It seems nutty to me that after 3 years of being live (and a CRAZY influx of cash) users still can't make custom weapons/items in DnDBeyond intuitively at all. And there are some things like deciding what dice a custom weapon rolls (something that seems incredibly fundamental to me) that are simply not possible. I've learned a bunch of "workarounds" for using the customization tools (the forums are actually packed with the word "workaround" when anyone is trying to help with this), but the fact that even using it AS INTENDED feels like a workaround because of how unintuitive or laborious it is is a problem. And more frustratingly, I'm getting constant advertisements for SKINS for the digital dice mod. How is it there's dice skin design team long before fundamental tools work well?
Instead of just complaining, here's what I would hope to easily be able to edit if I were creating a custom weapon (as an example):
Item name: Bonuses to hit/dmg (*) Modifiers used (more than str/dex) Damage dice rolled (**) Conditional dice rolled Spells it grants (***) Other proficiencies and bonuses granted Description
* - This should allow 'to hit' and 'damage' bonuses to be edited separately and right from the get go.
** - This should be customizable from the ground up. You want a maul that rolls 3d20 bludgeoning and 4d4 lightning, that should be possible (even if not recommended). These base stats should be programmed to always be rolled (if using the digital dice) from clicking on the dmg in the character sheet. Likewise, you should be able to click on "modifier" dice to roll them as well.
*** - I understand the logic of having Modifiers, Conditions, and Spells in these little menus that are consistent across item generation, but they're still super limited and unclearly laid out. Adding spells to an item is very limited. The charges system is suuuper clunky and kind of the only option. There's a few common ways in 5e to attach spells to items (like letting an item simply add spells to a caster's spell list) and this menu barely hits any of them, and none of them clearly.
One thing that could make a lot of this easier is if the "custom action" or "custom attack" things were more fleshed out and available on the item creation side of things. That way if I create a weapon that does additional damage or has some other conditional bonus, it can appear in the players sheet as soon as the items added as another action/attack option. Like if them equipping the dwarven thrower immediately gave them a 'vs giants' attack so the dice system (with whatever reskin you spent $15 on) can roll that stuff correctly.
There's even more to be said and designed here than I can think to mention in the 20 minutes I have to write this, but I think the whole system needs a lot of love. Maybe get the UX designer from the dominos site. That site can literally read my mind.
Hi! I had never tried making a custom weapon, but since you took the effort of writing this, I felt like checking by myself what you meant by "unintuitive". I mean, what a better way to test the intuitiveness of a tool if not letting a complete neophyte handle it?
So, here is my experience in trying to recreate the custom knife I granted to a player in one of my campaigns. It does 1d4 piercing damage, 2d6 electrical damage and has finesse.
1) getting to the menu. The first thing I notice is that there is no "item" menu, but only one for magic items. It's funny cause this particular object isn't magical, but allright, I get it.
2)choosing a template or start from scratch. There is no knife, and only daggers +1, +2 and +3. I'm not giving any + bonus for this item, so let's start from scratch.
3)I'm navigating through the menu from left to right, compiling each field. I admit I clicked a few times on the blanked menu for items before realizing that having chosen weapon as an object, I can't click there. Why does that stay on screen?
4)I write down the description of the object, and record what it does.
5)skipping the additional information (no charges and no tags since I'm not publishing it as it's simply a test), I proceed to the modifiers.
6)oh cool, an additional menu. I'm compiling the damage. I wasn't sure about the fixed value, but the help button explained.
7)I noticed I can add conditions, so let's add that on a crit it also paralizes the foe. Nice, I can't turn it on on a crit from here. I'll just write it in the details. Once I create it I notice the detail is now "exceptions". That is confusing. Edit. The help button mentions condition effect - apply as an exemple. I can't find that button. In fact it mentions 5 fields, while I only see 4. I end up deciding that since it says "exception" I need to change the text to "paralyzes the target, but only on a crit" and hope players will figure it out.
8) when I'm done I return up and click on "create magic item". Wew, I'm back at the beginning! Go back, is my work still there? Why is that button even there?
9)I figure out it saved automatically. Now I go to equip it to my character. Also, is it public now? No, it says share with community.
10) It's easy to find in my equipment. Now let's roll attack and damage. I can see the modifiers (there is not a button to throw them as well tho. I wish there was.)
So, the entire process took around 20 minutes. For something so simple I expected a couple of minutes at most, and I agree it took some time, but it was my first time and it wasn't too complicated. I agree on the fact the description should come last, as for a moment there I thought I had to write down the effects in html. Plus I did encounter a couple of weird moments and I hope the review I've just written will help improve the system. Overall, I have to say it didn't sound so complicated as you described it. I guess next time I should try making something a bit less usual, like a sphere that lets you speak elvish and can turn you into a griffin if you hit it with fire damage.
Is there any particular issue you encountered that you found frustrating?
Yep I agree the entire create/homebrew needs an overhaul for ease of use. Like most common effects. To make a shield that gave a spell castable with charges took way to long for me to figure out.
