1. The expectation of paying for monster stat blocks in a subscription service is somewhat disheartening.
2. The filtering tags' current lack off functionality is a significant shortcoming.
3. Cross linking of stat blocks and spells is a straightforward benefit of digital formats that should be implemented to provide some benefit over my existing books.
Aside from these criticisms, it is good to have the SRD available in this accessible format.
Great UI. I like the search and tags as mechanisms for narrowing search. So far I don't see any 'missed' filter. Really great job so far! The rules area is great! Nice to see the various topics: Combat, Movement, Conditions, etc... laid out is such a clean, concise manner.
The web-based tool is fantastic! The UI is easy to use and understand without being cluttered. So far, it has been intuitive. In the Compendium section, I'd like to see a search capability (maybe I just don't see it?). I was looking up the definition of "attunement", and I ended up using the link for the SRD 5.1 document to find it. Easy enough to go that route, but I'd like to be able to search directly from the UI.
All in all, a great job with BETA PHASE 1. Well done. I'm looking forward to the character builder!
While the site has a very nice look and feel, it's not fast enough to use as a reference tool.
If I am reading rules in my out-of-game time, I'm reading the books, as they're a much more expansive knowledge base.
If I'm using an online resource (like this compendium), I'm likely in-game and need a snap-fast ruling, monster lookup, spell lookup, etc. Not only does the site have a slow response time (Will be better out of beta?), but there's no overall search functionality like there was with the old compendium.
To be truly useful to me as a player and GM, I want to get answers to my in-game questions in only a few seconds.
Good so far, kinda janky on mobile. Something to come where I can create and manage character stats? JUST jumped on this bandwagon so I haven't really read up on this.
Character management is a thing, just not in this section of the beta. This is just for the "compendium."
So far I like the database, but as I saw mentioned from others, I was somewhat expecting the release for testing of a mobile app as well. While the site is great and allows you to easily search the things you are looking for, I think that ultimately the best use I will find is when it is in app form at my finger tips.
I only just started exploring , so this might already be addressed and might already be coming out. I just personally know that I would be unlikely to make sure of my laptop in actual game play, it would be something I would only use for game prep.
All this said, I like what I see so far an will continue to explore.
Ethan_H, totally agreed. The website is a good resource, but I would like to be beta testing in an app that I can have at my finger tips to easily search for whatever I need right at that moment.
I like how it's easy to get to everything you need (monsters, rules, etc.).
For me there are some issues with the rules on the website (when using the website on the phone). After you've found the rule you needed, it's not clear. It could really be an "overview" of the rule you need, but it's just a copy-paste of the PHB, so a lot of plain text on a small screen, so a lot of scrolling and reading. While gaming, an easy to use - quick reference would be better, followed by the rules in fulltext. On the computer, the overview is easier (and probably on the tablet too) but imo its not really clear on the phone.
On the other hand, I LOVE the monster page, it's easy to use and great to have the quick reference pop out when you click on the specific monster you need.
I do realise the app for the phone will probably look totally different, but a quick reference for rules on the phone would be better imo.
I'm not sure if this would be in Compendium or Campaign Management but I think that a randomizer based on filter would be pretty great. Even better if you could find a good way to add weight.
Examples would be:
Generate random treasure with rarity between common and very rare with a small chance of getting very rare items.
Generate random forest monsters with challenge rating between 1 and 4 with a smaller chance of a higher challenge rating.
Improvements definitely need to be made to the mobile version. As it stands, its ridiculously slow to load and overall just sluggish and non-responsive.
That being said, I think this is solid foundation.. More quality of life changes and when they add actual content from the books (as opposed to it just being restricted to SRD at the moment) will make it shine. I'm also interested in seeing what their subscription plans are going to be.
All in all, I like it. I'm finding it as an easy-to-navigate version of the player's handbook and I will be using it next session for quicker ruling decisions if there is a disagreement which is nice. I really do hope though that further information is added in later stages (such as Volo's) as I love to add homebrew or third party content (Tome of Beasts) to my games. If I had to say one thing I wanted for the future, I think I would like to see (in later stages) the ability to take existing monsters from the monster section and use them as templates in that homebrew section. Can not wait to see how this continues, awesome work.
Happy to hear many of you are enjoying the site! We couldn't have done this without you and will continue to rely on your honest thoughts and feedback as we roll out the next phases! Thank you.
Spells 1: there isn't an explanation for subscript notes, like the R for Alarm or the C for Alter self. For new people, they need to be able to either get a mouse-over explanation or a link. Same goes for the spell page itself if you follow that link; it has the same R or C, but no explanation.
