Legitimate question, you do realize wizards doesn't really care about providing a good buying experience because you literally cannot buy from them as a consumer, right?
I can totally get behind the opinion that it might not be worth it for WotC to do it, but I do think they would want to do it. Like I said, any company would prefer to provide a better buying experience to more users.
I guess it depends on how willing they are to come out with a 6th edition or how long they want to ride out 5th. I've never played anything besides 5th, but it seems like the design is pretty solid and could last a really really long time. I'd be very disappointed if lack of better organized licensing deals in 5th forced an early design iteration. Where I work we have to make decisions where we could choose between milking the users for as much money as possible in the short term which shortens the lifespan and health of the product vs. long term user acquisition and retention to keep the party alive, thriving and growing so that the lifetime of the product is much much longer. Usually people who have learned their lesson prefer the latter. Not only does it increase overall profits, but it increases the value of your whole company and puts you in a position to grow. This idea that "they got your money, what good are you to them?" doesn't fly in my mind.
Maybe a difference in perspective about what WOTC wants to do. I agree that they want to keep their current fan base happy and grow the new user base, (I just don't think they'll go the route we've been arguing over). They all (WOTC senior staff) seem genuinely to care about the game and their fan base. As far as 6e goes - all the indications are that their current strategy for 5e is winning, so I don't think we'll see 6e soon, and when we do it's said it'll be backward compatible.
Legitimate question, you do realize wizards doesn't really care about providing a good buying experience because you literally cannot buy from them as a consumer, right?
I do not realize that. I very much disagree. That's one of the big reasons they have Intellectual Property rights. It's one of the reasons licenses exist. I'm sure WotC chooses very carefully who they let distribute their precious content and that they care very much how it is distributed. Yes it's true that they don't distribute it themselves, but they have the power to choose their distributors and to negotiate terms with them. If I created something and I had IP rights I'd use that power to the best of my ability to make sure people experiencing my creation had the best experience possible, not only because it'd maximize the value and therefore the money I made off of it, but also because artistically I care about that creation.
I can totally get behind the opinion that it might not be worth it for WotC to do it, but I do think they would want to do it. Like I said, any company would prefer to provide a better buying experience to more users.
I guess it depends on how willing they are to come out with a 6th edition or how long they want to ride out 5th. I've never played anything besides 5th, but it seems like the design is pretty solid and could last a really really long time. I'd be very disappointed if lack of better organized licensing deals in 5th forced an early design iteration. Where I work we have to make decisions where we could choose between milking the users for as much money as possible in the short term which shortens the lifespan and health of the product vs. long term user acquisition and retention to keep the party alive, thriving and growing so that the lifetime of the product is much much longer. Usually people who have learned their lesson prefer the latter. Not only does it increase overall profits, but it increases the value of your whole company and puts you in a position to grow. This idea that "they got your money, what good are you to them?" doesn't fly in my mind.
The last rumor i heared was that 5e is doing so well, they do not have plans for a 6e. they will just keep adding to 5e. Which speaking of, the next book was just announced..
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I just want to tell everyone "happy gaming" and actually mean it. Whatever your game is, just have fun with it, it is after all, just a game.
I just think if I have bought the hard copy of a book That I should be able to scan it some how to the site, just so that I’m not paying double for a book I already own.
Public Mod Note
(Stormknight):
post moved to this existing thread, which discusses the topic in detail
If there already is a feature like this I haven’t found it on mobile. If someone could either point me in a direction or tell me if I’m correct in my assumptions that would be wonderful. I don’t want any beef or anything with devs or anyone from the website’s producers.
If by "this," you mean the ability to prove you own the books and access content here for a lower price, no that's not an option here, nor is it likely ever to be an option. The first post in this thread addresses why that is, or at least some of the reasons. If you don't believe what DDB offers you is worth the cost, that's totally your call. If you aren't sure, I'd encourage you to explore the tools here using the free content. Another low cost way to try things out is to homebrew or buy the individual character options you need for one character (assuming the options you want aren't in the basic rules) and use that character and the online sheet in a game for a while.
I just think if I have bought the hard copy of a book That I should be able to scan it some how to the site, just so that I’m not paying double for a book I already own.
only going to say read this whole tread.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I just want to tell everyone "happy gaming" and actually mean it. Whatever your game is, just have fun with it, it is after all, just a game.
