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just figuring things out

The Tools Are Growing Up: Inline Editing + A Real Home Page

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Hey everybody, it’s been a while since I’ve made an update post, and I have a lot to share this time around. Because, while the stat block generator and the item generator had inline editing, I realized that in order for these tools to truly be of use to dungeon masters, they need to be more than generators — they need to be places where a DM can collaborate with the AI, modify outputs, and maintain a single source of truth for their creations: the settings they develop in the setting generator, the NPCs they build in the NPC generator, and the dungeons they construct in the dungeon generator.

So, after having battled some complexity on the back end, I managed to make something reasonably simple where people can click, edit, and essentially change any piece of information the tool produces. If a line of wording is off, or something needs just a bit of personal input or improvement, that can now be done directly in the interface. These changes have been implemented for the Setting Generator, the NPC Generator and the Dungeon Generator.

That shifts these tools from something that’s an interesting novelty — something that helps game masters brainstorm ideas — into something they can actually return to and reference for their campaigns. And that is really the goal moving forward.

I want to make sure each tool is as useful as possible. And while you’re free to maintain your own notes and your own campaign documents, I’m aiming to create a tool suite that’s useful and comprehensive enough that you can simply return to the site and reference what you’ve already created.

As a more personal update, these apps have shifted from being a side project to becoming my main focus. My contract ended in December, and after thinking about the current job market, the potential of these tools, and the amount of runway I have in savings, I’ve been doubling down on building this out. I’m still open to collaborations or job conversations — especially anything involving gaming or where gaming intersects with AI — but for now this project is my center of gravity.

Also, while this might be of less interest to long-time users, I’ve been more actively promoting the business, and part of that has meant creating a proper landing page — something clean, presentable, and easy to share, whether on Reddit, Facebook, or wherever people talk about their campaigns. The goal was to offer a better overview of everything in one place, a page people can send to friends without having to explain how all the pieces fit together.

Back In the Game!

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update. The last time I added a feature was way back in January! A lot has been going on in life lately: my dad had triple bypass surgery (he’s doing better now), and on the brighter side, I fell in love, got engaged, and moved into a new house with my new family. It’s been a huge shift, and I’ve been adjusting to a lot of new rhythms.

But now that things are starting to settle down, I’m getting the itch to build again, and I’m happy to say I’m easing back into adding new features for the Dungeon Master apps.

Item Generator Updates

The Whispering Blade is a beautifully crafted longsword, its blade tapering to a finely honed point that glimmers like starlight. The hilt is woven with silver wire amidst deep azure leather, and the pommel is shaped like a crescent moon, adorned with tiny star-like gems that pulse faintly with a soft light. When the blade is drawn, a soft whispering can be heard, as if the weapon itself speaks reverberations of lost celestial echoes.

I spent the last couple of days giving the Item Generator app some love — it’s still the most popular app on my site, and I wanted to make sure it keeps earning that spot.

Here’s what’s new:

  • The generator is now more in line with D&D 5e rarity rules, so items feel a bit more balanced and true to the system.
  • There’s a new Edit Item button that lets you modify any part of a generated item — tweak names, stats, features, anything.
  • The Generate Feature button (for premium members) lets you re-roll or create new features for items you already like.
  • And now there’s a Quest Hooks tab! You can spin up quest hooks tied to an item — non-premium users get five per day, which should cover most DMs just fine.

If you haven’t checked out the Item Generator in a while, give it a spin — it’s running smoother and smarter than ever.

Life, Love, and Loot

Between hospitals, engagements, and moving boxes, it’s been a wild year. But I’m really excited to get back into a creative groove again.

I don’t plan on disappearing for as long as I did this time around. I’ve got a big backlog of feature requests from patrons, and I’m looking forward to tackling them one by one.

Come Say Hey on Discord

The Discord’s been a little quiet, probably because I’ve been quiet too, but I’d love to get the conversation going again.

If you’ve got a feature idea, want to talk about your campaign, or just want to say hello, hop in and let’s get things moving again.

Join the Discord

Thanks again to everyone supporting the project, especially my Patreon members: you’re the reason these tools keep growing.

I’ll be back soon with more updates. Until then, may your rolls be high and your inspiration points plentiful.

Kenji

New Feature: Import-Export Functionality for Game Master Apps!

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One feature that people have been asking about for a while now is an import-export function. This allows users to share their data across browsers or back it up in case they decide to clear their cache. Since all the data is currently stored in the browser’s cache, this new functionality ensures your data is saved as a permanent file on your computer.

