I would be more interested in seeing the paid for "service" rather than material. What benefits are allotted from using this web/app portal than via other means?
This is what I'll be watching for; not a measure to repurchase readable content in digital form.
Something that lets you input your purchased book and this allows you to have access to content. Why are we purchasing something twice?
I like this idea
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JT "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
Agreed, the concept of making us buy the same material repeatedly for every medium is an epic level of greed. I haven't gotten any books outside of the core books because I'm still debating which way to go with things. Roll20 now has some of the content that we need, but full price is something I will only pay once on a product. I also agree that my interest in this website is going to be based on what it is offering. If they want to just be a linked database, that's nice, but I'll just keep using my current methods and forget about D&D Beyond very quickly. If they want to replace the other sites like Roll20 and fantasy grounds, they need to work at it and make sure they take advantage of this being a single format. Roll20 is limited because they are catering to anyone who wants to game, this site could be an awesome, D&D specific, online tabletop. What I would want from this site is very straight-forward,in my opinion:
EITHER A: If content must be purchased, make it one time only. If someone picks up Volo's Guide or another book, they shouldn't have to pay for both the digital and hard copies. This shouldn't be anything more than a single purchase and done.
OR B: If there is a subscription, make it tiered like Roll20. Free content (SRD and homebrew) available from this site free. Complete core information and site functionality a small fee. Complete access to all content (current and new releases) plus enhanced site features, a higher cost.
Ideally, if the DM has access to the content, the players can see it as well.
It needs tools to enhance the game, like an inventory system, treasure generator, and character sheets.
If this website ends up being a tool instead of an alternative to Roll20, that will be fine, but it needs to work well as such.
I'd be more likely to pay for every book if I could scan a code and "unlock" the digital content on a site like this, allowing me to keep a physical and digital library with one purchase... and that keeps me actively engaging on forums like this, and when these forums are high activity they attract new players. That's my dream at least.
I like this...Finally we could utilize both physical libraries and digital libraries. No more pesky players looking at notes in our monster manuals, or DM's Guide for clues to what adventure is coming. Keep the DM's power in their hands and not for players. Lets DM's lock out 'For their eyes only". Once a player is ready to DM, can allow them access to digital tools that are used. That is why we have Players Manuals, and Dungeons Masters Manuals.
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Just because I play a cleric and heal you, does not mean you are my best friend. I am only using you to further my own evil desires.
I'll say that my threshold for paying for a subscription is warmly in a good range. Things like Obsidian Portal and Roll20 have been "worth it" for me in the past and currently. Beyond being "worth it" is doable. If the apps are stable, the content easy to navigate, the updates periodic, and I have any ability to engage and use the platform to run a game (that's key, this has to be more than another information site, it needs to serve the primary mission of making running a game easier), then sure... you can have some of my money.
We're doing our own book on Kickstarter! It's going to be amazing--300 pages, art, and so much high quality content you'll be drownin' in it... Click here to check it out and sign-up!
Either way our session for Curse of Strahd (played with modern PCs) is tomorrow night and I intend on using what is available here and trying it out. I hope this is what we have all been waiting for. I really do want this to work. But for that to be achieved we will all have to work together. Someone has to be the guy to say I don't like that or things will never change.
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I am first and foremost a husband and father. DMing comes in at a VERY close third.
I am worried about cost as well. I didn't partake in Roll20 or anything else at the moment. I just play live with friends, and am looking forward to this as lugging 5 books everywhere with me is a pain. My only real worry is that players will only have to pay for their class, while DMs have to pay for everything. I understand if I have to pay a little for since I need more. But if it's something like $5 for the rogue class, so if I am a player I only need to pay 5 bucks. But If I'm a DM I need all the classes, 2 different monster manuals, the DMG and the adventure builder, and whatever other, albeit cool , stuff. THat might get a bit expensive and push some away from DMing using this service. That kept for from using Roll20. If I want to use a Volo's monster, I need that book. Players don't pay it. Only I do.
This has long been the case, even with physical books. Unless you get the players to chip in a bit, you're providing the main guide books that players "peek" at when they have a question. Will likely need to get them to help balance out if the same situation presents themselves. Depends upon your group of players, I suppose.
From the FAQ It seems that the subscription will be to manage Char sheets only. This of course can change.
As far as sell you on it.. I am not sure I can honestly I can tell you what I am hoping for though.
DM
Open campaigns
Notes
Maps
NPC
Battles and initiative
Twitch Integration to stream sessions
Push and pull gold and other loot,
Home Rules ? (remove or modify spells and items per the campaign?)
Invite Players and attach player built chars to the campaign
Allow live modification of char sheets so the DM and viewers can see HP/Condition/spell useage
Dice Rollers that auto/manual calc for attacks and damage
Cross Classing
Manual Math mode ( I have used builders for years and have not found one that forgot to carry the 1 at some point)
Integration between Web and App
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Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination. I will protect those who cannot protect themselves, I will protect even those I hate so long as it is right.
