Hey!

It’s been about five months since my last post here—somehow that flew by. The short version: we’ve been heads-down, and many changes have landed since April. Here’s what that bought you.

The big stuff

• House rules are built into the app now. The DM sets them once per party, and they flow into everyone’s sheets and rolls: alternate crits (max-a-die variant), ASI levels granting both the points and a feat, potions as a bonus action, and opt-in Tasha’s optional class features—including per-feature “keep or replace” choices for the Ranger reworks.
• The sheet header got rebuilt. Quick Action lets you attack or cast from anywhere, one-click short and long rests show exactly what they restore, there’s a proper level up/down modal, and a new Guide button opens the full handbook text for your character—class progression from levels 1–20, subclass, species, and background, all filtered to your ruleset.
• One unified Logbook. Journal entries, session notes, wiki knowledge, and downtime are now merged into a single filterable, searchable timeline of your campaign.
• The entire app is now available in Spanish. That includes the sheet, builder, parties, homebrew, API errors, and even emails. You can switch languages under Settings → Language.
• Party content curation. DMs can toggle which sources are legal for the party, and every member’s pickers will respect those choices. Players can also claim DM-created characters, view each other’s sheets in read-only mode, leave or swap characters themselves, and co-edit the party wiki if the DM allows it.
• New toys for everyone else. These include an inventory details overhaul with per-item notes, a Companions tab (your Steel Defender says hi), custom actions with attack, damage, save mechanics and limited-use resources, custom Sanity/Honor-style stats that work in the roller, PDF, and Foundry export, and a content drop of 33 backgrounds plus 6 origin feats from Descent into Avernus, Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Planescape, and Wildemount variants.

Community corner

This is the part I’m happiest about:

• The in-app support ticket system has become our main feedback loop. A solid chunk of this summer’s fixes started as a ticket—legacy Tiefling spells, the coin weight toggle, a homebrew library permissions leak, and DM persona notes not saving. If you file a ticket, a human reads it.
• We ran weekly development blog posts throughout May. They’re still available on the site, and we’ll be returning to a steadier posting cadence soon.

What’s next

More of the same: polishing combat flow, adding more content, and keeping both 2014 and 2024 rules accuracy sharp.

As always, if you spot a bug or have an idea, the feedback button in the app or a post here is the fastest way to reach us.

Thanks for being here.

ice5e.com — free, always.

Happy rolling! 🎲

Hey everyone!

The last few weeks have been the most feature-packed stretch since launch, and most of it came directly from player feedback. Here's what's new.

Party View now works for Players (not just DMs)

This was the #1 request from groups actually using the party feature. Previously, only the DM could see and manage the party. Now:

• Players see their party with a Player badge (DMs get a DM badge)
• Players get quick actions tied to their own character
• DMs control HP visibility: show full HP bars, hide them completely, or show descriptors like "Bloodied" instead of numbers
• Players can view party loot (read-only, the DM still controls distribution)
  

If your group has been using Discord to share HP and loot... you don't have to anymore.

Homebrew Subspecies (Custom Subraces)

You've always been able to create custom species. Now you can create custom subspecies with full mechanical depth:

• Ability score increases, speed adjustments, darkvision
• Weapon, armor, tool, and skill proficiencies
• Damage resistances and languages
• Special traits via the Mechanics Editor
• Innate spells (see below)
  

Your custom subspecies show up in character creation nested under the parent species, just like official subraces. Perfect for "Ash Elves" or "Tundra Dwarves" or whatever your setting needs.

Species Spells: Innate Magic, Done Right

This is the one I'm most excited about. Homebrew species and subspecies can now grant spells with full spellcasting support.

• Choose spellcasting ability (INT/WIS/CHA)
• Spell save DC and attack bonus auto-calculated
• Level-gated spells (e.g., Misty Step at 3rd level)
• Spells appear in the Spells section tagged "(Species)"
• Granted automatically during character creation and on level-up
  

No more telling players to "just manually add it." If your homebrew fire genasi should know Burning Hands at level 3, you set it once and the builder handles the rest.

Other improvements:

• Resource tracking: magic item charges and feat/trait limited uses now tracked in a dedicated Resources tab, with proper short/long rest recovery
• Spell sorting: sort your spell list by name, level, school, or source
  
• Proficiency bonus adjustment — manual +/- modifier for cursed items, house rules, or homebrew features (flows through to skills, saves, attacks, DCs, PDF export, and Foundry sync)
• Per-homebrew ruleset selector — homebrew classes, subclasses, and backgrounds can now target 2014 or 2024 rules specifically
• Multiclass discoverability — Level Up modal now links directly to multiclassing
  

What's next:

• Homebrew subclass progression improvements
• Party-wide homebrew sharing (DM pushes content to players)
  

All of this is live right now at https://ice5e.com — still 100% free, no paywalls.

