Am I the only one here that, as a DM, isn't super thrilled about "being the one that has to buy all the books because well, you're thre DM"? :P
About the group sub/DM sub, isn't there a smart way to have all the players in a group share the cost equally? That's probably just wishful thinking though, haha.
Let me know if I say something stupid here or overly complicated...but what if there was a option to buy a group package of any amount of seats. All these players could enter their payment info into the group settings and be charged equally to have access to the features.
Finally, being from Canada, we are always worried about products from the US because of our dollar value compared to yours. I am sure you have many customers from all around the world too so many others could be in my situation. Is that being considered at all? If everything is in USD, it means it will cost 30% more for Canadians to get the service. :)
I will not pay for anything. Especially since all of this can be found for free elsewhere. Simple google will yield results.
I've already bought the books, I'm not going to pay for an "online" watered down version of them. Especially for "premium" features.
Everything should be all inclusive for one flat single price if you want to make money from these shenanigans.
Thanks for the thoughts. The good news is, we're not asking anyone to pay for what's currently here (or available via a Google result). The only thing that will require purchase are the things you can't (legally) get on Google.
Yeah, but what about the things that I already own? There is no way I am going to pay to have access to that online when I have it right here in my lap. For instance, here are the books currently with me. https://i.imgur.com/dk58AHg.jpg
I never said anything about illegal stuff, don't know what you're talking about there.
Unfortunately, I think we need to consider this is not WotC, this is DDB/Curse (in a partnership with WotC).
Most of us do own physical copies (books) but this is not really related to DDB, they offer a new service entirely digital and this service is not necessarily meant to completely replace or make your books obsolete.
Anyhow, we don't really know what's going to be the business model yet but anyways, it would feel pretty weird to me to have all the books except the core books in the app so I'll probably end up buying it's DDB digital version again. :)
Am I the only one here that, as a DM, isn't super thrilled about "being the one that has to buy all the books because well, you're thre DM"? :P
No. I'm in the same boat, though I put a hard "not gonna happen" on my group thinking I was going to buy all the books nearly a decade ago now. My financial situation changed so it wasn't convenient for me to buy myself a copy of every book and then hope the players would pick up copies of books they liked for themselves, and we just stopped getting new books as a result - until I said "Yeah, I'm only buying what I'm actually interested in from now on. If there is something else you want, you should buy it."
I'm still the main purchaser of books, but all the players in my group do actually go out and buy something from time to time now, so it's more like a 3:1 ratio of book purchases rather than 100:0.
Am I the only one here that, as a DM, isn't super thrilled about "being the one that has to buy all the books because well, you're thre DM"? :P
No. I'm in the same boat, though I put a hard "not gonna happen" on my group thinking I was going to buy all the books nearly a decade ago now. My financial situation changed so it wasn't convenient for me to buy myself a copy of every book and then hope the players would pick up copies of books they liked for themselves, and we just stopped getting new books as a result - until I said "Yeah, I'm only buying what I'm actually interested in from now on. If there is something else you want, you should buy it."
I'm still the main purchaser of books, but all the players in my group do actually go out and buy something from time to time now, so it's more like a 3:1 ratio of book purchases rather than 100:0.
Yeah! That's why I'm hoping for an option to share the cost equally or at least in a smarter way with DDB!
everyone here has made some great suggestions, I only have one small concern. I have one player that had to drop out because of health reasons, i have another wanting to sit in and two wanting to join in via on line presence, how would/could you share the costs in that situation ?
Obviously, I would prefer it to remain free of charge, anyone would.
Saying that, though, I believe that the quality, both layout and content wise, will be a lot better when they can justify the development costs - without having to dip into other sources of income.
Yes, the books cost, spellcards cost, miniatures cost, among other things. I own some of the books myself and 'Beyond' is not a replacement as such, not to me. I prefer to look at it as a place where I can find everything I want - and more - whilst on the go, at the same time as having the opportunity to be a part of a friendly and, hopefully, supportive community.
In that sense, I would be more than happy to pay a monthly/annual subscription fee.
