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]

Not only that, what they describe would require no houseruling. You can have PCs with a mix of bonus feats at level 1 and no bonus feats at level 1, and it's fine.

Those bonus feats at level 1 are already an optional variant rule in 5e, and have been since Theros, as well.

As for ASIs becoming the secondary option...okay? I've had 1 player who preffered ASIs over feats, in my games. There were no issues resulting from his character having all ASIs and no feats, and everyone else being the exact opposite.

It's a lot of fuss over nothing.

I'll wager that there will be a sidebar in there somewhere saying something like "Have a character from the previous Player's Handbook rules? Give them a free 1st and 4th Level Feat, and they will be good to go!"

 

[Azzy]

They can of course change what they like. I'm not buying it though. No point. If there are any good ideas in there people will talk about them and then I can just use them then.

Good for you.

 

[JEB]

There is bo indication that ASI's are changing.

Even just a free feat at level 1 for everyone, on top of a full suite of PC race features, creates more powerful default characters than in 2014 5E. And if they expect PCs to pick up feats at higher levels, it's logical to keep those levels the same as they are now, just flipping ASIs to feats by default. (I predicted elsewhere that they could just make a feat that is an ASI, functionally: +2 or +1/+1 to any ability score.)

I suppose they could also grant ASIs and feats at higher levels, but that creates an even bigger power divergence between 2014 and 2024.

 

[JEB]

Not only that, what they describe would require no houseruling. You can have PCs with a mix of bonus feats at level 1 and no bonus feats at level 1, and it's fine.

Sure, you can, though that absolutely is a house rule in 2014 5E.

Those bonus feats at level 1 are already an optional variant rule in 5e,

Where was that? There's the Variant Human, but that's only for humans (and they sacrifice extra ASIs in exchange, theoretically balancing them with other races' features).

and have been since Theros, as well.

True, but again, both of these are variant rules (for a specific setting in the latter case), not default assumptions.

To be clear, I'm not saying this makes 2014 and 2024 editions totally incompatible, or anything. But it does represent a changed base assumption for characters (and likely would have knock-on effects elsewhere in the game). Especially when stacked with lesser likely changes (like the switch from short rest mechanics to PB/long rest mechanics).

 

[Parmandur]

Even just a free feat at level 1 for everyone, on top of a full suite of PC race features, creates more powerful default characters than in 2014 5E. And if they expect PCs to pick up feats at higher levels, it's logical to keep those levels the same as they are now, just flipping ASIs to feats by default. (I predicted elsewhere that they could just make a feat that is an ASI, functionally: +2 or +1/+1 to any ability score.)

I suppose they could also grant ASIs and feats at higher levels, but that creates an even bigger power divergence between 2014 and 2024.

Feats and ASIs are already functionally equivalent in a mathematical sense.

Theros, Ravenloft, and Strixhaven characters already get free Feats at 1st, and the Dragonlance PCs get one at 1st and 4th, with an option of an ASI or another Feat at 4th (A Variant Human inDragonlancce can have 4 Fears at 4th Level!). No reason to think that they will change that for the new Core.

This is a power increase, but if applied evenly across the board, it's really not thst big a deal.

 

[Parmandur]

Where was that? There's the Variant Human, but that's only for humans (and they sacrifice extra ASIs in exchange, theoretically balancing them with other races' features).

In Theros, Ravenloft, Steixhaven, and at least Drsgonlance. It wouldn't shock me if they sneak it in Spelljammer, too.

 

[Azzy]

I think I have said this before... back when I started playing 2e I was told stories of people playing 1e and it didn't sound too diffrent, but 1e had classes that did not exist in 2e (assassin and barbarian and monk) but no one in the area (even those that played 1e) wanted to let someone play those. I found people who had house rules for there own classes based on those but no one would let me grab a 1e book and play.

My anecdote is different from yours—throughout the life of 2e, we still used the "missing bits" from 1e, even the OA stuff. Except for barbarians and cavaliers from UA (but because those were trash from day one).

 

[doctorbadwolf]

That's what the UA is laying down: Feat Trees gated by Background choices. As they development it, the "generic options" will probably resemble the branching tress for the Knight and Mage here.

To be fair, the feat trees aren’t actually gated by background. You can take them with any background.

Sure, you can, though that absolutely is a house rule in 2014 5E.

There aren’t multiple 5es, so this makes no sense. It’s like saying that allowing the Tasha’s optional features is a houserule in 2014 5e.

Where was that? There's the Variant Human, but that's only for humans (and they sacrifice extra ASIs in exchange, theoretically balancing them with other races' features).

@Parmandur got this for me already

True, but again, both of these are variant rules (for a specific setting in the latter case), not default assumptions.

Okay? So what? They’re optional rules in 5e as it exists right now. No need to houserule anything to have Strixhaven backgrounds or whatever on characters otherwise made with the PHB. If they make it standard in the PHB, it won’t create any incompatibility in the game, it just presents a previously setting focused optional rule as an option for all characters. You don’t need to change anything to use it with a 2014 PHB Half-Elf Ranger.

To be clear, I'm not saying this makes 2014 and 2024 editions totally incompatible, or anything. But it does represent a changed base assumption for characters (and likely would have knock-on effects elsewhere in the game). Especially when stacked with lesser likely changes (like the switch from short rest mechanics to PB/long rest mechanics).

I disagree. Even if they make it “core” rather than optional like feats are now, it won’t meaningfully change character creation.

In Theros, Ravenloft, Steixhaven, and at least Drsgonlance. It wouldn't shock me if they sneak it in Spelljammer, too.

It’s a great way to make characters feel different in different settings, with a low mechanical footprint.

 

[JEB]

I disagree. Even if they make it “core” rather than optional like feats are now, it won’t meaningfully change character creation.

I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree on this, then. Assuming feats become default and everyone gets at least one feat at level 1 - alongside the other certain changes (floating ASI, changes to core classes from Tasha's, etc.) - characters in 2024 edition will start at a higher default power level than 2014 5E characters, and will be built somewhat differently as well. Those are the kinds of changes that will inevitably affect other elements of the game, even if only in subtle ways. (Also, this assumes that there aren't more substantive changes being considered - polls have suggested they're reviewing every aspect of the game, such as the core feats and spells.)

2024 edition will certainly remain compatible with 2014 5E, despite changes like that. But in the same way that you could use 3.5 material in a 3.0 game, or apply 2E character kits to a 1E PC; it works, but not perfectly, as you're combining elements from one set of default assumptions with elements from another set of assumptions.

 

[Parmandur]

I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree on this, then. Assuming feats become default and everyone gets at least one feat at level 1 - alongside the other certain changes (floating ASI, changes to core classes from Tasha's, etc.) - characters in 2024 edition will start at a higher default power level than 2014 5E characters, and will be built somewhat differently as well. Those are the kinds of changes that will inevitably affect other elements of the game, even if only in subtle ways. (Also, this assumes that there aren't more substantive changes being considered - polls have suggested they're reviewing every aspect of the game, such as the core feats and spells.)

2024 edition will certainly remain compatible with 2014 5E, despite changes like that. But in the same way that you could use 3.5 material in a 3.0 game, or apply 2E character kits to a 1E PC; it works, but not perfectly, as you're combining elements from one set of default assumptions with elements from another set of assumptions.

The fix is simple: if someone brings an old 2014 PC to a table, give them a free Feat or two. Balance restored.