Hello! Hope you are having a great day so far. I just had a quick question. Say I purchased just the sub classes from Xanathars guide to everything as opposed to the whole book, would I be able to share that purchase with my players using a master tier subscription or would I have to purchase the whole book? Sorry if it's a dumb question I just was wondering seeing as I already own all the physical copies and want to save as much money as I can.
If you purchase individual elements, they are shareable if you have a master tier subscription. you do not have to buy the entire book.
One of the biggest things that DND Beyond needs to fix... is that the accounts are broken between PC & Apple. For some odd reason - DND Beyond wiped all 6 of my Character files, yet... I could still view them on my Apple (iPad). Wth? PLEASE fix this!
Are you sure you aren’t signed into 2 different accounts? This is quite common. also, this would be far better as a separate post. It is not at all related to the purpose of this thread.
I was wondering if anyone knows why the Book of Many Things does not have Additional Purchase Options like all the other sourcebooks. I can't purchase the feats or spells separately from the monsters like I did from past books.
I was wondering if anyone knows why the Book of Many Things does not have Additional Purchase Options like all the other sourcebooks. I can't purchase the feats or spells separately from the monsters like I did from past books.
Unfortunately, BOMT does not allow à la carte purchases. I think most books in the future would still have individual purchases, but not all books will.
D&D Beyond is a marvelous tool and resource for players of D&D. One of its strengths is the myriad of purchase options, from using the free resources, to buying individual items, to the Legendary Bundle. That strength can also be confusing to those considering D&D Beyond. This post is written for folks who are considering using D&D Beyond. It lays out several different scenarios for Players and DMs and suggests purchasing strategies for each of those scenarios. There are probably a near infinite number of purchasing options, but this at least gives you a starting point.
Questions for clarity, constructive comments, and suggestions are welcome; arguments about the merits or ethics of the pricing structure are not. (I'll happily engage you about such things in a different thread, just not here).
If you are (primarily) a Player
I can't afford/don't want to pay anything: DDB provides the following resources for free: The Basic Rules, the System Reference document (also known as the SRD) and the Elemental Evil Player's Companion: these three resources are also available from Wizards of the Coast as pdfs. A few items from Matt Mercer are also free. If you want to use spells, races, feats, monsters, subclasses, or magic items not in these resources, and are not in a position to pay for them, you can homebrew the elements you need using the homebrew tools on DDB. This is a good option if you want to test out DDB before purchasing content.
I only play in a few games AND I mostly want a digital character sheet: If you are interested in DDB primarily to keep track of a small number of characters you use in games, you can just buy the particular races, subclasses, magic items etc. that you need for those characters. (Keep in mind that some options are available for free-see above) To do so, go to the marketplace, choose the book that the element is from, click on "view purchase options" and then add the elements you want to the cart. For example, if I want to build a Tabaxi Storm Herald Barbarian with the Alert feat, I could purchase the Tabaxi race from Mordenkainen Presents, the Path of the Storm Herald Subclass from Xanathar's, and the Alert Feat from the PHB. If you play one or more spellcasters, you may want to purchase all the spells from the PHB and/or other sources (e.g. Xanathar's). Note that anything you spend on an element from a book reduces the cost of purchasing the whole book if you decide to do so later. This is also true of bundles: for example, if I purchase the Tabaxi race now for $1.99, the cost of the race bundle from Mordenkainen Presents is reduced by that amount (from $9.99 to $8.00). If you prefer, you could homebrew some or all of the elements rather than purchasing them. This is a good option if you want to test out DDB before purchasing a lot of content.
I only play in a few games AND I want online/digital access to the rules: If you want to both manage your characters AND access the rules in DDB, you should purchase the Players Hand Book and any other rule books you want to be able to access from here. This works best if you will have internet access when you are gaming/want to access the rules, although there is a mobile D&D Beyond app (For iOS and Android). It doesn't support every feature of the character sheet that the website does, but the mobile team has continued to improve it. Offline access is limited to two devices per account, unless you have a subscription, in which case the limit is removed.
