Recently, a change was made in D&D Beyond's builder in Sources, adding two different options for 'Expanded Rules,' with the descriptions given in the Builder as follows:
Homebrew: Character options designed by other players and uploaded to D&D BEYOND. Talk to your DM before including Homebrew content.
Core Rules: Character options from the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual, and D&D Beyond Basic Rules.
Expanded Rules: Character options from supplementary sourcebooks beyond the Core Rules.
2014 Core Rules: Character options from the 2014 Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual, and Basic Rules.
2014 Expanded Rules: Character options from supplementary sourcebooks such as Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, that are beyond the 2014 Core Rules.
Legacy/Noncore: Character options from older sources that may conflict with the Core Rules. These include sources that are out of print or created for charity.
I notice that 'Expanded Rules' is the only category without any examples of what books fall under that description. What exactly is the difference between Expanded and 2014 Expanded? The creation of the new category implies 2014 Expanded content will soon become Legacy content?
Now, on the cover of several books in the marketplace, like Book of Many Things but also Tasha's and Xanathar's there's huge bold text saying COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEW CORE RULEBOOKS. However, Tasha's and Xanathar's are specifically listed as examples of 2014 Expanded Rules. Monsters of the Multiverse, on the other hand, lacks this text on the cover entirely, so I assume that entire book is Legacy content.
What does it mean for something to be '2014 Expanded Content' if it is still compatible with 2024 Core? Shouldn't it all just be 'Expanded Content'?
Can someone tell me, or point me to, an official list of what books are 2024 Expanded, versus 2014 Expanded, versus Legacy?
Expanded Content is to 2014 Expanded Content as what Core Rules is to 2014 Core Rules. ie they're both the same type of book (supplementary character options beyond the Core Rules that doesn't fall under legacy, noncore, homebrew, or partnered content). The only difference is 2014 Expanded Content was printed before the 2024 Core Rules and Expanded Content was printed after.
Thanks for the reply, I have two follow-ups/clarifications:
1. So right now, there are no books that are 'Expanded Content' until the new FR books come out? Currently everything is '2014 Expanded Content'?
2. If the distinction is strictly for publication date/organizational purposes, and the 2014 is all compatible with 2024 Core, why create an in-builder distinction? From a character generation mechanics perspective, a WoTC book is either Core, Expanded or Legacy (it's okay if the answer is "there's no real reason" or "for OCD purposes" or "there might be no reason now, but as more books come out the distinction is likely to be important" but the fact they created a whole new 'Sources' category in the character builder was what confused me in the first place).
Thanks for the reply, I have two follow-ups/clarifications:
1. So right now, there are no books that are 'Expanded Content' until the new FR books come out? Currently everything is '2014 Expanded Content'?
Those books are out for people who have early access to them.
2. If the distinction is strictly for publication date/organizational purposes, and the 2014 is all compatible with 2024 Core, why create an in-builder distinction?
Because some people want to only use 2014 rules, so they want to be able to disable all 2024 releases. Or vice versa, some people want to use only 2024 content so want to disable all 2014 books.
An addition to point 2's answer: The content in those books is only compatible to be used on 2024 characters until an updated printing for the 2024 rules releases, like it already did for a few of the subclasses. For instance, the Soulknife in Tasha's can't be used with the 2024 Rogue because the 2024 PHB printed a 2024 version of Soulknife.
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Recently, a change was made in D&D Beyond's builder in Sources, adding two different options for 'Expanded Rules,' with the descriptions given in the Builder as follows:
I notice that 'Expanded Rules' is the only category without any examples of what books fall under that description. What exactly is the difference between Expanded and 2014 Expanded? The creation of the new category implies 2014 Expanded content will soon become Legacy content?
Now, on the cover of several books in the marketplace, like Book of Many Things but also Tasha's and Xanathar's there's huge bold text saying COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEW CORE RULEBOOKS. However, Tasha's and Xanathar's are specifically listed as examples of 2014 Expanded Rules. Monsters of the Multiverse, on the other hand, lacks this text on the cover entirely, so I assume that entire book is Legacy content.
What does it mean for something to be '2014 Expanded Content' if it is still compatible with 2024 Core? Shouldn't it all just be 'Expanded Content'?
Can someone tell me, or point me to, an official list of what books are 2024 Expanded, versus 2014 Expanded, versus Legacy?
Expanded Content is to 2014 Expanded Content as what Core Rules is to 2014 Core Rules. ie they're both the same type of book (supplementary character options beyond the Core Rules that doesn't fall under legacy, noncore, homebrew, or partnered content). The only difference is 2014 Expanded Content was printed before the 2024 Core Rules and Expanded Content was printed after.
2014 Core Rules >>>> 2014 Expanded Content >>>> (2024) Core Rules >>>> Expanded Content
For example, the two new Forgotten Realms books would fall under Expanded Content
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
Thanks for the reply, I have two follow-ups/clarifications:
1. So right now, there are no books that are 'Expanded Content' until the new FR books come out? Currently everything is '2014 Expanded Content'?
2. If the distinction is strictly for publication date/organizational purposes, and the 2014 is all compatible with 2024 Core, why create an in-builder distinction? From a character generation mechanics perspective, a WoTC book is either Core, Expanded or Legacy (it's okay if the answer is "there's no real reason" or "for OCD purposes" or "there might be no reason now, but as more books come out the distinction is likely to be important" but the fact they created a whole new 'Sources' category in the character builder was what confused me in the first place).
Thanks again!
Those books are out for people who have early access to them.
Because some people want to only use 2014 rules, so they want to be able to disable all 2024 releases. Or vice versa, some people want to use only 2024 content so want to disable all 2014 books.
Find my D&D Beyond articles here
An addition to point 2's answer: The content in those books is only compatible to be used on 2024 characters until an updated printing for the 2024 rules releases, like it already did for a few of the subclasses. For instance, the Soulknife in Tasha's can't be used with the 2024 Rogue because the 2024 PHB printed a 2024 version of Soulknife.