Also, the feeling of contributing is, after all, better than that of freeloading, mmm?
Thank you for finding this info. I'm quite interested in viewing the setup they have proposed, as well as if you can link player characters to a DM for visibility purposes.
As for the digital content, I'm hoping that relays to downloadable PDFs and not only to reside on the Plane of Smartphone.
I recommend giving up hope for 5th edition PDFs prior to the release of 6th edition. Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment. If Wizards isn't going to sell us PDFs through the PDF selling service it already has (DM's Guild/DrivethruRPG) then they're not going to do it through a different special service. D&D Beyond is going to be in the form you see here—a web interface, and later a mobile app serving up similar content in a similar fashion.
The "buy it in pieces" thing is the same line we got from Fantasy Grounds and look at their outrageous pricing. They should do subscription or piecemeal, not both. As long as we're subscribed we should get access to everything.
Keep in mind that you can buy complete and not just in pieces. Also keep in mind that Fantasy Grounds does not, and D&D Beyond will not have control of the pricing for the official WotC content. That will be dictated by WotC specifically.
D&D Beyond is not directly WotC (which is probably the reason they are using exclusively the SRD for content during the beta). D&D Beyond is being developed/run by Curse. If it was exclusively being provided by WotC I would expect access to the content without having to buy it due to having a subscription. Since it is going to be through Curse I am expecting potential charges that are out of their hands and do not expect full access to everything for the subscription.
What I expect full access to for the description is the character creator, the campaign manager, and the homebrew feature, and the forums.
D&D Beyond is not directly WotC (which is probably the reason they are using exclusively the SRD for content during the beta). D&D Beyond is being developed/run by Curse. If it was exclusively being provided by WotC I would expect access to the content without having to buy it due to having a subscription. Since it is going to be through Curse I am expecting potential charges that are out of their hands and do not expect full access to everything for the subscription.
In that case, I hope Curse has a way of separating the json/xml files from the database and way the content is displayed, and then works out a deal with other tabletop companies that are more ethical to produce content similar to D&D Beyond with other systems. Shady, but why should Curse piss away so much time and money because WotC (Hasbro) doesn't understand how to internet?
I can't justify a subscription to access materials I own already. The newest adventure book is $65 Canadian plus tax.
Although $65 is indeed the MSRP, D&D books are constantly on sale. Amazon.ca currently has Tales from the Yawning Portal (I assume this is what you were referring to) listed at $39.21 even though the MSRP is $65. I understand the point you're trying to make but let's be honest, no one ever pays the full price for books...
A monthly subscription is completely justified in my opinion to sustain DDB and will be to access the non-book features like the Character Builder tool and the Campaign Management tool, etc. I believe we will likely have to pay for book (one time fee) IF (and only if) you want access to the material through DDB.
D&D Beyond is not directly WotC (which is probably the reason they are using exclusively the SRD for content during the beta). D&D Beyond is being developed/run by Curse. If it was exclusively being provided by WotC I would expect access to the content without having to buy it due to having a subscription. Since it is going to be through Curse I am expecting potential charges that are out of their hands and do not expect full access to everything for the subscription.
In that case, I hope Curse has a way of separating the json/xml files from the database and way the content is displayed, and then works out a deal with other tabletop companies that are more ethical to produce content similar to D&D Beyond with other systems. Shady, but why should Curse piss away so much time and money because WotC (Hasbro) doesn't understand how to internet?
I was wondering the exact same thing! I assume that you "unlock" portion of the database when you buy a new book (new spells/monsters/races/classes/items, etc) that gets added to the main list.
I would be extremely surprised if DUNGEONS & DRAGONS BEYOND is for anything not directly D&D...so no other tabletop.
Am I the only one here that, as a DM, isn't super thrilled about "being the one that has to buy all the books because well, you're thre DM"? :P
About the group sub/DM sub, isn't there a smart way to have all the players in a group share the cost equally? That's probably just wishful thinking though, haha.