There's online bookshelf/library apps and websites that use barcode scanning to show which books you own, I wonder if there'd be a way to have the Beyond app scan the barcodes of the books you physically have, and if there'd be a way for websites that sell pdfs to update their pdfs to include a code you could copy-paste into Beyond to show you purchased the book.
It seems like the solutions to double-paying are already out there in the world, it just remains to be seen if Curse and WotC will implement these already existing technologies and services to help people who are already loyal customers get rewarded for that loyalty with regard to Beyond's launch.
How do you prove you bought the book and didn't just walk into a game store and scanned the barcode?
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Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination. I will protect those who cannot protect themselves, I will protect even those I hate so long as it is right.
Honestly my inclination for an online product like Beyond would be to just let people have the content without proving you own it in the first place, I was just trying to spin off some ideas about how to get that done if they cared about proof of purchase. Obviously a backwards compatible way of doing it would be kinda hard, but going forward they could put codes in their books (altho at the game store level that might make it a bit difficult just because someone could still sneak a code entry in a store and then a player buys that book and has to prove with a receipt and the game store's say so that they own that code, and that the original use of that code is a user that should be banned from Beyond or something).
idk just putting ideas out there, it's Beta after all and it's good to get the creative juices flowing, so we can have creative solutions amenable both to people getting all the content they paid for in all formats and to the company creating the content.
I expect the paid content will be a means to allow DMG content creators to sell their goods through DNDBeyond. This is aside from whatever pricing scheme WOTC is going to employ for their official content.
This is something I am curious about as well. I've purchased the books, but also purchased everything for Fantasy Grounds as having all the tables and rolls setup is really great for getting characters made and running combat when everybody cannot be in the same room at the same time. Hopefully they are able to clear up how access to content will be managed.
If they had a system for scanning your books that would be nifty, but I am not sure how that would work fully.
From the FAQ It seems that the subscription will be to manage Char sheets only. This of course can change.
As far as sell you on it.. I am not sure I can honestly I can tell you what I am hoping for though.
DM
Open campaigns
Notes
Maps
NPC
Battles and initiative
Twitch Integration to stream sessions
Push and pull gold and other loot,
Home Rules ? (remove or modify spells and items per the campaign?)
Invite Players and attach player built chars to the campaign
Allow live modification of char sheets so the DM and viewers can see HP/Condition/spell useage
Dice Rollers that auto/manual calc for attacks and damage
Cross Classing
Manual Math mode ( I have used builders for years and have not found one that forgot to carry the 1 at some point)
Integration between Web and App
You can add to this pretty awesome list a way to export those characters into Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds. I'm pretty sure people on those platforms would love that. Heck, while you are at it have the same options for the DM's to export their hard work into the same platforms. Yeah that's a wish spell!
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JT "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
I really only want to be able to do everything and get it done faster than the way I'm doing it now. Yes I know that's a vague statement but it's also a true statement for many of the posts that I have seen on here.
I would be willing to pay a subscription as a DM that would allow me to "borrow" content from the WotC library, much as I do for my Kindle Unlimited service. You can borrow with the option to purchase (at a discounted price, you're already paying for the subscription). The borrowed library would be limited to a certain number of books, supplements, etc., allowing the DM to utilize that resource until it was returned (i.e. the campaign setting has shifted). Just a thought. Insofar as scanning codes for purchased hardcover content, I would suggest that the code would have to be linked to a registered DDB account. That code is single use. If that code is stolen, it will be registered to an account. That account is banned and new code issued to the purchaser. If you buy the hardcover from Amazon (further incentive for Amazon to streamline this process) that code is for more secure as it is shipped from Amazon rather than sitting in a brick and mortar. Just my 2cp.
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"Natch!! Congratulations, you have successfully narfled the garthok!"
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JT " You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
Agreed, the concept of making us buy the same material repeatedly for every medium is an epic level of greed. I haven't gotten any books outside of the core books because I'm still debating which way to go with things. Roll20 now has some of the content that we need, but full price is something I will only pay once on a product. I also agree that my interest in this website is going to be based on what it is offering. If they want to just be a linked database, that's nice, but I'll just keep using my current methods and forget about D&D Beyond very quickly. If they want to replace the other sites like Roll20 and fantasy grounds, they need to work at it and make sure they take advantage of this being a single format. Roll20 is limited because they are catering to anyone who wants to game, this site could be an awesome, D&D specific, online tabletop. What I would want from this site is very straight-forward,in my opinion:
If this website ends up being a tool instead of an alternative to Roll20, that will be fine, but it needs to work well as such.
Just because I play a cleric and heal you, does not mean you are my best friend. I am only using you to further my own evil desires.
