Tools for Game Masters and Writers

Random Generators

• Narrative Kit (free, with optional paid packs) — Random generators for characters, plots, locations, and more. The free generators run in the browser with no account. Paid packs add more genres. Best for quick prompts and table-ready ideas.
• donjon (free) — A large, long-running set of generators for names, dungeons, NPCs, magic items, and whole adventures. Covers many systems, including D&D and Pathfinder. Best for deep, system-specific output.
• Seventh Sanctum (free) — One of the oldest generator sites. Produces names, characters, concepts, and descriptions for stories, games, and art. Best for breaking a creative block with a wide range of prompts.
• Chaotic Shiny (free) — A long-running set of generators for cultures, regions, NPCs, places, and items. Strong on worldbuilding detail. Best for GMs who want cultural and setting texture.
• Springhole.net (free) — A very large collection of generators for names, characters, backstories, and outfits, aimed at RPGs, worldbuilding, and writing. Best for character and writing prompts in bulk.
• Fantasy Name Generators (free) — Over a thousand name generators, plus description generators and guides. Best when you need names for a specific theme, place, or species.
• Chartopia (free) — A site where anyone can create, share, and roll random tables and generators. Best for GMs who want community-made tables, or who want to build their own.
• Perchance (free) — A platform for making and using text generators. Community-built, wide in scope. Best for people who want to build a custom generator as well as use one.
• Eigengrau's Generator (free, open source) — A procedural generator for towns, NPCs, and more. Produces text you can read straight to players. Best for on-the-fly town and NPC detail during a session.

Mapping

• Inkarnate (free tier; Pro from $7.99/month) — Browser map maker with a large drag-and-drop asset library. Makes world, region, city, and battle maps. Best for good-looking maps without illustration skills.
• Wonderdraft ($29.99 one-time) — Desktop map maker for regional and world maps. Bought once, works offline. Best for long-term worldbuilding and people who prefer a one-time cost.
• Dungeondraft ($19.99 one-time) — From the maker of Wonderdraft. Builds detailed battle maps and interiors with walls, doors, and furniture. Best paired with Wonderdraft: one for the world, one for the rooms.
• Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator (free, open source) — Generates a full continent or world map with biomes, political regions, and names, then lets you edit it. Best for worldbuilders starting a setting from scratch.
• Watabou's generators (free) — Procedural map generators for one-page dungeons, villages, cities, and mansions. Exports to other map tools. Best for fast maps with no drawing.
• Dungeon Scrawl (free) — A simple browser battle-map maker for quick, old-school dungeons. Best when you need a plain grid map fast.

Virtual Tabletops

• Roll20 (free tier; paid plans from $5.99/month) — Browser-based virtual tabletop with maps, dice, and character sheets. Supports many systems and a content marketplace. Best for playing online with nothing to install.
• Foundry VTT ($50 one-time licence) — A virtual tabletop you host yourself, so you keep control of your data. Extends with many add-ons. Best for groups who want control and a one-time cost.
• Owlbear Rodeo (free tier; paid tier from $3.33/month) — A light, fast virtual tabletop for in-person and online play. Best for a simple shared map without heavy setup.

Worldbuilding and Campaign Management

• World Anvil (free tier; paid plans from $7/month) — A large worldbuilding and campaign toolkit with wiki-style articles, maps, and timelines. Deep feature set. Best for people who want every feature in one place.
• LegendKeeper (14-day trial; from $9/month) — A fast, map-focused worldbuilding wiki that works offline and syncs later. Best for map-driven worlds and people who value speed.
• Obsidian (free for personal use) — A general note tool that stores plain Markdown files on your device. It needs setup and plugins to become a worldbuilding tool, but it is flexible and private. Best for people who want local control.

Writing

Tools that suit fiction writers as well as game masters.

• Scrivener (paid, one-time licence) — A long-form writing tool for novels and scripts. Keeps chapters, notes, and research in one project. Best for drafting a long manuscript.
• World Anvil (see above) — Also used by novelists to organise settings and characters, not only by GMs.
• Narrative Kit (see above) — The character, plot, and conflict generators suit fiction writers, not only game masters.
• Springhole.net (see above) — Its backstory, character, and plot generators are aimed at writers as much as GMs.

Play Aids

• Tabletop Audio (free) — Ambient tracks and soundscapes for games, organised by scene. Hundreds of looping tracks, with an optional soundboard. Best for adding atmosphere at the table.
• Syrinscape (from $6.50/month, often $12.99) — Sound effects and music organised by scene, with more control than a plain playlist. Best for layered audio during play.