Hey there, thanks for taking time out of your day to help a new player out.
Basically, I'm pretty new to dnd. Definitely not pen and paper but to dnd itself. I've been enjoying learning about the system a lot recently though.
I used dnd beyond to work on my first character since it's free and I noticed that there's no subclasses for any of the classes. From all I've read those are a big part of customization https://9apps.ooo/ so I'm wondering if there's a way ro unlock them on dnd beyond or if they simply aren't implemented yet.
If they are locked behind a pay wall is there like a subscription or something I can unlock them with without getting half a dozent books at 40 bucks each? I'm cool with paying for them but I'm not made of money - sadly.
Also, from your opinion dear reader, do I need them? Is this an effort worth making or should I just stay with the basics that are already there?
Thanks for giving this a quick read, I'm looking forward to your advice.
I used dnd beyond to work on my first character since it's free and I noticed that there's no subclasses for any of the classes. From all I've read those are a big part of customization so I'm wondering if there's a way ro unlock them on dnd beyond or if they simply aren't implemented yet.
All currently available official classes and sub-classes are implemented on D&D Beyond, though there are some specific features that don't fully work yet, like swapping spell lists spells on aberrant/clockwork sorcerer.
If they are locked behind a pay wall is there like a subscription or something I can unlock them with without getting half a dozent books at 40 bucks each? I'm cool with paying for them but I'm not made of money - sadly.
Buying the content is the only way to unlock non-free sub-classes, spells etc. at this time. However you don't need to buy the entire book; when you go into a book you don't own yet, if you scroll down you should see options to buy only the races, spells, sub-classes etc., and you can even just buy the ones you want individually for $1.99 each.
Anything you buy this way counts against the total price of the book, so if you decide you want to unlock everything later it only costs the difference (e.g- a $29.99 book that you've already spent $19.90 on only costs $10.09 to complete). What I usually do is buy the pieces I need first, then complete the books during sales (the black friday one is usually good).
If you have physical books already you can use those to read up on sub-classes etc. that you might want to play, then only unlock those. Likewise with spells etc., this keeps your initial cost way lower. There are also no shortage of guides and such online, as well as the forums here, that can make recommendations.
Also, from your opinion dear reader, do I need them? Is this an effort worth making or should I just stay with the basics that are already there?
I can only really speak from my own experience but I've found it hugely useful; I used to play D&D in person but it always fell apart due to scheduling conflicts, people living in different cities etc., but when the pandemic lockdowns hit we started playing digitally via video chat, D&D Beyond and in our case Avrae (the discord bot) for the dice rolling.
D&D Beyond for managing the character sheets has made things a lot easier; for one thing it means people don't have to calculate (and re-calculate) their own stats on the sheet, it keeps all the features nicely and automatically organised, makes it easier to check off what you've used and so-on.
I also really like the homebrew support; the tools can be a bit clunky, and there are a load of things you just can't do, but it makes handling custom magic items and such way easier.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
If they are locked behind a pay wall is there like a subscription or something I can unlock them with without getting half a dozent books at 40 bucks each? I'm cool with paying for them but I'm not made of money - sadly.
What books are $40? Except for Spelljammer, full access to all of the digital toolset options and the compendium for every single other book is at most $29.99. There are multiple times a year they offer a 10% or even a 15% discount on purchasing the digital content.
You could purchase the different digital toolset options piecemeal. As Haravikk said, those purchases count towards to full price of the digital book if you decide to get the whole thing at a later time.
certain sourcebooks obviously will give you a lot more "bang for your buck"
The Player's Handbook will unlock tons of subclasses as well as other features, plus..it's thePlayer's Handbook, soo...
after that, Tasha's and Xanathar's both have a lot more subclasses. You'll find this is probably the trinity of sourcebooks a lot of player's use to create classes with. After that, you get a couple here and there from other various sourcebooks.
So if you do decide to take the plunge, that may help prioritize your purchases.
And DNDBeyond does have about 4-5 sales a year, although how good they are may vary since WoTC took over.
Also, from your opinion dear reader, do I need them? Is this an effort worth making or should I just stay with the basics that are already there?
Thanks for giving this a quick read, I'm looking forward to your advice.
This question is the only one not fully answered yet.
It's an opinion, so YMMV, but initially, the answer from me is firm no, they're not needed. You have enough to play with almost any of the classes and enough of the races to have variety. Play a few games with these, try a couple of classes and see what you like. After a few games, you'll start wanting to expand, then at that point you can get an idea of what you want. Maybe you want to play a different kind of Wizard - so you can look at what subclasses are available, and then buy that specific subclass. That way, you're only paying for what you'll use.
There's no need to go out and spend hundreds on stuff you won't use. Instead, buy what you actually need. You'll eventually want to get the PHB, but everything else I'd buy as needed. If you're asking, you don't need it ;)
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Hey there, thanks for taking time out of your day to help a new player out.
