Does anyone have suggestions for a non-DND Beyond character building tool? I can manually create a character sheet, but DNDB's automation has historically been more convenient - up until about 4 months ago.
Now is the best time to start buying the 5e books second hand. I've been getting them from CEX so I don't need to worry about some much needed toggle when making my characters. This mash-up of rules is hoping that people switch to the 5.5e, but it's turned me off entirely from it instead. It's invasive and I just want to play my 2014 campaign without issues that I'm having to instead fight with just to make characters.
The current state of DDB is not bad, the "Legacy" tag is there, but as a DM I'd really like to be able to restrict the Campaign to just "Legacy" content. A legacy compliant flag for characters would also be useful. So I can see if my players characters are using the correct ruleset. A report of "exceptions" would also be helpful. Would still be nice to be have a "Legacy" filter in the Search section of the D&D Beyond App.,
Now is the best time to start buying the 5e books second hand. I've been getting them from CEX so I don't need to worry about some much needed toggle when making my characters. This mash-up of rules is hoping that people switch to the 5.5e, but it's turned me off entirely from it instead. It's invasive and I just want to play my 2014 campaign without issues that I'm having to instead fight with just to make characters.
I have the books, as do my players. So, in truth, we don’t need DnD Beyond or WotC. But we’re all neurodivergent and so DnD Beyond helps us a lot. What they’ve done with it now just ads to unnecessary confusion and it’s really sad that Wizards just doesn’t care. If we need to go back to books we can, but having a good digital tool helps us a lot.
So far, while messed up, it’s still usable. But we are looking for better products or for this one to actually be fixed.
Considering I've now discovered they have actually removed some 5e 2014 content entirely from the obvious search channels, I am even more annoyed we didn't get a proper toggle to elect the new 2024 stuff not show up. Or even have it like usual content and just not be there unless you bought the books.
The spell Shapechange has been entirely replaced with the 5.5e version in the general spell search and there is no 5e version available for it without using the search function. You can't use the basic search now in good faith that the legacy version will be available.
*This has been edited to reflect my original post being incorrect.
Considering I've now discovered they have actually removed some 5e 2014 content entirely, I am even more annoyed we didn't get a proper toggle to elect the new 2024 stuff not show up. Or even have it like usual content and just not be there unless you bought the books.
The spell Shapechange has been entirely replaced with the 5.5e version and there is no 5e version available for it. Please be aware that your spells might have been irreparably changed with no way of changing it to your purchased content.
Please stop spreading misinformation. It is not cool. Beyond has legitmate issues, but spreading false information takes away the focus from the actual issue. We need the old lance and trident to be reimplemented, because those two did get replaced. And since we are in this thread, we need a content toggle as well. These are actual issues.
It really is not difficult to find Shapechange (Legacy) and Shapechange (2024), and I even looked it up with Beyond's horrible search tool.
1,835 posts?!!!! Holy cow!!!! How do you ever find time to actually "Play" d&d????
The previous poster may have been mistaken about a spell, but it's you who miss the point. Beyond doesn't need anyone to carry their water, they're steam rolling us just fine without more equivocation from another apparatchik.
Just cast your vote for a pure 2014 rule set option for Beyond, or don't. We who choose to vent our spleen on the subject are merely adding spice to the fare; our vote is unmistakable. Comments such as yours only weaken the argument. Also, why would someone with such a glut of posts advocate for a "content toggle?"
1,835 posts?!!!! Holy cow!!!! How do you ever find time to actually "Play" d&d????
The previous poster may have been mistaken about a spell, but it's you who miss the point. Beyond doesn't need anyone to carry their water, they're steam rolling us just fine without more equivocation from another apparatchik.
Just cast your vote for a pure 2014 rule set option for Beyond, or don't. We who choose to vent our spleen on the subject are merely adding spice to the fare; our vote is unmistakable. Comments such as yours only weaken the argument. Also, why would someone with such a glut of posts advocate for a "content toggle?"
1,835 posts is nothing compared to the effort others have made to make this community more informative and to make Beyond more usable. I have not seriously recommended Beyond in a long time either. I tell new GMs and players to try out all the other digital tool options first before they decide to spend money on here. I even tell people to not spend a single penny on this hobby, and there are GMs out there who are more than heppy to let other people mooch off their physical books and digital tools.
I personally do not tolerate misinformation, especially when it can be easily dispelled. It makes the person who spreads them less credible, and the other side less willing to cooperate. I obviously have biases and opinions, but I try to be as fair as possible. New players also rely on accurate and reliable information to make informed choices. We need to present Beyond as it is. It is a very convenient and easy tool to get into, but it is not a good tool if you utilize more niche rules, make homebrew, or do anything remotely advanced. We do not need to make Beyond look worse than it already is. You do not need to download anything if you want to use Beyond, and everything is on your browser. For some people, that is enough, and Beyond is at a price point that matches their budget.
During the transition from 2014 to 2024, my personal priority is to convince Beyond to keep all 2014 content in the digital toolset. There are a few things that slipped through the cracks, like lance and trident, but for the most part, I still have access to all the 2014 content in the digital tools so I can mix and match rules as I please.
