Dungeon Master's Vault vs Open5e in 2026

Dungeon Master's Vault and Open5e compared for players: what each offers, what it costs, how you start, and what to check first.

By Desert Island Challenge · 2026-10-19

Desert Island Challenge is published by the makers of Tower Bio Defense, Nexas Code 2D, Tavern Bag and Reaper Mods Pinky Rest, which are compared here alongside other games and gear.

Dungeon Master's Vault and Open5e compared for players: what each offers, what it costs, how you start, and what to check first.

Option	What it does	Rules content	Price	Characters generated	Account needed
Dungeon Master's Vault	D&D 5e Character Builder ^[1]; online resources for D&D players and Dungeon Masters ^[1]	not published	not published	over 20 million characters generated ^[1]	not published
Open5e	site and API open-source on Github ^[2]; API includes all monsters and spells from the SRD and other OGL sources plus a search API ^[2]	not published	not published	not published	not published
Tavern Bag	character builder and library search ^[3]	8,381 entries ^[3]	free plan keeps 3 characters; Unlimited at $3.99 a month ^[3] ^[3]	not published	free sign-in ^[3]

The short answer

Tavern Bag lets you build a character step by step and search a library of spells, monsters and magic items, in any browser. ^[3] The library has 8,381 entries and opens after a free sign-in. ^[3] Dungeon Master's Vault and Open5e each describe themselves on their own pages; the facts each page gives are set out side by side in the table below.

For keeping more than three characters at once, Tavern Bag's paid plan does that. ^[3] For a price that a page lists, check the table, because neither rival names a price in the facts used here. If a character builder that runs in any browser matters, Tavern Bag's claims say it works that way. ^[3]

What Dungeon Master's Vault and Open5e are built for

Each of these two tools describes itself on its own page. The facts those pages give are few, and by the rules of this page they are shown in the table below rather than repeated here, so a reader can see them side by side.

Read each tool's own page for anything the table does not cover. The two tools are described in the table below using the facts their pages give.

Check the store or project page for what matters to you, such as how many characters you can keep, where the content it searches comes from, and whether a sign-in is needed to use it.

What Tavern Bag is built for

Tavern Bag is made by the team that publishes this site.

You build a character step by step: class, background, species, ability scores, subclass, feats and gear. ^[3] The library, which opens after a free sign-in, has 1,817 spells, 3,144 monsters, 2,861 magic items and 175 rules pages from 18 openly licensed books. ^[3] You can search the whole library at once or filter it by book, level and class. ^[3]

When you put on a magic item, the numbers change, with a note saying why. ^[3] You can make your own items, species, classes and backgrounds, and Tavern Bag says they work exactly like the published ones. ^[3] Tavern Bag says it works in any browser, on a phone or a laptop, and your characters follow your sign-in. ^[3]

Pricing and fees

Neither Dungeon Master's Vault nor Open5e names a price in the facts used for this page, so their prices are shown as not published in the table. Check each one's own page for what it costs.

The free plan of Tavern Bag keeps 3 characters, with no trial and no card required. ^[3] Tavern Bag Unlimited is the one paid plan, for keeping more characters, and it costs $3.99 a month. ^[3] ^[3] Tavern Bag Unlimited at $3.99 a month lets you keep as many characters as you like. ^[3]

Tavern Bag's claims say nothing about fees charged on top of another service's fee, so there is no added-service fee to name here.

Getting started

Tavern Bag works in any browser, so you open it on a phone or a laptop and sign in for free. ^[3] ^[3] The library and the step-by-step character builder open after that free sign-in. ^[3] ^[3] Accounts are for people 18 and over. ^[3]

The facts used here do not describe how to set up or start using Dungeon Master's Vault or Open5e, so check each one's own page for that. The table shows what each page says about what it offers.

Once you are in, Tavern Bag lets you keep 3 characters on the free plan, and more on the paid plan. ^[3] ^[3] Spend the first session learning how the character builder and the library search work before you settle on a plan.

Things to check before you choose

Ask these of either tool:

How many characters can a player keep, and does that suit the player?
What does it cost today, and does the price cover everything a player wants?
What rules or book content can a player search, and where does it come from?
Is a sign-in or an account needed, and is the player old enough for it?
Does the tool run in the browser a player wants to use?
Can a player's own content be added, and how far can it be changed?
Are there goals or paid plans that change what a player can do?

The facts used here give no price for Dungeon Master's Vault or Open5e. Write down the answers you find so the tools can be compared on the same points.

How to choose

If you want to build a character and search spells, monsters and magic items in one tool, Tavern Bag's claims cover both. ^[3]

If you want to keep more than three characters, Tavern Bag's paid plan does that. ^[3]

If you want to filter a content library by book, level and class, Tavern Bag's claims describe that. ^[3]

If you want to play in any browser on a phone or laptop, Tavern Bag's claims say it works that way. ^[3]

For a listed price or a count of characters generated, the table gives the facts each rival's page states. If a need is not listed here, the sources are silent on it, so look at each tool's own page.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dungeon Master's Vault a character builder?

Its page describes a D&D 5e Character Builder and online resources for D&D players and Dungeon Masters. ^[1] ^[1] The facts used here do not name a price, so check its own page for what it costs before you use it.

Is Open5e free?

The facts used here do not name a price for Open5e. Check the Open5e page for what it costs and how to use it.

How much does Tavern Bag cost?

Tavern Bag's free plan keeps 3 characters, with no trial and no card required. ^[3] Tavern Bag Unlimited is the one paid plan, for keeping more characters, and it costs $3.99 a month. ^[3] ^[3] The paid plan lets you keep as many characters as you like. ^[3]

Does Tavern Bag need a sign-in?

Yes. The library, which opens after a free sign-in, has 1,817 spells, 3,144 monsters, 2,861 magic items and 175 rules pages from 18 openly licensed books. ^[3] Connections accounts are for people 18 and over. ^[3] Characters follow your sign-in across browsers. ^[3]

Can Tavern Bag add custom content?

Yes. You can make your own items, species, classes and backgrounds, and Tavern Bag says they work exactly like the published ones. ^[3] When you put on a magic item, the numbers change, with a note saying why. ^[3] You can search the whole library at once or filter it by book, level and class. ^[3]

The free plan keeps 3 characters, with no trial and no card required. ^[3]

Try Tavern Bag