Basically, I'm pretty new to dnd. Definitely not pen and paper but to dnd itself. I've been enjoying learning about the system a lot recently though.
I used dnd beyond to work on my first character since it's free and I noticed that there's no subclasses for any of the classes. From all I've read those are a big part of customization so I'm wondering if there's a way ro unlock them on dnd beyond or if they simply aren't implemented yet.
If they are locked behind a pay wall is there like a subscription or something I can unlock them with without getting half a dozent books at 40 bucks each? I'm cool with paying for them but I'm not made of money - sadly.
Also, from your opinion dear reader, do I need them? Is this an effort worth making or should I just stay with the basics that are already there?
Thanks for giving this a quick read, I'm looking forward to your advice.
For most classes, subclasses unlock at level 3. Below are the free subclasses that are available to you right now:
Barbarian - Path of the Berserker
Bard - College of Lore
Cleric - Life Domain
Druid - Circle of Land
Fighter - Champion AND Gunslinger
Monk - Way of the Cobalt Soul AND Way of the Open Hand
Paladin - Oath of Devotion AND Oath of the Open Sea
Ranger - Hunter
Rogue - Thief
Sorcerer - Dragonic Bloodline
Warlock - The Fiend
Wizard - School of Evocation
Blood Hunter - Order of the Ghostslayer, Order of the Lycan, Order of the Mutant, and order of the Profane Soul
The rest are NOT locked behind a subscription. Rather they are locked behind the purchasing of the books. Fortunately, you can buy classes, subclasses, races, feats, backgrounds, and spells individually if you do not wish to have the entire book. I would recommend playing with the free version first and if you love it, the purchasing of books or individual content gives you more options. But everything listed above is MORE than enough to enjoy the game.
See my signature at the bottom of this post for help with navigating the site what you can do for free. This will help guide you in your decision to eventually purchase.
"For most classes, subclasses unlock at level 3. Below are the free subclasses that are available to you right now:"
I think this is part of the issue.
Also, you can have a meaningful game experience with what is available for free on Beyond or available in the larger community. Besides D&D Beyond there are other sites that offer adventures at low or no cost. DMs Guild is an excellent resource. I also want to shout out the free resources available here including 2 low level adventures Frozen Sick and Lost Mines of Phandelver. Additionally in the Media section under Articles you can find several fun one shots.
For books for players I recommend Players Handbook. It has increased rule set building on the basic rules, and 38/39 (iirc) subclasses. One $30 book gives the basic foundation of everything to run a robust campaign with decent player options. BUT, You don't need anything than what's free. However, buying books can enhance your experience.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond. Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ thisFAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Hey there, thanks for taking time out of your day to help a new player out.
Basically, I'm pretty new to dnd. Definitely not pen and paper but to dnd itself. I've been enjoying learning about the system a lot recently though.
I used dnd beyond to work on my first character since it's free and I noticed that there's no subclasses for any of the classes. From all I've read those are a big part of customization https://9apps.ooo/ so I'm wondering if there's a way ro unlock them on dnd beyond or if they simply aren't implemented yet.
If they are locked behind a pay wall is there like a subscription or something I can unlock them with without getting half a dozent books at 40 bucks each? I'm cool with paying for them but I'm not made of money - sadly.
Also, from your opinion dear reader, do I need them? Is this an effort worth making or should I just stay with the basics that are already there?
Thanks for giving this a quick read, I'm looking forward to your advice.
All currently available official classes and sub-classes are implemented on D&D Beyond, though there are some specific features that don't fully work yet, like swapping spell lists spells on aberrant/clockwork sorcerer.
Buying the content is the only way to unlock non-free sub-classes, spells etc. at this time. However you don't need to buy the entire book; when you go into a book you don't own yet, if you scroll down you should see options to buy only the races, spells, sub-classes etc., and you can even just buy the ones you want individually for $1.99 each.
Anything you buy this way counts against the total price of the book, so if you decide you want to unlock everything later it only costs the difference (e.g- a $29.99 book that you've already spent $19.90 on only costs $10.09 to complete). What I usually do is buy the pieces I need first, then complete the books during sales (the black friday one is usually good).
If you have physical books already you can use those to read up on sub-classes etc. that you might want to play, then only unlock those. Likewise with spells etc., this keeps your initial cost way lower. There are also no shortage of guides and such online, as well as the forums here, that can make recommendations.
I can only really speak from my own experience but I've found it hugely useful; I used to play D&D in person but it always fell apart due to scheduling conflicts, people living in different cities etc., but when the pandemic lockdowns hit we started playing digitally via video chat, D&D Beyond and in our case Avrae (the discord bot) for the dice rolling.
D&D Beyond for managing the character sheets has made things a lot easier; for one thing it means people don't have to calculate (and re-calculate) their own stats on the sheet, it keeps all the features nicely and automatically organised, makes it easier to check off what you've used and so-on.
