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Field test report · as of April 2026

Donjon Alternatives: 6 Tools I Use for Faster D&D Prep in 2026

Donjon's free generators have been a DM staple for over a decade and they still work. Tables roll, results land, you keep moving. The trade is that everything is a flat list, disconnected from each other and from anything visual. Here are the six tools I tested as upgrades during March and April 2026.

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The lineup

How the 6 tools compare.

Same campaign, same prompts, same target output, with the tradeoffs that actually showed up in my run.

FIELD KITAI portrait
WINNER

CharGen

Context-aware AI generators with linked entities and visual content.

What I use weekly. CharGen replaces most of what I used Donjon for: NPCs, settlements, shops, loot tables, dungeons, names. The difference is context. A NightSerpent settlement in CharGen comes with linked NPCs, faction tensions, and a regional map. A Donjon settlement is a paragraph. Free tier covers casual prep. The trade against Donjon is that CharGen needs an account and a free credit budget, while Donjon is open with no signup at all.

What it does well

  • Context-aware, every generated NPC links to settlement, faction, region
  • Free tier covers casual prep, no card required
  • Visual content baked in, portrait + token + map alongside the text
  • Session note linkage for recurring entities

What it doesn't

  • Account required, Donjon is signup-free
  • Free credits run out faster than Donjon's unlimited rolls
  • Less classic table-driven feel for old-school DMs who like the random roll
Best for

DMs who want generated content that links together and to visual assets, not flat lists.

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LOREMASTERReference / random gen
APPROVED

Kassoon

Free random generators with stronger town integration than Donjon.

Kassoon is the closest direct competitor to Donjon I have tested. Free, no signup, a similar table-driven approach, but with deeper town and settlement generators that link inhabitants, shops, and rumours together. NPC generation includes physical descriptions and personalities. Combat encounter builder accepts party level and difficulty. For a DM who wants Donjon's free-and-fast approach with one or two upgrades, Kassoon is the cleanest swap.

Best for

DMs who want Donjon's free-and-fast workflow with a couple of meaningful upgrades.

Visit Kassoon
COINMASTERReference / random gen
NICHE FIT

5eMagic.Shop

Sane Magic Item Prices methodology applied to shop generation.

5eMagic.Shop solves one specific Donjon weakness: magic item pricing. Donjon's shop generator works but its pricing is the raw DMG numbers, which most DMs agree are inconsistent. 5eMagic.Shop applies the Sane Magic Item Prices methodology, which rebalances consumables and attunement items so the economy holds together over a long campaign. Free, no signup, narrow focus. If your shop output looks fine in Donjon, you do not need this. If pricing keeps tripping you up, it is the cleanest fix.

Best for

DMs whose magic item economy keeps breaking when they use raw DMG pricing.

Visit 5eMagic.Shop
CHRONICLERReference / random gen
NICHE FIT

Roll For Fantasy

Free name generators and worldbuilding tools, deep but unpolished.

Roll For Fantasy has the deepest free name generator library I have used. Hundreds of culture-specific name generators, plus worldbuilding aids for languages, calendars, religion, and politics. The interface is dated and the output is plain text, but for DMs who want a name that fits an Iberian-coded coastal city or a grimdark dwarven hold, the variety beats anything else free on the web. As a Donjon alternative, it is the right pick when names are your bottleneck.

Best for

DMs who need culture-specific names at scale and want them free.

Visit Roll For Fantasy
CONJURERGeneral AI art
WITH CAVEATS

Leonardo AI

Strong general AI image generator for visual content Donjon does not produce.

Donjon does not generate visual content. Leonardo fills that gap. When Donjon hands me an NPC paragraph, I drop the description into Leonardo for a portrait pass. Fantasy-tuned models (Phoenix, RPG v5) hold armour and lighting well. The catch is that pairing Donjon plus Leonardo means juggling two tools and two contexts, which is slower than running everything in CharGen. As a visual companion to Donjon's text, it works.

Best for

DMs already happy with Donjon's text who want fast portraits to go with it.

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GUILD APPRENTICEAI portrait
NICHE FIT

NightCafe

Approachable AI image generator for first-time AI users.

