D&D 5E D&D Beyond Will Delist Two Books On May 17th

D&D Beyond will be permanently removing Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes on May 17th in favor of the upcoming Monsters of the Multiverse book, which largely compiles and updates that material.

As per the D&D Beyond FAQ for Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse:

Can I still buy Volo’s Guide to Monsters or Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes on D&D Beyond?
Starting on May 16, you can acquire the streamlined and up-to-date creatures and character race options, as well as a plethora of exciting new content, by purchasing Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse. On May 17, Volo's Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes will be discontinued from our digital marketplace.

If you already own these two books you will still have access to your purchases and any characters or encounters you built with them. They won’t be removed from your purchased sourcebooks. Therefore, if you want the "fluff" and tables in those two tomes in D&D Beyond, you need to purchase them soon.

This is the first time books have been wholesale delisted from the D&D Beyond Platform rather than updated (much like physical book reprints are with errata and changes).

There’s no word from WotC on whether physical books will be discontinued and be allowed to sell out.

 

[Parmandur]

the same could be said about 3.5 and 3o... but over a 6 month period people found it hard to play 3.0... I was on the WotC boards and I was at gencon the year it came out and the year after... I can tell you no matter what they said it wasn't used

I started playing in 2005...we used both 3E and 3.5 pretty willy nilly, amd thst probably caused more problems than what they plan for 2024.

 

[Jer]

They already changed monsters and PC races. They have surveys (2 years out) on class features and are already pulling fluff. unless they change what they are doing as of right now it does NOT look like it will really be compatible at all

If that's the case they're making a huge mistake IMO. 5e is the most popular version of the game with casual players and that's the market they've tapped into that they have never had access to before. Pulling the rug out from under all of those folks and telling them "ok, all the books you own - you can't use them, you have to buy new ones" the way they did with 3.0->3.5 would be a giant gamble that they don't need to make given how the sales on the core books continue to be at record levels for them.

They're killing the golden goose if they decide to make changes to the core rules (rather than to the presentation of those rules or limiting their changes to subclasses, which is where things look now) or sell a new edition of the game like they used to in the past. It could pay off for them, but it's just as likely to blow up in their faces.

 

[Parmandur]

3.5 and 3.0 were different games. They made major rules changes to the core rules between those editions that made them functionally incompatible.

Though that didn't stop us from using both and kitbashing as we went.

If they do that for the anniversary edition they're shooting themselves in the foot because they don't need to and it will kill the momentum the game has. If they do more of a 4e -> Essentials transition then they'll be much better off. And as a 4e player/DM those books were all fully compatible with what had come before except for the corrected monster math (and is what I'm expecting to see, honestly, because they don't need to change the core rules or anything fundamental about the character classes the way they felt like they did with the 3.0->3.5 transition).

The key difference here is the modularity of 5E and a focus on exceptions based design rather than total simulation. They can change all the Classes, Races, Spells, Feats, and Monsters...without actually changing a single rule.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

When you changed my "fully compatible" to just "compatible", you change the nature of what's being discussed.

If in the future you are in an AL game and you try to use the un-updated races from Volos, you'll may find you aren't accepted. Or in a game where the DM wants the latest versions. Or the oddness when two players are the same race with different racial abilities and usage - that may be "compatible" as in it doesn't break if you use it, but it's not "fully compatible". It's like saying that pre-errata spells are compatible because they will work with the system.

Sure. Those examples are all fully compatible.

 

[Jer]

Though that didn't stop us from using both and kitbashing as we went.

Sure, but there's a difference between the intense player who wants that kind of experience and the casual D&D player who just wants to sit down and play without having to houserule a bunch of stuff. 5e caters to that latter group more than any previous edition has, and that's part of why it's been so successful.

The key difference here is the modularity of 5E and a focus on exceptions based design rather than total simulation. They can change all the Classes, Races, Spells, Feats, and Monsters...without actually changing a single rule.

Right that's what I'm saying - if they change the core game rules then they're really out to lunch. If they keep the various basic chassis for the classes and present new subclasses in the new core books, keep the basic chassis for races but put in Tasha's/Mord changes (which are minimal and don't change how the game plays at all, despite what folks on this board seem to believe), and redo the Monster Manual stat blocks in the new stat block format it's not a new edition. It's a 4e->Essentials edition change. You really would be able to bring either PHB to the table and use it without having to house rule things.