I just want digital access to the books; I don't want a digital character sheet: If you just want access to the rules/books, you can buy the "compendium only" version of the books/sources you want. To do so, go to the marketplace, choose the book that the element is from, click on "view purchase options" and look for the "Compendium only" option. Doing so gets you the digital version of the books, but does not add any of the races, subclasses, spells, magic items, or feats to the character builder. It also does not give you access to the spell and monster listings (the tools with filters and search options) or access to the monsters in the encounters tool. If you decide you want these later, you can purchase the full book for the difference between the cost of the "book" and what you spent on the "compendium only" purchase (e.g. If you bought Xanathar's compendium only for $19.99, you could later purchase the rest of Xanathar's-for the character builder and listings-for $10) If you use the app, you can download "compendium only" purchases to the app.Offline access is limited to two devices per account, unless you have a subscription, in which case the limit is removed. ("Compendium only" purchases can only be made through the marketplace on the website)
I play in lots of games/make lots of characters AND I mostly want a digital character sheet:If you need to keep track of more than 6 characters, then you need a Hero Tier subscription (or a Master Tier if you want to share content--see any of the sections that include "I want to share"). You can purchase the entire PHB for $29.99 or the individual player option bundles. (all of them together are slightly less than the whole PHB; if you don't play with feats, you could skip that bundle.) If you want player options from other resources, you would need purchase the various options or bundles from those books. For example, the player races from Mordenkainen Presents, and the subclasses and racial feats from Xanathar's. (You could homebrew everything instead, if you have the time).
I play in lots of games/make lots of characters AND I want online/digital access to the rules: If you want to both manage your characters AND access the rules in DDB, you should purchase the Players Hand Book and any other rule books you want to be able to access from here (or use for character building). This works best if you will have internet access when you are gaming/want to access the rules, although there is a mobile D&D Beyond app (For iOS and Android). It doesn't support every feature of the character sheet that the website does, but the mobile team has continued to improve it. Offline access is limited to two devices per account, unless you have a subscription, in which case the limit is removed. If you need to keep track of more than 6 characters, then you need a Hero Tier subscription (or a Master Tier if you want to share content--see any of the sections that include "I want to share").
I want to share my purchases with others: The Master Tier Subscription provides all the benefits of a Hero Tier subscription, plus you can share content in up to 5 campaigns, with up to 12 players (plus DM) per campaign. You do not have to be the DM to turn on content sharing. Players in campaigns where you share content will have access to all of your content (and that of anyone else in the campaign) in the compendium and listing tools; they can use the shared content in the character builder only for characters related to that campaign. In addition to the Master Tier, you will need to purchase whatever resources you want to have available: purchasing a subscription does not give you access to content.
I want ALL THE "BOOKS": Then the Legendary Bundle is for you: this gives you all the currently published sourcebooks and adventures by Wizards of the Coast, and gives you a 15% discount on future releases that become part of the Legendary Bundle. Keep in mind that the legendary bundle includes a lot of adventures, which will be of limited use to you as a player; you may prefer to purchase the Sourcebook Bundle instead, which includes all currently published sourcebooks and a 10% discount on the purchase of any sourcebooks released after your purchase. Note: The legendary bundle contains all the sourcebooks and adventures. It does not include Tactical Maps Reincarnated. As time goes on, additional types of resources may be available from the Marketplace that do not fall into the Legendary Bundle, and more bundles of resources (with a similar discount) may be added. Note as well that the Legendary Bundle discount does not apply to the new physical/digital bundle that WOTC is testing out with Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen.
I wantALL THE "BOOKS" and I want to share: Purchase the Legendary Bundle (as above) or, if you don't need the adventures, the Sourcebook bundle (see above) and a Master Tier subscription. The Master Tier Subscription provides all the benefits of a Hero Tier subscription plus, you can share content in up to 5 campaigns, with up to 12 players (plus DM) per campaign. You do not have to be the DM to turn on content sharing. Players in campaigns where you share content will have access to all of your content (and that of anyone else in the campaign) in the compendium and listing tools; they can use the shared content in the character builder only for characters related to that campaign. Note: The legendary bundle contains all the sourcebooks and adventures. It does not include Tactical Maps Reincarnated. As time goes on, additional types of resources may be available from the Marketplace that do not fall into the Legendary Bundle, and more bundles of resources (with a similar discount) may be added. Note as well that the Legendary Bundle discount does not apply to the new physical/digital bundle that WOTC is testing out with Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen.
