I was noticing that all the equipment has descriptions for it, but didn't know where some of the descriptions that aren't in the books came from. For example I can't find the description for bedroll anywhere except DnDBeyond (was looking because I never knew the description included its own blanket)
Were these descriptions written by the DDB team or were they sourced from somewhere else? They've got some interesting stuff in them, and I am looking through them to see if I want to include any homebrew rules for my future games (like to spice up mundane equipment sometimes)
That's weird; I couldn't find this text anywhere in the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide or Xanathar's Guide to Everything, so it seems like it's custom to D&D Beyond as I can't think where else it might have come from.
Seems strange to add that it can be used as a stretcher though; is that mentioned anywhere? I tried also searching for the word "stretcher" in the three books but nothing came up.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
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Seems strange to add that it can be used as a stretcher though; is that mentioned anywhere?
Yeah I think like you said it was added by DnDBeyond themselves. Part of why I started the thread is because I thought the stretcher part was really cool and good inspiration for a player even if there isn't much mechanical effect, and wondered who wrote it in.
Another interesting one is that, they added the description for the hammer mentioning it can be useful for hammering pitons (another description they added). However, the climber's kit has "special pitons", doesn't include a hammer, and you can use an Action for the "special pitons" with or without a hammer.
It's possible the descriptions come from an adventure book (I found that clothing, cold weather are from Icewind Dale, so it could be that they peppered in these descriptions in the other books somewhere.
I’ll take folks word that it’s not in the books. As an ex-survival camper I understand where the descriptions come from - pre sleeping bag camping where you had a sheet and a blanket that you trifolded then folded one end under to creat your “bed”. Similarly you could use the sheet and blanket wrapped around tent poles (old style steel/wood poles) and tied in place with string as an emergency stretcher if you had to. Some of these sorts of things come from old sources like pre 1970s Boy Scout manuals that still had a lot of the older tech stuff before sleeping bags, tension supported tents, etc became standards.
I get the feeling that it's not made-up description added by DDB, but unless someone from the staff comes along and says what the sources are, we won't know for sure.
They did need to add equipment entries for boots, helm and such to accommodate Artificer Infusions that aren't replicating known magic items, but even those don't provide much description beyond "part of a set of clothing", "part of a set of armor".
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Helpful rewriter of Japanese->English translation and delver into software codebases (she/e/they)
Keep in mind that items and descriptions could be from earlier edition books as well - I don’t have everything and I wouldn’t make the time to check even if I did.
Hammering pitons (spikes with a hole to fit a carabiner and rope thru) into rock cracks is the old ( pre 1960s) style way of securing a rope when mountain climbing. It’s still used today when permanent lines are being installed. Otherwise “chocks” ( a loop of strong wire cable secured in a nut is used - the nut is slid into the crack and pulled down til it’s locked in place, b pulling up it can be unlocked and removed) are used keeping the rock face cleaner.
Hammering pitons (spikes with a hole to fit a carabiner and rope thru) into rock cracks is the old ( pre 1960s) style way of securing a rope when mountain climbing. It’s still used today when permanent lines are being installed. Otherwise “chocks” ( a loop of strong wire cable secured in a nut is used - the nut is slid into the crack and pulled down til it’s locked in place, b pulling up it can be unlocked and removed) are used keeping the rock face cleaner.
Yea and there are modern variants too. Seems like a good fit for the "special pitons" mentioned in the Climber's Kit.
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I was noticing that all the equipment has descriptions for it, but didn't know where some of the descriptions that aren't in the books came from. For example I can't find the description for bedroll anywhere except DnDBeyond (was looking because I never knew the description included its own blanket)
Were these descriptions written by the DDB team or were they sourced from somewhere else? They've got some interesting stuff in them, and I am looking through them to see if I want to include any homebrew rules for my future games (like to spice up mundane equipment sometimes)
Good question, now that you mention it.
Helpful rewriter of Japanese->English translation and delver into software codebases (she/e/they)
That's weird; I couldn't find this text anywhere in the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide or Xanathar's Guide to Everything, so it seems like it's custom to D&D Beyond as I can't think where else it might have come from.
Seems strange to add that it can be used as a stretcher though; is that mentioned anywhere? I tried also searching for the word "stretcher" in the three books but nothing came up.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Yeah I think like you said it was added by DnDBeyond themselves. Part of why I started the thread is because I thought the stretcher part was really cool and good inspiration for a player even if there isn't much mechanical effect, and wondered who wrote it in.
Another interesting one is that, they added the description for the hammer mentioning it can be useful for hammering pitons (another description they added). However, the climber's kit has "special pitons", doesn't include a hammer, and you can use an Action for the "special pitons" with or without a hammer.
It's possible the descriptions come from an adventure book (I found that clothing, cold weather are from Icewind Dale, so it could be that they peppered in these descriptions in the other books somewhere.
I’ll take folks word that it’s not in the books. As an ex-survival camper I understand where the descriptions come from - pre sleeping bag camping where you had a sheet and a blanket that you trifolded then folded one end under to creat your “bed”. Similarly you could use the sheet and blanket wrapped around tent poles (old style steel/wood poles) and tied in place with string as an emergency stretcher if you had to. Some of these sorts of things come from old sources like pre 1970s Boy Scout manuals that still had a lot of the older tech stuff before sleeping bags, tension supported tents, etc became standards.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Is Beyond editorializing?
I get the feeling that it's not made-up description added by DDB, but unless someone from the staff comes along and says what the sources are, we won't know for sure.
They did need to add equipment entries for boots, helm and such to accommodate Artificer Infusions that aren't replicating known magic items, but even those don't provide much description beyond "part of a set of clothing", "part of a set of armor".
Helpful rewriter of Japanese->English translation and delver into software codebases (she/e/they)
Keep in mind that items and descriptions could be from earlier edition books as well - I don’t have everything and I wouldn’t make the time to check even if I did.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Hammering pitons (spikes with a hole to fit a carabiner and rope thru) into rock cracks is the old ( pre 1960s) style way of securing a rope when mountain climbing. It’s still used today when permanent lines are being installed. Otherwise “chocks” ( a loop of strong wire cable secured in a nut is used - the nut is slid into the crack and pulled down til it’s locked in place, b pulling up it can be unlocked and removed) are used keeping the rock face cleaner.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Yea and there are modern variants too. Seems like a good fit for the "special pitons" mentioned in the Climber's Kit.