So, in the pricing megathread, BadEye emphasized that the benefits of a subscription would include "integrated" homebrew rules (which is also the language in the FAQ). Leaving the pricing issue aside (there's a few threads for that), I'm super curious of the extent that this can go. I mean, can I make my own race? My own class? This would be fantastic, since many such options are popping out everywhere, but what if it has rules elements that haven't been seen before in D&D? I want to say that coding something that loose is either far from being actually integrated. For example, a homebrew class might just populate the benefits it gets at each level, without actually integrating that information into the right place. A new save proficiency might not display the correct bonus among your saves.
On the other hand, it might be amazingly integrated. Honestly, this is a pretty daunting coding feat, and my hat's off to BadEye's team if this is so. I'm looking at homebrewy things to propose to the team to tinker with, if they have the appetite for it. My signature contains all the elements that I'd like to be able to insert in my homebrew, but I wonder if the devs want to try just a few of the more famous elements, such as the Engineer class or the Beastfolk race.
What other famous homebrews can we suggest the Devs look at as they develop the integrated homebrew systems?
I'm hoping there will be some kind of way to integrate content you've purchased from DMs Guild, though I'm not sure it's actually possible at this point. I suspect this would require a fairly large overhaul of the way products on the Guild are formatted - standardised stat blocks that work with DND Beyond, for example - and as I'm not a developer I don't know how or if that would be possible.
I agree, although that seems to be the kind of thing implied by BadEye here. Quoting him:
No one (including me) has said that adding homebrew will require a subscription. I can confirm players will be able to create their own content at no cost.
Now, the full picture (that I can't confirm quite yet) is probably needed before anyone freaks out one way or the other, but what I said above stands.
I am extremely happy to hear that, and it restores a lot of faith in the project to me.
There was an account on reddit (u/dndbeyond) claiming to be product lead, and one of the comments by that account includes the sentence:
A small monthly subscription will be needed [...] to enable more advanced features, like homebrew content integration.
which is why I had been worried. I suppose that it could still be partially true, in terms of the full picture you're unable to give yet - perhaps despite homebrew being free to add, using it in conjunction with certain campaign-management features will require a subscription? Or perhaps the comment was true at the time, but you've since reevaluated the pricing plans?
Either way, I'm very glad you responded to me, thank you. And thank you also for what looks like it'll be a great app, I look forward to seeing this progress!
Yeah, I actually am the product lead (same person). The key is that word "integration" and not creation. This is part of the reason we don't want to make comments in partial - because they can get taken out of context.
Even now, I imagine some folks will start to worry that my statement here means "we can create homebrew but can't use it?!" but that's not what I mean either. When the full picture is out everything will make much more sense.
Thanks!
So, the main issue, as you and BadEye point out, is "Integration." Which is why I'd like to look at a few homebrew details that would require some effort to integrate. Because, if they do, that's really awesome.
So, in the pricing megathread, BadEye emphasized that the benefits of a subscription would include "integrated" homebrew rules (which is also the language in the FAQ). Leaving the pricing issue aside (there's a few threads for that), I'm super curious of the extent that this can go. I mean, can I make my own race? My own class? This would be fantastic, since many such options are popping out everywhere, but what if it has rules elements that haven't been seen before in D&D? I want to say that coding something that loose is either far from being actually integrated. For example, a homebrew class might just populate the benefits it gets at each level, without actually integrating that information into the right place. A new save proficiency might not display the correct bonus among your saves.
On the other hand, it might be amazingly integrated. Honestly, this is a pretty daunting coding feat, and my hat's off to BadEye's team if this is so. I'm looking at homebrewy things to propose to the team to tinker with, if they have the appetite for it. My signature contains all the elements that I'd like to be able to insert in my homebrew, but I wonder if the devs want to try just a few of the more famous elements, such as the Engineer class or the Beastfolk race.
What other famous homebrews can we suggest the Devs look at as they develop the integrated homebrew systems?
My 5e Houserule Considerations. Please comment freely.
My 5e Houserule Considerations. Please comment freely.
Is there a thing from D&D wiki that you'd like to see integrated here on D&D Beyond?
My 5e Houserule Considerations. Please comment freely.