Let me know if I say something stupid here or overly complicated...but what if there was a option to buy a group package of any amount of seats. All these players could enter their payment info into the group settings and be charged equally to have access to the features.
Thanks!
Like most other DMs, I'm in the same boat. I buy everything and when I told my players about the subscription.. well... I'm the only one. I've bought all the books and minis, maps, etc. With a one-time, life-time subscription... I can ask the players to throw me a couple of bucks, they would do that but not anything monthly. I know WOTC knows the pain of a DM an hoping Curse/DnD Beyond knows that the DMs get hit the hardest in this hobby.
Am I the only one here that, as a DM, isn't super thrilled about "being the one that has to buy all the books because well, you're thre DM"?
Yes and no. Would it be nice to defray the cost of all the books? Sure. Money is nice.
Do I begrudge the rest of the group for not buying as much as me? Not at all. I'm the most mentally and emotionally invested in the game. It makes sense that it takes more out of my wallet. That's not a bad thing, either. The GM may bear the greatest weight of the game, but he also reaps the greatest rewards. I get to create the world, fill it with people, bring it to life. I'm responsible for adjudicating the rules, which means I get a much greater say in the tone and flavor of the game. There's a reason games and settings are often referred to as "SobekRe's game" or "DM x's game"; and it's more than just ease of reference.
Even if I'm running a published setting, I'm free -- practically required, in fact -- to change things in the book and add to them, as it seems appropriate to me. For example, if I were to run a Realms game (unlikely, but not impossible), I'd start with the SCAG and have that be the only canon. What's immediately to the east of the published map? Well, I wanted a bigger focus on seafaring, so it's actually another coast. For that reason, I'd actually rather the players didn't buy as many books as me, just so I don't have to deal with purists who are more interested in how some guy we've never met described the setting than what's actually important for the table at which we're sitting.
Don't get me wrong: Part of my responsibility is to make sure the players are having fun, too. I just need a few more tools to do that than they do.
Also, I expect the players to have respect for the amount of effort/money that goes into being an effective GM. That might include getting a player subscription to DnD Beyond. Then again, as I said upthread, my wife and daughter are in my group and I feel like I'll be paying enough without having to pay for separate accounts for them. Not sure what the happy middle ground is.
Even if I'm running a published setting, I'm free -- practically required, in fact -- to change things in the book and add to them, as it seems appropriate to me. For example, if I were to run a Realms game (unlikely, but not impossible), I'd start with the SCAG and have that be the only canon. What's immediately to the east of the published map? Well, I wanted a bigger focus on seafaring, so it's actually another coast. For that reason, I'd actually rather the players didn't buy as many books as me, just so I don't have to deal with purists who are more interested in how some guy we've never met described the setting than what's actually important for the table at which we're sitting.
I actually agree. On top of that, there's also the element of 'spoilers'. Largely I trust players not to spoil themselves but if they all bought the books there's always the chance of it, especially with the type of player who is in it to Win.
Even if I'm running a published setting, I'm free -- practically required, in fact -- to change things in the book and add to them, as it seems appropriate to me. For example, if I were to run a Realms game (unlikely, but not impossible), I'd start with the SCAG and have that be the only canon. What's immediately to the east of the published map? Well, I wanted a bigger focus on seafaring, so it's actually another coast. For that reason, I'd actually rather the players didn't buy as many books as me, just so I don't have to deal with purists who are more interested in how some guy we've never met described the setting than what's actually important for the table at which we're sitting.
I actually agree. On top of that, there's also the element of 'spoilers'. Largely I trust players not to spoil themselves but if they all bought the books there's always the chance of it, especially with the type of player who is in it to Win.
Total agreement here. It also helps curb the potential meta gaming that caused my 2 books beyond the core for gurps and 3 for 3.5...which I chose. Incidentally, since for the longest I couldn't host, that rule turned my dufflebag of books into a backpack.
But just havimg the additional cost as the GM is one of the sacrifices we make. Worth it? Absolutely.
