How to make a tool in Roblox Studio

How tools work

Everything in StarterPack is copied into each player's Backpack every time they spawn, and the Backpack is what the hotbar shows. When the player equips a tool (presses its number or taps it), Roblox moves it from the Backpack into their character and welds its Handle to the right hand. Unequipping moves it back.

Step 1: Build the tool

1. In the Explorer, hover over StarterPack, click + and insert a Tool. Name it Potion.
2. Insert a Part into the Tool and rename it exactly Handle. Make it small, about 0.8, 1.2, 0.8. Leave Anchored off and untick CanCollide.
3. For more detail, add more parts inside the Tool and join each to the Handle with a WeldConstraint (Part0 the Handle, Part1 the extra part). Unanchored, unwelded parts fall off.
4. Press Play, press 1 to equip it and look at the hand. If it sits wrong, stop and change the Tool's Grip (or GripPos to move it, GripForward and GripUp to turn it), then try again.

For a hotbar icon, upload an image and paste its ID into TextureId; otherwise the hotbar shows the tool's name. ToolTip is the hint shown when hovering the slot.

Step 2: A healing potion with uses

Select the Tool and add a number attribute named Uses set to 3 (Properties window, Attributes, +). Then insert a Script into the Tool named PotionScript:

-- Script inside the Potion Tool, named PotionScript.
-- Heals the holder on click, with a cooldown and a limited number of uses.
local tool = script.Parent :: Tool

local HEAL_AMOUNT = 40
local COOLDOWN_SECONDS = 3

local lastUse = 0

tool.Activated:Connect(function()
	local now = os.clock()
	if now - lastUse < COOLDOWN_SECONDS then
		return
	end
	-- the tool is inside the character while it is held
	local character = tool.Parent
	local humanoid = character and character:FindFirstChildOfClass("Humanoid")
	if not humanoid or humanoid.Health <= 0 or humanoid.Health >= humanoid.MaxHealth then
		return -- nobody to heal, or already at full health: do not waste a use
	end
	local uses = tool:GetAttribute("Uses")
	if typeof(uses) ~= "number" or uses <= 0 then
		return
	end
	lastUse = now
	humanoid.Health = math.min(humanoid.Health + HEAL_AMOUNT, humanoid.MaxHealth)
	tool:SetAttribute("Uses", uses - 1)
	tool.ToolTip = (uses - 1) .. " drinks left"
	if uses - 1 <= 0 then
		tool:Destroy()
	end
end)

This is a server Script, so the heal and the use count are decided by the server: a cheater can fire the activation as fast as they like and still only heal once every 3 seconds. Because a fresh copy comes from StarterPack on every spawn, the player gets a full potion each life. To make it last across deaths, give it from the server instead, as in Step 4.

Step 3: A flashlight that turns on and off

A tool that toggles something is the same pattern with a state. Make a Tool named Flashlight with a Handle, put a SpotLight inside the Handle (untick its Enabled), and add this Script to the Tool:

-- Script inside the Flashlight Tool, named FlashlightScript.
local tool = script.Parent :: Tool
local handle = tool:WaitForChild("Handle") :: BasePart
local light = handle:WaitForChild("SpotLight") :: SpotLight

light.Enabled = false

tool.Activated:Connect(function()
	light.Enabled = not light.Enabled
end)

tool.Unequipped:Connect(function()
	light.Enabled = false -- off when put away
end)

Turn the SpotLight so it points the same way as the hand by changing its Face property, and raise Range and Brightness for a horror map. Every player sees each other's flashlights, because the server switches them.

Step 4: Give tools from the server

StarterPack gives a tool to everyone. For tools earned or bought, keep the original in ServerStorage, where players cannot reach it, and clone it into the player's Backpack from a server Script. Putting a second copy in StarterGear means they keep it after dying, because Roblox refills the Backpack from StarterPack and StarterGear on each spawn.

