I am considering investing in dndbeyond but I am a bit confused. I spent a bit of time googling and it seems that it is not possible to search within individual books. This seems like such basic functionality that it baffles me that it's missing.
If you cannot search within a specific book, what is your general approach to finding information fast? I gather that you can search all your sources at once.. but I get the feeling that you'll be swamped in results for many queries. If anyone can clear this up or chime in with their experience regarding this I'd greatly appreciate it!
You can search chapter by chapter, but there is no way to search the entire content of a single book at once. The full-site search is supposed to let you do this, but the search functionality there is bad. Filters are nearly nonexistent, there's no inclusion of similar terms (for example, searching for vulnerability gives you the dropdown suggestion 'Vulnerabilites,' which does not actually lead you to the definition of vulnerability). It's more frequently easiest to do a google search with the site: restriction and use the URL path for whatever book you're interested in, or the forums, etc.
That is a damned shame. Their core product is basically digital books and you cannot easily search a book. I cannot understand that design decision. To top that off the full search is bad, too? :(
To follow up on your suggestion in the end there. To search the player's handbook, for example, you'd google search:
if you were looking for Wild Shape? And that would yield the chapter where wild shape is mentioned? I need to find a convincing way of searching before I can reasonably buy this. :(
Except that google search doesn't find a lot of content as it is hidden of course.
You're right. I'm so used to using it for the forms that I figured it would work on the books, but of course Google can't access those pages that are paid content.
The site search is pre-google search algorithm 90's bad. It's really bad.
You can search chapter by chapter, but there is no way to search the entire content of a single book at once. The full-site search is supposed to let you do this, but the search functionality there is bad. Filters are nearly nonexistent, there's no inclusion of similar terms (for example, searching for vulnerability gives you the dropdown suggestion 'Vulnerabilites,' which does not actually lead you to the definition of vulnerability). It's more frequently easiest to do a google search with the site: restriction and use the URL path for whatever book you're interested in, or the forums, etc.
It’s funny you say that, I just typed in vulnerability and my first results were Damage Vulnerability from rules, damage resistance and vulnerability (two results) both Rick and Morty, and damage resistance and vulnerability from basic rules.
but it’s true the search function has a lot to be desired. Depending on what I’m looking for I usually use the sources drop down and then select the book it’s in, if I know it, and use the table of contents links to get me there. Or use the site search and hope for the best. Edit: I did select the compendium icon at the top of the results page to get rid of magic items etc.. that had the word vulnerability in it.
My point was that the 'Search Everything' dropdown doesn't suggest 'vulnerability' as a search term, it only suggests 'vulnerabilities,' (comma included). Searching 'vulnerabilities,' doesn't give you the same results as searching 'vulnerability.' That was the issue I was highlighting there.
My point was that the 'Search Everything' dropdown doesn't suggest 'vulnerability' as a search term, it only suggests 'vulnerabilities,' (comma included). Searching 'vulnerabilities,' doesn't give you the same results as searching 'vulnerability.' That was the issue I was highlighting there.
But what is ironic is that in the PHB physical book Vulnerability it is in the index. So they went to all the effort to index it as important in the physical book, but they didn't make it searchable (at all) in the electronic version. But apparently our forum knights say it is "not needed to be searchable" because they know where to find it. lul.
I kinda get that the approach to the text is to sort of "unbind" them from book form into the D&D Beyond search etc tools. However, one thing I found odd and basically just live with now is that if you go to the main page of DDB, and click "game rules" you get big chuck of the menu for classes and spells then smaller fields for Races, backgrounds, feats, equipment, magic items, and vehicles (?!?) but no rules such as "combat" "travel" difficulty checks, etc. You know, actual rules not things to drop on your character sheet. But yeah as some have implied I think DDB requires some familiarity with the hardback PHB and DMG to really use DDB as a ruleset, since familiarity with those books will give you the concepts you need to have in mind and track down in the rules (actually not posted in rules but ideally found through the search tool).
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Honestly, the problem is copyright rules. They block search engines in order to comply with the law. This means the only searchable 5e rules on the internet are illegal and hosted outside of the USA. So no one here will be willing to discuss them, including me.
Honestly, the problem is copyright rules. They block search engines in order to comply with the law. This means the only searchable 5e rules on the internet are illegal and hosted outside of the USA. So no one here will be willing to discuss them, including me.
The search engines are obviously blocked but that has absolutely nothing to do with how they (D&D Beyond) implemented their internal search function.
I implemented a better intranet search function 20 years using open source software.
I agree that the search function on the site is lacking. But to the OP that is considering purchasing, I wanted to mention that searching in the app is pretty good. When you buy a book, you can get the app and download that book into the app. You can search all owned material, or click on a book and search within just that book. Obviously, it would be nice to do it on the main site, but I can easily and quickly find whatever I'm searching for on my phone or tablet that way.
My point was that the 'Search Everything' dropdown doesn't suggest 'vulnerability' as a search term, it only suggests 'vulnerabilities,' (comma included). Searching 'vulnerabilities,' doesn't give you the same results as searching 'vulnerability.' That was the issue I was highlighting there.
But what is ironic is that in the PHB physical book Vulnerability it is in the index. So they went to all the effort to index it as important in the physical book, but they didn't make it searchable (at all) in the electronic version. But apparently our forum knights say it is "not needed to be searchable" because they know where to find it. lul.
I never said that “it doesn’t need to be searchable because I know where to find it.” Don’t put words in my mouth. What I said was that “I don’t need to search it because I know where to find it.” And that there are easier ways to find these things on DDB than by searching.
