Hello I am a beginning user of D&D beyond and am really enjoying the character creator and the contents of the website. My one issue I run into is that I would like more of the options of sub-races and classes/Archetypes that I already have in the books I own. I have the DM guide, player handbook, monster manual and Xanthars book and a few more and I want to access the things that came with these books but not have to repay for such things. This website makes it so much easier to track characters and their development and keep notes and backstories stored in safe areas and I love it. So please if there is anyway for me to prove of my ownership or something I could do other than having to repay for such things because I am tight on money right now please respond and help me. Thank you.
If you want access to the books on D&D Beyond, you have to pay for them.
If you just want to use the character creator with the options in your physical books, you can recreate each race, subclass, feat, spell and magic item as private homebrew.
Any content you have in physical books you can recreate as homebrew for free for personal use and it will be shared with anyone in your campaign. It may take an afternoon to homebrew it all, but prep work is part of D&D and you then get all the same stuff available on D&D Beyond for absolutely free.
No one in their right mind would want to pay 100 per book just to use a website
D&D Beyond does not publish D&D. Wizards of the Coast does not own DDB.
If you want, you can purchase any of the sourcebooks on DDB for $29.95(USD) and use all of that information on this website free of charge. You can also download the app and have every book you purchase stored neatly in your phone and use it for free anywhere you like.
If you want, you can purchase any of those books at your local store and use all of that information at home free of charge. If you want to use that info on this website you have two choices: 1)Do the work of copying all of that info onto this website as private homebrew or 2)Buy the books again here.
D&D Beyond only makes money by selling you books just like Barnes & Nobel. Asking DDB to give you the books for free because you bought them somewhere else would be like going in to Barnes & Nobel and demanding free hardbacks because you bought the digital edition on DDB.
If you buy the books either at a store or on this website Wizards of the Coast doesn’t give a rat’s hairy behind what you do or how you feel about it because they got your money either way.
Where do you get the $100 price from? None of the books are priced at that.
Also, the prices listed aren't just for the books. Actually if you're just getting "the book" then you get the Compendium-Only version which is less. The rest of the main cost is for the bells and whistles that get usable for the character sheet. You can just get the compendium then homebrew everything free - and generally the compendium only is about $20 - even less with the discounts D&D Beyond usually gives out every so often.
D&D beyond is actually one of the cheapest places to get the content, often the full price (which gets you more) is equal or less than just the book price elsewhere.
Between bundles and discounts I've saved about $200 or so getting stuff here than elsewhere AND here lets me use stuff on the character sheet and such.
I think they are getting “$100” because the physical books retail for $50 and they assume the digital does as well and they “have to buy it twice” to use the website. They could just buy it here once for $30 and save money, but they already bought the hardbacks. People still think that WotC and DDB are the same/related companies.
I think they are getting “$100” because the physical books retail for $50 and they assume the digital does as well and they “have to buy it twice” to use the website. They could just buy it here once for $30 and save money, but they already bought the hardbacks. People still think that WotC and DDB are the same/related companies.
Yeah but, if you have the physical books already you can just homebrew stuff for free so you don't have to "buy again" at all - which had already been pointed out in this thread.
I would understand them not reading the thread if it had a dozen pages or so, but it doesn't.
I could understand the $100 if the books were being sold at $50 here, but they're not. The marketplace clearly shows books are less than $30 and less than $20 if you just want 'the book'.
Is it really so hard for people to read the website and pay attention before they post with their (utterly nonsensical) complaints?
The essentials kit came with a free code for the d&d beyond purchase of "dragon of icepire peak" plus a 50% off code for the players handbook. I went ahead and purchased a starter kit thinking it would have a code for "lost mines of phandelver" but sadly it did not.
This should be the norm: purchase hardcover and get a free code for the website. All WotC needs to do is throw DDB a percentage and it can be done.
This wouldn't benefit the people who already have the books who want the free versions on DDB, who are the most vocal on demanding this feature
That would require shrink wrapping the books, something proven to deter sales (as people want to be able to leaf through the books)
Who would pay that percentage? Should WotC take a loss? DDB? The consumer pay more for books?
