Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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That’s basically how this feels. Throwing up a discount randomly probably because their sales suddenly dropped
Yep. I missed the MCDM deal.
Untlil this changes, not another digi-dollar more.
DId you know?
The DDB marketplace has REMOVED the option for purchasing one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters "a la carte".
Now you ALWAYS have to buy the ENTIRE book instead.
Unhappy? UNSUBSCRIBE and
Let them know your thoughts!
Honestly, if they didn’t just piss everyone off and then ignore us for a month I would totally buy the Tone of Beasts 1 & Humblewood sets right now. They’re on sale yeah, but not even enough to be so enticing to break the boycott.
Humblewood is at least 3rd party. WotC would still get a cut though.
They're throwing up a discount because the new books are coming out, if they have a strategy towards this issue at all it's "ignore it and hope it blows over".
Can be all of the above, actually. Including "Our theory that removing a la carte will mean they will buy more books is failing, let's try a discount and see what happens"
Not even the Shadow knows what evil lurks in the hearts of marketing departments.
I see nothigns change an a la carte is still gone, meh discounts aint enticing enough to buy whole damn books instead of a couple character options id want unless i could but the whole damn book for what character options cost me before
In fairness to them, discounting adventures / campaign settings makes a lot of sense under normal circumstances. While everything player centric is a bad purchase with a new edition on the horizon, adventures can be used just fine with little to no tweaks, and it's not as if you were only buying the Amber Temple and not the rest of Curse of Strahd...
...but please don't buy it. Please. Not until they fix their mistake.
I do agree with this frustration, and I suspect a lot of this is a visibility issue for the wider community (i.e. People don't know about the problem until it's brought to their attention).
I'm taking to announcing my displeasure in the other posts Dndbeyond do on their main page - I.e.
"Oh what a great monster, It's a shame I can't buy it individually since you removed the A-la-carte feature)".
"This book seems interesting - it's a shame I cant just buy the Monsters like I used to be able to, since you removed the a-la-carte feature". Etc.
Just gets the visibility out there in the comments.
nah, that discount was planned way ahead. this is so standard. they can't have the old version discounted too close to the same time they start selling the new version or else a significant number of people will equate the discount price with the value of the stuff. then you have people asking why the new thing costs twice as much as they now value it.
still, there's lots of other reasons to continue being annoyed. like for instance: maybe ask what percentage of the new full price digital book goes to pay costs (artists, writers, graphics design, cloud servers, translation, new app features, etc) and which percent goes into the pockets of suits who do nothing but make decisions we don't like?
unhappy at the way in which we lost individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
tell them you don't like features disappeared quietly in the night: provide feedback!
The reality is, words are cheap, so if they were responding at all, their response would include words. Since they haven't said anything, they aren't actually responding.
Nope, nor will I buy any other WotC product, digital or otherwise. While the removal of a la carte is a big problem, the bigger issue for me is the disrespectful way they treat their customers.
There's many ways they could have calmed things down, not just by bringing back a la carte, but if they'd explained why things were changing or even just acknowledged the complaints and apologised I expect they'd have been much less anger from the community. After all the issues the last year or two (OGL, pinkertons, AI art etc) you'd think PR would be a priority for them, but if they can't even be bothered to communicate with their customers then I'm not spending another penny with them.
The way this is being handle feels like it's class action lawsuit worthy.
So the way it's been done, users that purchased pieces of content to share with their campaigns are no longer able to share that material - only use it themselves. Then, in order to unlock the sharing for other users, they have to purchase the correct digital book, which doesn't apply any sort of discounts, even if you already own half the material in said book!
I say "the correct digital book" because if you try to purchase a book with certain material in it you want to unlock, you better first make sure you search the forums, or reddit to verify it's the book that will actually unlock it. Apparently, just because the material is in the book you purchase, doesn't mean it'll actually unlock it's use and sharing on DnD Beyond. For example: if you buy Tashas CoE because you want the Spore druid subclass you will soon find that despite that subclass CLEARLY being in the book - it won't actually give you access to it. Instead, you have to buy Ravnica. This is not posted clearly -ANYWHERE- in the market place. In fact the market place has been made more difficult to navigate and determine what each item actually unlocks. instead of a detailed list, you just get a blurb like "x number of new items!" or "a new class!"
This is absurd on so many levels...
Just bought some books during the sale.
Didn't get any at 50% off but.......
By the way ,for any WOTC people watching this thread. My price point for a digital book from here is 15 bucks. I never bought piecemeal since I want everything.
So in the future it would be nice if the digital copy of all books was about 15 bucks. I would start buying them all as soon as they came out, or at least think about it.
This is not correct. Anything purchased, even by a la carte method before the marketplace change, can still be shared through Content Sharing.