Even if I'm running a published setting, I'm free -- practically required, in fact -- to change things in the book and add to them, as it seems appropriate to me. For example, if I were to run a Realms game (unlikely, but not impossible), I'd start with the SCAG and have that be the only canon. What's immediately to the east of the published map? Well, I wanted a bigger focus on seafaring, so it's actually another coast. For that reason, I'd actually rather the players didn't buy as many books as me, just so I don't have to deal with purists who are more interested in how some guy we've never met described the setting than what's actually important for the table at which we're sitting.
I actually agree. On top of that, there's also the element of 'spoilers'. Largely I trust players not to spoil themselves but if they all bought the books there's always the chance of it, especially with the type of player who is in it to Win.
Total agreement here. It also helps curb the potential meta gaming that caused my 2 books beyond the core for gurps and 3 for 3.5...which I chose. Incidentally, since for the longest I couldn't host, that rule turned my dufflebag of books into a backpack.
But just havimg the additional cost as the GM is one of the sacrifices we make. Worth it? Absolutely.
Even if I'm running a published setting, I'm free -- practically required, in fact -- to change things in the book and add to them, as it seems appropriate to me. For example, if I were to run a Realms game (unlikely, but not impossible), I'd start with the SCAG and have that be the only canon. What's immediately to the east of the published map? Well, I wanted a bigger focus on seafaring, so it's actually another coast. For that reason, I'd actually rather the players didn't buy as many books as me, just so I don't have to deal with purists who are more interested in how some guy we've never met described the setting than what's actually important for the table at which we're sitting.
I actually agree. On top of that, there's also the element of 'spoilers'. Largely I trust players not to spoil themselves but if they all bought the books there's always the chance of it, especially with the type of player who is in it to Win.
Total agreement here. It also helps curb the potential meta gaming that caused my 2 books beyond the core for gurps and 3 for 3.5...which I chose. Incidentally, since for the longest I couldn't host, that rule turned my dufflebag of books into a backpack.
But just havimg the additional cost as the GM is one of the sacrifices we make. Worth it? Absolutely.
What I usually do is world development centered on the party and their likely destinations... So say I am using the Forgotten Realms and starting off in an unmapped location in Calimshan that is the ruin of a palace ... I will custom build it in detail using the middle eastern/north african feel of calimshan and decide how much of the location ties into or runs contrary to published dogma. Say my pc's run into some nomadic tribes and ask questions about the nearest city, the capital, the country, the region... The further away from their locations the more likely I am to answer in generalizations based on the published settings. The closer I am the more details from those settings I will choose to include or exclude and elaborate on. I try to keep track of my answers and description but occasional discrepancies between information provided while the party was far away and the details revealed when they arrive can be explained by nomads who have never actually visited the capital and are relying on outdated and inaccurate information they had heard.
This allows me to use as much or as little of a published setting as I want.
A small monthly subscription will be needed to manage more than a handful of characters and to enable more advanced features, like homebrew content integration. At this time, we don’t know exactly how much the subscription will cost, but please continue to check dndbeyond.com for the most up-to-date announcements and information.
How much will it cost?
We don’t have exact pricing nailed-down, but you will be able to buy official digital D&D content for all fifth edition products with flexible purchase options. You can pay only for the D&D content you need. If you only play fighters, for example, you’ll be able to just pick up the stuff you need to track swinging that two-handed sword.
So it looks like there will be a monthly cost as well as paid modules
Like most - I have all the 5th Edition Books (well, except Yawning Portal - not gotten that one yet!) - and if D&D Beyond had a ONE time price - even if it was 30 bucks - despite having all the books - I'd probably still purchase it. But a monthly fee? That will probably be my deal breaker. The problem is the group I play with - we're lucky to get together once a month because of conflicting work schedules (most of us do the {nearly} 9 to 5 - but two of my players have jobs that require off shifts, and sometimes weekends - which is when we usually try to play). So if I had to do a monthly fee - and basically only getting to use this once a month for the most part - I don't think it'd be worth it, sadly. And it sucks, because I really love what I've seen so far.
