I just finished watching the D&D Beyond Live Development Update and Q&A 01/19/2018 Replay and had some questions:
1) As far as I understand, homebrewing entirely new classes is off the table - I was wondering if it would be possible to one day create new classes that are strictly based on swapping out a few elements from existing classes - for example, I'd like to create a variant paladin class that has the same progression as a paladin, but in which I change some of the standard class features with either my own original features or existing features from other classes. Not sure how difficult that would be.
2) Also, on the Character Sheet Revamp, it would be nice if you could capture all the different Reactions, Bonus Actions and Combat Features available to a character in one area, similar to how you capture the limited use abilities in one area - having them buried in Class Features can be a little confusing especially at higher levels, and it would be nice to have one consolidated listing of all the Reactions, Bonus Actions and Combat-related Features available to you.
For example, my 7th level Rogue (Scout) / 3rd level Fighter (Battle Master) has Second Wind, Cunning Action (Dash, Disengage, Hide) as possible Bonus Actions; Uncanny Dodge and Skimisher (and Attack of Opportunity) as possible Reactions; and Action Surge, Disarming Attack, Distracting Strike, Precision Attack, Sneak Attack, and the Sharpshooter Feat (-5 to hit / +10 to damage) as possible Features to be leveraged in Combat - trying to keep track of all of that without listing them all out in one area is confusing. Ideally, hovering over them would pop up a description similar to spells, but even just listing them all out in one area and then digging for their descriptions in the Features area is still an improvement.
If Jeremy and the team implement the variant class features concept, we would absolutely support that in DDB.
As for an action economy breakdown, that is definitely planned and is part of the revamp. You'll be able to see all your possible action types in one place (it'll have its own section), but the action type info will also be tagged onto the abilities when you see them in other areas (like the Features section).
Languages, proficiencies, even arbitrary feat granting, was mentioned in the recent dev update as coming soon (I think it was the short soon, not the long soon).
Senses weren't mentioned, but I hope they aren't overlooked. My campaign uses a custom sense type. :p
One of my players is a Cleric, Life Domain. I've noticed a couple of issues with her character sheet:
1: Under 'Limited Use', she has 'Channel Divinity' but it only contains the rules for the standard 'Turn Undead' which all Clerics have, and the rules for her 'Preserve Life' option is not listed there (instead it's buried in the 'Class Features' section). I presume this would be the same for all other Cleric domains.
2: One of the features of the Life Domain is 'Disciple of Life'; whenever the Cleric casts a healing spell it should heal an additional 2 + the spell's level hit points. Unfortunately this isn't automatically calculated on the entries for her healing spells; Level 1 Cure Wounds, for example, says it heals 1d8 +3, whereas it should be 1d8 +6 with her Disciple of Life bonus.
I've just started putting my Blood Hunter Order of the Lycan character together and was playing around with all the features and I came up with a featue request that would help greatly, possibly some other classes, too.
So when you get your 3rd level feature: Hybrid Transformation, you get 3 additional positive and two negative features (resilient hide, feral might, predatory strikes, bloodlust and cursed weakness) when you transform and they change a lot of stats, weapon damage etc. That's a lot of change in the middle of a combat.
So here is my suggestion:
Put a switch in the digital charactersheet that you could press and it would change your stats, damage, vulnarabilities and all that stuff around to reflect your transformation.
It is the same with additional damage of your rites that you get, btw.
I don't know if that is possible to implement and if it would benefit more classes but i thought I'd mention it.
Of course you could create many custom attacks to reflect the changes but that feels clunky.
Hi! First thanks for all of your hard work - I love the platform in general. I do have two minor requests:
1) It would be nice when you use the Short or Long Rest features in the character sheet if the program could give you a view of the features that were effected. Like, you hit the Long Rest button and it shows a window that says 32 HP regained, 8 Temp HP removed, X number of spell slots refreshed, Action Surge refreshed, etc.
2) Features that give your character a special attack type or bonus should translate to the attacks section of the sheet. For example, Hexblade Warlock (with Pact of the Blade) can summon a weapon that uses their CHA for attack and damage bonuses. It'd be very helpful if you could use that feature and have the sheet prompt for a weapon type and do the calculation for you. Same thing with things like bonus damage from Rage.
Hi! First thanks for all of your hard work - I love the platform in general. I do have two minor requests:
1) It would be nice when you use the Short or Long Rest features in the character sheet if the program could give you a view of the features that were effected. Like, you hit the Long Rest button and it shows a window that says 32 HP regained, 8 Temp HP removed, X number of spell slots refreshed, Action Surge refreshed, etc.
2) Features that give your character a special attack type or bonus should translate to the attacks section of the sheet. For example, Hexblade Warlock (with Pact of the Blade) can summon a weapon that uses their CHA for attack and damage bonuses. It'd be very helpful if you could use that feature and have the sheet prompt for a weapon type and do the calculation for you. Same thing with things like bonus damage from Rage.