Spells 2: For a web based application I would expect more hyperlink's for key words. Take the True Strike cantrip: it says you gain "Advantage" on your next turn. There is no explanation or link explaining what Advantage means. The PH has the same limitation, but here, that word could be hyperlinked and thus provide a benefit beyond the book.
Adventuring Gear: again, missing hyperlinks (ok, really not needed yet, few items...just saying).
For monsters, it would be nice if they had a checkbox or favorite option so I could highlight a few and keep them on top. That way, during a campaign, the 5 monsters the players will meet next would always be readily available. Maybe that's already in the works for a different encounter area.
1. Needing a Twitch account is a downside. I had a Curse account, but not Twitch, but apparently I have a Twitch account now just because I had to register to log in. Big negative, Wizards. Kind of lame.
2. Having an online searchable hot-linked copy of the SRD is nice, but it's already been done by 3rd parties. Too little, too late, Wizards.
Other than the use of twitch to login, which is just a mild issue, a suggestion for the compendium would be a next section option at the bottom of the pages. That way you don't have to go back to the main page to just continue reading the information.
I'm going to use this tool a lot as a DM if it works smoothly!
Right now, it is very useable already, but there's a lot of scrolling when you are looking for monsters on a smartphone. I'd suggest:
- Putting a "Filter monster" button more accessible than in the middle of the page.
- The ability to save a group of monsters for an encounter in some kind of folder, or bookmark them at least, to get an easy access when needed.
- Getting access to more than the SRD (even in a paid fashion), because I, for one, am using all D&D Resources available :)
- Getting the little sorting arrows slightly bigger (I'm talking about the ones that are next to "level" and "name" e.g. when searching for spells when you have the list already), because they aren't easy to tap on a phone.
- Reviewing the type of environment for monsters. I don't know where this is coming from, but Storm Giant aren't "Coastal" at all e.g. ^^
We're doing our own book on Kickstarter! It's going to be amazing--300 pages, art, and so much high quality content you'll be drownin' in it... Click here to check it out and sign-up!
Character creation/mangement looks like it will be part of phase 2
1. The expectation of paying for monster stat blocks in a subscription service is somewhat disheartening.
2. The filtering tags' current lack off functionality is a significant shortcoming.
3. Cross linking of stat blocks and spells is a straightforward benefit of digital formats that should be implemented to provide some benefit over my existing books.
Aside from these criticisms, it is good to have the SRD available in this accessible format.
Great UI. I like the search and tags as mechanisms for narrowing search. So far I don't see any 'missed' filter. Really great job so far! The rules area is great! Nice to see the various topics: Combat, Movement, Conditions, etc... laid out is such a clean, concise manner.
The web-based tool is fantastic! The UI is easy to use and understand without being cluttered. So far, it has been intuitive. In the Compendium section, I'd like to see a search capability (maybe I just don't see it?). I was looking up the definition of "attunement", and I ended up using the link for the SRD 5.1 document to find it. Easy enough to go that route, but I'd like to be able to search directly from the UI.
All in all, a great job with BETA PHASE 1. Well done. I'm looking forward to the character builder!
First thoughts on monster filters.
You need "not" filters e.g. I want a monster that doesn't have darkvision.
I also think that movement type should be a filter or at least a tag as to what types of movement they have e.g. flying, swimming ect.
While the site has a very nice look and feel, it's not fast enough to use as a reference tool.
If I am reading rules in my out-of-game time, I'm reading the books, as they're a much more expansive knowledge base.
If I'm using an online resource (like this compendium), I'm likely in-game and need a snap-fast ruling, monster lookup, spell lookup, etc. Not only does the site have a slow response time (Will be better out of beta?), but there's no overall search functionality like there was with the old compendium.
To be truly useful to me as a player and GM, I want to get answers to my in-game questions in only a few seconds.
So far I like the database, but as I saw mentioned from others, I was somewhat expecting the release for testing of a mobile app as well. While the site is great and allows you to easily search the things you are looking for, I think that ultimately the best use I will find is when it is in app form at my finger tips.
I only just started exploring , so this might already be addressed and might already be coming out. I just personally know that I would be unlikely to make sure of my laptop in actual game play, it would be something I would only use for game prep.
All this said, I like what I see so far an will continue to explore.
Ethan_H, totally agreed. The website is a good resource, but I would like to be beta testing in an app that I can have at my finger tips to easily search for whatever I need right at that moment.
I like how it's easy to get to everything you need (monsters, rules, etc.).
