I am super happy about this tool set, but my major concern about this turning into a subscription based toolset. You see I am a college student with limited funds so will their be other option with d&d beyond that won't require a subscription.? Also will the pricing be rediculous I know it is too early to see but I love this tool set and don't want to give it up because of a barrier to entry issue like so many other d&d resources before it. But I will still give continuous feedback on this amazing resource and I am sure this will turn out amazing I just wanted to express my concerns as an inspiring game designer and fan.

I am hoping there are a set of options based on a modular setup so you can get the parts you want as you need them like buying the books. I'm also on a limited budget right now and I am hoping to be able to afford use of this after the testing is done. I am sure as they work on it, marketing is definitely determining options and seeing what might work with what the final product is turning into as we test.

The SRD information currently available on the site should remain free. Pretty much every other service (the tools such as the promised character creator and campaign manager) is likely to become subscription-based. From what I understand, you will also have to purchase any non-SRD content. I would hope that the purchased content would be available without the subscription, just not the services, but that remains to be seen.

Hello folks and welcome to the DDB forums!

Although the full details for pricing/access are not yet revealed, we do have some info.  Keep your eyes posted for more as launch nears.

Until then, check out both the developer quotes link in my signature and this interview here - https://www.gamecrate.com/interview-adam-bradford-curse-developing-dd-beyond/15928

Quote from the interview

We’re not quite ready to discuss full pricing details, but players will be able to use the basic rules content from the SRD in the compendium and core listings, as well as manage some characters for free. What I can confirm is that there will be a subscription offering and ways to buy official content without a subscription. We’re launching this summer, so pricing details can’t be that far off!

I realize the futility of asking this question but...I'm starting a campaign in May and I was wondering if the character build beta would be open by then?

Looking good so far.  Really looking forward to all this being included in an app with some sort of offline capabilities (hoping the app doesn't require you to be online all the time).  I would also like to see a way for people who have already bought physical copies of the books to be able to access the same content here, but not sure how that would be implemented.

I'd gladly pay for a digital, searchable version, despite having purchased the books.

(And for 6th Edition, WOTC, electronic-only, please.)

But I have a well-paying job and don't mind the extra at all.

I like having the digital media and aids to help, but I would most likely switch back to Pathfinder if they stopped producing physical books.  So I for one DO NOT want electronic only products from WotC.

Quote from Golaryn >>

I like having the digital media and aids to help, but I would most likely switch back to Pathfinder if they stopped producing physical books.  So I for one DO NOT want electronic only products from WotC.

I'd also hate digital only, and would prolly stick with 5E if they went digital only.  I love having my physical books.  I don't think we will see a 6E for a while though, 5E has a lot of steam still behind it. 

I doubt they would stop making the books anytime soon because many tabletop users still love having the books along with the paper and pen. I only see them not doing books when there is no profit in it anymore. A lot of people still love doing this game the way it was always played. Some of us like digital to be in the mix or may be almost all digital based on how we play. Currently with 5e I'm all digital with PDFs and roll20 for the group I game with. Others on here are still almost all paper and books with thinking this tool might be a tool to use between games for ease of character sheet and encounter setup that would be printed out for the game at most.

As for 6e, I don't think WotC would be putting this much effort into this digital tool for a well made 5e, if they were already going to push out 6e in the next year. I honestly think they should keep cooking with 5e and maybe adjusting it a little if there is something that majorly impacts the way the game works (not that I've seen such a thing myself so far).

I like that it is a digital tool, appears to be modular, and will have various free to pay-for levels based on the content and usage you want out of it. This will allow people to use it at the level that best fits them as player, DM or both.

Hey Badeye, you should sticky a new thread and call it "28 Days Later" >:D

edit: Bad at math, but whatever...

Okay, it's been over a month. How much more beta testing do you need for Phase 1, which is pretty close to literally just database stuff?

Hey George,

The latest we've heard here on the forums is 'weeks', not 'months', but they've yet to give out anything more specific.   Keep in mind that they're not only testing Phase 1 but continuing to work on Phase 2 internally until it's at a point ready for the beta - it's in alpha, so to speak.  I can't speak for the devs but I know they're still on course for a Summer release, so no worries there.

Thank you for your patience.

@villaintheory, sounds like someone made some really bad production and release timeline decisions. Unless they either meant to say "late summer" with their estimated release or are planning to speed through the useful parts of the beta much quicker than the SRD database, they are quickly running out of time for a reasonable "summer release". The first day of summer is less than 2 months out.

For the record, my opinion is that the website database is pretty, but almost pointless without the additional functionality from the second and third phase. Once people can actually use the site for character creation, the database becomes useful because it's all-in-one. I'm also primarily a phone user and there are apps which provide all the same information without having to deal with mobile connection speeds. I can see where it might eventually be worth using, but they really should have had the actual function of Phase 2 much further along.

I figure the delay between 2 and 3 will be shorter than 1 and 2.  Phase 1 was a decent amount of info to get up, phase 2 shouldn't be nearly as hard, just integrating online character sheets.  Also it looks like phase 3 will either allow copy/paste for custom campaigns and/or add in the official Wizards campaigns to purchase, so shouldn't be overly hard to get those in with the SRD stuff already in now.

I have been pretty underwhelmed so far, since it's essentially just like the fan-made hyperlinked SRDs but WORSE for mobile users because the assets take longer to load. I have heard great things about these devs from my WoW-playing friends, though, so I am assuming beta phase one is just a fluke caused by lack of awareness of existing fan made digital tools. I will definitely check back on for the later phases.

Thank you for your polite and prompt response! Rereading my post, I realize it was too focused on my disappointment and read like a critique of the dev team rather than an explanation of why, to a layman, the purpose of phase one seems opaque. (I am posting from mobile, and lag keeps eating parts of my posts, so rereading it I see a bunch of stuff got backspace out that wasn't supposed to). I understand that you guys are building a foundation that fills a more robust need than a hyperlinked database or a wiki. I was intending to convey that the negative responses mostly stem from expecting a stack of free new toys and only getting one, not legitimate critiques of what has been done so far. I apologize for adding to the negativity rather than clarifying it; that's my bad.