Good to hear the app is coming to both Android and iOS. My tablet is Android, but my phone is iOS. Glad to see I can use it in both. That's got me sure I'll pick up the core books at launch, having at least the core books searchable is a huge incentive.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I use summon instrument to summon my kettle drum, hold it overhead like Donkey Kong, and chuck it at the nearest kobold.
I'm curious as to why the cost of the basic three (PHB,DMG,MM) were not included with the price of the master tier?. It seems to me you would gain a larger segment of players who have tabletop books and want the digital sourcebooks for convienience. Even if you raised the price slightly, say $7.99 or even $9.99/month that would easily cover the cost of maintaining the digital content while providing even greater value to your players. Since I own several copies of each book already, it just doesn't make sense for me to have to pay again.
This is . . . "insulting" may not be exactly the right word, but it's close.
... suck it up cupcake...
Hey, folks, remember, this is a *game*. Let's have some fun out there and not be so nasty to each other. Monsters are there for attacking, not each other. :)
I'm curious as to why the cost of the basic three (PHB,DMG,MM) were not included with the price of the master tier?. It seems to me you would gain a larger segment of players who have tabletop books and want the digital sourcebooks for convienience. Even if you raised the price slightly, say $7.99 or even $9.99/month that would easily cover the cost of maintaining the digital content while providing even greater value to your players. Since I own several copies of each book already, it just doesn't make sense for me to have to pay again.
For me, a person that has already paid for a number of physical books as well, I have to say I much prefer the pricing as-is to the proposed possibility of a higher monthly subscription cost, and I'm glad to explain why. I run all kinds of different RPGs, but my schedule means that I can only have 1 or 2 different games going at any given time. Since sometimes both, sometimes one, and sometimes neither, of those games are D&D 5th edition, my need for access to D&D materials is not a constant - I haven't cracked any of my D&D books for about 4 months now, and won't be needing to crack any of them probably through the rest of this year. That means I don't need to be able to have my players log in and benefit from sharing my purchased books for months at a time - so I go for a significant portion of the year not actually needing what a master tier subscription offers. But then it comes to the months prior to me starting up a new D&D campaign, and then I need access to D&D materials so I can plan, but I don't need my players to have access - which means I still don't really need anything that the subscription options offer, I just need the books themselves.
Put all that together, and what does it mean? That over the next three years my projected costs for D&D Beyond are $240 (because I'll buy up the digital versions of rulebooks I already have, pick up Xanathar's guide when it comes out, figure there will be another rule book I want in the following years, and expect around a 10 month campaign period in which I'd actually need a subscription). And if I had to pay even just $7.99 per month, every month whether running a campaign then or not, just to have the same ability to sit down at literally any point and use these tools to prepare or run a campaign, the projected cost for those three years is $288 (rounding a little). I'd rather save money, since I'm on a relatively tight budget.
And one other thought; You own several copies of each book already... but did the second copy of any of them become cheaper as a result of you already owning a copy? If not, why should D&D Beyond copies be any different?
One is not 'gaining electronic access' to their previously-owned physical copies. One is purchasing a new license for intellectual property offered in a different medium.
One does not receive a free DVD because they purchased the VHS years prior. We all choose which medium to purchase our entertainment, knowing it can be outdated as technology advances. :D
This is . . . "insulting" may not be exactly the right word, but it's close.
The physical books that were published less than a year and a half ago are in no way "outdated." If they were, WotC wouldn't be selling them anymore. In fact, physical books are the only way for our group to play the game, since several members (including me, the DM) don't have smartphones or tablets. For us, D&D Beyond would have been more of a campaign manager and supplementary planning aid, primarily used between sessions. It's not as if we'd have been making a permanent transition from one medium to another, like from VHS to DVD. And, as others have pointed out, textbook publishers routinely include access to content in a different medium with a simple unlock code.
I've paid $50 for the PHB, $50 for the DMG and $50 for the MM, and now I'm being told that if I want to use your site to create a Champion fighter (public-domain rules), I can do that with a basic subscription, but if I want to create a Battle Master fighter (PHB rules), I have to pay another $20 to $30. Based on this, you could say that the PHB lists for $50, but a PHB whose content is usable in WotC's own D&D Beyond online tool actually lists for $80 (on sale for $70 for a limited time!).