Half-right, half-wrong. The marketplace won't automatically apply a discount automatically for previous a la carte purchases but you can obtain such discount by contacting Customer Support first. They are looking into a way to make the process easier.
Not correct. If you purchased a book you unlock everything in that book even if it was originally printed in a different book. The need to get something from a different book was only applicable to a la carte purchasing - where you could only buy something on its own from the book it was first printed in. Buying a whole book unlocks everything in it. You still have to use the original source toggle for the character which can be confusing, but the whole content should be unlocked. If it hasn't for you then first check licenses are in sync (Account > Licenses) and if that doesn't work, contact Customer Support.
Sort of. The blurb is there but if you go to Sources and then go to the book you want, you can read the Table of Contents which will detail classes and such. It's not a full list, but does give a decent enough view of what you can expect from it. The Table of Contents can be viewed for any book, even if you have not purchased it and don't have it shared with you. The reason is precisely for this purpose: so you can get an idea of what you'll get so you can see if you want to get the book.
It's not. The way they have handled this is, no doubt, shitty and shady and definitely breaks trust and faith in the company. However, it is 100% legal.
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No, I didn't just come in here ranting for no reason. I and 7 other friends have confirmed that not all a la carte materials are shareable. We've tested it in multiple different campaigns and verified that it's simply not working. Some does, some does not. If the campaign existed prior to the changes it seems the materials are still available. But if you start a new campaign and try to share things you're going to run into multiple pieces that just are not available to others in that campaign.
You should have just ended your statement after "The marketplace won't automatically apply a discount" and agreed. First of all they haven't clearly indicated the "contact customer support" -anywhere- in the marketplace. They don't have notifications in checkout. They did absolutely -nothing- to make sure people weren't getting ripped off. Contacting customer support for a discount and waiting for days, or weeks, to see if they'll honor the discount they told you you'd get is utter BS. As is them claiming to look into a way to make the process easier. They knew before they made the changes that this issue would exist, and they did nothing about it. This is a deceptive practice if there ever was one. They're banking on people either A) not knowing that they have to contact them for the discount, or B) Not having time to wait for said discount before purchasing the material they very likely need for their gaming session.
I will never understand why people like you defend shitty business practices that are designed or implemented in ways that screw over the consumer.
It's like you think I'm an idiot or just making stuff up. I am quite literally in discussions with their customer support over the very issue I described. There are multiple other people on these forums and reddit discussing the exact same problem with other materials. These issues began when they made the changes that everyone is discussing in this thread.
So... No, it is not unlocking everything in the book as it should.
Which, as established already in my previous statement, does not actually confirm that the content will actually be unlocked and usable currently. Again, I didn't come in here and just start flailing my arms around whilst senselessly babbling word vomit. These are actual problems I and others are experiencing. You defending them or saying otherwise does not change that they are factually an issue for some people.
Shitty, shady, and completely destructive of trust and faith in the company we agree on.
I'm not so sure about the legal part. Removing access to the discounts that they advertised when people agreed to the purchases very much sounds like they're reneging on their part of the deal. Additionally, the other issues I've explained are also a breach of contract on their part - they sold those a la carte contents with the understanding that they would be usable and shareable. In many cases this is proving to no longer be true, and discussions with them in support tickets has thus far not proven otherwise.
They may have TOS that we agreed to, but there are still consumer protection laws in place around the world and I'm willing to bet that these shady dealings fly in the face of at least a few.
Nesting quotes requires too much editing, so I'mma just copy-paste. This is a reply to Thaeric.
"No, I didn't just come in here ranting for no reason."
Never said you did.
"I and 7 other friends have confirmed that not all a la carte materials are shareable. We've tested it in multiple different campaigns and verified that it's simply not working. Some does, some does not. If the campaign existed prior to the changes it seems the materials are still available. But if you start a new campaign and try to share things you're going to run into multiple pieces that just are not available to others in that campaign."
What you have is a bug. All my sharing tests show I can share everything just fine, including piecemeal. The article on the marketplace changes also state piecemeal purchases are still honoured. You have a bug, not some evil nefarious conspiracy. Raise support ticket, and they'll assist.
"You should have just ended your statement after "The marketplace won't automatically apply a discount" and agreed. First of all they haven't clearly indicated the "contact customer support" -anywhere- in the marketplace. They don't have notifications in checkout. They did absolutely -nothing- to make sure people weren't getting ripped off. Contacting customer support for a discount and waiting for days, or weeks, to see if they'll honor the discount they told you you'd get is utter BS. As is them claiming to look into a way to make the process easier. They knew before they made the changes that this issue would exist, and they did nothing about it. This is a deceptive practice if there ever was one. They're banking on people either A) not knowing that they have to contact them for the discount, or B) Not having time to wait for said discount before purchasing the material they very likely need for their gaming session."