Am I the only one here that, as a DM, isn't super thrilled about "being the one that has to buy all the books because well, you're thre DM"? :P
About the group sub/DM sub, isn't there a smart way to have all the players in a group share the cost equally? That's probably just wishful thinking though, haha.
Let me know if I say something stupid here or overly complicated...but what if there was a option to buy a group package of any amount of seats. All these players could enter their payment info into the group settings and be charged equally to have access to the features.
Finally, being from Canada, we are always worried about products from the US because of our dollar value compared to yours. I am sure you have many customers from all around the world too so many others could be in my situation. Is that being considered at all? If everything is in USD, it means it will cost 30% more for Canadians to get the service. :)
Thanks!
I never said anything about illegal stuff, don't know what you're talking about there.
Unfortunately, I think we need to consider this is not WotC, this is DDB/Curse (in a partnership with WotC).
Most of us do own physical copies (books) but this is not really related to DDB, they offer a new service entirely digital and this service is not necessarily meant to completely replace or make your books obsolete.
Anyhow, we don't really know what's going to be the business model yet but anyways, it would feel pretty weird to me to have all the books except the core books in the app so I'll probably end up buying it's DDB digital version again. :)
No. I'm in the same boat, though I put a hard "not gonna happen" on my group thinking I was going to buy all the books nearly a decade ago now. My financial situation changed so it wasn't convenient for me to buy myself a copy of every book and then hope the players would pick up copies of books they liked for themselves, and we just stopped getting new books as a result - until I said "Yeah, I'm only buying what I'm actually interested in from now on. If there is something else you want, you should buy it."
I'm still the main purchaser of books, but all the players in my group do actually go out and buy something from time to time now, so it's more like a 3:1 ratio of book purchases rather than 100:0.
everyone here has made some great suggestions, I only have one small concern. I have one player that had to drop out because of health reasons, i have another wanting to sit in and two wanting to join in via on line presence, how would/could you share the costs in that situation ?
Obviously, I would prefer it to remain free of charge, anyone would.
Saying that, though, I believe that the quality, both layout and content wise, will be a lot better when they can justify the development costs - without having to dip into other sources of income.
Yes, the books cost, spellcards cost, miniatures cost, among other things. I own some of the books myself and 'Beyond' is not a replacement as such, not to me. I prefer to look at it as a place where I can find everything I want - and more - whilst on the go, at the same time as having the opportunity to be a part of a friendly and, hopefully, supportive community.
In that sense, I would be more than happy to pay a monthly/annual subscription fee.
Also, the feeling of contributing is, after all, better than that of freeloading, mmm?
D&D Beyond is not directly WotC (which is probably the reason they are using exclusively the SRD for content during the beta). D&D Beyond is being developed/run by Curse. If it was exclusively being provided by WotC I would expect access to the content without having to buy it due to having a subscription. Since it is going to be through Curse I am expecting potential charges that are out of their hands and do not expect full access to everything for the subscription.
What I expect full access to for the description is the character creator, the campaign manager, and the homebrew feature, and the forums.
"Wisdom begins in wonder" - Socrates
I can't justify a subscription to access materials I own already. The newest adventure book is $65 Canadian plus tax.
In that case, I hope Curse has a way of separating the json/xml files from the database and way the content is displayed, and then works out a deal with other tabletop companies that are more ethical to produce content similar to D&D Beyond with other systems. Shady, but why should Curse piss away so much time and money because WotC (Hasbro) doesn't understand how to internet?
"Wisdom begins in wonder" - Socrates
And what if I just want the books? Should I have to subscribe?
DDB seems to be the only way to get 5e digital rulebooks without violating WoTC copyright.
Okay, a few questions to ask:
This allows me to use as much or as little of a published setting as I want.
Check out my publication on DMs Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Tawmis%20Logue
Check out my comedy web series - Neverending Nights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wr4-u9-zw0&list=PLbRG7dzFI-u3EJd0usasgDrrFO3mZ1lOZ
Need a character story/background written up? I do it for free (but also take donations!) - https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?591882-Need-a-character-background-written-up