If you are (primarily) a Dungeon Master
Note: More so than with the players section above, you may find that more than one description below applies; infinite combos are possible.
I can't afford/don't want to pay anything: See the entry with the same name in the player section above. Note that private homebrew can be shared in DDB campaigns, even if no one has the Master Tier subscription. This is a good option if you want to test out DDB before purchasing content.
I'm a DM but my players don't have DDB accounts: In other words, you want to use DDB primarily as a replacement for your books, but not to see your players' characters here or to share content. What tools/resources do you most want to use here?
I want access to the rules. Then you should purchase either the compendium only option of the rule books you want access to (if you don't want the character building tools or the monster, spell, or magic items lists) or the full sources of the rule books you want.
I don't need the rules, but I want access to the monsters. If your primary interest is easy access to monster with the ability to filter, sort, and search them, then you should look at purchasing the monster bundles from the sources that interest you (MM, Fizbans, etc.) To do so, go to the marketplace, choose the book that the element is from, click on "view purchase options" and look for the monsters bundle option. You can even buy monsters from the various adventures without buying the whole adventure.
I don't need the rules, but I want to access the magic items. If you want access to the magic items, with the ability to filter, sort, and search them, you can purchase magic item bundles, just like you would monster bundles.
I don't need the rules, but I want to access spells. If you want access to all the spells, with the ability to filter, sort, and search them, you can purchase spell bundles from the various sources.
My primary interest in campaign management. First, you should know that currently DDB's campaign management tools are somewhat limited, although they are slowly improving. Their primary purpose at the moment is to allow content sharing within campaigns and to give DMs access to the players' characters. There's a couple small sections for notes. There is also an Encounters tool, which lets you build encounters and then run them. When running the encounter, some information from the character sheets updates on the encounters page. There is (as of yet) no VTT or similar capability. If the tools will suit what you need now, think about what content you need to accomplish what you want. Do you want to use the notes the prep for a session and include links to the monsters, magic items, etc. that may appear? Then purchase those items either individually, in a bundle, or the complete source. Are you running a published adventure and want to prep in the notes section and link to sections in the adventure? Then buy the adventure. (Note that if you also purchase the master tier and turn on content sharing, you will need to turn off that source for content sharing, which will still allow them to see character options from it, but will not let them read the adventure itself.
I DM one or more groups and I want to share my "books" with my players: To share content with your players, you need a Master Tier subscription. You can share content with up to 3 campaigns on DDB; each campaign can have up to 12 players. Players will only be able to use the character builder tools for their character in your campaign, not for other characters they may have. They will also have access to compendium content for any resource where your purchase includes the compendium. Note that they can also see the content of any adventures you have purchased, unless you turn off access to it specifically. In addition to the Master Tier, you will need to purchase whatever resources you want to have available for your own use and the use of the group. If you only DM one campaign for a stable group of players, see the "group" section below for another approach.
If you are a part of group (players & DM) wanting to use the resources here together
We can't afford to/don't want to pay anything: DDB provides the following resources for free: The Basic Rules, the System Reference document (also known as the SRD) and the Elemental Evil Player's Companion: these three resources are also available from Wizards of the Coast as pdfs. If you want to use spells, races, subclasses, feats, monsters, or magic items not in these resources, and are not in a position to pay for them, you can homebrew the elements you need using the homebrew tools on DDB. Private homebrew can be shared within a campaign even without a subscription, so you could split up entering the elements between your group. (For example: one person "homebrews" character options from the PHB, another from Xanathar's, a third from Fizban's, etc.)
One person in our group will "own" all the "books": Then that person should purchase the books/materials your group needs. Someone in your group (the "owner" of the "books" or someone else) will also need to buy a Master Tier subscription, so you can share content. Keep in mind that while the compendium content will be available to everyone in the campaign, the paid content will be available in the character creation tools only for characters actually in the campaign. Players in your group who want to create characters that aren't part of your campaign will be limited to the free content or that content they purchase. Your group can pitch in together and help the "owner" pay for the purchases and/or the subscription if desired.