I agree. But your previous statement was half-wrong because discounts are being given. I also said you were half-right, because discounts are not being automatically applied and they should be. I also agree this is a shitty way of doing things and they should put notifications or a system in place, but this wasn't the statement you made nor relevant to the correction I was giving.
"I will never understand why people like you defend shitty business practices that are designed or implemented in ways that screw over the consumer. "
I am not defending their shitty practices and have been vocal against them - I've even made youtube videos and been in another openly against their recent practices, some are even worse than the removal of a la carte purchasing. I was not defending WotC, I was correcting you. There's a big difference.
"It's like you think I'm an idiot or just making stuff up. "
No, to both. I am responding only to the statements you present, and have no other thoughts about you at all. I prefer not to make assumptions about people.
" I am quite literally in discussions with their customer support over the very issue I described. There are multiple other people on these forums and reddit discussing the exact same problem with other materials. These issues began when they made the changes that everyone is discussing in this thread.
So... No, it is not unlocking everything in the book as it should. "
I am aware some people are having problems accessing certain content. I am also aware this has been noticed by the community manager and by moderators and has been raised for investigation by the site staff. My point is not that it doesn't happen, my point is that it is not intentional behaviour - which your previous statements seemed to indicate. You presented your statements as if this was all the way WotC wanted it. And while that could be a possibility, it is unlikely to be so since your issues do not affect everyone, is not intended design, and has been confirmed as a bug by site staff who are investigating.
The marketplace change wasn't a bit of appearance redesign - it was a complete overhaul, which means a lot of the background system in how the site operates licenses, order history, and more was being changed and moved around. Any such changes will cause errors and unforeseen bugs.
You presented an obvious bug that was not affecting everyone, as if it was the new intended behaviour when nothing indicates such, which is disingenuous. That was the reason for the correction.
"I'm not so sure about the legal part. Removing access to the discounts that they advertised when people agreed to the purchases very much sounds like they're reneging on their part of the deal. Additionally, the other issues I've explained are also a breach of contract on their part - they sold those a la carte contents with the understanding that they would be usable and shareable. In many cases this is proving to no longer be true, and discussions with them in support tickets has thus far not proven otherwise.
They may have TOS that we agreed to, but there are still consumer protection laws in place around the world and I'm willing to bet that these shady dealings fly in the face of at least a few."
The law is not clear cut and does permit mistakes by businesses within reason. Now if WotC made some statement saying they were not going to honour previous a la carte purchases and would deliberately remove access on those grounds - you might have a case. But since they have actually made a statement to the opposite in both article and forum posts by site staff, and are actively honouring discounts (albeit in a very inconvenient manner) and investigating access issues and the fact it is not a rule being enforced since some (you should be careful of "many" until you have outright checked the hundreds of thousands of users) aren't having problems. No, you don't have a case. At least not yet. If there has been zero improvement after a set time (I can't remember specifically what that time frame is, but 30 days is often the standard) then there is possibility of legal concern. Until then, no, there is no ground for a lawsuit at this stage.
However, I am not a lawyer. So while my advice is based on my study of law and commerce and limited professional experience dealing with such for 20 years: it is personal advice, not professional advice. If you disagree, you are free to take any legal action you want. Your money, after all. Godspeed. I'm not being sarcastic either. I hate what they are doing and what they have become, and the only way to truly make such a company aware is to affect their bottom line. So, if you did take up such action I genuinely wish you well. I just know you don't have a case so I'm mentioning it. Or, more specifically, you don't have a case yet.
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I don't even care if they are continuing the book discounts from previous a la carte purchases. I don't want the whole dang book, not going to happen, now I just won't purchase anything. At all. Was actually kinda looking forward to the new updated version of DnD but fine, I won't get it now, so be it.
I was saying to a friend the other day how awesome dndbeyond because you could make the character you want and you don't have to buy every book to do so. When he came to make his character for his first campaign he told me there was no way to purchase individual subclasses and traits and has decided not to bother playing because he couldn't make the charter he wanted to play without dropping £60 on books. Terrible decision, bring back a la carte.
Right? I've sold so many people on DDB because of that exactly. I enticed all my players to pick whatever race or class option from any source they would like because I would specifically buy just what they need when they need it. Now when I talk about DDB I just say they've lost their way and turned against their core audience. I was a walking DDB ad, often referencing Sam Riegal's sponsorship skits by saying in his voice " on the D&D Beyond app!"
Imagine being a new user to this platform and seeing that just to have one of the non-basic rules feat from the PHB, a subclass from Tasha's, and a race from MMotM would run you $90. Even those with the disposable income to buy it would be put off by the price tag and go the route of pencil & paper. It's like they want people to just find the PDF's of these books online. It's easy to do so with a few well worded google searches (note to mods and for legal purposes, I do not condone piracy or partake in the practice). When people see $30-$90 plus a subscription to have more than 6 characters, the free option will be much more enticing.