sorcery points — then generate a sorcerer NPC…
Read the guide →The Complete Warlock Guide
D&D 5e warlock: otherworldly patrons (subclasses), the Pact Magic slot table, Eldritch Invocations — then generate a warlock NPC in one…
Read the guide →The Complete Wizard Guide
D&D 5e wizard: arcane traditions (subclasses), the spell list and slots, features by level — then generate a wizard NPC in one…
Read the guide →Done Reading?
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