I do not trust the net as a whole and in the case of online data i do not trust that if my computer crashes or blows up and i have to get a new one all the money i spend on online book will be lost when i play D&D in a shop or at a friends home then that is my time away from electronic devices with a book i can read that anywhere you can not when you have no power or internet service it is sad that people do pirated stuff but i just want something that i can use on my home pc that reflects the books that i have without cost me more money this is to me double charging those that have the books and wanting a data base to either do their character sheets up for off line gaming or the DM to the DM thing for each week session if playing weekly.
i have no interest in online D&D session playing where this program would be ideal but it is not good for me you can delete my account now
Sorry KevinA, I'm not sure I understand why you would have been interested in even checking out a digital tool, if you have a large fear of your electronics crapping out on you at the table? Seems that physical books, paper, and pencil would ease your mind... Yes, if you don't have power or internet you won't be able to access a digital toolset, that's simply how digital works.
You can still do character sheets up on D&D Beyond without purchasing anything. You can enter in races, magic items, spells, and feats from your owned books for your private use, with subclasses coming soon - if you think your time is too valuable for that, then perhaps you should realize that the programming, data entry, constant updates, and new features of this site all have people working salaried jobs to do that they get paid for.
Please be aware that, unless officially licensed, any application or character sheet that carries information about classes outside of the SRD/Basic Rules is doing so in contravention of copyright law and may be contacted by Wizards of the Coast legal department.
Officially licensed? Does that mean you must have purchased the content via DDB in order to use it on DDB tools? If not, that seems contradictory to me, but I'm having trouble finding a good way to explain it. I'll wait to see if this gets answered before I try.
No, you cannot submit for that homebrew content to be "public" for other people to use. You can however enter it in for your private use.
It's been discussed a few times throughout the forum as an option for those who have purchased the physical books, and wish to use this tool, but do not wish to purchase the books in a digital format. If you submit them as an attempt to pass them off as homebrew you'd be rightly rejected.
Stormknight's comment was in direct response to this post:
Eldritch Knight and Battle Master are from the Player's Handbook.
Ah, that would explain it. I thought they would give you at least regular content in the PHB but I guess not. I'll be sticking with Forged Anvil for character sheets. Good luck all and enjoy!
Where Spastik discussed using an illegal product. Any application (app) or character sheet (like MPMB, Herolab, etc.) that tries to use non SRD content without getting a license is illegal use of WOTC's intellectual property.
So DDB character sheets with non SRD content on them are assumed to be officially licensed?
You are allowed to have those character sheets as personal use, yes. Just like you could fill in a form-fillable PDF, or heck: I could use the 5th Edition Character Sheet app, which is only permitted to have SRD content, and manually input non SRD content *myself*, and use it for my own characters. It's when you try to make a public tool, app, or fillable sheet that you're going to offer to other people and contains non-SRD content that you are infringing on WOTC's IP.
Ok if you are allowed to do both then I see no hypocrisy. Both meaning enter content into your DDB character sheet that you have & have not purchased. If they were claiming that you could enter content that you have purchased, but not allowed to enter content you have not purchased then that would be in contradiction to a lot of the discussion we've had here.
Yes, as has been discussed you can sit with your computer and physical books and enter in whatever you'd like, so long as you don't try to publish it. :) Once subclasses are entered you will be able to 100% utilize D&D Beyond's character builder without purchasing anything, you just have to invest the time to learn the homebrew system and create from there.
Yes, as has been discussed you can sit with your computer and physical books and enter in whatever you'd like, so long as you don't try to publish it. :) Once subclasses are entered you will be able to 100% utilize D&D Beyond's character builder without purchasing anything, you just have to invest the time to learn the homebrew system and create from there.
Yes, but I'm also specifically talking about doing what you're describing but without any purchased books. Is that allowed?
Neither DDB nor WOTC have any idea whether you own the books so, tacitly, yes. My understanding is you can share all this with your campaign group, but not in the public homebrew section.
Yes, as has been discussed you can sit with your computer and physical books and enter in whatever you'd like, so long as you don't try to publish it. :) Once subclasses are entered you will be able to 100% utilize D&D Beyond's character builder without purchasing anything, you just have to invest the time to learn the homebrew system and create from there.
Yes, but I'm also specifically talking about doing what you're describing but without any purchased books. Is that allowed?
Yes. Even if you have not purchased anything, the homebrew system will allow you to privately replicate anything from the books except full classes. It will cost you nothing but time.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat On - Mod Hat Off
Yes. Even if you have not purchased anything, the homebrew system will allow you to privately replicate anything from the books except full classes. It will cost you nothing but time.