I'll say that my threshold for paying for a subscription is warmly in a good range. Things like Obsidian Portal and Roll20 have been "worth it" for me in the past and currently. Beyond being "worth it" is doable. If the apps are stable, the content easy to navigate, the updates periodic, and I have any ability to engage and use the platform to run a game (that's key, this has to be more than another information site, it needs to serve the primary mission of making running a game easier), then sure... you can have some of my money.
manysideddice.com
+ A Table of Contents That's Better Than Nothing (hundreds of creative, storied items that are "better than nothing")
+ A Table of Contents To Worry Your Players With (dozens of weird, storied traps to make your players nervous)
We're doing our own book on Kickstarter! It's going to be amazing--300 pages, art, and so much high quality content you'll be drownin' in it... Click here to check it out and sign-up!
Either way our session for Curse of Strahd (played with modern PCs) is tomorrow night and I intend on using what is available here and trying it out. I hope this is what we have all been waiting for. I really do want this to work. But for that to be achieved we will all have to work together. Someone has to be the guy to say I don't like that or things will never change.
I am first and foremost a husband and father. DMing comes in at a VERY close third.
Test post please ignore.
I am worried about cost as well. I didn't partake in Roll20 or anything else at the moment. I just play live with friends, and am looking forward to this as lugging 5 books everywhere with me is a pain. My only real worry is that players will only have to pay for their class, while DMs have to pay for everything. I understand if I have to pay a little for since I need more. But if it's something like $5 for the rogue class, so if I am a player I only need to pay 5 bucks. But If I'm a DM I need all the classes, 2 different monster manuals, the DMG and the adventure builder, and whatever other, albeit cool , stuff. THat might get a bit expensive and push some away from DMing using this service. That kept for from using Roll20. If I want to use a Volo's monster, I need that book. Players don't pay it. Only I do.
This has long been the case, even with physical books. Unless you get the players to chip in a bit, you're providing the main guide books that players "peek" at when they have a question. Will likely need to get them to help balance out if the same situation presents themselves. Depends upon your group of players, I suppose.
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Send me a message with any questions or concerns
From the FAQ It seems that the subscription will be to manage Char sheets only. This of course can change.
As far as sell you on it.. I am not sure I can honestly I can tell you what I am hoping for though.
Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination. I will protect those who cannot protect themselves, I will protect even those I hate so long as it is right.
There's online bookshelf/library apps and websites that use barcode scanning to show which books you own, I wonder if there'd be a way to have the Beyond app scan the barcodes of the books you physically have, and if there'd be a way for websites that sell pdfs to update their pdfs to include a code you could copy-paste into Beyond to show you purchased the book.
It seems like the solutions to double-paying are already out there in the world, it just remains to be seen if Curse and WotC will implement these already existing technologies and services to help people who are already loyal customers get rewarded for that loyalty with regard to Beyond's launch.
How do you prove you bought the book and didn't just walk into a game store and scanned the barcode?
Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination. I will protect those who cannot protect themselves, I will protect even those I hate so long as it is right.
Honestly my inclination for an online product like Beyond would be to just let people have the content without proving you own it in the first place, I was just trying to spin off some ideas about how to get that done if they cared about proof of purchase. Obviously a backwards compatible way of doing it would be kinda hard, but going forward they could put codes in their books (altho at the game store level that might make it a bit difficult just because someone could still sneak a code entry in a store and then a player buys that book and has to prove with a receipt and the game store's say so that they own that code, and that the original use of that code is a user that should be banned from Beyond or something).
idk just putting ideas out there, it's Beta after all and it's good to get the creative juices flowing, so we can have creative solutions amenable both to people getting all the content they paid for in all formats and to the company creating the content.
I expect the paid content will be a means to allow DMG content creators to sell their goods through DNDBeyond. This is aside from whatever pricing scheme WOTC is going to employ for their official content.
Dungeon Master - Writer - Mini Enthusiast
I want to follow the forum just to see what the possible paid content or subscription services cost may be.
JT " You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
I emphatically agree.
I really only want to be able to do everything and get it done faster than the way I'm doing it now. Yes I know that's a vague statement but it's also a true statement for many of the posts that I have seen on here.
I would be willing to pay a subscription as a DM that would allow me to "borrow" content from the WotC library, much as I do for my Kindle Unlimited service. You can borrow with the option to purchase (at a discounted price, you're already paying for the subscription). The borrowed library would be limited to a certain number of books, supplements, etc., allowing the DM to utilize that resource until it was returned (i.e. the campaign setting has shifted). Just a thought. Insofar as scanning codes for purchased hardcover content, I would suggest that the code would have to be linked to a registered DDB account. That code is single use. If that code is stolen, it will be registered to an account. That account is banned and new code issued to the purchaser. If you buy the hardcover from Amazon (further incentive for Amazon to streamline this process) that code is for more secure as it is shipped from Amazon rather than sitting in a brick and mortar. Just my 2cp.
"Natch!! Congratulations, you have successfully narfled the garthok!"