Our group wants to spread the purchases around: Another way to share costs is for different members of the group to purchase different content, and for someone in the group to get a Master Tier subscription. (Sue buys the PHB, Aaron buys the MM, Betty buys Fizban's, etc.) This way the costs are shared, but if the group breaks up for one reason or another, everyone still has some content available to them. This may also a good option if you are part of multiple groups.
We are a library, school, or other type "club" group: Note that the terms of service explicitly forbid sharing or transferring accounts between people. The following is advice from moderators and staff on the best approach to setting up an account:NOTE: This information below (now struck out) dates back to prior to the Curse/Fandom merger, and thus also before the acquisition of DDB by WOTC. It is entirely possible that the specifics are no longer accurate. If you are interested in a club option, please contact customer support to inquire about current procedure possibilities.
Ensure where possible that a NEW TWITCH ACCOUNT is created for the purpose of doing this. Make sure that the name of the account reflects the name of the club or organising society/school. Note that, as per Twitch ToS, this account will still belong to an individual, so it should be held by a teacher or other long-term member. For a gamestore, we suggest the owner.
If, in the future, there are any issues with needing to transfer ownership of that account to another individual (E.G. the current account holder moves to another area of the country), then D&D Beyond Customer Support should be able to help. It is important to have registered this with us as a club in advance though.
One you have the account set up, purchase the resources you think the group needs (player options you want to allow, the adventure the DM or DMs will be running, etc.) along with a Master Tier subscription. The organizing group would hopefully have the funds to reimburse that individual. Others in the club/group would then set up free accounts and join a campaign to get access to content.
One example If you use a VTT The post is part of a larger thread on a different subject, but it does provide a strategy for those who want to use both DDB and a VTT (Virtual Table Top) like Fantasy Grounds or Roll20. (Link broke; text left here in case I find the post again sometime in the future.)
Edits made Nov 11, 2020 to update info on bundles, status of combat tracker, and a few other details.
Edits made August 21, 2022 to a) remove references to UA support, b) remove references to archived/discontinued books, c) update info on the DDB apps and Master Tier sharing limits, d) note that the new digital/physical bundle is not eligible for legendary bundle discount, and e) adjust wording about club accounts.
I'm still confused on Individual purchase. I thought at first it was just for the book of many things, but I also don't see an option for any of the content since then, third party or otherwise. Is individual purchase no longer an option for new stuff going forward?
I'm still confused on Individual purchase. I thought at first it was just for the book of many things, but I also don't see an option for any of the content since then, third party or otherwise. Is individual purchase no longer an option for new stuff going forward?
As far as I know, à la carte options will not be available for third party books, and TBOMT is the only official book so far that does not have à la carte options. Wizards have said that some future books will not have à la carte options, but they have not really elaborated much on what kind of books will lack them.
There has not been any announcements I am aware of that tells us whether V:EOR will have à la carte options or not. I hope V:EOR will have à la carte options, but I do not think anybody knows for sure right now.
It would be best, I would think, to give feedback to Wizards. I'm sure the more people that are interested in a la carte the better it would be for any current releases missing it and any future releases intended to not have it. The "contact us" link at the bottom on the site has an option in the form drop down menu for feedback.
Thank you for the information. I've been using DDB for a while now but haven't purchased anything yet. I think I will look into a bundle for some sourcebooks.
Note that anything you spend on an element from a book reduces the cost of purchasing the whole book if you decide to do so later. This is also true of bundles: for example, if I purchase the Tabaxi race now for $1.99, the cost of the race bundle from Mordenkainen Presents is reduced by that amount (from $9.99 to $8.00). If you prefer, you could homebrew some or all of the elements rather than purchasing them. This is a good option if you want to test out DDB before purchasing a lot of content.
Regarding the quoted section, how far does this discount go? Like if I eventually purchase, e.g., 5 subclasses from Tasha's for 1.99 each, will I be able to buy 'All subclasses' essentially for free? Or is there some limitation that means I'd be better off buying all of them in one go?
I ask since I intend to buy races and subclasses individually whenever I actually start a campaign where I'd use them.
