Game Master 3.5 Edition vs D&D Characters
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Game Master 3.5 Edition
Streamline your Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition game sessions. Manage encounters, track player and monster stats, and roll dice with ease. Includes a bestiary, campaign log, and quick reference for DM screen information.
- Encounter manager (initiative, HP, stats)
- Dice rolling (attacks, skills, saves)
- Monster bestiary and editor
- Campaign log and notes
- Rules quick reference
- Dice roll calculator
- Adjustable dice rolls (easy mode)
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Game Master will help you run your Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition game more efficiently. Setup encounters, track initiative, and roll attacks all in one convenient app. Features: - Encounter manager tracks initiative, hp, and all the necessary stats of your monsters and PCs - Roll attacks, skills, and saving throws with simple tap - Bestiary includes the basic data of all monsters from the Monster Manual - Add new monsters using the monster editor - Keep a campaign log and notes about each encounter - Rules Quick Reference view to containing DM screen information - Dice roll calculator lets you roll any dice combo easily - Easy mode setting: For when your players are struggling and you don't feel like having a TPK, fudge your dice rolls to be lower. The app will roll all dice twice and takes the lower of the two. The app is free to download but encounters are limited to a max of 6 combatants. This can be unlocked by purchasing the full version.
D&D Characters
This app simplifies D&D gameplay by automatically calculating hit points, spell slots, and class features. It also allows DMs to track initiative and view basic character stats for easier game management.
- Automatic HP calculation
- Spell slot and spell point tracking
- Class feature resource management
- DM initiative tracking
- Basic character stat overview for DMs
- Quick character entry
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Look, I like to roll dice. It's fun, especially during in-person games. But I hate all the arithmetic you have to do as a result – especially hit points, and especially when you have multiple sources of hit point boosts (eg temp hp, the spell Aid increasing your normal hp, and/or for example an arcane ward for abj wizards). So, this app does that for you. Originally, I created this to make using Spell Points (as opposed to Spell Slots – see DMG pg 288) easier. So if you're using spell points in your campaign, this'll help with that. Otherwise it keeps track of spell slots, which is fine I guess. Oh yeah, and it keeps track of some of your class features, like Metamagic Sorcery Points, Lay on Hands, Bardic Inspiration, Action Surge, Rages, and that sort of thing. That way when it's been months since you last played in person (arg) you can have all your resources up to date. Finally, if your DM has this app, they can host a game, and get the basics about your character (like passive perception, AC, and/or save DC). They can also keep track of initiative, which is nice. Entering a character into the app is easy and quick, because it doesn't need everything – just your class levels, and some scores/feats to help calculate your natural HP, passive perception, and so on. So look, this isn't going to allow you to completely run the game. It doesn't have every spell, item, and ability. But it's free, you don't need to sign up for anything, and it helps keep track of the basics while leaving the rolling to you. Give it a shot!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: D&D Characters at none against Game Master 3.5 Edition's 1. D&D Characters also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 87%). Game Master 3.5 Edition's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Game Master 3.5 Edition sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. D&D Characters asks for nothing beyond the download.
Game Master 3.5 Edition ships an update weekly, D&D Characters every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Game Master 3.5 Edition | D&D Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (46 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.8% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 46 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 7 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 47 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lion's Den | Thryv, Inc. |
Customer experience
Game Master 3.5 Edition
D&D Characters
Bugs and requests
Game Master 3.5 Edition
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes and loses data
- Cannot upgrade to full version
- Restore cloud/local data crashes app
- Default data not found
- Rules cheat sheet loads very slowly and freezes app
Requested features
20 requests- Prompt to save when going back
- Indicator for encountered creatures
- Way to donate for development
- Update bestiary with more creatures
- Access to all 3.5 books or digital copies
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- Graph addition for dungeon mapping
- Random HP roll for multiple monsters
- Update purchase on newer devices
- Tab for PCs (not just NPCs)
- Map-maker tool
- Option to buy additional monster manuals
- Experience calculator
- D&D 5th edition support
- Filters for CR, etc.
- Battle grid with terrain features
- iCloud sync
- Way for players to sync sheets from Fight Club
- Tutorial mode
- Import character sheets from Fight Club app
- Treasure area
D&D Characters
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Game Master 3.5 Edition
- Full Version$2.99
D&D Characters
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Game Master 3.5 Edition free?
Is D&D Characters free?
Do Game Master 3.5 Edition or D&D Characters have ads?
Which is updated more often, Game Master 3.5 Edition or D&D Characters?
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