Thanks and keep up the great work!
Hello and thanks for posting.
1) Short and Long Rests do currently list the features affected as seen here:
2) We have automatic calculation planned, but you can currently create custom weapon entries that can pull off things like a hexblade:
Again, we do intend to cover all the exceptions-based attack types automatically in time, but the custom option is intended to cover this and any other type of "different" attack.
[Edit: I played with this a little more and while this doesn't exactly match what I was trying to suggest, it's a lot closer than I realized previously. I honestly don't feel it's worth the additional effort I was asking for. The function gives enough info as is.]
Also, I was aware of the ability to add custom attacks, and have been using that function for the time being. It's nice to know that you're working on automatically handling this in the future.
[Edit: One other minor request that would make the custom attack functionality even better would be the ability to apply a modifier to the To-Hit roll rather than only having the option of overriding the roll. This is handy for features that allow you treat attacks as +1 weapons, as an example.]
Another suggestion that came up in tonight's session, and I'm not sure if this has already been addressed - High Elves get a cantrip as part of their Racial Traits, but if you play a class that doesn't have access to Spellcasting, the Spells panel doesn't show up in the character sheet. This is another minor thing and we were able to remember that the character had the one spell, but it would be very nice if it showed up in the same manner all other selected spells do.
Agreed on that last point, and it's actually more pronounced when you do play a spellcasting class.
When you have a list of spells, and you think you're missing one because your race's spell is hidden beneath all your other spells can be confusing until you remember the situation.
I have the feeling, however, that this will be handled soon, given BadEye's explanation (and excitement :) ) in the latest dev update, about the sheet revamp and the interconnected actions etcetc.
Is there or will there be a way to reorder inventory items as well as known spells on character sheet? On my handmade sheets I like to have certain spells at the top, like Mage Armor, so I remember to use them before getting into battle and spells with like damage grouped together.
Also, it would be nice to be able to rearrange/hide the modules. As a sorcerer I'd prefer the spells module be at the top and in general some of the character detail tabs could be collapsed until needed.
So I don't seem to be able to find a better forum for this. The character builder and sheet thread was closed.
In the character builder, Forest Gnome from the Player's Handbook doesn't appear as an option. Is this being added? There's only Rock and Deep. Could this be added?
Also a small thing, but something that really defines how usable DDB is in-session as a player: The ability to move the "Other Notes" to the top of the notes section. I don't need to write and rewrite organization and ally info as often as just writing general notes about what's happening. Myself and 3/6 other players in our group take notes the whole session, so right now I still need to have a piece of paper going, or a separate tab with Google Docs up to take these notes. Otherwise I've got to scroll down, open the Other Notes, take whatever note it is, and then close it and scroll back to any relevant rolling stats, or the spell section, etc... Just generally I think the ability to drag/drop sections of the online character sheet would be amazing, so that the information I need in game can be at my fingertips instead of hidden under a pile of things I don't need very much. :)
DnD Beyond staff that is working on new character sheets should find inspiration by looking at the very good sheets (class-based) by Emmet Byrne on the DMs Guild.
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but I would love the ability to write notes on items. For example - currently I can add "1st level scroll" to my equipment, but I can't add a note to it to say what type of scroll it is.
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but I would love the ability to write notes on items. For example - currently I can add "1st level scroll" to my equipment, but I can't add a note to it to say what type of scroll it is.
This would be great for AL play as well since you would be able to notate where and when you found a specific item, or add flavor text from certificates.
One thing that would be useful is a place to put custom languages, rather than being restricted to only the ones available in the book.
Languages, proficiencies, even arbitrary feat granting, was mentioned in the recent dev update as coming soon (I think it was the short soon, not the long soon).
Senses weren't mentioned, but I hope they aren't overlooked. My campaign uses a custom sense type. :p
One of my players is a Cleric, Life Domain. I've noticed a couple of issues with her character sheet:
1: Under 'Limited Use', she has 'Channel Divinity' but it only contains the rules for the standard 'Turn Undead' which all Clerics have, and the rules for her 'Preserve Life' option is not listed there (instead it's buried in the 'Class Features' section). I presume this would be the same for all other Cleric domains.
2: One of the features of the Life Domain is 'Disciple of Life'; whenever the Cleric casts a healing spell it should heal an additional 2 + the spell's level hit points. Unfortunately this isn't automatically calculated on the entries for her healing spells; Level 1 Cure Wounds, for example, says it heals 1d8 +3, whereas it should be 1d8 +6 with her Disciple of Life bonus.
I've just started putting my Blood Hunter Order of the Lycan character together and was playing around with all the features and I came up with a featue request that would help greatly, possibly some other classes, too.
So when you get your 3rd level feature: Hybrid Transformation, you get 3 additional positive and two negative features (resilient hide, feral might, predatory strikes, bloodlust and cursed weakness) when you transform and they change a lot of stats, weapon damage etc. That's a lot of change in the middle of a combat.