I think there should be easy ways to do the following without being confusing
Magic? + bonus
Damage (type in dice) also allow to deal extra dice for multiple types of damage
Recently creating a lot of homebrew item to offer my player new opportunity (and cause I'm bored and love to make stuff) I often hit the limitation of the current system, and it's even more raging when some of the options are available for other brews (like race, classes) but not for items.
Why the hell can't I add an action to my item ? the option exists for classes, race, and feat, let me add action with items, please!
why are spells only tied to charge, plenty of item grant spell no based on charge, but a once per long rest thing for example? spell for class and race work differently and have a lot more option, with how limited the spell section is with item, I'm unable to create an item that can for example cast shield once per long rest, and allow you to expend a charge to reflect a spell, cause the only way to cast the spell is also to use the charge system.
And as it was said, changing a weapon damage dice, and the ability to change the damage roll and attack roll separately. we have an incredible modifier section, allowing you to change plenty of things once you've learned how to use it, can't we have a modifier:weapon dice --> change weapon dice, same for a modifier allowing you to only change the attack roll.
Try to create a weapon NOT based on a base weapon stat. I recently tried to create a Maul that does 3d6 bludgeoning as a base. I also want to be rolleable from my player's sheet when they equip it (which is possible for most items/weapons). Literally everything I just described is impolssible.
Try creating a weapon that uses CHA instead of STR or DEX. Cant.
These are pretty simple things to want to change or enable. Your experience of it taking 20 minutes for a simple item is indicative of how clumsy it is, but use it for even slightly more complicated items and you're going to hit road blocks non-stop.
Is there any particular issue you encountered that you found frustrating?
Try to create a weapon NOT based on a base weapon stat. I recently tried to create a Maul that does 3d6 bludgeoning as a base. I also want to be rolleable from my player's sheet when they equip it (which is possible for most items/weapons). Literally everything I just described is impolssible.
Try creating a weapon that uses CHA instead of STR or DEX. Cant.
These are pretty simple things to want to change or enable. Your experience of it taking 20 minutes for a simple item is indicative of how clumsy it is, but use it for even slightly more complicated items and you're going to hit road blocks non-stop.
I agree. I did notice that I never got the chance of choosing the base damage, and assume that the "workaround" to that is simply to choose a base weapon that hase the base damage you want and start modding it, even if you're using a dagger to describe a knife, like in my case.
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It seems nutty to me that after 3 years of being live (and a CRAZY influx of cash) users still can't make custom weapons/items in DnDBeyond intuitively at all. And there are some things like deciding what dice a custom weapon rolls (something that seems incredibly fundamental to me) that are simply not possible. I've learned a bunch of "workarounds" for using the customization tools (the forums are actually packed with the word "workaround" when anyone is trying to help with this), but the fact that even using it AS INTENDED feels like a workaround because of how unintuitive or laborious it is is a problem. And more frustratingly, I'm getting constant advertisements for SKINS for the digital dice mod. How is it there's dice skin design team long before fundamental tools work well?
Instead of just complaining, here's what I would hope to easily be able to edit if I were creating a custom weapon (as an example):
Item name:
Bonuses to hit/dmg (*)
Modifiers used (more than str/dex)
Damage dice rolled (**)
Conditional dice rolled
Spells it grants (***)
Other proficiencies and bonuses granted
Description
* - This should allow 'to hit' and 'damage' bonuses to be edited separately and right from the get go.
** - This should be customizable from the ground up. You want a maul that rolls 3d20 bludgeoning and 4d4 lightning, that should be possible (even if not recommended). These base stats should be programmed to always be rolled (if using the digital dice) from clicking on the dmg in the character sheet. Likewise, you should be able to click on "modifier" dice to roll them as well.
*** - I understand the logic of having Modifiers, Conditions, and Spells in these little menus that are consistent across item generation, but they're still super limited and unclearly laid out. Adding spells to an item is very limited. The charges system is suuuper clunky and kind of the only option. There's a few common ways in 5e to attach spells to items (like letting an item simply add spells to a caster's spell list) and this menu barely hits any of them, and none of them clearly.
One thing that could make a lot of this easier is if the "custom action" or "custom attack" things were more fleshed out and available on the item creation side of things. That way if I create a weapon that does additional damage or has some other conditional bonus, it can appear in the players sheet as soon as the items added as another action/attack option. Like if them equipping the dwarven thrower immediately gave them a 'vs giants' attack so the dice system (with whatever reskin you spent $15 on) can roll that stuff correctly.
There's even more to be said and designed here than I can think to mention in the 20 minutes I have to write this, but I think the whole system needs a lot of love. Maybe get the UX designer from the dominos site. That site can literally read my mind.
Hi! I had never tried making a custom weapon, but since you took the effort of writing this, I felt like checking by myself what you meant by "unintuitive". I mean, what a better way to test the intuitiveness of a tool if not letting a complete neophyte handle it?
So, here is my experience in trying to recreate the custom knife I granted to a player in one of my campaigns. It does 1d4 piercing damage, 2d6 electrical damage and has finesse.