Note that anything you spend on an element from a book reduces the cost of purchasing the whole book if you decide to do so later. This is also true of bundles: for example, if I purchase the Tabaxi race now for $1.99, the cost of the race bundle from Mordenkainen Presents is reduced by that amount (from $9.99 to $8.00). If you prefer, you could homebrew some or all of the elements rather than purchasing them. This is a good option if you want to test out DDB before purchasing a lot of content.
Regarding the quoted section, how far does this discount go? Like if I eventually purchase, e.g., 5 subclasses from Tasha's for 1.99 each, will I be able to buy 'All subclasses' essentially for free? Or is there some limitation that means I'd be better off buying all of them in one go?
I ask since I intend to buy races and subclasses individually whenever I actually start a campaign where I'd use them.
You want to stop buying individual items before the amount for the bundle drops below $1.99, as $1.99 is a minimum payment. So, in the case of your example, once you have purchased 4 subclasses individually, for your next purchase, you should buy the subclasses bundle from Tashas, which will give you all the remaining subclasses for (if I've done the math right) $2.03.
If you purchase individual elements, they are shareable if you have a master tier subscription. you do not have to buy the entire book.
Trying to Decide if DDB is for you? A few helpful threads: A Buyer's Guide to DDB; What I/We Bought and Why; How some DMs use DDB; A Newer Thread on Using DDB to Play
Helpful threads on other topics: Homebrew FAQ by IamSposta; Accessing Content by ConalTheGreat;
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Awesome, thank you so much.
Are you sure you aren’t signed into 2 different accounts? This is quite common.
also, this would be far better as a separate post. It is not at all related to the purpose of this thread.
Trying to Decide if DDB is for you? A few helpful threads: A Buyer's Guide to DDB; What I/We Bought and Why; How some DMs use DDB; A Newer Thread on Using DDB to Play
Helpful threads on other topics: Homebrew FAQ by IamSposta; Accessing Content by ConalTheGreat;
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Thanks for providing this guide, it is really helpful
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I was wondering if anyone knows why the Book of Many Things does not have Additional Purchase Options like all the other sourcebooks. I can't purchase the feats or spells separately from the monsters like I did from past books.
Unfortunately, BOMT does not allow à la carte purchases. I think most books in the future would still have individual purchases, but not all books will.
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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 >
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I came here to read this specially . Many thanks
I'm still confused on Individual purchase. I thought at first it was just for the book of many things, but I also don't see an option for any of the content since then, third party or otherwise. Is individual purchase no longer an option for new stuff going forward?
As far as I know, à la carte options will not be available for third party books, and TBOMT is the only official book so far that does not have à la carte options. Wizards have said that some future books will not have à la carte options, but they have not really elaborated much on what kind of books will lack them.
There has not been any announcements I am aware of that tells us whether V:EOR will have à la carte options or not. I hope V:EOR will have à la carte options, but I do not think anybody knows for sure right now.
Check Licenses and Resync Entitlements: < https://www.dndbeyond.com/account/marketplace >
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 >
It would be best, I would think, to give feedback to Wizards. I'm sure the more people that are interested in a la carte the better it would be for any current releases missing it and any future releases intended to not have it. The "contact us" link at the bottom on the site has an option in the form drop down menu for feedback.
Thank you for the information. I've been using DDB for a while now but haven't purchased anything yet. I think I will look into a bundle for some sourcebooks.
anuj99
Regarding the quoted section, how far does this discount go? Like if I eventually purchase, e.g., 5 subclasses from Tasha's for 1.99 each, will I be able to buy 'All subclasses' essentially for free? Or is there some limitation that means I'd be better off buying all of them in one go?
I ask since I intend to buy races and subclasses individually whenever I actually start a campaign where I'd use them.
You want to stop buying individual items before the amount for the bundle drops below $1.99, as $1.99 is a minimum payment. So, in the case of your example, once you have purchased 4 subclasses individually, for your next purchase, you should buy the subclasses bundle from Tashas, which will give you all the remaining subclasses for (if I've done the math right) $2.03.
Trying to Decide if DDB is for you? A few helpful threads: A Buyer's Guide to DDB; What I/We Bought and Why; How some DMs use DDB; A Newer Thread on Using DDB to Play
Helpful threads on other topics: Homebrew FAQ by IamSposta; Accessing Content by ConalTheGreat;
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