Guide & FAQ

A practical walkthrough of the Fifth Edition Character Sheet.

Getting started

The Fifth Edition Character Sheet is a free, browser-based tool for building and tracking 5th Edition tabletop characters. There is nothing to install and no account to create -- open the page and start typing.

1. Fill in the identity strip at the top (name, class, race, background, level).
2. Set your ability scores; modifiers, saves, and skills update automatically.
3. Pick a class, race, and background from the dropdowns to auto-fill features and proficiencies (see Auto-fill).
4. Track combat, spells, equipment, features, and notes on their tabs.

On a phone, the seven sections live on the bottom tab bar. On a wide screen they are laid out as three columns.

Saving, exporting, and your data

Your character is saved automatically in your browser as you type, so it is still there when you come back. This tool has no server and no account -- your data stays on your device. Specifically:

• Auto-save: the current character is written to your browser's local storage on every change.
• Save / export: use Save to download your character as a .json file you can back up or share.
• Load / import: load a previously exported .json to restore a character on any device or browser.
• Offline: reference data is bundled with the site and cached in your browser, so the sheet keeps working without a connection once it has loaded.

Because everything is local, clearing your browser's site data (or using private/incognito windows) will remove unsaved characters -- export anything you want to keep first.

Auto-fill from the SRD

The class, race, background, feat, and spell pickers are populated from the System Reference Document (SRD) data bundled with the site. Choosing an entry fills in the relevant features, proficiencies, and rules text for you.

• Source filters: open the Info panel (the i button) to choose which content sources appear in the dropdowns.
• Rules links: where a small arrow appears next to a spell or feature, click it to read the full rules.
• SRD Lookup: the search panel lets you look up spells, monsters, magic items, conditions, and more on demand. Results you view are cached locally for instant repeat lookups.

Formatting text (the Markup cheat sheet)

The Notes tab and other long-text fields support a lightweight Markdown-style markup. Type the syntax on the left to get the result on the right:

A blank line starts a new paragraph; single line breaks are kept within a paragraph. Headings and list markers must be at the start of a line.

Example: a character background for the Notes tab

Here is a sample you can paste into the Notes tab and edit. The raw markup is on top; below it is how it renders.

Type this

# Maelra Duskwhisper

*Half-elf rogue, exile of the Silverwood.*

## Background

Maelra grew up between two worlds and was trusted by neither. After a theft
went wrong, she fled the forest courts and now sells her talents to whoever
pays best -- and asks the fewest questions.

## Bonds & secrets

- **Bond:** owes a life-debt to the smuggler who got her out of the Silverwood.
- **Flaw:** cannot resist an unguarded lock.
- **Secret:** the "family signet" she wears is stolen.

## A line she lives by

> "Doors are only locked for people without patience."

## To do

1. Find a buyer for the signet.
2. Avoid the Silverwood wardens.
3. Repay the smuggler -- eventually.

You get

Homebrew: building supplement files

Beyond the SRD, you can add your own subclasses and races/subraces by uploading a JSON supplement file in the Info panel. The easiest way to start is the Download starter button, which gives you a correctly-formatted file to edit. The formats are below.

Subclass supplement

A subclass file uses the supplement-v1 schema. Each subclass is attached to a class by its classSlug (for example fighter, cleric, wizard) and lists its features by level. An optional pools array adds trackable resources (like Superiority Dice).

{
  "$schema": "supplement-v1",
  "version": 1,
  "name": "My Homebrew Subclasses",
  "description": "A couple of custom subclasses.",
  "subclasses": [
    {
      "classSlug": "fighter",
      "slug": "battle-master",
      "name": "Battle Master",
      "sourceLabel": "Homebrew",
      "features": [
        { "level": 3, "name": "Combat Superiority", "desc": "You learn maneuvers fueled by superiority dice. **Markup is supported here.**" },
        { "level": 7, "name": "Know Your Enemy", "desc": "Study a creature for 1 minute to learn how it compares to you." }
      ],
      "pools": [
        { "name": "Superiority Dice", "max": 4, "resetOn": "short", "appliesAtLevel": 3 }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Race / subrace supplement

A race file uses the race-supplement-v1 schema. Use parentSlug to attach a subrace to an existing race (for example a Wood Elf under elf), or omit it for a standalone race. Structural fields like asi, speed, and darkvision are applied to the sheet; traits are descriptive.

{
  "$schema": "race-supplement-v1",
  "version": 1,
  "name": "My Homebrew Races",
  "description": "A custom subrace.",
  "races": [
    {
      "slug": "wood-elf",
      "name": "Wood Elf",
      "parentSlug": "elf",
      "sourceLabel": "Homebrew",
      "asi": { "wis": 1 },
      "speed": 35,
      "traits": [
        { "name": "Fleet of Foot", "desc": "Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet." },
        { "name": "Mask of the Wild", "desc": "You can attempt to hide even when only lightly obscured by foliage, rain, snow, mist, and similar." }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Filling features by pasting text

Rather than typing each description by hand, the in-app editor (open the Info panel, then edit a Subclass or Race supplement) can bulk-fill them from text you paste. It works like this:

1. Add the feature (or trait) names in the editor first.
2. In the Paste raw text box, paste your text so each feature's name sits on its own line as a heading -- optionally prefixed with # markers -- with that feature's description on the lines below it.
3. Click Parse & Fill. The parser matches each heading to a feature name (case-insensitive) and drops the text beneath it into that feature's description. Any heading that doesn't match a name is reported, so you can fix the spelling and try again.

For example, with features named "Combat Superiority" and "Student of War":

## Combat Superiority
You learn maneuvers that are fueled by special dice called superiority dice.

## Student of War
You gain proficiency with one type of artisan's tools of your choice.

Tip: the in-app editor can paste-and-parse text into features or traits, and the Download starter button always gives you a valid file to start from. Uploaded supplements are stored only in your browser.

Sources & licensing

Game rules content is drawn from Open5e and used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license, with the data modified (reformatted and filtered) for this app. Included sources are the WotC System Reference Documents 5.1 and 5.2, Level Up: Advanced 5e (EN Publishing), and Open5e original content.

This tool is an independent, unofficial fan project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Wizards of the Coast. See the Privacy Policy for how your data is handled.

FAQ

Is it free?

Yes. The sheet is free to use and supported by ads.

Do I need an account?

No. There are no accounts and no sign-in.

Does my character data leave my device?

No. Characters are stored in your own browser and in any files you export. We have no server and do not collect your character data.

Can I use it offline?

Largely yes -- once the page has loaded, the bundled reference data and your character are available without a connection.

Is this an official Wizards of the Coast product?

No. It is an independent fan tool that uses openly-licensed SRD content.

How do I move a character to another device?

Use Save to export a .json file, then load it on the other device.