The 50 Best D&D Resources Every DM Should Bookmark (Free + Paid)

I've tried hundreds of D&D tools over six years of running campaigns. Most are abandoned within a week. These 50 are the survivors — the ones that actually changed how I run the game.

Free Online Tools (10)

1. D&D Beyond — official 5e character builder + rules reference. Free tier is generous.
2. Roll20 — virtual tabletop, free tier.
3. Owlbear Rodeo — clean, fast, free VTT alternative.
4. FoundryVTT — one-time purchase, but worth it if you run 10+ sessions a year.
5. Donjon — random everything generators (dungeons, NPCs, towns, encounters). Free.
6. Kobold Fight Club — encounter balance calculator. Free.
7. Watabou's Mapping tools — instant procedural city, dungeon, and interior maps.
8. 5e SRD (5e.tools) — searchable open SRD with everything legal-to-share.
9. Inkarnate — fantasy map maker, free tier.
10. D&D 5e Reddit (r/DMAcademy, r/DnDBehindTheScreen) — best community Q&A.

Podcasts & Listening (5)

11. The DM's Block — short, practical episodes on running tables.
12. Critical Role — for inspiration, not for emulation.
13. Dungeons & Daddies — modern actual-play with strong character work.
14. Adventure Zone — masterclass in narrative riffing.
15. Sly Flourish blog/podcast — the GOAT for "lazy DM" prep philosophy.

Printables & PDFs (10)

16. Lorekeeper Session Prep Sheets — our 21-page workflow ($6).
17. Lorekeeper NPC Template Pack — 30+ pre-built NPCs ($7).
18. Lorekeeper Combat Reference Cards — every condition + DC ($5).
19. Sly Flourish's Lazy DM PDFs — Mike Shea's prep methodology.
20. The Monsters Know What They're Doing tactics PDFs by Keith Ammann.
21. Lorekeeper Magic Item Cards — 100 cards to hand to players ($8).
22. D&D 5e Free Basic Rules PDF — Wizards' official free download.
23. The Sunken Hall One-Shot — our 4-hour module ($14).
24. Lorekeeper DM Screen Reference — 4-panel rules cheat sheet ($9).
25. Lorekeeper Potion Labels — apothecary-style props ($6).

Physical Tools (10)

26. Lorekeeper Hero — player character journal ($34).
27. Lorekeeper Bestiary — custom monsters ($34).
28. Lorekeeper Cartographer — map/dungeon sketchbook ($32).
29. Lorekeeper Spellbook — caster's tome ($34).
30. Chessex dice — never quite get tired.
31. Pathfinder pawns or D&D miniatures.
32. A blank wet-erase grid mat (Chessex Mondomat).
33. Stout cardstock for index cards (Avery 5388).
34. Lapboards or DM screens for the actual DM screen.
35. A timer (used for combat turns at convention games).

Notion + Digital (5)

36. Tablekeeper DM Campaign Hub — Notion workspace ($14).
37. Tablekeeper Player Sheet — Notion character sheet ($9).
38. Tablekeeper World Bible — Notion worldbuilding ($11).
39. Obsidian — for the linked-notes nerds.
40. World Anvil — for the heavy worldbuilders.

Books for DMs (10)

41. The Lazy DM by Mike Shea.
42. Return of the Lazy DM by Mike Shea.
43. The Monsters Know What They're Doing by Keith Ammann.
44. Live to Tell the Tale by Keith Ammann.
45. The Game Master's Book of Random Encounters.
46. The Game Master's Book of NPCs.
47. Xanathar's Guide to Everything (WotC 5e expansion).
48. Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (WotC 5e expansion).
49. Volo's Guide to Monsters (WotC 5e expansion).
50. Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse (WotC 5e expansion).

Newsletters worth subscribing to

Sly Flourish, Matt Colville's Running the Game, The Angry GM. All free.

What didn't make the list

AI dungeon masters (still gimmicky), most Patreons, anything that requires more setup than it saves time. The above 50 have all earned permanent shelf or bookmark space across multiple years of running. Start with the ones marked free — most of the value is there.

Got a tool that should be on this list? Email me — we update it quarterly.