I got into D&D way before I used D&D Beyond and I've got to give it to the guys and gals making this, it is amazing and makes the process a billion times easier and better but like I said I got into D&D before finding this so I own the Players Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master's Guide and Xanathar's Guide to Everything and I like every other person am not all that ready or willing to spend a hundred or so on the books and as a college student am not in a financial position to pay for the subscription even though it is pretty fairly priced so I would love to hear if there was a way to prove I own these books like with a bar code or receipt of some sort so I can unlock all this content or do I just have to put everything into homebrew?
Thing is, wherever you bought those books before it wasn't through D&D Beyond. It's asking a company to provide a product for free so long as you can prove you paid someone else for it.
It really is an investment, and it does suck kind of having to make the decision between physical or DDB. There will always be that little something extra that having the physical books provide, but DDB's features and pricing outweigh it considerably (in my opinion). Which is all fine and dandy if you're new to 5e, but if you're already coming in with physical books then it's a struggle.
There's no easy answer, except that if you have a willing group you could split the costs among you. Add the subscription cost of a Master tier, then all who chipped in can create individual accounts, join into a campaign together, and toggle shared content. All involved would then have access to what they chipped in for.
How about what video game guides, Blu rays, etc do now. Digital content codes. You get a physical and digital xopy when you buy the physical copy. Maybe a digital discount code off the digital version could work too. By physical at retail get digital at 50% off.
How about what video game guides, Blu rays, etc do now. Digital content codes. You get a physical and digital xopy when you buy the physical copy. Maybe a digital discount code off the digital version could work too. By physical at retail get digital at 50% off.
Except that when you buy those, you buy from the same supplier. D&D Beyond is like your FLGS and Amazon, except that the later sells only physical copies off D&D books, and D&D Beyond sells digital copies.
Let say, that you buy the new "Dragon Heist" adventure that will come out next month on D&D Beyond, will you go and ask your FLGS or Amazon to give you a free physical copy?
Me too I find that it's expensive to buy the book twice in order to have a physical copy and a digital one that I can use on D&D Beyond. This is why I only buy the products, or options, that I really need, and maybe in the future I my decide to not get a physical copy of a product and buy only the digital copy.
How about what video game guides, Blu rays, etc do now. Digital content codes. You get a physical and digital xopy when you buy the physical copy. Maybe a digital discount code off the digital version could work too. By physical at retail get digital at 50% off.
Except that when you buy those, you buy from the same supplier. D&D Beyond is like your FLGS and Amazon, except that the later sells only physical copies off D&D books, and D&D Beyond sells digital copies.
And, when you buy video games, bluerays, etc., you care getting the digital content from the same outfit that owns the IP you purchased physically. Not so with DDB: DDB license the content from Wizards of the Coast, and has to pay a licensing fee back to Wizards for every "book" they sell.
Yes, it can get expensive, and it's absolutely fair to decide you can't afford to do both. I really appreciate that DDB structured things to give us some middle ground options, like the ability to homebrew things and to purchase individually or in bundles of related items. We have all the physical player option books (mostly owned by my son). I have the PHB, TOA, and a few odds and ends (a race, a subclass, etc.) here; the rest I do without here until I can afford to/need to buy more or I homebrew it.
Myself I buy Hard copies of rulebooks and digital, for the adventures I only buy the digital version here. I may buy a deadb tree version of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist it depends how much of the book will be rules in it, have to wait and see when it is released here as I prepaid for it already.
I can't believe we are still having this discussion at this point... It's very simple... You own the books? GREAT! You purchased them for a local game store, amazon, etc, etc... Not from Curse (DnD Beyond)... And people keep using this argument now to try and get the digital IP cheaper... Look at it this way... If I buy the book, should I then get it on Roll20, FG, and DnDBeyond free? If I buy GTA5 for ps4, should I get it free for Xbox and PC? (Yes some PC/Xbox games do this but they are BOTH owned by M$....) When you buy the book, the retailer purchased it from WoTC and they are now selling it to you... Same with DND Beyond... They purchased the licence from WoTC and now are reselling it to you on this platform... I don't understand why people don't get this... I own all the core books up to Xanathars... I bought them all again on DnD Beyond one at a time, used discount codes etc etc. I also own the PHB on Roll20 and may get it for FG too if I start using it more... because if I want to use that product on that platform, I need to buy it... It is super simple to understand... Can we move on now?
