Need a quick and easy way to create your next Dungeons & Dragons character? Whether you're new to the game and looking for guidance or an experienced player wanting to jump into your next StartPlaying D&D game fast, there's a tool out there for you. Below, you'll find a breakdown of some of the best character creation tools available, each with its own strengths and limitations.

D&D Beyond (DDB)

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Price: Free tier for most players; GM tiers at $2.99 and $5.99/month. Additional content available for purchase.

D&D Beyond is the powerhouse digital tool for Dungeons & Dragons, offering not just a character builder but a full suite of resources for both players and Dungeon Masters. The character creator is sleek, easy to use, and offers multiple ways to build your character. QuickStart mode generates a level 1 character in minutes, while the step-by-step Standard builder includes tutorial text for those new to the platform. Pre-generated characters are also available for those who just want to grab and go.

Since it's owned by the producers of D&D, D&D Beyond provides access to all official character options—though some require a purchase. Content sharing within a party is possible if at least one member has a Master-tier subscription. The sheer amount of information available here can be overwhelming, and while the site is well-designed, the character sheet output is difficult to navigate both online and in print.

Pros:

• Multiple character creation methods
• Tutorial for new players
• Potential access to all character options
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Information overload for some users
• Character sheet can be hard to read and navigate

Roll20

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Price: Free; additional content available for purchase.

Most virtual tabletops (VTTs) require you to be in a game to use their character builder, but Roll20 offers a standalone hub where you can create characters without joining a session. It supports multiple systems, including D&D 5e, Pathfinder, Starfinder, and Call of Cthulhu, with more being added regularly.

The D&D 5e character builder is straightforward, offering both a step-by-step guide and a tutorial for beginners. It flags choices that need to be made, though some options can be unclear—background stat adjustments, for example, prompted a choice but didn’t provide a way to make one.

Roll20 provides access to both 2014 and 2024 character options, with basic rules available for free and additional content obtainable with purchase

Pros:

• Simple, intuitive interface
• Beginner-friendly tutorial
• Full content available

Cons:

• Some choices can be confusing or missing
• No option to print the character sheet

Quick Tip: Ready to learn to play Dungeons & Dragons online?  Work with a pre-selected DM from StartPlaying.games–chosen to work with new players–who can walk you through how to use Roll20. 

AideDD

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Price: Free with unobtrusive ads.

AideDD is a no-frills character creator that fills out a digital character sheet as you go. The tool includes both 2014 and 2024 character creation options, with all content unlocked. However, it’s not beginner-friendly—there’s little to no explanation of what the options mean, making it better suited for experienced players looking for a printable sheet.

Pros:

• Automatically fills out a paper character sheet
• Supports both 2014 and 2024 versions of D&D
• Printable and exportable character sheets

Cons:

• Basic, unpolished design
• No guidance or explanations for choices

Dungeon Master’s Vault

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Price: Free with minimal ads.

Almost everything that Dungeon Master’s Vault does, one of the other sites listed here can do better. 

Dungeon Master’s Vault offers a structured character creation process, but the cluttered interface can be overwhelming. It includes explanations of character options but is limited to 2014 SRD content—extra features must be manually inputted rather than purchased. There’s no option for creating a 2024 character.

But Dungeon Master’s Vault has one thing that none of the others do: a beginner-friendly questionnaire that helps new players build a character based on their personality and playstyle. Answering a few quick questions like “How does your character feel about following laws?” generates a fully developed character in minutes.

Pros:

• Guided questionnaire for new players

Cons:

• Cluttered design
• Only supports 2014 rules
• Limited to free SRD content

Fast Character

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Price: Free with ads.

Fast Character lives up to its name, offering a streamlined way to create D&D characters for both 2014 and 2024 rules. You can start at any level, customize backgrounds, subclasses, and lineages, and generate a character in seconds. A printable rules cribsheet provides a quick reference for gameplay.

It also supports other systems, including B/X D&D, Marvel, and Cypher, and allows exports to Roll20 and other formats. The downside? Ads can be intrusive, and the tool makes some choices automatically, limiting customization.

Pros:

• Fast, easy character generation
• Supports multiple game systems
• Customization options for backgrounds and subclasses

Cons:

• Intrusive ads
• Some choices made automatically

nine|tail

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Price: Free

nine|tail features a clean, modern interface with a simple selection system—choices appear or disappear dynamically based on previous selections. It’s easy to use but lacks depth, offering only mechanics with no personality-building tools. It also only supports 2014 D&D rules with no indication of when 2024 updates will be available.

Pros:

• Minimalist, user-friendly interface

Cons:

• Outdated and incomplete
• No personality or background creation tools

Dyslexic Character Sheets

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Price: Free

This tool caters to D&D 3.5, Pathfinder, and Starfinder players. The interface is clean, and it offers a wide range of character options with printable, customizable sheets, including artwork choices. However, it’s not beginner-friendly—there’s no information on what each option means. But downloading and printing your sheet is easy–you can even choose the print color. 

Pros:

• Thorough and free with no ads
• Supports older systems

Cons:

• No guidance on character options
• No backstory or notes fields

Demiplane (Coming Soon!)

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Price: TBD

Demiplane has built a reputation for high-quality digital tools for RPGs like Pathfinder and Vampire: The Masquerade. Their upcoming 5E Nexus promises a robust character builder, though it’s still in development. Given the quality of their tools for other systems, it’s worth keeping an eye on.

With so many digital tools available, finding the right character builder depends on what you need—speed, depth, customizability, or ease of use. But even the best tools can’t answer every question. If you’re looking for guidance, consider joining a campaign with a Pro DM on StartPlaying.games. A professional game master can help bring your character concept to life!

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Krystal has been a Dungeon Master for 7 years and especially works to provide a safe space for women and neurodivergent players to learn and grow. Find Krystal on StartPlaying here.