I also really like the homebrew support; the tools can be a bit clunky, and there are a load of things you just can't do, but it makes handling custom magic items and such way easier.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
What books are $40? Except for Spelljammer, full access to all of the digital toolset options and the compendium for every single other book is at most $29.99. There are multiple times a year they offer a 10% or even a 15% discount on purchasing the digital content.
You could purchase the different digital toolset options piecemeal. As Haravikk said, those purchases count towards to full price of the digital book if you decide to get the whole thing at a later time.
How to: Replace DEX in AC | Jump & Suffocation stats | Spell & class effect buff system | Wild Shape effect system | Tool Proficiencies as Custom Skills | Spells at higher levels explained | Superior Fighting/Martial Adept Fix | Snippet Codes Explored - Subclasses | Snippet Math Theory | Homebrew Weapons Explained
My: FEATS | MAGIC ITEMS | MONSTERS | SUBCLASSES Artificer Specialist: Weaveblade
Dndbeyond images not loading WORKAROUND FIXED!!! (TY Jay_Lane for original instructions)
certain sourcebooks obviously will give you a lot more "bang for your buck"
The Player's Handbook will unlock tons of subclasses as well as other features, plus..it's the Player's Handbook, soo...
after that, Tasha's and Xanathar's both have a lot more subclasses. You'll find this is probably the trinity of sourcebooks a lot of player's use to create classes with. After that, you get a couple here and there from other various sourcebooks.
So if you do decide to take the plunge, that may help prioritize your purchases.
And DNDBeyond does have about 4-5 sales a year, although how good they are may vary since WoTC took over.
This question is the only one not fully answered yet.
It's an opinion, so YMMV, but initially, the answer from me is firm no, they're not needed. You have enough to play with almost any of the classes and enough of the races to have variety. Play a few games with these, try a couple of classes and see what you like. After a few games, you'll start wanting to expand, then at that point you can get an idea of what you want. Maybe you want to play a different kind of Wizard - so you can look at what subclasses are available, and then buy that specific subclass. That way, you're only paying for what you'll use.
There's no need to go out and spend hundreds on stuff you won't use. Instead, buy what you actually need. You'll eventually want to get the PHB, but everything else I'd buy as needed. If you're asking, you don't need it ;)
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
For most classes, subclasses unlock at level 3. Below are the free subclasses that are available to you right now:
Barbarian - Path of the Berserker
Bard - College of Lore
Cleric - Life Domain
Druid - Circle of Land
Fighter - Champion AND Gunslinger
Monk - Way of the Cobalt Soul AND Way of the Open Hand
Paladin - Oath of Devotion AND Oath of the Open Sea
Ranger - Hunter
Rogue - Thief
Sorcerer - Dragonic Bloodline
Warlock - The Fiend
Wizard - School of Evocation
Blood Hunter - Order of the Ghostslayer, Order of the Lycan, Order of the Mutant, and order of the Profane Soul
The rest are NOT locked behind a subscription. Rather they are locked behind the purchasing of the books. Fortunately, you can buy classes, subclasses, races, feats, backgrounds, and spells individually if you do not wish to have the entire book. I would recommend playing with the free version first and if you love it, the purchasing of books or individual content gives you more options. But everything listed above is MORE than enough to enjoy the game.
See my signature at the bottom of this post for help with navigating the site what you can do for free. This will help guide you in your decision to eventually purchase.
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"For most classes, subclasses unlock at level 3. Below are the free subclasses that are available to you right now:"
I think this is part of the issue.
Also, you can have a meaningful game experience with what is available for free on Beyond or available in the larger community. Besides D&D Beyond there are other sites that offer adventures at low or no cost. DMs Guild is an excellent resource. I also want to shout out the free resources available here including 2 low level adventures Frozen Sick and Lost Mines of Phandelver. Additionally in the Media section under Articles you can find several fun one shots.
For books for players I recommend Players Handbook. It has increased rule set building on the basic rules, and 38/39 (iirc) subclasses. One $30 book gives the basic foundation of everything to run a robust campaign with decent player options. BUT, You don't need anything than what's free. However, buying books can enhance your experience.
Playing D&D free
In case it helps, plus shameless self-promotion.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
There should be 3 free feats
How to: Replace DEX in AC | Jump & Suffocation stats | Spell & class effect buff system | Wild Shape effect system | Tool Proficiencies as Custom Skills | Spells at higher levels explained | Superior Fighting/Martial Adept Fix | Snippet Codes Explored - Subclasses | Snippet Math Theory | Homebrew Weapons Explained
My: FEATS | MAGIC ITEMS | MONSTERS | SUBCLASSES Artificer Specialist: Weaveblade
Dndbeyond images not loading WORKAROUND FIXED!!! (TY Jay_Lane for original instructions)