Same could be said about that New Kids on the Block "CASSETTE" you bought back in the 90's yet you can now buy it on "CD" or "MP3" now, does that entitle you to the new medium? nope suck it up cupcake... new medium, new access, means more price. I'd honestly rather they sell them at book price, ($50) and let people choose what medium they wish to get... Just cause some publishers do it doesnt make it a standard
Nope, but I could convert that cassette to digital which, apparently, will now be an option SO it's all good.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Grant K. Smith A+, Network+, MCP x 2, BSIT/VC, MIS
Software Engineer & Dungeon Master
"Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger." - J. R. R. Tolkien "Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup" - Anonymous
I know it doesn't hurt to ask, but it would probably be easier to do a quick search with the global search feature at the top of the page to find the answer to your question. Especially if you're sure somebody has already asked it.
One is not 'gaining electronic access' to their previously-owned physical copies. One is purchasing a new license for intellectual property offered in a different medium.
One does not receive a free DVD because they purchased the VHS years prior. We all choose which medium to purchase our entertainment, knowing it can be outdated as technology advances. :D
This is . . . "insulting" may not be exactly the right word, but it's close.
The physical books that were published less than a year and a half ago are in no way "outdated." If they were, WotC wouldn't be selling them anymore. In fact, physical books are the only way for our group to play the game, since several members (including me, the DM) don't have smartphones or tablets. For us, D&D Beyond would have been more of a campaign manager and supplementary planning aid, primarily used between sessions. It's not as if we'd have been making a permanent transition from one medium to another, like from VHS to DVD. And, as others have pointed out, textbook publishers routinely include access to content in a different medium with a simple unlock code.
I've paid $50 for the PHB, $50 for the DMG and $50 for the MM, and now I'm being told that if I want to use your site to create a Champion fighter (public-domain rules), I can do that with a basic subscription, but if I want to create a Battle Master fighter (PHB rules), I have to pay another $20 to $30. Based on this, you could say that the PHB lists for $50, but a PHB whose content is usable in WotC's own D&D Beyond online tool actually lists for $80 (on sale for $70 for a limited time!).
Same could be said about that New Kids on the Block "CASSETTE" you bought back in the 90's yet you can now buy it on "CD" or "MP3" now, does that entitle you to the new medium? nope suck it up cupcake... new medium, new access, means more price. I'd honestly rather they sell them at book price, ($50) and let people choose what medium they wish to get... Just cause some publishers do it doesnt make it a standard
Nope, but I could convert that cassette to digital which, apparently, will now be an option SO it's all good.
Honestly I don't see how they can do this. There is no unique serial code with any of the currently published physical copies of D&D material, so there is no way to determine if/when/how a product was purchased that wouldn't be significantly labor intensive without producing some sort of price increase. Also, they need to make money doing this. This is not a crowd sourced or community built program, its built by people drawing a salary, and its an investment for Curse/Twitch. They *have* to make money doing this or they will not conduct upkeep or develop future tools.
So, like many many people have said, this does not take away from the D&D experience at all. If I don't want to even think about D&D beyond, then I don't have to. If as a DM my players want to use it, but I don't want to spend the money, that's also fine because there is absolutely no requirement to have this product to play the game. Will it make it a veritable crap ton easier to do things? Yes. Will some of the future releases (assuming financial success) of D&D beyond like a campaign manager and tracker continue to add to the experience? Heck yea. But you don't need it, at all, to play.
I get that money is tight, and paying $29.99 for information that is in a book you already have is something people have to think about. For me, its not about that, its about the ease of access to that information that paying that money will provide, especially later down the road when they get the campaign builder up. I am truly hoping for a powerful campaign tool that will allow us to build and play adventures that are completely designed within D&D beyond, and so when I pay whatever I pay, in my mind i'm investing in the future possibilities D&D Beyond may produce.
What WOULD make me extremely happy would be a founders day package/launch day package where I can buy everything that is available, at once, for a discounted price. It would also make sense to the sales team because having a burst of short term sales will immediately help offset costs incurred by developing this, and help justify it during senior meetings. If all current products, including adventures and other stuff, came to a total of $350 normally (including the $19.99 week one core rulebooks), then selling all that for say, $300, would be awesome.
Annual Master Tier subscriptions as well please. TAKE MY MONEY PEOPLE!
If all current products, including adventures and other stuff, came to a total of $350 normally (including the $19.99 week one core rulebooks), then selling all that for say, $300, would be awesome.
I would sell my soul for that option.
Unfortunately, I don't have one to sell :(
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
The Master Tier at $5.99/ month is intended primarily for Dungeon Masters and full groups. It grants all the benefits of the Hero Tier, and also allows a DM to share all her unlocked official content with other players within a campaign - so content does not have to be unlocked by every player.
Your whole pricing model is awesome and flexible... and yet sounds like it may actually be sustainable for you! Which is good for everyone! I of course want everything... I personally probably can not afford everything now by myself, but could eventually, and can afford the things I need/want most now if in a rush. And if I do the Master Tier (or a friend does) splitting the price with enough folks, I just might be able to get it all at the start. Huzzah!