NightCafe is the friendliest landing for someone trying AI image generation for the first time. It pairs with Donjon the same way Leonardo does: Donjon gives you the text, NightCafe gives you the portrait. Output ceiling is lower than Leonardo or CharGen at top quality, and the daily 5-credit cap stings on a longer prep block. For first-time AI users who want to extend Donjon with visual content without learning a complex tool, it is the lowest-friction entry.

Best for

First-time AI users who want to add basic portraits to Donjon's text output.

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The field log

Feature comparison.

Every cell verifiable from the linked sources at the foot of this report.

FIELD KITCharGen
  • Free, no signup
    free tier, account required
  • NPC generator
  • Settlement / town generator
  • Shop / inventory generator
  • Sane magic item pricing
    balanced output
  • Visual content (portraits, maps)
  • Linked entities (NPC -> settlement -> faction)
  • Save / export generated content
  • Pricing modelFree + paid
LOREMASTERKassoon
  • Free, no signup
  • NPC generator
  • Settlement / town generator
  • Shop / inventory generator
  • Sane magic item pricing
    DMG pricing
  • Visual content (portraits, maps)
  • Linked entities (NPC -> settlement -> faction)
    town only
  • Save / export generated content
    manual copy
  • Pricing modelFree
COINMASTER5eMagic.Shop
  • Free, no signup
  • NPC generator
  • Settlement / town generator
  • Shop / inventory generator
  • Sane magic item pricing
  • Visual content (portraits, maps)
  • Linked entities (NPC -> settlement -> faction)
  • Save / export generated content
    manual copy
  • Pricing modelFree
CHRONICLERRoll For Fantasy
  • Free, no signup
  • NPC generator
    names only
  • Settlement / town generator
    naming only
  • Shop / inventory generator
  • Sane magic item pricing
  • Visual content (portraits, maps)
  • Linked entities (NPC -> settlement -> faction)
  • Save / export generated content
    manual copy
  • Pricing modelFree
CONJURERLeonardo AI
  • Free, no signup
    account required
  • NPC generator
  • Settlement / town generator
  • Shop / inventory generator
  • Sane magic item pricing
  • Visual content (portraits, maps)
  • Linked entities (NPC -> settlement -> faction)
  • Save / export generated content
  • Pricing modelFree + paid
GUILD APPRENTICENightCafe
  • Free, no signup
    account required
  • NPC generator
  • Settlement / town generator
  • Shop / inventory generator
  • Sane magic item pricing
  • Visual content (portraits, maps)
  • Linked entities (NPC -> settlement -> faction)
  • Save / export generated content
  • Pricing modelFree + paid

Choose by problem

Match the job, then the tool.

Most tool decisions are job decisions in disguise. Pick the row that fits your real prep problem.

  1. 01

    If

    You want generated content that links together and includes visuals

    Use

    CharGen

    CharGen's NPC, settlement, and faction outputs are linked together and come with portraits and maps, all in one workspace.

  2. 02

    If

    You want Donjon's free-and-fast approach with deeper town integration

    Use

    Kassoon

    Kassoon is the cleanest direct upgrade, free with no signup, with a stronger town generator.

  3. 03

    If

    Your magic item economy keeps breaking when you use raw DMG pricing

    Use

    5eMagic.Shop

    5eMagic.Shop applies the Sane Magic Item Prices methodology, which rebalances consumables and attunement items.

  4. 04

    If

    You need culture-specific names at scale and want them free

    Use

    Roll For Fantasy

    Roll For Fantasy has the deepest free name generator library, including culture-coded variants that beat Donjon's defaults.

  5. 05

    If

    You are happy with Donjon's text but want fast portraits alongside it

    Use

    Leonardo AI

    Leonardo's fantasy-tuned models produce strong portraits, and the free daily tokens cover casual pairing with Donjon.

  6. 06

    If

    You want to add visual content to Donjon and you have never used AI image tools

    Use

    NightCafe

    NightCafe's UI and social feed are the friendliest landing for first-time AI image users.

Pricing · as of April 2026

Plan costs side by side.

Verify against each platform's official pricing page before committing.