So here is my suggestion:
Put a switch in the digital charactersheet that you could press and it would change your stats, damage, vulnarabilities and all that stuff around to reflect your transformation.
It is the same with additional damage of your rites that you get, btw.
I don't know if that is possible to implement and if it would benefit more classes but i thought I'd mention it.
Of course you could create many custom attacks to reflect the changes but that feels clunky.
Hi! First thanks for all of your hard work - I love the platform in general. I do have two minor requests:
1) It would be nice when you use the Short or Long Rest features in the character sheet if the program could give you a view of the features that were effected. Like, you hit the Long Rest button and it shows a window that says 32 HP regained, 8 Temp HP removed, X number of spell slots refreshed, Action Surge refreshed, etc.
2) Features that give your character a special attack type or bonus should translate to the attacks section of the sheet. For example, Hexblade Warlock (with Pact of the Blade) can summon a weapon that uses their CHA for attack and damage bonuses. It'd be very helpful if you could use that feature and have the sheet prompt for a weapon type and do the calculation for you. Same thing with things like bonus damage from Rage.
Thanks and keep up the great work!
Hi Adam, thanks so much for responding!
[Edit: I played with this a little more and while this doesn't exactly match what I was trying to suggest, it's a lot closer than I realized previously. I honestly don't feel it's worth the additional effort I was asking for. The function gives enough info as is.]
Also, I was aware of the ability to add custom attacks, and have been using that function for the time being. It's nice to know that you're working on automatically handling this in the future.
[Edit: One other minor request that would make the custom attack functionality even better would be the ability to apply a modifier to the To-Hit roll rather than only having the option of overriding the roll. This is handy for features that allow you treat attacks as +1 weapons, as an example.]
Thanks again!
Another suggestion that came up in tonight's session, and I'm not sure if this has already been addressed - High Elves get a cantrip as part of their Racial Traits, but if you play a class that doesn't have access to Spellcasting, the Spells panel doesn't show up in the character sheet. This is another minor thing and we were able to remember that the character had the one spell, but it would be very nice if it showed up in the same manner all other selected spells do.
Agreed on that last point, and it's actually more pronounced when you do play a spellcasting class.
When you have a list of spells, and you think you're missing one because your race's spell is hidden beneath all your other spells can be confusing until you remember the situation.
I have the feeling, however, that this will be handled soon, given BadEye's explanation (and excitement :) ) in the latest dev update, about the sheet revamp and the interconnected actions etcetc.
Is there or will there be a way to reorder inventory items as well as known spells on character sheet? On my handmade sheets I like to have certain spells at the top, like Mage Armor, so I remember to use them before getting into battle and spells with like damage grouped together.
Also, it would be nice to be able to rearrange/hide the modules. As a sorcerer I'd prefer the spells module be at the top and in general some of the character detail tabs could be collapsed until needed.
Loving everything else!
Idk if this is the right space to comment but rolling a blood hunter, order of mutant.
Is there a way to see the mutagen as a consumable? Or add the effect?
Or is this something I should write down and add?
So I don't seem to be able to find a better forum for this. The character builder and sheet thread was closed.
In the character builder, Forest Gnome from the Player's Handbook doesn't appear as an option. Is this being added? There's only Rock and Deep. Could this be added?
@LukingFine
Have you bought Players handbook at the Marketplace?
https://www.dndbeyond.com/marketplace/source/2
I'm not stupid. I'm just unlucky when I'm thinking.
It's a small thing (and maybe already mentioned), but I'd love to have somewhere to record & update my abjuration wizard's Arcane Ward HP
Also a small thing, but something that really defines how usable DDB is in-session as a player: The ability to move the "Other Notes" to the top of the notes section. I don't need to write and rewrite organization and ally info as often as just writing general notes about what's happening. Myself and 3/6 other players in our group take notes the whole session, so right now I still need to have a piece of paper going, or a separate tab with Google Docs up to take these notes. Otherwise I've got to scroll down, open the Other Notes, take whatever note it is, and then close it and scroll back to any relevant rolling stats, or the spell section, etc... Just generally I think the ability to drag/drop sections of the online character sheet would be amazing, so that the information I need in game can be at my fingertips instead of hidden under a pile of things I don't need very much. :)
DnD Beyond staff that is working on new character sheets should find inspiration by looking at the very good sheets (class-based) by Emmet Byrne on the DMs Guild.
My Homebrew: Magic Items | Monsters | Spells | Subclasses | My house rules
Playing D&D since 1st edition. DMs Guild Author: B.A. Morrier Twitter: @benmorrier he/him
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but I would love the ability to write notes on items. For example - currently I can add "1st level scroll" to my equipment, but I can't add a note to it to say what type of scroll it is.
It would also be great if Sorcerer Metamagic choices were visable under class features in limited use module as opposed to just in features module.