Let's assume everyone takes it on the chin; WotC takes a loss, DDB does and the books go up by $10. What about the consumers who don't want to use DDB? They're now paying extra for no benefit.
Also, what about losses? It now becomes trivial to steal copies on DDB; you just go into your gaming store, nip behind a bookshelf and pull off the shrink wrap and photograph/take the code. DDB loses out, and so does the store because they now can't sell that unwrapped copy at full price because the code is gone. Or they rewrap it and sell it, and someone who thinks they're getting the code isn't.
You could put codes behind the counter, but that still has the same loss prevention issues
Some people suggest point of sale code validation or generation. Cool, now local gaming stores now need to pay an not insignificant amount to upgrade their PoS till system to connect to DDB code generation database.
Basically, trying to get codes into D&D books will cause a non-zero amount of people to be worse off, and not just WotC or DDB.
I can't believe we are STILLhaving this conversation. I can't believe how many people still don't understand, or are just so entitled.
The retail price of the PHB is $49.95. It does not come with links, and you cannot search it. It has no built in Character Builder, or other "digital" benefits. Just a physical book for $49.95.
The exact same thing on DDB is the Compendium version of the PHB for $19.99. It is just the text of the PHB, no bells and whistles. So if you want to compare, that's what you need to compare.
Printed, physical PHB at $49.95 vs DDB PHB Compendium at $19.99.
That's a discount of $29.96!!!
WotC and DDB don't owe you anything. They are not obligated to give you anything for free. You are NOT entitled to a free digital copy for buying the physical book. When you buy the book, you don't own the content of the book, you only own the physical book!
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You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
Im not sure where some of you are getting prices from. The players handbook can be had for far less then $49. In fact you can get it and pretty much of all the D&D books from Amazon for about $25-29. New at that. Third party stuff is a different story.
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Hello I am a beginning user of D&D beyond and am really enjoying the character creator and the contents of the website. My one issue I run into is that I would like more of the options of sub-races and classes/Archetypes that I already have in the books I own. I have the DM guide, player handbook, monster manual and Xanthars book and a few more and I want to access the things that came with these books but not have to repay for such things. This website makes it so much easier to track characters and their development and keep notes and backstories stored in safe areas and I love it. So please if there is anyway for me to prove of my ownership or something I could do other than having to repay for such things because I am tight on money right now please respond and help me. Thank you.
If you want access to the books on D&D Beyond, you have to pay for them.
If you just want to use the character creator with the options in your physical books, you can recreate each race, subclass, feat, spell and magic item as private homebrew.
That's lame. You shouldn't have to pay for the books twice to use them on here...
You can always try to win a legendary bundle
So, what, the software developers working on D&D Beyond shouldn't be paid for their work?
Any content you have in physical books you can recreate as homebrew for free for personal use and it will be shared with anyone in your campaign. It may take an afternoon to homebrew it all, but prep work is part of D&D and you then get all the same stuff available on D&D Beyond for absolutely free.
My Homebrew: Races | Subclasses | Backgrounds | Spells | Magic Items | Feats
Need help with Homebrew? Check out this FAQ/Guide thread by IamSposta
See My Youtube Videos for Tips & Tricks using D&D Beyond
You don't have to. Homebrew what you want to use out of the books.
No one in their right mind would want to pay 100 per book just to use a website
You're right, that's why I pay on average £17 per book.
D&D Beyond moderator across forums, Discord, Twitch and YouTube. Always happy to help and willing to answer questions (or at least try). (he/him/his)
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat On - Mod Hat Off
Site Rules & Guidelines - Homebrew Rules - Looking for Players and Groups Rules
D&D Beyond does not publish D&D.
Wizards of the Coast does not own DDB.
If you want, you can purchase any of the sourcebooks on DDB for $29.95(USD) and use all of that information on this website free of charge. You can also download the app and have every book you purchase stored neatly in your phone and use it for free anywhere you like.
If you want, you can purchase any of those books at your local store and use all of that information at home free of charge. If you want to use that info on this website you have two choices: 1)Do the work of copying all of that info onto this website as private homebrew or 2)Buy the books again here.
