D&D Beyond is one of the most popular digital toolsets for players and Dungeon Masters (DMs). It includes a character builder, character sheet, as well as an extensive monster and spell list that can be searched.
But WotC’s latest update to their Open Game License has become so popular that fans are outraged. Some influential figures have even encouraged subscribers to cancel their subscriptions.
Delisting of Volo’s Guide to Monsters
The D&D Beyond team has announced that Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes will be delisted from their online platform as of May 17th. These books will remain in circulation until then, but after this date they will no longer be available for sale.
Volo’s Guide to Monsters is an in-depth supplement for the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons, providing rules and lore on various monsters relevant to D&D games. Additionally, this book includes information on several additional playable races such as goblin, orc, and firbolg.
Dungeon Masters and their players rely heavily on Monster Lore for the game, and with the addition of new content in the Roll20 interface it has become even more useful for them. For instance, the Compendium tab within the tabletop app features over 130 statted tokens featuring original artwork from the book that you can easily drag-and-drop into your games for quick expansions to your adventures.
Volo’s Guide to Monsters stands out among other D&D supplements due to its unique features. For instance, the bestiary section provides game statistics and lore for nearly one hundred monsters suitable for any D&D campaign.
Additionally, the book features 7 advanced Monster Lair Battle Maps that offer enhanced feature functionality to add a sense of scale to your adventures. Plus, these dynamically lit maps add even more interest!
Finally, the Bestiary section contains information on several monsters exclusive to 5th edition D&D. For instance, the froghemoth and vargouille are two creatures you will never come across in a regular D&D game.
Volo’s Guide to Monsters is an essential purchase for every DM and player in their group. It boasts an amazing library of monster lore that will add a new layer of intrigue to any 5th Edition game.
Delisting of Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes
Today, online D&D platform D&D Beyond announced the delisting of two books — Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse — from its service after May 17th when Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse becomes available. If you haven’t already purchased them from D&D Beyond, these titles will no longer be available to purchase on-line; however they remain in print form.
Volo’s Guide to Monsters is an ideal sourcebook for D&D players looking for more playable races and lore on demihuman and monstrous creatures, while Tome of Foes was an excellent sourcebook that added many new monsters to the 5th edition system. Unlike Volo’s book, however, this one focused more on themed content rather than providing numerous monsters with little narrative behind them.
This book includes updated information on a number of D&D playable races, along with monster stat blocks that are easier to read. Furthermore, there’s a new monster class and other changes made to monsters in the D&D system.
Another noteworthy change to this book is its focus on ancient conflicts between monsters across the multiverse. This marks Wizards of the Coast’s first attempt at this approach with a sourcebook, and it should make it much simpler for DMs to craft stories involving multiple ancient wars and conflicts.
I hope D&D fans will find some use for this book when it goes on sale in May. Personally, I’m excited to check it out myself.
This is a departure from the way most D&D sourcebooks are written. Most D&D books begin with an overview of cosmology and then progress to more intricate details. This kind of workflow works well when crafting D&D adventures that are grounded in grimy swords and dusty roads from tabletop campaigns.
But this book takes the D&D universe to a higher level, making it harder for others to borrow or augment from than other source books. It reads more like something created by an experienced designer for his group rather than being tailored specifically for any one campaign.
D&D Beyond has decided to discontinue Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Tome of Foes due to their being outdated, in favor of Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters which includes up-to-date information. For DMs and players alike, purchasing just one book instead of both offers a better value than investing in both books at once.
Hasbro Acquires D&D Beyond
D&D Beyond is an online and mobile game app that enables players to play Dungeons & Dragons online. It also enables characters to create campaigns together. Furthermore, D&D Beyond offers official campaign books and other content digitally for purchase – more cost-effectively than buying them at physical game stores.
Recently, however, the D&D community has been in disarray due to changes made in the Open Game License (OGL). Wizards of the Coast released an OGL that effectively stops players from creating their own games and requires them to announce new content directly to the publisher. This move has been widely condemned by D&D fans with influential personality Ginny Di encouraging her followers to cancel their subscriptions for the platform – so many that D&D Beyond’s subscription management page crashed on Wednesday due to high cancellation numbers.
Wizards of the Coast has assured users that their purchases, characters and campaigns are secure. They have outlined a plan to keep the site and all its functions operational while also helping bring D&D Beyond closer to its main tabletop game.
D&D Beyond provides a wealth of tools and resources for both players and Dungeon Masters alike, such as character/encounter builders, spell lists, new player guides, helpful hints for DMs. Furthermore, there is an extension on Twitch with interactive overlays plus tools for creating homebrew content.
D&D Beyond has gone above and beyond with these core features by creating original video, stream, and article content for its user base. This includes interviews with Dungeons & Dragons staff members, content previews, as well as weekly development updates.
D&D Beyond has achieved great success through these efforts, becoming a popular online gaming resource for fans of tabletop role-playing game. With its ten million registered users, it is one of the largest and most sought-after digital RPG platforms on the market.
Hasbro’s acquisition of D&D Beyond gives the company a greater presence in the growing digital role-playing industry, providing more relevant content and services for both its D&D and Magic: The Gathering brands.
Hasbro anticipates that their purchase will help them strengthen their relationships with fans by offering them new product development, live services and tools, as well as regional expansions for the D&D brand. Furthermore, Hasbro plans on using data-driven insights from the D&D Beyond team in order to expand its presence and grow its business.