WotC D&D Beyond Update: 2024 Core Rulebooks, Maps, and Third Party Content.

Maps has a number of updates.

• Lots of feature improvements to maps--tokens, fog, and user interface.
• 'Spectator Mode' allows DMs to open a separate tab as a player view on a separate monitor, streaming, etc.
• 'Draw Tool' allows you to freehand draw on the map.
• 6 products from back catalogue plus third party content added to library.
• Pointer added.
• You can now rename a token.
• Enhancement and support will include the 2024 core rulebooks.

Maps is 'here to stay' and will continue to be supported.

Regarding third party products, apparently they are inviting 'many third parties to the party'.

​

 

[CM]

I wish they would put some more dev time into magic item functionality. Right now it's pretty crude compared to feats. I've had to create many custom feats just to implement the effects that items should be able to provide.

Seconding (thirding?) the preference to avoid too much automation. I run things pretty fast and loose and just use the VTT (Roll20 currently) as a map display tool for my group's game-table tv.

 

[TerraDave]

yup! R20 has had a decade head start
And some features are default features for a vtt, so of course there would be overlap.

when henry ford started his business, no doubt there were some wags who commented "so they are adding features that are already standard on my daimler"

Really, Henry Ford? Obviously known for just copying.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Really, Henry Ford? Obviously known for just copying.

That's not what I'm saying

I'm saying for any platform, whether it's a VTT or an automobile there are some features that are required that make that "thing" the "thing". Like in the case of a car: wheels, brakes, or a steering wheel (although early automobiles didn't even have those). Or in the case of a VTT: a map, tokens, and a way to do fog of war.

I mean, sure that's "copying" in a literal sense of the word; but until you get that baseline stuff built, you can't start to build out differentiators.

I think the VTT feature comparison with DDB vs R20 is a bit too early, since DDB is still building the early standard platform stuff. That's explicitly what an Alpha is for.

Which might be what you meant by your post, and I did not read the tone correctly. I thought you were being snarky that DDB's VTT wasn't very innovative because it was merely "...adding features that are already standard..." So I was defending DDB for now because they are in the early stages.

So they are adding features that are already standard on roll20.

What I'll be curious to hear about is what differentiating features they decide to prioritize first to separate themselves from other VTTs already established like R20 and Foundry

 

[Clint_L]

Yeah, me too.



I think that's dumb. Most of my players don't have characters on DDB. I'd rather just create/pick tokens for them.

Well, you can do that. You can rename tokens, so just pick some NPC tokens and put the character names on them.

Although I would recommend creating the campaign in DDB and making character sheets for each player, for your own use, not theirs. It will only take a few minutes, and will dramatically improve the functionality of the encounter builder/manager. And will automatically create tokens for them in the maps tool.

For those wondering, to launch maps for a campaign, just go to campaign manager, click on the campaign, and click "launch maps." You can then decide which maps to add to that campaign. Most have both a player version and a DM version. How easy is it? I figured it out almost instantly, and I think we've established that I'm not the brightest light on the X-mas tree when it comes to using tech.

As for the draw feature: brilliant! That's the one thing I thought it was really lacking.

 

[Clint_L]

What I'll be curious to hear about is what differentiating features they decide to prioritize first to separate themselves from other VTTs already established like R20 and Foundry

Automatic, one-stop integration with DDB is a HUGE feature. I was stymied by Roll20. The DDB maps tool took me no time to integrate into a campaign.

 

[OB1]

@Clint_L what do you use for chat/video/voice chat when you use maps? The one thing keeping me on Roll20 right now is the integrated chat/voice/video.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I have to admit, I have a tendency to give up on technologies very early on when they don't work the way I want them to, before checking to see how much work it will be to adapt what I want to what they offer. There's a lot that I don't really like about DDB in general, but I gave it enough time to be able to use it. I should probably give Maps another try with that in mind. I still don't run campaigns on DDB, though, so I'll have to suck up my distaste for that.

 

[Clint_L]

@Clint_L what do you use for chat/video/voice chat when you use maps? The one thing keeping me on Roll20 right now is the integrated chat/voice/video.

I'm using it with my live games at school. I used to pack terrain and miniatures in but that was a ton of work and hard on my back, and really not worth it for those short session, unless it's the finale.

However, I used to use DDB with online games and run it concurrently with a zoom or google meet, with an extra camera set up on my tabletop, where I would handle the miniatures and terrain. Now you could just do the whole thing through DDB, though I would also keep a video chat going because that feels more "in person" to me, which I like. And my online players are my niece, brother-in-law, BFF, etc., so it's a nice time to socialize, as well (though we haven't done it in awhile).

 

[Clint_L]

I have to admit, I have a tendency to give up on technologies very early on when they don't work the way I want them to, before checking to see how much work it will be to adapt what I want to what they offer. IThere's a lot that I don't really like about DDB in general, but I gave it enough time to be able to use it. I should probably give Maps another try with that in mind. I still don't run campaigns on DDB, though, so I'll have to suck up my distaste for that.

I just need the tech to be simple, so for me, the out of the box functionality of DDB has been its biggest selling point. I don't want the maps feature to get much more complicated.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

@Clint_L what do you use for chat/video/voice chat when you use maps? The one thing keeping me on Roll20 right now is the integrated chat/voice/video.

I know I am not @Clint_L and I have not really used D&DBeyond maps to run a game but I use skype or discord to run voice chat (depending on the preferences of the group I am with) but any voice over ip application that allows multiple users will do.