Narrative Nexus for 5e DMs
The NPC you named three sessions ago, the plot thread your players are still chasing, the rule you looked up mid-combat and then forgot again — Nexus is the campaign memory that keeps that from falling through the cracks, plus a free toolkit alongside whatever VTT you already run.
Free tools for your table
Campaign memory, not another wiki tab
NPCs, plot threads, and session recaps live in one campaign graph instead of a separate doc you forget to update. Free tier accounts get campaign-linked tracking for all of it; the tools above work fully signed out if you just want to try them first.
The compendium
Over 1,700 D&D 5e entries — monsters, spells, items, and rules — free to browse at /compendium/dnd-5e, sourced from SRD 5.2.1 under Wizards of the Coast's Creative Commons license. For official-book content and character building beyond the SRD, D&D Beyond is still the place most tables turn — this compendium is the free, no-account lookup for the open content, not a replacement for it.
We're not a VTT
Keep Roll20, Foundry, or whatever you run maps and initiative in — Nexus doesn't replace it. It's the prep-to-play-to-recap layer that sits alongside your VTT: what you prepped, what happened, and what your players are still asking about. See Roll20 vs Foundry if you're still choosing one.
Bring your table
Join the waitlist. See the free tier — no card required, and the product stays useful even with AI switched off entirely (see how we use AI).
Frequently asked questions
- What does Narrative Nexus track between 5e sessions?
- NPCs, plot threads, and session recaps that feed a context engine, so a name or a hook you mentioned three sessions ago is one search away instead of a scroll through old notes. Combat tracking and character sheets share the same campaign data instead of living in separate tools.
- Is this a replacement for my VTT?
- No. Narrative Nexus is prep, campaign memory, and session tools — not a virtual tabletop. Keep Roll20, Foundry, or whatever you run maps in; Nexus is the layer that tracks what happened and what's coming, alongside it.
- What content is in the D&D 5e compendium?
- SRD 5.2.1 content only — monsters, spells, items, and rules published under Wizards of the Coast's Creative Commons license. No proprietary sourcebook content, so there's no licensing gray area for what you look up here.
- Is any of this free?
- The dice roller, DM screen sandbox, character sheet sandbox, and the full 5e compendium are free with no signup. A free account adds campaign-linked NPC and plot-thread tracking, session summaries, and live play tools.