WotC WotC Adds 'Partnered Content' to DnDBeyond--Starting With Critical Role's Tal’dorei Campaign Setting

One of the promises Wizards of the Coast made in the aftermath of the Open Gaming License 'crisis' back in January was that D&D Beyond would eventually have some kind of third party marketplace. Up until now, only official D&D books from WotC have been available there.

Now, however, there is a section of 'partnered content' -- six titles, including three Critical Role sourcebooks, as well as some older licensed items like the Rick & Morty boxed set and the Minecraft monster tie-in. The latter were already on DDB, but the 'Partnered Content' home for them is new, as is the Tal-'dorei Campaign Setting.

As of now you can pick up Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, Call of the Netherdeep, and the Tal'dorei Campaign Setting Reborn.

Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn

The definitive sourcebook for bringing the locations, people, creatures, and character options of Critical Role’s Tal’Dorei continent to ...

www.dndbeyond.com

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While this 'partnered content' is a long way yet from the third-party marketplace mentioned earlier this year (which is likely a a couple of years away), it is notable that third party content is now appearing on the site.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

• Putting out an authenticated API for data from D&D Beyond.

I really want them to do this

 

[Dire Bare]

Wildemount/Exandria is pretty much the only setting with an official 5e book that you can't make material for on DMsGuild. Critical Role/Darrington Press has partnered with WotC to publish some material and put it on Beyond, but by all accounts they're keeping a firm grip on the IP.

If Exandria is opened to "community content" . . . it should be under the Darrington Press label, not the DMsGuild. Several other RPG companies have similar DMsGuild-style "community content" partnerships with DriveThru, Darrington could do that also.

 

[Clint_L]

There are not 50+ million ENWorlders. I'd know. I'd be FAR busier.

There also aren't 50 million current D&D players, though I'd love it if there were. That number got misquoted once and now gets repeated ad nauseum. But yeah, Critical Role is very popular.

 

[darjr]

There also aren't 50 million current D&D players, though I'd love it if there were. That number got misquoted once and now gets repeated ad nauseum. But yeah, Critical Role is very popular.

I know. The actual number was 40 million and it was players ever.

 

[Nikosandros]

The indifferent are most numerous, but the fans vastly outnumber the vocal haters.

Yep. I tried watching CR, found out it wasn't for me and I moved on. Why should I hate them?

BTW, I bought the two setting books as I found them interesting.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yep. I tried watching CR, found out it wasn't for me and I moved on. Why should I hate them?

BTW, I bought the two setting books as I found them interesting.

The hate comes from those who don't like the Critical Role style of play, not from those who don't find the show entertaining. It's hated because they fear it will drive out their preferred playstyle.

 

[Nikosandros]

The hate comes from those who don't like the Critical Role style of play, not from those who don't find the show entertaining. It's hated because they fear it will drive out their preferred playstyle.

Which still makes little sense to me. From what I've seen, their style of play is quite different from mine, but I don't feel threatened.

 

[mamba]

I know. The actual number was 40 million and it was players ever.

wasn’t it 50 though?

 

[zedturtle]

I seem to be one of the few who doesn't view D&D Beyond expanding out to other publishers as necessarily a good thing for the hobby. Instead, it adds further power to a single company and a single tool that already dominates 5e play online (Roll20 being the only strong competitor).

Demiplane is much closer to DnDBeyond in terms of functionality and both their Pathfinder Nexus and Avatar Nexus (the two I have access to) are fairly feature-rich, allowing you to make characters, read materials, reference rules, etc. I have high hopes for their 5e Nexus, which is supposed to (eventually) allow third-party creators in that space to have the same rich toolset as the big boys. It's scheduled for a first look next month, and we will know more then.

 

[Clint_L]

Demiplane is much closer to DnDBeyond in terms of functionality and both their Pathfinder Nexus and Avatar Nexus (the two I have access to) are fairly feature-rich, allowing you to make characters, read materials, reference rules, etc. I have high hopes for their 5e Nexus, which is supposed to (eventually) allow third-party creators in that space to have the same rich toolset as the big boys. It's scheduled for a first look next month, and we will know more then.

Is there an encounter builder? That’s the key feature for me.