I’m excited to announce that I’ve added save-and-load functionality to the stat block generator, the dungeon generator 2.0, the magic item generator, the world-building dashboard, and the timeline generator—all in their premium versions. So yes, this is a premium feature. Free users can still use the apps just as they have been, but if you want the added benefit of saving your data, you can join my Patreon as a $5 patron. That gives you access to the premium versions of all the apps, along with this new feature.

While this save/load functionality can be used on any of the above apps, you can actually back up the data from all your apps in one place. I have just provided the functionality directly in the apps themselves. So, for example, you can go to the statblock generator and back up all statblocks as well as any magic items or dungeons you may have generated in other apps, and you can choose which of these apps you would like to back up as well.

I know this has been a long-awaited feature, and I’m happy to finally deliver it. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

A Quick Word of Caution

While I’m confident this feature works well—I’ve tested it thoroughly myself—I recommend doing a quick sanity check the first time you use it. To be extra safe, don’t immediately upload your saved file into the same browser where you generated it. Instead, download your data from your primary browser (like Chrome) and upload it into another browser (like Firefox) just to confirm everything is working correctly. This ensures that even if something unexpected happens, your data is still safe on another browser.

While the upload feature will overwrite existing app data, I haven’t seen any indication that it would erase everything. Still, better safe than sorry. Once you’ve confirmed it works, you’re good to go!

I hope you find this feature useful and, as always, let me know if you have any questions or feedback.

Introducing: The New and Improved Dungeon Generator 2.0!

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Screenshot of the dungeon generator. Clicking on a room number reveals the room description.

After months of hard work, I’m excited to share the second iteration of my dungeon generator tool. This version is a complete overhaul from the first, designed to meet the needs of Game Masters (GMs) who want to create dungeons quickly—within 10 minutes or less—while still having flexibility and depth.

Let me walk you through the features of this tool and how it works.

Dungeon Overview

The generator starts with a Dungeon Overview, which provides a summary of the dungeon, including its context within your greater setting. The input form for the overview accepts several optional parameters, so you can either customize the dungeon to fit your vision or go fully random. Here’s a breakdown of the key inputs:

  • Adjective: Describes the dungeon’s theme, like “forgotten” or “haunted.”
  • Type of Dungeon: Examples include “outpost” or “crypt.”
  • Place Name: Adds specificity, such as “Farwatch.”
  • Difficulty Tier: Choose from five tiers, ranging from Local Hero to Hero of the Realms, which influence the enemies and obstacles generated.
  • Additional Lore: Add any extra flavor or background details.

Map Generation

Once you’ve created the overview, you can generate a map. The maps are procedurally generated with randomized room sizes and layouts. If the initial map isn’t to your liking, you can regenerate it—but note that doing so will erase any content you’ve added so far.

Room Types and Features

Each dungeon includes several types of rooms to keep gameplay dynamic and engaging. Here are the core room types:

  1. Obstacle Room: Features a barrier that must be overcome to progress. The obstacle could be a locked gate, an illusion, or even a magical spell. The key to solving it doesn’t have to be a literal key—it could be a magical artifact, a piece of knowledge, or something else entirely.
  2. Key Room: Contains the solution to the obstacle room. The challenge here often involves combat, puzzles, or exploration. Key rooms are usually placed away from obstacle rooms to encourage players to explore.
  3. Setback Room: A room where failure results in a disadvantage for the party, such as a temporary debuff or loss of resources. By default, one setback room is included, but you can add more if you want to raise the stakes.
  4. Boss Room: This is where the dungeon’s main challenge resides. The generator suggests a location for the boss room, but you can assign it to any room you prefer if the recommendation doesn’t work for your layout.
  5. Secret and Locked Rooms:
    • Secret Rooms: Accessible only through hidden doors, adding a layer of mystery and reward for perceptive players.
    • Locked Rooms: Require locks to be picked or doors to be bashed down—simpler obstacles compared to full obstacle rooms.

NPC Integration

The tool also allows you to generate Non-Player Characters (NPCs). You can create a description for each NPC and optionally include them in room descriptions to add flavor or role-playing opportunities. NPCs might provide aid, present a challenge, or deepen the story.

Future Features

While I originally wanted to include stat blocks, I decided to focus on creating a minimum viable product for this release. Stat blocks can be added in a future update. For now, you can check out my existing stat block generator, which is linked in the tool itself.

Export Options

Once your dungeon is complete, you can export it in several formats:

  • Markdown for Homebrewery: Perfect for creating polished PDFs.
  • Hierarchical HTML: Great for integrating into digital tools or websites.
  • Plain Text: Simple and universal for quick sharing.