I got into D&D way before I used D&D Beyond and I've got to give it to the guys and gals making this, it is amazing and makes the process a billion times easier and better but like I said I got into D&D before finding this so I own the Players Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master's Guide and Xanathar's Guide to Everything and I like every other person am not all that ready or willing to spend a hundred or so on the books and as a college student am not in a financial position to pay for the subscription even though it is pretty fairly priced so I would love to hear if there was a way to prove I own these books like with a bar code or receipt of some sort so I can unlock all this content or do I just have to put everything into homebrew?
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ModeratorThing is, wherever you bought those books before it wasn't through D&D Beyond. It's asking a company to provide a product for free so long as you can prove you paid someone else for it.
It really is an investment, and it does suck kind of having to make the decision between physical or DDB. There will always be that little something extra that having the physical books provide, but DDB's features and pricing outweigh it considerably (in my opinion). Which is all fine and dandy if you're new to 5e, but if you're already coming in with physical books then it's a struggle.
There's no easy answer, except that if you have a willing group you could split the costs among you. Add the subscription cost of a Master tier, then all who chipped in can create individual accounts, join into a campaign together, and toggle shared content. All involved would then have access to what they chipped in for.
Also, the super magnificent forum member ArwensDaughter has created “A buyers guide for DND Beyond” which might be able to help you out. https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/general-discussion/13989-a-buyers-guide-for-dnd-beyond
-- Arms are for hugging The Dandy Warhols --
How about what video game guides, Blu rays, etc do now. Digital content codes. You get a physical and digital xopy when you buy the physical copy. Maybe a digital discount code off the digital version could work too. By physical at retail get digital at 50% off.
Except that when you buy those, you buy from the same supplier. D&D Beyond is like your FLGS and Amazon, except that the later sells only physical copies off D&D books, and D&D Beyond sells digital copies.
Let say, that you buy the new "Dragon Heist" adventure that will come out next month on D&D Beyond, will you go and ask your FLGS or Amazon to give you a free physical copy?
Me too I find that it's expensive to buy the book twice in order to have a physical copy and a digital one that I can use on D&D Beyond. This is why I only buy the products, or options, that I really need, and maybe in the future I my decide to not get a physical copy of a product and buy only the digital copy.
And, when you buy video games, bluerays, etc., you care getting the digital content from the same outfit that owns the IP you purchased physically. Not so with DDB: DDB license the content from Wizards of the Coast, and has to pay a licensing fee back to Wizards for every "book" they sell.
Yes, it can get expensive, and it's absolutely fair to decide you can't afford to do both. I really appreciate that DDB structured things to give us some middle ground options, like the ability to homebrew things and to purchase individually or in bundles of related items. We have all the physical player option books (mostly owned by my son). I have the PHB, TOA, and a few odds and ends (a race, a subclass, etc.) here; the rest I do without here until I can afford to/need to buy more or I homebrew it.
Trying to Decide if DDB is for you? A few helpful threads: A Buyer's Guide to DDB; What I/We Bought and Why; How some DMs use DDB; A Newer Thread on Using DDB to Play
Helpful threads on other topics: Homebrew FAQ by IamSposta; Accessing Content by ConalTheGreat;
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Myself I buy Hard copies of rulebooks and digital, for the adventures I only buy the digital version here. I may buy a deadb tree version of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist it depends how much of the book will be rules in it, have to wait and see when it is released here as I prepaid for it already.
I can't believe we are still having this discussion at this point... It's very simple... You own the books? GREAT! You purchased them for a local game store, amazon, etc, etc... Not from Curse (DnD Beyond)... And people keep using this argument now to try and get the digital IP cheaper... Look at it this way... If I buy the book, should I then get it on Roll20, FG, and DnDBeyond free? If I buy GTA5 for ps4, should I get it free for Xbox and PC? (Yes some PC/Xbox games do this but they are BOTH owned by M$....) When you buy the book, the retailer purchased it from WoTC and they are now selling it to you... Same with DND Beyond... They purchased the licence from WoTC and now are reselling it to you on this platform... I don't understand why people don't get this... I own all the core books up to Xanathars... I bought them all again on DnD Beyond one at a time, used discount codes etc etc. I also own the PHB on Roll20 and may get it for FG too if I start using it more... because if I want to use that product on that platform, I need to buy it... It is super simple to understand... Can we move on now?
Yes.
If you like the digital version more, don't buy the book next time but the digital version only.
In FG only the gamemaster needs the books.
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