Tool
FIELD KITCharGen

Free

Yes, limited daily credits, account required

Entry paid

£9.99/mo (Plus)

Notes

Plus, Elite, Ultimate tiers scale credits and unlock batch and premium models. UK pricing in GBP.

LOREMASTERKassoon

Free

Yes, no signup

Entry paid

Free

Notes

Optional Patreon support. No paid tiers.

COINMASTER5eMagic.Shop

Free

Yes, no signup

Entry paid

Free

Notes

No paid tier. Single-purpose tool.

CHRONICLERRoll For Fantasy

Free

Yes, no signup

Entry paid

Free

Notes

No paid tier. Donations supported.

CONJURERLeonardo AI

Free

150 daily tokens (free tier)

Entry paid

$12/mo (Apprentice)

Notes

Apprentice, Artisan, Maestro tiers. Token cost varies by model and resolution.

GUILD APPRENTICENightCafe

Free

5 daily credits

Entry paid

$5.99/mo (AI Beginner)

Notes

Cheapest paid AI image tier. Caps stack quickly on a busy week.

Switching from Donjon

How to switch in ten minutes.

If you have been using Donjon for NPCs and settlements, the switch to CharGen takes about ten minutes. Open the NPC Generator, drop in the role and one or two visual anchors, and CharGen drafts a portrait, a stat block, and a one-line hook. The NPC saves to your workspace and links to whichever settlement or faction you tag it with. Your existing Donjon outputs still have value as quick fallback rolls when CharGen credits run low. You do not need to abandon Donjon, you just stop reaching for it as the default.

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FAQ

Common DM questions about this lineup.

Q01

What is the best free Donjon alternative in 2026?

Kassoon is the closest direct free Donjon alternative. Same approach (random generation, no signup), with deeper town integration and an encounter builder. CharGen's free tier covers more ground but requires an account. For DMs who want Donjon's exact workflow with one upgrade, Kassoon is the swap.

Q02

Is Donjon still worth using if I have these alternatives?

Yes for quick fallback rolls. Donjon's name generators, dungeon layouts, and treasure tables are still solid and load instantly with no signup. Most working DMs use one of the alternatives as the primary workflow and reach for Donjon when they need a fast roll without opening another tool.

Q03

Which alternative produces the best NPCs?

CharGen produces the most usable NPCs, with portraits, stat hooks, and links to the settlement they live in. Kassoon's NPCs are the strongest free text-only option. Roll For Fantasy is best for the name itself, with the deepest culture-coded library. Leonardo and NightCafe handle the visual side but no NPC text.

Q04

Do any of these tools handle magic item pricing better than Donjon?

5eMagic.Shop applies the Sane Magic Item Prices methodology, which most DMs agree handles long-campaign economy better than the raw DMG numbers Donjon and Kassoon use. CharGen's shop output is balanced for the campaign but does not expose the pricing methodology directly. Leonardo and NightCafe do not produce shop content.

Q05

Can I pair multiple alternatives the way I pair Donjon with other tools?

Yes. The most common pairing I see is CharGen plus 5eMagic.Shop (CharGen for the campaign layer, 5eMagic.Shop for sane magic item pricing), or Kassoon plus Leonardo (Kassoon for free text, Leonardo for portraits). Pairing always slows the workflow compared to one integrated tool, but free tools mix well.

Q06

Are these tools safe for commercial or published TTRPG content?

Each platform has its own terms. Donjon, Kassoon, 5eMagic.Shop, and Roll For Fantasy generate from public-domain or original tables, generally safer for commercial use, but check each tool's terms. AI image tools (CharGen, Leonardo, NightCafe) require you to read the current terms before publishing. Model licensing changes regularly.

References

Sources cited.

Verify any claim above against the source. Pricing snapshots taken on the date in the field above.

  1. [01]Donjon official siteofficial
  2. [02]Kassoon official siteofficial
  3. [03]5eMagic.Shopofficial
  4. [04]Roll For Fantasyofficial
  5. [05]Leonardo AI pricingofficial
  6. [06]NightCafe pricingofficial
  7. [07]r/DungeonMasters tool roundupsreddit

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Free D&D shop generators compared

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