You can also download an image of the map for use in virtual tabletops or printouts.

I hope you enjoy using this tool as much as I enjoyed creating it! I’d love to hear your feedback, see the dungeons you build, and learn about the adventures that unfold because of it. This is just the beginning—I already have ideas for improvements and new features I’m working on.

Thank you for checking it out, and feel free to reach out with any thoughts or questions!

Statblock Generator 2.0 Release!

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As some of you might have noticed, I’ve made a few updates to the most popular app on this site, the D&D 5e stat block generator. These changes include bug fixes, new monster templates for CR14+, and the ability to save statblocks and organize them in folders.

To-Hit Bonus Bugfix

The first changes I’ve made are under the hood, addressing some bugs and technical issues with stat block generation. These include an issue where lower CR creatures didn’t have a to-hit bonus in the stat block. That should be fixed now, but if anybody notices anything different, please let me know.

New Monster Templates for CR14+

The other thing I’ve worked on is creating new monster templates. For the first version of the app, I generified monsters from the SRD to reflect the CR and interesting mechanics of those monsters. A user would choose a CR, and the app would randomly select one of those templates. These templates preserved such things as armor class and damage per round while removing anything specific to a single monster. The app then makes a call to ChatGPT, which adds flavor to the stat block while preserving the template stats.

As I moved up in CR, there were fewer monsters to generify. I used the Dungeon Master’s Guide recommendations for creating a creature, and they turned out very overpowered. Nearly all of my monsters from CR 14 and up were not balanced. I decided that most game masters wouldn’t be creating creatures stronger than CR 14, so I left the task of new template creation for another day. However, as more and more people started using the apps and I started getting paid subscribers, I knew I had to fix this issue. After spending about two weeks creating new stat block templates, I feel reasonably satisfied that the CR 14+ monsters are more balanced.

In addition to creating more balanced monsters I also created more defensive and offensive variants for higher CR creatures. Now “defensive” creatures should have more hit points/higher AC with lower damage per round while “offensive” creatures have lower defensive attributes but higher damage per round.

New Feature! Saving Statblocks

After updating stat block creation, I focused on the ability to save stat blocks. Now, every stat block you create is automatically saved to a folder. If you haven’t created any folders, it will save to an uncategorized folder, and from there you can move it to a folder of your choice. You can name a folder and then move the stat block to that folder.

I’ve also updated the NPC generator, the encounter generator, and the dungeon generator. While these apps could create stat blocks, the only way to save them was by copying the content and exporting it to an external app like Homebrewery, FoundryVTT, or the Improved Initiative app. Now that the stat block generator app saves every generated stat block and also allows for organizing these stat blocks in folders, it only made sense to be able to save stat blocks generated from these other apps so that they can all be viewed in one place on the stat block generation app.

I’m really excited about these improvements and hope they enhance your GMing experience. If you have any feedback or ideas for new apps, please let me know. You can join our community’s Discord here, and people generally contact me through that.

Introducing Kenji’s RPG Setting Generator and Worldbuilding Dashboard!

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Here it is! https://cros.land/rpg-setting-generator-and-world-building-tool/

One of the main frustrations I’ve had as a game master was running a game in the Feywild, where I had to create every town from scratch. For example, the Elven Enclave in the lands of Summer required me to think of who ran the place, the NPCs the players would meet, the types of conflicts that would arise, and so on. It was rather taxing, and I remember doing that for my entire campaign in the Feywild.

This experience led me to think about creating a world-building tool to complement my growing list of game master tools. This tool would take the lore you’ve already developed and generate a general overview of the city, town, village, space station, planet, or whatever you need. You could then create sub-locations within that location, each with a list of factions and NPCs, which could become quest givers.

I wanted to create a dashboard that would allow a game master to quickly generate and organize this information, making it easier to build sessions without overburdening yourself every time. While you can bring your own creativity to the table, having an outline generated for you is really helpful.

This tool also allows you to copy all the content generated as plain text, hierarchical HTML (with descending h1, h2, h3, h4, h5 tags), or homebrewery markdown. I’m told that the HTML format can be used in Foundry VTT, although I’m not a user, so I’d appreciate confirmation on that. For homebrewery markdown, page breaks can’t be automated, so you’ll need to insert those manually.

I hope you find this tool useful. Any feedback you provide would be wonderful. I still have some ideas for improving this tool, but I’ll probably move on to enhancing the 5e stat block generator tool, which many people are using. I have a lot of ideas to make those stat blocks better and more robust.

Until next time, thank you very much.