Such as your example of Infernal Legacy. In what possible context could Infernal Legacy have come up that it was unclear that it was something to do with Tieflings?!? If one simply looks at the Tiefling page, tada!!
I agree that the search function on the site is lacking. But to the OP that is considering purchasing, I wanted to mention that searching in the app is pretty good. When you buy a book, you can get the app and download that book into the app. You can search all owned material, or click on a book and search within just that book. Obviously, it would be nice to do it on the main site, but I can easily and quickly find whatever I'm searching for on my phone or tablet that way.
Wait, you can search within a specific book in the app? But not in the web version? Now I'm even more confused. :P But maybe that's workable then, I'll try it out.
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Hi!
I am considering investing in dndbeyond but I am a bit confused. I spent a bit of time googling and it seems that it is not possible to search within individual books. This seems like such basic functionality that it baffles me that it's missing.
If you cannot search within a specific book, what is your general approach to finding information fast? I gather that you can search all your sources at once.. but I get the feeling that you'll be swamped in results for many queries. If anyone can clear this up or chime in with their experience regarding this I'd greatly appreciate it!
You can search chapter by chapter, but there is no way to search the entire content of a single book at once. The full-site search is supposed to let you do this, but the search functionality there is bad. Filters are nearly nonexistent, there's no inclusion of similar terms (for example, searching for vulnerability gives you the dropdown suggestion 'Vulnerabilites,' which does not actually lead you to the definition of vulnerability). It's more frequently easiest to do a google search with the site: restriction and use the URL path for whatever book you're interested in, or the forums, etc.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Except that google search doesn't find a lot of content as it is hidden of course.
That is a damned shame. Their core product is basically digital books and you cannot easily search a book. I cannot understand that design decision. To top that off the full search is bad, too? :(
To follow up on your suggestion in the end there. To search the player's handbook, for example, you'd google search:
site: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/phb Wild Shape
if you were looking for Wild Shape? And that would yield the chapter where wild shape is mentioned? I need to find a convincing way of searching before I can reasonably buy this. :(
You're right. I'm so used to using it for the forms that I figured it would work on the books, but of course Google can't access those pages that are paid content.
The site search is pre-google search algorithm 90's bad. It's really bad.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
While there are some things that really bug me as being unsearchable (despite the fact that the authors of the book indexed it on the paper version)
In general it is just fine, Spells, monsters, most class features, all come up easily enough and the top few results are usually the ones you want.
But as for reading page to page, that is what my paper copies are for.
Thanks a bunch for your input guys. It seems I'll have to wait and see if this situation improves in the future. :)
You can test it out by searching for things that are in the Basic Rules -- like some of the monsters, or the class abilities, or combat rules.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
It’s funny you say that, I just typed in vulnerability and my first results were Damage Vulnerability from rules, damage resistance and vulnerability (two results) both Rick and Morty, and damage resistance and vulnerability from basic rules.
but it’s true the search function has a lot to be desired. Depending on what I’m looking for I usually use the sources drop down and then select the book it’s in, if I know it, and use the table of contents links to get me there. Or use the site search and hope for the best. Edit: I did select the compendium icon at the top of the results page to get rid of magic items etc.. that had the word vulnerability in it.
EZD6 by DM Scotty
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397599/EZD6-Core-Rulebook?
My point was that the 'Search Everything' dropdown doesn't suggest 'vulnerability' as a search term, it only suggests 'vulnerabilities,' (comma included). Searching 'vulnerabilities,' doesn't give you the same results as searching 'vulnerability.' That was the issue I was highlighting there.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
But what is ironic is that in the PHB physical book Vulnerability it is in the index. So they went to all the effort to index it as important in the physical book, but they didn't make it searchable (at all) in the electronic version. But apparently our forum knights say it is "not needed to be searchable" because they know where to find it. lul.
I kinda get that the approach to the text is to sort of "unbind" them from book form into the D&D Beyond search etc tools. However, one thing I found odd and basically just live with now is that if you go to the main page of DDB, and click "game rules" you get big chuck of the menu for classes and spells then smaller fields for Races, backgrounds, feats, equipment, magic items, and vehicles (?!?) but no rules such as "combat" "travel" difficulty checks, etc. You know, actual rules not things to drop on your character sheet. But yeah as some have implied I think DDB requires some familiarity with the hardback PHB and DMG to really use DDB as a ruleset, since familiarity with those books will give you the concepts you need to have in mind and track down in the rules (actually not posted in rules but ideally found through the search tool).
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Honestly, the problem is copyright rules. They block search engines in order to comply with the law. This means the only searchable 5e rules on the internet are illegal and hosted outside of the USA. So no one here will be willing to discuss them, including me.
The search engines are obviously blocked but that has absolutely nothing to do with how they (D&D Beyond) implemented their internal search function.
I implemented a better intranet search function 20 years using open source software.
I agree that the search function on the site is lacking. But to the OP that is considering purchasing, I wanted to mention that searching in the app is pretty good. When you buy a book, you can get the app and download that book into the app. You can search all owned material, or click on a book and search within just that book. Obviously, it would be nice to do it on the main site, but I can easily and quickly find whatever I'm searching for on my phone or tablet that way.
I never said that “it doesn’t need to be searchable because I know where to find it.” Don’t put words in my mouth. What I said was that “I don’t need to search it because I know where to find it.” And that there are easier ways to find these things on DDB than by searching.
Such as your example of Infernal Legacy. In what possible context could Infernal Legacy have come up that it was unclear that it was something to do with Tieflings?!? If one simply looks at the Tiefling page, tada!!
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Wait, you can search within a specific book in the app? But not in the web version? Now I'm even more confused. :P But maybe that's workable then, I'll try it out.