I know it will let you do it, but is it assumed by DDB and WotC that when you do that you have purchased the content? Is this one of those IP things where it only needs 1 legal usage even if there are 100 illegal ways to use it?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Legitimate question, you do realize wizards doesn't really care about providing a good buying experience because you literally cannot buy from them as a consumer, right?
DM for the Adventures in Erylia Podcast
Where five friends sit around the table and record themselves playing Dungeons and Dragons
I just want to tell everyone "happy gaming" and actually mean it. Whatever your game is, just have fun with it, it is after all, just a game.
I just think if I have bought the hard copy of a book That I should be able to scan it some how to the site, just so that I’m not paying double for a book I already own.
If there already is a feature like this I haven’t found it on mobile. If someone could either point me in a direction or tell me if I’m correct in my assumptions that would be wonderful. I don’t want any beef or anything with devs or anyone from the website’s producers.
If by "this," you mean the ability to prove you own the books and access content here for a lower price, no that's not an option here, nor is it likely ever to be an option. The first post in this thread addresses why that is, or at least some of the reasons. If you don't believe what DDB offers you is worth the cost, that's totally your call. If you aren't sure, I'd encourage you to explore the tools here using the free content. Another low cost way to try things out is to homebrew or buy the individual character options you need for one character (assuming the options you want aren't in the basic rules) and use that character and the online sheet in a game for a while.
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;
Check your entitlements here. | Support Ticket LInk
I just want to tell everyone "happy gaming" and actually mean it. Whatever your game is, just have fun with it, it is after all, just a game.
I do not trust the net as a whole and in the case of online data i do not trust that if my computer crashes or blows up and i have to get a new one all the money i spend on online book will be lost when i play D&D in a shop or at a friends home then that is my time away from electronic devices with a book i can read that anywhere you can not when you have no power or internet service it is sad that people do pirated stuff but i just want something that i can use on my home pc that reflects the books that i have without cost me more money this is to me double charging those that have the books and wanting a data base to either do their character sheets up for off line gaming or the DM to the DM thing for each week session if playing weekly.
i have no interest in online D&D session playing where this program would be ideal but it is not good for me you can delete my account now
Sorry KevinA, I'm not sure I understand why you would have been interested in even checking out a digital tool, if you have a large fear of your electronics crapping out on you at the table? Seems that physical books, paper, and pencil would ease your mind... Yes, if you don't have power or internet you won't be able to access a digital toolset, that's simply how digital works.
You can still do character sheets up on D&D Beyond without purchasing anything. You can enter in races, magic items, spells, and feats from your owned books for your private use, with subclasses coming soon - if you think your time is too valuable for that, then perhaps you should realize that the programming, data entry, constant updates, and new features of this site all have people working salaried jobs to do that they get paid for.
No, you cannot submit for that homebrew content to be "public" for other people to use. You can however enter it in for your private use.
It's been discussed a few times throughout the forum as an option for those who have purchased the physical books, and wish to use this tool, but do not wish to purchase the books in a digital format. If you submit them as an attempt to pass them off as homebrew you'd be rightly rejected.
Stormknight's comment was in direct response to this post:
Where Spastik discussed using an illegal product. Any application (app) or character sheet (like MPMB, Herolab, etc.) that tries to use non SRD content without getting a license is illegal use of WOTC's intellectual property.
So DDB character sheets with non SRD content on them are assumed to be officially licensed?
Ok if you are allowed to do both then I see no hypocrisy. Both meaning enter content into your DDB character sheet that you have & have not purchased. If they were claiming that you could enter content that you have purchased, but not allowed to enter content you have not purchased then that would be in contradiction to a lot of the discussion we've had here.
Yes, as has been discussed you can sit with your computer and physical books and enter in whatever you'd like, so long as you don't try to publish it. :) Once subclasses are entered you will be able to 100% utilize D&D Beyond's character builder without purchasing anything, you just have to invest the time to learn the homebrew system and create from there.
Neither DDB nor WOTC have any idea whether you own the books so, tacitly, yes. My understanding is you can share all this with your campaign group, but not in the public homebrew section.
-
View User Profile
-
View Posts
-
Send Message
ModeratorHomebrew Rules || Homebrew FAQ || Snippet Codes || Tooltips
DDB Guides & FAQs, Class Guides, Character Builds, Game Guides, Useful Websites, and WOTC Resources