My main question is, how are "campaigns" or the people the DM shares things with managed? Can the DM share with 6 folks and then assign the other spots later? Are the shared slots permanent once specified, or if for whatever reason the DM wants to to discontinue some players from sharing access and give access to others, can he or she do this? (Say a player moves, has a falling out, passes away, just stops playing, or purchases their own content/subscription and no longer needs to share?) If a player is booted from a DM's Master Tier subscription, do they keep access to the characters they had created? (And what if those characters incorporate features from sources that player has not yet purchased access to?)
Do I get to specify which options which players gain access to? Say I own the 3 core books plus Volo's Guide, and want to give them access to all of the PH content, the rules of the DMG (but not the magic items... save those they find), none of the Monster Manual but the beasts (and maybe specific images now and then), and Volo's races but not the other monsters? But I of course want to retain access to it all? Possible?
What if I have the Master Tier and a player joins my group that has already purchased some player option that I haven't purchased yet? Does their character still get to use in my campaign? But others in my campaign do not get to use that option unless they or I purchase it?
Say two DMs play in each other's groups, and say they both own different content. Does belonging to each other's groups with regard to D&D Beyond make sense? Can person A access stuff person B has shared with him when A is the a player and B is the DM... but the folks that person A DMs in a separate campaign do NOT have access to B's stuff? Except maybe B himself when he is a player? I hope it is simpler than I have made it sound, but still flexible!
By way of explanation, I DM and play pretty much exclusively through Adventurers League, as do my gaming buddies. A lot of gaming buddies. While there are some folks I play with more than others, the cast of players (and DMs) in my circle rotates fairly frequently.
The Master Tier at $5.99/ month is intended primarily for Dungeon Masters and full groups. It grants all the benefits of the Hero Tier, and also allows a DM to share all her unlocked official content with other players within a campaign - so content does not have to be unlocked by every player.
Your whole pricing model is awesome and flexible... and yet sounds like it may actually be sustainable for you! Which is good for everyone! I of course want everything... I personally probably can not afford everything now by myself, but could eventually, and can afford the things I need/want most now if in a rush. And if I do the Master Tier (or a friend does) splitting the price with enough folks, I just might be able to get it all at the start. Huzzah!
My main question is, how are "campaigns" or the people the DM shares things with managed? Can the DM share with 6 folks and then assign the other spots later? Are the shared slots permanent once specified, or if for whatever reason the DM wants to to discontinue some players from sharing access and give access to others, can he or she do this? (Say a player moves, has a falling out, passes away, just stops playing, or purchases their own content/subscription and no longer needs to share?) If a player is booted from a DM's Master Tier subscription, do they keep access to the characters they had created? (And what if those characters incorporate features from sources that player has not yet purchased access to?)
Do I get to specify which options which players gain access to? Say I own the 3 core books plus Volo's Guide, and want to give them access to all of the PH content, the rules of the DMG (but not the magic items... save those they find), none of the Monster Manual but the beasts (and maybe specific images now and then), and Volo's races but not the other monsters? But I of course want to retain access to it all? Possible?
What if I have the Master Tier and a player joins my group that has already purchased some player option that I haven't purchased yet? Does their character still get to use in my campaign? But others in my campaign do not get to use that option unless they or I purchase it?
Say two DMs play in each other's groups, and say they both own different content. Does belonging to each other's groups with regard to D&D Beyond make sense? Can person A access stuff person B has shared with him when A is the a player and B is the DM... but the folks that person A DMs in a separate campaign do NOT have access to B's stuff? Except maybe B himself when he is a player? I hope it is simpler than I have made it sound, but still flexible!
By way of explanation, I DM and play pretty much exclusively through Adventurers League, as do my gaming buddies. A lot of gaming buddies. While there are some folks I play with more than others, the cast of players (and DMs) in my circle rotates fairly frequently.
Hiya, that's a LOT of questions there! I can't answer all of that right now, but here's the info I do have:
Your subscription sharing slots are flexible and you can remove and add players as needed. Campaigns come and go, so the D&D Beyond tools reflect this.
As for how that works with the characters once the player is ejected from the campaign slot? I don't know, as that functionality won't be in until launch.
I expect that we'll have more information from staff in the lead up to launch on 15th August though. :)
I'm curious as to why the cost of the basic three (PHB,DMG,MM) were not included with the price of the master tier?. It seems to me you would gain a larger segment of players who have tabletop books and want the digital sourcebooks for convienience. Even if you raised the price slightly, say $7.99 or even $9.99/month that would easily cover the cost of maintaining the digital content while providing even greater value to your players. Since I own several copies of each book already, it just doesn't make sense for me to have to pay again.