For me there are some issues with the rules on the website (when using the website on the phone). After you've found the rule you needed, it's not clear. It could really be an "overview" of the rule you need, but it's just a copy-paste of the PHB, so a lot of plain text on a small screen, so a lot of scrolling and reading. While gaming, an easy to use - quick reference would be better, followed by the rules in fulltext. On the computer, the overview is easier (and probably on the tablet too) but imo its not really clear on the phone.
On the other hand, I LOVE the monster page, it's easy to use and great to have the quick reference pop out when you click on the specific monster you need.
I do realise the app for the phone will probably look totally different, but a quick reference for rules on the phone would be better imo.
I'm not sure if this would be in Compendium or Campaign Management but I think that a randomizer based on filter would be pretty great. Even better if you could find a good way to add weight.
Examples would be:
Generate random treasure with rarity between common and very rare with a small chance of getting very rare items.
Generate random forest monsters with challenge rating between 1 and 4 with a smaller chance of a higher challenge rating.
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D&D Beyond StaffFirst thoughts:
Improvements definitely need to be made to the mobile version. As it stands, its ridiculously slow to load and overall just sluggish and non-responsive.
That being said, I think this is solid foundation.. More quality of life changes and when they add actual content from the books (as opposed to it just being restricted to SRD at the moment) will make it shine. I'm also interested in seeing what their subscription plans are going to be.
All in all, I like it. I'm finding it as an easy-to-navigate version of the player's handbook and I will be using it next session for quicker ruling decisions if there is a disagreement which is nice. I really do hope though that further information is added in later stages (such as Volo's) as I love to add homebrew or third party content (Tome of Beasts) to my games.
If I had to say one thing I wanted for the future, I think I would like to see (in later stages) the ability to take existing monsters from the monster section and use them as templates in that homebrew section. Can not wait to see how this continues, awesome work.
Happy to hear many of you are enjoying the site! We couldn't have done this without you and will continue to rely on your honest thoughts and feedback as we roll out the next phases! Thank you.
Right now, it's all lookup information.
Spells 1: there isn't an explanation for subscript notes, like the R for Alarm or the C for Alter self. For new people, they need to be able to either get a mouse-over explanation or a link. Same goes for the spell page itself if you follow that link; it has the same R or C, but no explanation.
Spells 2: For a web based application I would expect more hyperlink's for key words. Take the True Strike cantrip: it says you gain "Advantage" on your next turn. There is no explanation or link explaining what Advantage means. The PH has the same limitation, but here, that word could be hyperlinked and thus provide a benefit beyond the book.
Adventuring Gear: again, missing hyperlinks (ok, really not needed yet, few items...just saying).
For monsters, it would be nice if they had a checkbox or favorite option so I could highlight a few and keep them on top. That way, during a campaign, the 5 monsters the players will meet next would always be readily available. Maybe that's already in the works for a different encounter area.
That's my first 5 minutes of Beta!
1. Needing a Twitch account is a downside. I had a Curse account, but not Twitch, but apparently I have a Twitch account now just because I had to register to log in. Big negative, Wizards. Kind of lame.
2. Having an online searchable hot-linked copy of the SRD is nice, but it's already been done by 3rd parties. Too little, too late, Wizards.
You'll have to impress me with Phase 2 or 3.
Other than the use of twitch to login, which is just a mild issue, a suggestion for the compendium would be a next section option at the bottom of the pages. That way you don't have to go back to the main page to just continue reading the information.
I'm going to use this tool a lot as a DM if it works smoothly!
Right now, it is very useable already, but there's a lot of scrolling when you are looking for monsters on a smartphone. I'd suggest:
- Putting a "Filter monster" button more accessible than in the middle of the page.
- The ability to save a group of monsters for an encounter in some kind of folder, or bookmark them at least, to get an easy access when needed.
- Getting access to more than the SRD (even in a paid fashion), because I, for one, am using all D&D Resources available :)
- Getting the little sorting arrows slightly bigger (I'm talking about the ones that are next to "level" and "name" e.g. when searching for spells when you have the list already), because they aren't easy to tap on a phone.
- Reviewing the type of environment for monsters. I don't know where this is coming from, but Storm Giant aren't "Coastal" at all e.g. ^^
I second the idea of not having to have to go back to the main page just to continue.
manysideddice.com
+ A Table of Contents That's Better Than Nothing (hundreds of creative, storied items that are "better than nothing")
+ A Table of Contents To Worry Your Players With (dozens of weird, storied traps to make your players nervous)
We're doing our own book on Kickstarter! It's going to be amazing--300 pages, art, and so much high quality content you'll be drownin' in it... Click here to check it out and sign-up!
I really liked the Monster Listing link that takes you back to the full list. Features like that should be available in a lot more places.