I’ve been a Dungeons & Dragons player since the 3.0 edition — born and raised in Italy, part of a community that’s been keeping the game alive here for decades. I’m also a programmer and database/BI expert, with 10 years of experience designing and managing corporate databases. This gives me insight into how digital content can be structured efficiently and scalably.
I’d like to propose a feature that could both improve accessibility and open a strong new revenue stream for Wizards of the Coast and D&D Beyond: modular language packs.
Here’s the idea: Keep the core content in English — the mechanical data, references, and IDs — exactly as it is now. Then allow users to purchase language modules for each book (Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, etc.) that replace only the textual layer with the localized version (Italian, Spanish, French, German, and so on).
This model has several advantages:
Unified content: all data stays linked to the same core version, so tools, sheets, and future VTT integrations work seamlessly across languages.
No double purchases: players who already own a book in English can simply buy the language add-on instead of re-buying the entire product.
Sustainable profit model: Wizards can monetize translations directly while lowering duplication and maintenance costs.
Community expansion: easier access for non-English-speaking players and potential for verified community translations in smaller languages.
I also want to note that, as my English is not perfect, I had help translating this proposal to make sure it is clear and professional.
Essentially, it’s a scalable, fair, and profitable approach — much better than releasing completely separate localized versions of each manual.
As a long-time Italian player, I’d gladly pay for high-quality language packs that enhance usability without fragmenting the ecosystem. It would make D&D Beyond truly global.
Thanks for considering this!
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-TrueVegas-
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Hi everyone,
I’ve been a Dungeons & Dragons player since the 3.0 edition — born and raised in Italy, part of a community that’s been keeping the game alive here for decades. I’m also a programmer and database/BI expert, with 10 years of experience designing and managing corporate databases. This gives me insight into how digital content can be structured efficiently and scalably.
I’d like to propose a feature that could both improve accessibility and open a strong new revenue stream for Wizards of the Coast and D&D Beyond: modular language packs.
Here’s the idea:
Keep the core content in English — the mechanical data, references, and IDs — exactly as it is now. Then allow users to purchase language modules for each book (Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, etc.) that replace only the textual layer with the localized version (Italian, Spanish, French, German, and so on).
This model has several advantages:
Unified content: all data stays linked to the same core version, so tools, sheets, and future VTT integrations work seamlessly across languages.
No double purchases: players who already own a book in English can simply buy the language add-on instead of re-buying the entire product.
Sustainable profit model: Wizards can monetize translations directly while lowering duplication and maintenance costs.
Community expansion: easier access for non-English-speaking players and potential for verified community translations in smaller languages.
I also want to note that, as my English is not perfect, I had help translating this proposal to make sure it is clear and professional.
Essentially, it’s a scalable, fair, and profitable approach — much better than releasing completely separate localized versions of each manual.
As a long-time Italian player, I’d gladly pay for high-quality language packs that enhance usability without fragmenting the ecosystem. It would make D&D Beyond truly global.
Thanks for considering this!
-TrueVegas-