Rules & reference
The official free rules let anyone learn and play without buying a book. The SRD goes further: it is released under a Creative Commons license, so it is the safe foundation to build and publish your own material on.
D&D 2024 Free Rules FREE
The full free ruleset for the 2024 edition, readable online without owning the core books. Great for handing to a new player. D&D Beyond ↗
System Reference Document 5.2 CC-BY-4.0
The 5.2 SRD under a Creative Commons license, the legally safe core you can remix and publish from. Coexists with the older 5.1 SRD. Roll20 ↗
Virtual tabletops & maps
For running online, or for building the battlefield before everyone sits down. All four have free tiers that cover a lot of ground.
Owlbear Rodeo FREE
The lightest way to run a map and tokens online. No accounts for players, just share a link and start. Perfect for one-shots. owlbear.rodeo ↗
Roll20 FREE TIER
The full-featured VTT, with a free tier that includes dynamic lighting and plenty of storage for a home game. roll20.net ↗
Dungeon Scrawl FREE
Fast, clean dungeon and battle maps right in the browser, no sign-up. Best for crisp tactical layouts you can export to a grid. dungeonscrawl.com ↗
Inkarnate FREE TIER
Painterly world, region, and city maps. The free version is plenty for player handouts and campaign overviews. inkarnate.com ↗
Homebrew & creation tools
For turning your ideas into something that looks like it belongs in a book, plus a quick way to format monsters.
The Homebrewery FREE
Write in Markdown, get a document that looks like the official books. The go-to for sharing a polished brew. naturalcrit.com ↗
GM Binder FREE
A similar book-style document maker with a built-in community to share to, and cleaner rendering across browsers. gmbinder.com ↗
Tetra Cube Statblock Maker FREE
Build a clean, properly formatted monster statblock in minutes and export it as an image for your notes. tetra-cube.com ↗