While having a toggle is not my priority, I still put my voice in for a toggle because it makes looking up information easier because I can isolate and exclude information. Am I going to scream for the toggle as loud as I did for keeping all 2014 content in the digital tools? No, I do not have the energy for something not on my priority list. Do I really need the toggle? No. Do I want it more than spell points and supernatural gifts? No. Do I still want it at the end of the day? Yes. I certainly want this toggle more than I want better homebrew tools. And asking Beyond to implement a toggle is way more realistic and feasible than asking them to improve the homebrew tools.
Please don't assume I was deliberately spreading it. I attempted to look up the legacy version when I noticed it was missing. I personally could not locate it, so if you could please take a step back and consider perhaps I was mistakenly not as thorough as I thought I had, that would be great.
This entire issue could have been avoided with the toggle we have been hounding about. Next time I will use the search function fully before reacting, but you, random person on the forum, might want to take a breather and relax.
Please don't assume I was deliberately spreading it. I attempted to look up the legacy version when I noticed it was missing. I personally could not locate it, so if you could please take a step back and consider perhaps I was mistakenly not as thorough as I thought I had, that would be great.
This entire issue could have been avoided with the toggle we have been hounding about. Next time I will use the search function fully before reacting, but you, random person on the forum, might want to take a breather and relax.
I have noticed, that at times, the app just untoggle certain things. I think I had to go in an toggle legacy things on. I have people in my group who share with their subscription. That has also been toggled off
Does anyone have suggestions for a non-DND Beyond character building tool? I can manually create a character sheet, but DNDB's automation has historically been more convenient - up until about 4 months ago.
There used to be a number but WotC and DNDBeyond got them all taken down many years ago now (legitimally). The ones that exist are either worse for automation and simplicity, are a VTT option, in some way interact and leverage DNDBeyond, or are not legal. There is unlikely to be a new one come out that doesn't suffer the same fate as the past ones. Hard to make a good application to compete with Beyond without a source of income for it (and people can't charge for WotC content unless given a specific license).
Would be great if there was an alternative to this site though!
Decisions like the one the OP is raising are definitely pushing people to leave.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM subscriber since I joined this website. Ended my subscription June 2024 due to the removal of individual purchases. Was the only reason I ever bothered with this website. I use it for character building for my players and occasional referencing. I don't want digital books that can be removed whenever the company sees fit.
January 2025: seems it was a correct move. They're removing 2014 content that we paid for in lieu of their new version of the game. You only rent content on here, never own.
Does anyone have suggestions for a non-DND Beyond character building tool? I can manually create a character sheet, but DNDB's automation has historically been more convenient - up until about 4 months ago.
There used to be a number but WotC and DNDBeyond got them all taken down many years ago now (legitimally). The ones that exist are either worse for automation and simplicity, are a VTT option, in some way interact and leverage DNDBeyond, or are not legal. There is unlikely to be a new one come out that doesn't suffer the same fate as the past ones. Hard to make a good application to compete with Beyond without a source of income for it (and people can't charge for WotC content unless given a specific license).
Would be great if there was an alternative to this site though!
Decisions like the one the OP is raising are definitely pushing people to leave.
Best option now is get a spreadsheet template and enter in the stuff you want most of them have all the free stuff entered all ready. Slow and tedious like homebrew here, but it is yours and once you got it entered wizbro can't screw it up. Just make sure you have a backup.
Does anyone have suggestions for a non-DND Beyond character building tool? I can manually create a character sheet, but DNDB's automation has historically been more convenient - up until about 4 months ago.
I haven't tried it yet but Roll20 seems to be a recommended one. The only draw back is buying books again.
Now is the best time to start buying the 5e books second hand. I've been getting them from CEX so I don't need to worry about some much needed toggle when making my characters. This mash-up of rules is hoping that people switch to the 5.5e, but it's turned me off entirely from it instead. It's invasive and I just want to play my 2014 campaign without issues that I'm having to instead fight with just to make characters.
The current state of DDB is not bad, the "Legacy" tag is there, but as a DM I'd really like to be able to restrict the Campaign to just "Legacy" content. A legacy compliant flag for characters would also be useful. So I can see if my players characters are using the correct ruleset. A report of "exceptions" would also be helpful. Would still be nice to be have a "Legacy" filter in the Search section of the D&D Beyond App.,
I have the books, as do my players. So, in truth, we don’t need DnD Beyond or WotC. But we’re all neurodivergent and so DnD Beyond helps us a lot. What they’ve done with it now just ads to unnecessary confusion and it’s really sad that Wizards just doesn’t care. If we need to go back to books we can, but having a good digital tool helps us a lot.
So far, while messed up, it’s still usable. But we are looking for better products or for this one to actually be fixed.
If they would just admit it, that would at least be something.
Considering I've now discovered they have actually removed some 5e 2014 content entirely from the obvious search channels, I am even more annoyed we didn't get a proper toggle to elect the new 2024 stuff not show up. Or even have it like usual content and just not be there unless you bought the books.
The spell Shapechange has been entirely replaced with the 5.5e version in the general spell search and there is no 5e version available for it without using the search function. You can't use the basic search now in good faith that the legacy version will be available.
