5e.tools

What is 5etools?

5etools is a free, browser-based reference and utility suite for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, aimed at both players and Dungeon Masters. It is not a virtual tabletop or a character-sheet service; it is a fast lookup tool for rules, monsters, spells, items and similar content, plus optional integrations that push that content into the tools you already use.

Its defining trait is that it works like a well-indexed digital library rather than an app you log into. There is no account system — preferences and saved state live in cookies, so clearing cookies or closing an incognito window loses them, and you can export your data from the settings menu if you want a backup.

What you can actually do with it

• Look up a spell, monster, magic item or rule mid-session without paging through books.
• Keep several reference windows open at once; holding SHIFT while hovering locks a window in place.
• Hover almost anything for a tooltip explaining it.
• Pull content directly into a virtual tabletop: a Foundry module (Plutonium) installs via a manifest URL, and a Rivet browser extension imports content with one click.
• For Roll20 users, a Tampermonkey script (betteR20) adds integration, requiring the official D&D 5E sheet and only one active script at a time.
• Self-host a copy on anything that can run a basic web server — a laptop, a phone, a Raspberry Pi or a small cloud instance.

Who it suits, and the trade-offs

A concrete scenario: you are mid-combat, a player casts a spell you don't remember, and you need its save, range and duration in five seconds. Opening a locked 5etools window and hovering the spell gets you there faster than searching a PDF. What it won't do is roll the save or track the condition — that stays with you or your VTT.

Two practical notes. First, the site describes itself as a digital reference for products you already own, so treat it as an index to your own books rather than a replacement for them, and follow your local rules on what you access. Second, it targets the latest desktop Chrome and Firefox, so mobile browsing works but isn't the design center.

Next step: open the site, find one spell and one monster you use often, lock both windows with SHIFT, and export your settings once so a cleared cookie jar doesn't cost you your setup. If you use Foundry or Roll20, decide on the integration before you build habits around the plain web version.

How do I integrate 5etools content into Foundry VTT?

Install the Plutonium module in Foundry VTT, then paste 5etools' manifest URL into Foundry's module installer. That is the integration path 5etools itself points to: Plutonium is described as bringing "all of 5etools' content" into your game, with the module's feature page covering what it actually does in play.

The basic Foundry route

1. In Foundry VTT, open Add-on Modules → Install Module.
2. Paste the manifest URL for your Foundry version — 5etools lists current, v14 and v13 options.
3. Install and enable Plutonium, then reload Foundry.
4. Use Plutonium's import/search interface to pull 5etools material into your world.

Two alternatives from the same page, if you are not on Foundry:

• Roll20: install Tampermonkey plus the betteR20 script (separate builds for 5e/2014, 5.5e/2024, and experimental Jumpgate versions), which requires the D&D 5E by Roll20 sheet. Only one script active at a time.
• Browser-only import: the Rivet extension (Chrome or Firefox) imports content from the site with one click.

Practical notes

• No accounts, no cloud sync. 5etools stores your state in cookies. Clearing cookies or closing an incognito window loses it, so use the Settings menu to download your data if you care about saved lists.
• Desktop Chrome or Firefox are the supported browsers, so do the importing on a desktop rather than a tablet.
• Self-hosting is possible on anything running a basic web server — a laptop, phone, Raspberry Pi, or free cloud instance — by copying the files and images into the server root. Useful if you want a stable URL for a table or a persistent copy.
• Hover with SHIFT held locks a window in place; tooltips exist nearly everywhere, which speeds up looking things up mid-session.

Which route to pick

Next step: confirm your Foundry major version before choosing a manifest URL, since the current, v14 and v13 entries are not interchangeable. The official project lives at 5etools.

How can I use 5etools with Roll20?

5etools can feed its content into Roll20, but it does so through a userscript rather than a native integration. You install a browser extension that runs scripts on the Roll20 page, then load a script that pulls 5etools material into the Roll20 character sheet.

How the Roll20 route works

• Install Tampermonkey in Chrome or Firefox.
• Add the betteR20 script. There are separate versions for the 5e/2014 rules and the 5.5e/2024 rules, plus experimental Jumpgate variants for each.
• The script requires the "D&D 5E by Roll20" sheet. It will not work with other sheets.
• Run only one script at a time. Multiple active scripts conflict.
• A wiki installation guide covers setup and day-to-day use.

What you get

Once running, the script bridges 5etools content into the Roll20 sheet, so you can bring in spells, items, monsters and similar reference material without retyping it. That is the main draw: faster character and encounter prep inside the VTT you already use.