1) getting to the menu. The first thing I notice is that there is no "item" menu, but only one for magic items. It's funny cause this particular object isn't magical, but allright, I get it.
2)choosing a template or start from scratch. There is no knife, and only daggers +1, +2 and +3. I'm not giving any + bonus for this item, so let's start from scratch.
3)I'm navigating through the menu from left to right, compiling each field. I admit I clicked a few times on the blanked menu for items before realizing that having chosen weapon as an object, I can't click there. Why does that stay on screen?
4)I write down the description of the object, and record what it does.
5)skipping the additional information (no charges and no tags since I'm not publishing it as it's simply a test), I proceed to the modifiers.
6)oh cool, an additional menu. I'm compiling the damage. I wasn't sure about the fixed value, but the help button explained.
7)I noticed I can add conditions, so let's add that on a crit it also paralizes the foe. Nice, I can't turn it on on a crit from here. I'll just write it in the details. Once I create it I notice the detail is now "exceptions". That is confusing. Edit. The help button mentions condition effect - apply as an exemple. I can't find that button. In fact it mentions 5 fields, while I only see 4. I end up deciding that since it says "exception" I need to change the text to "paralyzes the target, but only on a crit" and hope players will figure it out.
8) when I'm done I return up and click on "create magic item". Wew, I'm back at the beginning! Go back, is my work still there? Why is that button even there?
9)I figure out it saved automatically. Now I go to equip it to my character. Also, is it public now? No, it says share with community.
10) It's easy to find in my equipment. Now let's roll attack and damage. I can see the modifiers (there is not a button to throw them as well tho. I wish there was.)
So, the entire process took around 20 minutes. For something so simple I expected a couple of minutes at most, and I agree it took some time, but it was my first time and it wasn't too complicated.
I agree on the fact the description should come last, as for a moment there I thought I had to write down the effects in html. Plus I did encounter a couple of weird moments and I hope the review I've just written will help improve the system.
Overall, I have to say it didn't sound so complicated as you described it. I guess next time I should try making something a bit less usual, like a sphere that lets you speak elvish and can turn you into a griffin if you hit it with fire damage.
Is there any particular issue you encountered that you found frustrating?
Yep I agree the entire create/homebrew needs an overhaul for ease of use. Like most common effects. To make a shield that gave a spell castable with charges took way to long for me to figure out.
I think there should be easy ways to do the following without being confusing
Magic? + bonus
Damage (type in dice) also allow to deal extra dice for multiple types of damage
Add charges/spells.
Recently creating a lot of homebrew item to offer my player new opportunity (and cause I'm bored and love to make stuff) I often hit the limitation of the current system, and it's even more raging when some of the options are available for other brews (like race, classes) but not for items.
Why the hell can't I add an action to my item ? the option exists for classes, race, and feat, let me add action with items, please!
why are spells only tied to charge, plenty of item grant spell no based on charge, but a once per long rest thing for example? spell for class and race work differently and have a lot more option, with how limited the spell section is with item, I'm unable to create an item that can for example cast shield once per long rest, and allow you to expend a charge to reflect a spell, cause the only way to cast the spell is also to use the charge system.
And as it was said, changing a weapon damage dice, and the ability to change the damage roll and attack roll separately. we have an incredible modifier section, allowing you to change plenty of things once you've learned how to use it, can't we have a modifier:weapon dice --> change weapon dice, same for a modifier allowing you to only change the attack roll.
Feel free to check out my hombrew: Magic Items, Spells, Monsters, Species, Feats, Subclassses, and Backgrounds. More detail in my Homebrew Compendium.
If you have any comments, suggestions, or ways to improve my homebrew, tell me, I'm always looking to improve!
Map commission Here.
Try to create a weapon NOT based on a base weapon stat. I recently tried to create a Maul that does 3d6 bludgeoning as a base. I also want to be rolleable from my player's sheet when they equip it (which is possible for most items/weapons). Literally everything I just described is impolssible.
Try creating a weapon that uses CHA instead of STR or DEX. Cant.
These are pretty simple things to want to change or enable. Your experience of it taking 20 minutes for a simple item is indicative of how clumsy it is, but use it for even slightly more complicated items and you're going to hit road blocks non-stop.
Try to create a weapon NOT based on a base weapon stat. I recently tried to create a Maul that does 3d6 bludgeoning as a base. I also want to be rolleable from my player's sheet when they equip it (which is possible for most items/weapons). Literally everything I just described is impolssible.
Try creating a weapon that uses CHA instead of STR or DEX. Cant.
These are pretty simple things to want to change or enable. Your experience of it taking 20 minutes for a simple item is indicative of how clumsy it is, but use it for even slightly more complicated items and you're going to hit road blocks non-stop.
I agree. I did notice that I never got the chance of choosing the base damage, and assume that the "workaround" to that is simply to choose a base weapon that hase the base damage you want and start modding it, even if you're using a dagger to describe a knife, like in my case.