*This has been edited to reflect my original post being incorrect.
Please stop spreading misinformation. It is not cool. Beyond has legitmate issues, but spreading false information takes away the focus from the actual issue. We need the old lance and trident to be reimplemented, because those two did get replaced. And since we are in this thread, we need a content toggle as well. These are actual issues.
It really is not difficult to find Shapechange (Legacy) and Shapechange (2024), and I even looked it up with Beyond's horrible search tool.
Check Licenses and Resync Entitlements: < https://www.dndbeyond.com/account/licenses >
Running the Game by Matt Colville; Introduction: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8 >
D&D with High School Students by Bill Allen; Season 1 Episode 1: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NJTUDokyk&t >
1,835 posts?!!!! Holy cow!!!! How do you ever find time to actually "Play" d&d????
The previous poster may have been mistaken about a spell, but it's you who miss the point. Beyond doesn't need anyone to carry their water, they're steam rolling us just fine without more equivocation from another apparatchik.
Just cast your vote for a pure 2014 rule set option for Beyond, or don't. We who choose to vent our spleen on the subject are merely adding spice to the fare; our vote is unmistakable. Comments such as yours only weaken the argument. Also, why would someone with such a glut of posts advocate for a "content toggle?"
1,835 posts is nothing compared to the effort others have made to make this community more informative and to make Beyond more usable. I have not seriously recommended Beyond in a long time either. I tell new GMs and players to try out all the other digital tool options first before they decide to spend money on here. I even tell people to not spend a single penny on this hobby, and there are GMs out there who are more than heppy to let other people mooch off their physical books and digital tools.
I personally do not tolerate misinformation, especially when it can be easily dispelled. It makes the person who spreads them less credible, and the other side less willing to cooperate. I obviously have biases and opinions, but I try to be as fair as possible. New players also rely on accurate and reliable information to make informed choices. We need to present Beyond as it is. It is a very convenient and easy tool to get into, but it is not a good tool if you utilize more niche rules, make homebrew, or do anything remotely advanced. We do not need to make Beyond look worse than it already is. You do not need to download anything if you want to use Beyond, and everything is on your browser. For some people, that is enough, and Beyond is at a price point that matches their budget.
During the transition from 2014 to 2024, my personal priority is to convince Beyond to keep all 2014 content in the digital toolset. There are a few things that slipped through the cracks, like lance and trident, but for the most part, I still have access to all the 2014 content in the digital tools so I can mix and match rules as I please.
While having a toggle is not my priority, I still put my voice in for a toggle because it makes looking up information easier because I can isolate and exclude information. Am I going to scream for the toggle as loud as I did for keeping all 2014 content in the digital tools? No, I do not have the energy for something not on my priority list. Do I really need the toggle? No. Do I want it more than spell points and supernatural gifts? No. Do I still want it at the end of the day? Yes. I certainly want this toggle more than I want better homebrew tools. And asking Beyond to implement a toggle is way more realistic and feasible than asking them to improve the homebrew tools.
Check Licenses and Resync Entitlements: < https://www.dndbeyond.com/account/licenses >
Running the Game by Matt Colville; Introduction: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8 >
D&D with High School Students by Bill Allen; Season 1 Episode 1: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52NJTUDokyk&t >
Great! Another hall monitor.
never mind.
Please don't assume I was deliberately spreading it. I attempted to look up the legacy version when I noticed it was missing. I personally could not locate it, so if you could please take a step back and consider perhaps I was mistakenly not as thorough as I thought I had, that would be great.
This entire issue could have been avoided with the toggle we have been hounding about. Next time I will use the search function fully before reacting, but you, random person on the forum, might want to take a breather and relax.
I have noticed, that at times, the app just untoggle certain things. I think I had to go in an toggle legacy things on. I have people in my group who share with their subscription. That has also been toggled off
I was at desktop and don't use a mobile app. Is this something that happens on desktop too?
There used to be a number but WotC and DNDBeyond got them all taken down many years ago now (legitimally). The ones that exist are either worse for automation and simplicity, are a VTT option, in some way interact and leverage DNDBeyond, or are not legal. There is unlikely to be a new one come out that doesn't suffer the same fate as the past ones. Hard to make a good application to compete with Beyond without a source of income for it (and people can't charge for WotC content unless given a specific license).
Would be great if there was an alternative to this site though!
Decisions like the one the OP is raising are definitely pushing people to leave.
DM subscriber since I joined this website. Ended my subscription June 2024 due to the removal of individual purchases. Was the only reason I ever bothered with this website. I use it for character building for my players and occasional referencing. I don't want digital books that can be removed whenever the company sees fit.
January 2025: seems it was a correct move. They're removing 2014 content that we paid for in lieu of their new version of the game. You only rent content on here, never own.
Best option now is get a spreadsheet template and enter in the stuff you want most of them have all the free stuff entered all ready. Slow and tedious like homebrew here, but it is yours and once you got it entered wizbro can't screw it up. Just make sure you have a backup.
CENSORSHIP IS THE TOOL OF COWARDS and WANNA BE TYRANTS.