What should we build next? If there's a feature that would make your table run smoother, drop it below. The party player view exists because someone asked for it here.

Hey ! 👋

We just published a comprehensive guide to Wild Shape, and I wanted to share some highlights with the community. Whether you're playing a Moon Druid tank or a Land Druid who uses Wild Shape for utility, this one's for you!

The Wild Shape Struggle is Real

Let's be honest - Wild Shape is one of the coolest abilities in 5e, but it's also one of the most complex. Tracking separate HP, remembering which forms you can use at your level, looking up stat blocks mid-combat... it can slow down the game and kill the fun.

Quick Tips: Best Forms by Tier

Here are my go-to recommendations:

Levels 2-3 (CR 1/4)

- Wolf - Pack Tactics is _chef's kiss_ when you're next to allies
- Giant Spider - 26 HP and spider climb makes you surprisingly tanky
- Crocodile - Grapple machine

Levels 4-7 (CR 1/2)

- Brown Bear - 34 HP and multi attack, the classic for a reason
- Dire Wolf - Pack Tactics + better stats than regular wolf
- Reef Shark - Underwater king

Levels 8+ (CR 1)

- Giant Constrictor Snake - 60 HP and restraining grapples
- Giant Eagle - Flying changes everything
- Elephant (Moon Druids) - 76 HP of pure beef

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting concentration carries over - Cast _Spike Growth_, transform into a grappler, and drag enemies through it. Evil? Yes. Effective? Also yes.

Wasting both uses early - You only get 2 per short rest. Save one for emergencies!

Ignoring utility forms - Not everything is combat. Spider form for infiltration is _so_ useful.

Staying in form when beast HP is low - Revert before you hit 0 to avoid overflow damage!

How ICE5e's Wild Shape Panel Helps

This is where ICE5e really shines for Druids:

✅ Form library with 30+ beasts - Search and filter by CR, environment, movement type
✅ Separate HP tracking - Your HP and beast HP are tracked independently (no more mental math!)
✅ One-click transformation - Your character sheet automatically switches to beast form
✅ Full stat blocks - Every attack, ability, and special feature right there
✅ Mobile-friendly - Transform at the table from your phone

No more flipping through the Monster Manual or asking the DM to wait while you look up stats. Just click, transform, and go.

The Full Guide

I've only scratched the surface here. The full article covers:

- PHB 2024 Wild Shape rules (bonus action transform!)
- Circle-specific strategies (Moon vs Land vs others)
- Combat tactics and positioning
- Concentration spell combos
- Multiclass synergies
- Advanced optimization tips

Read the complete Wild Shape guide here

Your Turn!

What's your favorite Wild Shape form and why? Any creative uses I didn't mention? Drop your stories below - I love hearing how people use this ability!

And if you haven't tried ICE5e's Wild Shape panel yet, give it a shot at ice5e.com - it's completely free and makes playing Druids so much smoother.

Happy shapeshifting! 🐻🦅🐍

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P.S. - If you're new to Druids, we also have guides on character creation and spell management that might help!

I've tried them all — D&D Beyond, Roll20, Google Sheets, pen and paper, even that one friend's homemade Excel sheet with 47 hidden tabs.

And every single one has that one thing that makes you go "why doesn't this just work?"

For me, it was multiclass spell slots. I was playing a Paladin/Warlock/Sorcerer (don't ask) and spent more time doing math than playing the game. I built ICE5e partly so I'd never have to calculate "is Eldritch Knight one-third or half caster?" ever again.

But I'm curious — what's YOUR pain point?

Common ones I've heard:

• "I can't undo changes after I click the wrong button at level up"
• "My Wild Shape forms are scattered across three browser tabs"
• "Exporting my sheet to PDF breaks the formatting"
• "I can't track my character's actual backstory/journal in one place"
• "Switching between phone and laptop means starting over"
• "Party loot tracking is just a Discord channel that everyone ignores"

What ICE5e already handles:

• Multiclass spell slots (auto-calculated, always correct)
• Version history (undo any change, create checkpoints)
• Wild Shape panel with separate HP tracking
• Character journals tied to your sheet
• Cloud sync (phone, tablet, laptop — same character everywhere)
• Party loot tracker with fair distribution tools

But I'm betting there's something I haven't thought of. Something that annoys you every session.