-- Script in ServerScriptService named GiveTools.
-- Gives a tool from ServerStorage.Tools to players who touch the GiveFlashlight part.
local Players = game:GetService("Players")
local ServerStorage = game:GetService("ServerStorage")

local toolsFolder = ServerStorage:WaitForChild("Tools")
local pad = workspace:WaitForChild("GiveFlashlight") :: BasePart

local function giveTool(player: Player, toolName: string, keepAfterDeath: boolean)
	local template = toolsFolder:FindFirstChild(toolName)
	if not (template and template:IsA("Tool")) then
		warn("[GiveTools] no Tool named " .. toolName .. " in ServerStorage.Tools")
		return
	end
	local backpack = player:FindFirstChildOfClass("Backpack")
	local character = player.Character
	local alreadyHas = (backpack and backpack:FindFirstChild(toolName)) or (character and character:FindFirstChild(toolName))
	if alreadyHas or not backpack then
		return
	end
	template:Clone().Parent = backpack
	local starterGear = player:FindFirstChild("StarterGear")
	if keepAfterDeath and starterGear and not starterGear:FindFirstChild(toolName) then
		template:Clone().Parent = starterGear
	end
end

pad.Touched:Connect(function(hit: BasePart)
	local character = hit.Parent
	local player = if character and character:IsA("Model") then Players:GetPlayerFromCharacter(character) else nil
	if player then
		giveTool(player, "Flashlight", true)
	end
end)

Create a Folder named Tools in ServerStorage and move the Flashlight tool into it, then add a part named GiveFlashlight in Workspace. The check for an existing copy (in the Backpack, or in the character while held) stops one touch from filling the hotbar. The shop GUI guide uses the same giving function after a purchase, and the inventory guide manages many tools at once.

Step 5: Play an animation when used

A drink or a swing animation makes a tool feel finished. Animations on a player's own character are best started on their device, and they replicate to everyone. Add a LocalScript to the Tool:

-- LocalScript inside the Potion Tool, named PotionAnimation.
local tool = script.Parent :: Tool

local drinkAnimation = Instance.new("Animation")
drinkAnimation.AnimationId = "rbxassetid://0" -- your own animation ID

local track: AnimationTrack? = nil

tool.Equipped:Connect(function()
	local character = tool.Parent
	local humanoid = character and character:FindFirstChildOfClass("Humanoid")
	local animator = humanoid and humanoid:FindFirstChildOfClass("Animator")
	if animator and drinkAnimation.AnimationId ~= "rbxassetid://0" then
		track = animator:LoadAnimation(drinkAnimation)
	end
end)

tool.Activated:Connect(function()
	if track then
		track:Play()
	end
end)

tool.Unequipped:Connect(function()
	if track then
		track:Stop()
	end
	track = nil
end)

Make the animation in Studio's Animation Editor, publish it, and paste its ID. It must belong to you, or to your group for a group game; see Failed to load animation with sanitized ID if it does not play. The animation script guide covers priorities and looping.

Common errors and fixes

Open the Output window (Window menu, then Output) before you press Play.

Build it with RoCode

If you would rather not build tools by hand, RoCode can build them in the place you have open. RoCode is an independent AI agent for Roblox Studio, not made by Roblox: you describe the change in a web chat, and its Studio plugin creates the tool, its parts and its scripts in your Explorer.

Equip the tool yourself after it is built and check how it sits in the hand; adjust Grip if needed. With plugin 3.9.15 or newer RoCode can control a test character, but it checks only what it chose to test. How RoCode connects to Studio.

Questions

Sources and further reading

• Roblox Creator Docs: In-game tools. the Handle, StarterPack and tool scripts
• Roblox Creator Docs: Tool. Activated, Equipped, RequiresHandle, Grip and CanBeDropped
• Roblox Creator Docs: StarterGear
• Roblox Creator Docs: Backpack

How the code was checked: every script on this page passes Luau's strict type checker against Roblox's API definitions (luau-lsp, 5 November 2026). A type check catches misspelt APIs and wrong types, not game logic, so playtest in Studio before you publish.