D&D Beyond only makes money by selling you books just like Barnes & Nobel. Asking DDB to give you the books for free because you bought them somewhere else would be like going in to Barnes & Nobel and demanding free hardbacks because you bought the digital edition on DDB.
If you buy the books either at a store or on this website Wizards of the Coast doesn’t give a rat’s hairy behind what you do or how you feel about it because they got your money either way.
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
Where do you get the $100 price from? None of the books are priced at that.
Also, the prices listed aren't just for the books. Actually if you're just getting "the book" then you get the Compendium-Only version which is less. The rest of the main cost is for the bells and whistles that get usable for the character sheet. You can just get the compendium then homebrew everything free - and generally the compendium only is about $20 - even less with the discounts D&D Beyond usually gives out every so often.
D&D beyond is actually one of the cheapest places to get the content, often the full price (which gets you more) is equal or less than just the book price elsewhere.
Between bundles and discounts I've saved about $200 or so getting stuff here than elsewhere AND here lets me use stuff on the character sheet and such.
My Homebrew: Races | Subclasses | Backgrounds | Spells | Magic Items | Feats
Need help with Homebrew? Check out this FAQ/Guide thread by IamSposta
See My Youtube Videos for Tips & Tricks using D&D Beyond
I think they are getting “$100” because the physical books retail for $50 and they assume the digital does as well and they “have to buy it twice” to use the website. They could just buy it here once for $30 and save money, but they already bought the hardbacks. People still think that WotC and DDB are the same/related companies.
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
Yeah but, if you have the physical books already you can just homebrew stuff for free so you don't have to "buy again" at all - which had already been pointed out in this thread.
I would understand them not reading the thread if it had a dozen pages or so, but it doesn't.
I could understand the $100 if the books were being sold at $50 here, but they're not. The marketplace clearly shows books are less than $30 and less than $20 if you just want 'the book'.
Is it really so hard for people to read the website and pay attention before they post with their (utterly nonsensical) complaints?
/rant
My Homebrew: Races | Subclasses | Backgrounds | Spells | Magic Items | Feats
Need help with Homebrew? Check out this FAQ/Guide thread by IamSposta
See My Youtube Videos for Tips & Tricks using D&D Beyond
Please do not discuss illegal distribution of copyrighted content. Thanks -Sillvva
They're illegal.
So let's not recommend people break the law.
My Homebrew: Races | Subclasses | Backgrounds | Spells | Magic Items | Feats
Need help with Homebrew? Check out this FAQ/Guide thread by IamSposta
See My Youtube Videos for Tips & Tricks using D&D Beyond
The essentials kit came with a free code for the d&d beyond purchase of "dragon of icepire peak" plus a 50% off code for the players handbook. I went ahead and purchased a starter kit thinking it would have a code for "lost mines of phandelver" but sadly it did not.
This should be the norm: purchase hardcover and get a free code for the website. All WotC needs to do is throw DDB a percentage and it can be done.
Basically, trying to get codes into D&D books will cause a non-zero amount of people to be worse off, and not just WotC or DDB.
D&D Beyond moderator across forums, Discord, Twitch and YouTube. Always happy to help and willing to answer questions (or at least try). (he/him/his)
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat On - Mod Hat Off
Site Rules & Guidelines - Homebrew Rules - Looking for Players and Groups Rules
I can't believe we are STILL having this conversation. I can't believe how many people still don't understand, or are just so entitled.
The retail price of the PHB is $49.95. It does not come with links, and you cannot search it. It has no built in Character Builder, or other "digital" benefits. Just a physical book for $49.95.
The exact same thing on DDB is the Compendium version of the PHB for $19.99. It is just the text of the PHB, no bells and whistles. So if you want to compare, that's what you need to compare.
Printed, physical PHB at $49.95 vs DDB PHB Compendium at $19.99.
That's a discount of $29.96!!!
WotC and DDB don't owe you anything. They are not obligated to give you anything for free. You are NOT entitled to a free digital copy for buying the physical book. When you buy the book, you don't own the content of the book, you only own the physical book!
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
Im not sure where some of you are getting prices from. The players handbook can be had for far less then $49. In fact you can get it and pretty much of all the D&D books from Amazon for about $25-29. New at that. Third party stuff is a different story.