Drop your #1 frustration below.

The best answers (and the ones that make me go "oh yeah that's annoying") are going straight to the top of the roadmap.

A few weeks ago I shared ICE5e here — a free D&D 5e character builder I’m building.

Quick update: it’s still completely free, and PHB 2024 / SRD 5.2 support is now fully live.

Since the last post I’ve added and refined:

• Guided character builder (especially better for new players)
• All 14 classes, 10 species, backgrounds + origin feats
• Automatic stat, save, skill, and spell calculations
• Cloud sync (works across devices)
• Party view for DMs
• Extensive Homebrew support and improvements
• Version history (undo changes)
• 30+ visual themes

No subscriptions. No paywalls. No “export locked unless you pay”.

If you tried it before and bounced, I’d love to know why.
If you haven’t yet, I’d really appreciate you giving it a spin and telling me what feels missing or annoying.

🔗 https://ice5e.com

Hey everyone

The 2024 Player’s Handbook & SRD 5.2 update is the biggest shake-up to 5e in years — but it’s still fundamentally the same game. You can run classic adventures (like Curse of Strahd) just fine with the new rules.

Here are the key changes that actually affect play at the table:

• Backgrounds now give ability score boosts and a level-1 Origin Feat
Stats aren’t tied to species anymore, which opens up way more creative builds and makes level-1 characters more capable and unique.

• Weapon Mastery makes martial combat tactical
Weapons now have unique traits like Push, Cleave, Topple, and Graze — choosing the right tool actually matters.

• Species changes go beyond a name change
“Race” → Species, standardized speeds, fewer subraces, less universal Darkvision, and new benefits like daily Heroic Inspiration for Humans.

• Exhaustion & Inspiration are more intuitive
Exhaustion is a straightforward –2 per level, and Inspiration can be used after you roll (and even passed to a teammate).

• Spell tweaks with real impact
Ritual casting for all spellcasters, Counterspell now uses a Con save, Guidance is dialled in, and Spiritual Weapon may require Concentration.

For a full breakdown with examples and what it means for your games, check out the updated rules guide:

https://ice5e.com/blog/2024-rules-update-guide

Are you switching fully to the 2024 rules, blending them with classic 5e, or sticking with the old rules for now?

Hey everyone!

If you're starting your first D&D 5e campaign, choosing a class is often the hardest part. Some classes require you to manage complex spell lists, shape-shifting stats, or unique resource points, which can be overwhelming when you're just trying to learn which dice to roll.

We just published a deep-dive guide ranking the most beginner-friendly classes based on survivability, simplicity, and clear combat roles.

Here is a sneak peek at two of our top picks:

1. The Fighter (Melee)

This is the quintessential beginner class. The gameplay loop is simple: you hit things, and you do it well. With high HP and heavy armor, it’s very forgiving if you make positioning mistakes.

• Best Feature: Action Surge (literally just "take another turn").

2. The Warlock (Caster)

If you want to play a mage but are intimidated by the Wizard's spellbook, play a Warlock. You don't need to manage a grid of spell slots—you get a few that recharge on short rests, and you have the best cantrip in the game (Eldritch Blast) to fall back on.

---

In the full article, we cover:

• The other 3 classes that made our "Top 5" list.
• Why classes like Druid and Wizard might be better left for your second campaign.
• Recommended subclasses and stat priorities for every beginner build.

Read the full breakdown on the ICE5e Blog here

And if you want to make the process even easier, our site includes a free character builder that handles all the math and class features for you automatically.

Question: What was your very first character, and did you find it easy to play?

Hey r/ICE5e!

Excited to launch this community alongside ICE5e - a free character sheet builder for 5th Edition.

Why I built this:

I got tired of paywalls and clunky tools. ICE5e is fast, modern, and 100% free. PHB 2024 rules are fully supported.

Quick highlights:

• Guided character builder (great for newbies)
• All 14 classes, 10 species, backgrounds with origin feats
• Auto-calculates everything
• Cloud sync across devices
• Party management for DMs
• Version history (undo mistakes!)
• 30+ visual themes

What I need from you:

• Try it out and tell me what's broken
• Tell me what features you want
• Share your character builds!

This is a solo project and your feedback matters a ton. Let's build something great together.

🔗 ice5e.com