You are paying for the toolset that is made from those books. The book is included also but you get the ability to access the parts you need cross-linked in the section you are using, for example making a battlemaster in the character creation suite if you have a PHB. Otherwise you would just be using the book and manually writing up your character.
One is not 'gaining electronic access' to their previously-owned physical copies. One is purchasing a new license for intellectual property offered in a different medium.
One does not receive a free DVD because they purchased the VHS years prior. We all choose which medium to purchase our entertainment, knowing it can be outdated as technology advances. :D
This is . . . "insulting" may not be exactly the right word, but it's close.
The physical books that were published less than a year and a half ago are in no way "outdated." If they were, WotC wouldn't be selling them anymore. In fact, physical books are the only way for our group to play the game, since several members (including me, the DM) don't have smartphones or tablets. For us, D&D Beyond would have been more of a campaign manager and supplementary planning aid, primarily used between sessions. It's not as if we'd have been making a permanent transition from one medium to another, like from VHS to DVD. And, as others have pointed out, textbook publishers routinely include access to content in a different medium with a simple unlock code.
I've paid $50 for the PHB, $50 for the DMG and $50 for the MM, and now I'm being told that if I want to use your site to create a Champion fighter (public-domain rules), I can do that with a basic subscription, but if I want to create a Battle Master fighter (PHB rules), I have to pay another $20 to $30. Based on this, you could say that the PHB lists for $50, but a PHB whose content is usable in WotC's own D&D Beyond online tool actually lists for $80 (on sale for $70 for a limited time!).
From your point of view, maybe, this is a bargain -- you can get the entire PHB digitally for 40 to 60 percent less than you'd spend on the hardcover. But for those of us who already own the hardcovers, this isn't giving us a lift up to the next level of technology. Just the opposite: It's a disincentive for us ever to take that step. It's crippling your entire service, so that not only will we not buy the digital sourcebooks, we won't become monthly subscribers, either.
If it's WotC's opinion that its own products are "outdated," the logical conclusion is that the whole goal of this endeavor is for WotC to get out of the business of selling printed books entirely. If that's the case, it may as well be upfront and honest about it.
You do not have to buy the books that you already own. You can input data from those books into your private homebrew and use it. eg. You could add battlemaster to your private homebrew classes and then use it in play. No one is forcing anyone to purchase anything.
I really hope they reconsider this as some of us don't use android or apple devices as their tabletop aid while playing. I am a windows user, so unless the web app will also work offline as well as online then we windows users also need an app as well.
I really hope they reconsider this as some of us don't use android or apple devices as their tabletop aid while playing. I am a windows user, so unless the web app will also work offline as well as online then we windows users also need an app as well.
Actually good question. Will the apps support Offline use or only online?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Race 2.99 $
Subclass 3.99 $
Pun-loving nerd | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
Pun-loving nerd | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
Good to hear the app is coming to both Android and iOS. My tablet is Android, but my phone is iOS. Glad to see I can use it in both. That's got me sure I'll pick up the core books at launch, having at least the core books searchable is a huge incentive.
I use summon instrument to summon my kettle drum, hold it overhead like Donkey Kong, and chuck it at the nearest kobold.
I'm curious as to why the cost of the basic three (PHB,DMG,MM) were not included with the price of the master tier?. It seems to me you would gain a larger segment of players who have tabletop books and want the digital sourcebooks for convienience. Even if you raised the price slightly, say $7.99 or even $9.99/month that would easily cover the cost of maintaining the digital content while providing even greater value to your players. Since I own several copies of each book already, it just doesn't make sense for me to have to pay again.
Grant K. Smith
A+, Network+, MCP x 2, BSIT/VC, MIS
Software Engineer & Dungeon Master
"Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger." - J. R. R. Tolkien
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup" - Anonymous
I know this may be jumping ahead any chance of getting this in as a android app
I know it doesn't hurt to ask, but it would probably be easier to do a quick search with the global search feature at the top of the page to find the answer to your question. Especially if you're sure somebody has already asked it.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/search?q=android app
Feature Requests || Homebrew FAQ || Pricing FAQ || Hardcovers FAQ || Snippet Codes || Tooltips
DDB Guides & FAQs, Class Guides, Character Builds, Game Guides, Useful Websites, and WOTC Resources
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
― Oscar Wilde.
Pun-loving nerd | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
"You can't take the sky from me."
"You can't take the sky from me."