Trade-offs to weigh

If your group is committed to Roll20, the script is the practical path. If you are choosing a VTT and want the smoothest 5etools experience, Foundry with the Plutonium module is the more integrated option. Note that 5etools itself has no account system — preferences live in cookies, so export your data from the Settings menu if you want it to persist.

Next step: check the 5etools wiki installation guide for the current script version matching your rules edition, then confirm your Roll20 game is using the D&D 5E by Roll20 sheet before enabling it. For the broader toolkit, see 5etools.

Can I self-host 5etools, and what do I need to run it?

Yes. 5etools is explicitly designed to be self-hostable, and the requirements are deliberately minimal: anything that can run a basic web server will do.

What you need

• A static file host or web server. The site describes examples ranging from your own computer, a phone, or a Raspberry Pi, up to a free EC2 or Google Compute Engine instance. No database, application server, or build pipeline is mentioned.
• The site files and images. You download both and copy them into your server's root directory. That is the whole deployment described.
• A modern desktop browser for use. The project states support for the latest desktop versions of Chrome and Firefox, so that is the realistic target for you and anyone you share it with.

How to think about hosting choices

A practical next step

If you only need offline access for yourself, start by serving the files locally and bookmarking that address; there is no account system, so your saved state lives in cookies and disappears if you clear them. Download your data from the Settings menu if you want to keep it.

Two things worth knowing before you commit: self-hosting gives you a copy frozen at whatever version you downloaded, so you'll need to re-download to pick up updates, and the project frames itself as a digital reference for products you already own, with a note to access content in line with your local laws. The official source and documentation live at 5etools.

Where does 5etools store my saved data, and how do I back it up?

5etools stores your saved data in your browser's cookies, not in an account on its servers. There is no account system, so anything you save — favorites, filters, custom content, and similar settings — lives locally in the browser you're using.

What that means in practice

• The data is tied to the specific browser and device you used.
• Clearing cookies, or closing an incognito window, deletes it permanently.
• Because it isn't synced, switching from your laptop to your phone won't carry your saved setup across.

How to back it up

Use the Settings menu and choose the option to download your data. That gives you a file you can keep somewhere safe. To restore it later, import that file through the same Settings area.

A practical routine

If you've spent time building custom monsters, spells, or a curated favorites list, download your data after any big editing session rather than waiting until you need it. Treat the exported file like a character sheet: keep a copy in cloud storage or email it to yourself so a browser cleanup doesn't wipe weeks of work.

Trade-off to weigh

Cookie storage makes 5etools fast and frictionless — no login, no password, nothing to forget. The cost is durability and portability. If you want your content to survive a device change automatically, you'd need a different approach, such as self-hosting a copy so the files themselves are under your control. The site documents self-hosting for exactly this kind of use.

For broader context on the toolset itself, see 5etools.

What browser extensions or userscripts work with 5etools?

5etools works with several browser extensions and userscripts, each aimed at a different virtual tabletop (VTT) or workflow. The site itself confirms these integrations on its main page.

Rivet (browser extension) Available for Chrome and Firefox, Rivet imports content from the 5etools site into your game with a single click. This is the lightest option if you just want to pull stat blocks or items into another tool without setting up a full VTT pipeline.

Tampermonkey + betteR20 (userscript) This is the Roll20 path. You install Tampermonkey (Chrome or Firefox), then add the betteR20 script. There are separate script builds for 5e/2014, 5.5e/2024, and experimental Jumpgate versions of each. All of them require the "D&D 5E by Roll20" sheet, and only one script should be active at a time. The 5etools wiki has an installation guide and usage notes.

Foundry VTT module (Plutonium) If you use Foundry, the Plutonium module brings 5etools content into your game. You install it by pasting a manifest URL (current, v14, or v13) into Foundry's module installer. 5etools describes Foundry as its "platform of choice for VTT integrations," and points to a Plutonium Features page for the full functionality list.

A practical note on choosing If you already run a VTT, match the extension to it: Plutonium for Foundry, betteR20 for Roll20. If you only need to move a monster or spell into a notes app or another tool, Rivet is the simpler pick. One caveat worth knowing: 5etools has no account system, so anything you store lives in cookies and disappears if you clear them or close an incognito window. Download your data from the Settings menu if you want to keep it.

Next step Check the 5etools wiki for the betteR20 installation guide, and the Plutonium Features page before installing the Foundry module, so you know which version (current, v14, or v13) matches your server.