If they change the core rules rather than sticking to changes to the presentation and to subclasses, then they're making a huge mistakes.

 

[Parmandur]

and this is why I keep saying the same is coming in 2024... 5.5/6/anniversary edition is coming what ever they call it. it will almost for sure (although I hope not) be JUST enough like the 2014 that they can claim back compatibility (like they did with 3.5) but it will be a new game (like 3.5)

But in what way are any of the refreshed pieces incompatible at all? They play at the same table with the same math...fundamentally unlike 3E to 3.5.

I agree but for the reverse reason... they need a whole new 6e that is NOT back compatible.

Why would they do something silly like that? They worked out a core in 5E that they never really need to change, just refresh the options here and there.

it depends they didn't change the core from 2000 vr 3.0 through now... its a d20 system roll 1d20 add stat mod plus some kind of level mod the higher you get the better... you roll hp every level and you have a set amount of abilities from your class... but if I sat down with a 4e fighter at your 5e game odds are you wouldn't let me run it.

A 4E Fighter uses different math. It is not compatible, partially or fully.

They already changed monsters and PC races. They have surveys (2 years out) on class features and are already pulling fluff. unless they change what they are doing as of right now it does NOT look like it will really be compatible at all

Yes, all modular options, not the actual rules.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

5e is the most popular version of the game with casual players and that's the market they've tapped into that they have never had access to before.

notice the books don't say 5e they SAY D&D. i am sure so will the 5.5/6/anniversary edition... we will have a name on here though

Pulling the rug out from under all of those folks and telling them "ok, all the books you own - you can't use them, you have to buy new ones" the way they did with 3.0->3.5 would be a giant gamble that they don't need to make given how the sales on the core books continue to be at record levels for them.

I would say this is the BEST time by $$$ Standards.... they know X% (on average) update and buy the new shinny PHB and set. they know Y% will continue buying other new books.
right now the base is the biggest it has ever been. the x% that stay on will also be the biggest (even if it is smaller then current player base).

the ONLY time an edition didn't rocket past it's last edition is the time that they made the OGL mistake and another company tied to make D&D 3.75... and EVEN THEN 4e out sold 3e (just not as much as they wanted or projected)

and watch as they treat us (and all those new fans) like lobsters... here is Strix havens with new ideas, here is tasha's modifying classes and races, now all new races (and if any new classes) follow those, now here is a book reprinting old monsters in a new format with new concept of how to do them... oh and the old ones are being pulled from the computer serveres.
The tempeture rises slow enough you buy the new book because "it's just all the modifications they have made for the last 3 years anyway complied in this nice new format book..."

They're killing the golden goose

maybe.
I know I want MORE change then they are going to want to make, and I know that others are going to thing they made TOO MANY changes.
I don't know if this will be the next big thing for the 50th or the deathknell...

I can bet it wont be my perfect 4e/2e mash up with some concentration and advantage from 5e on the side.

It could pay off for them, but it's just as likely to blow up in their faces.

on this we agree...could go anyway

 

[Parmandur]

Sure, but there's a difference between the intense player who wants that kind of experience and the casual D&D player who just wants to sit down and play without having to houserule a bunch of stuff. 5e caters to that latter group more than any previous edition has, and that's part of why it's been so successful.


Right that's what I'm saying - if they change the core game rules then they're really out to lunch. If they keep the various basic chassis for the classes and present new subclasses in the new core books, keep the basic chassis for races but put in Tasha's/Mord changes (which are minimal and don't change how the game plays at all, despite what folks on this board seem to believe), and redo the Monster Manual stat blocks in the new stat block format it's not a new edition. It's a 4e->Essentials edition change. You really would be able to bring either PHB to the table and use it without having to house rule things.

If they change the core rules rather than sticking to changes to the presentation and to subclasses, then they're making a huge mistakes.

What counts as an "edition" is a funny question. Thst would e about as different as 1E and 7E Call of Cthulu, or most other TTRPGs.

 

[Umbran]

Was anyone here somehow of the expectation that the world was going to freeze in place, or something?

Holmes, BX, BECMI, Rules Cyclopedia, 1e, 2e, 2e Revised, 3e, 3.5e, 4e, 4e Essentials, 5e.

There's not a thing on that list that suggests, "Oh, wait, this will never change again."

 

[Weiley31]

your book shelf can't DM for you

Oh it can if he chooses Custom Race.