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.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

interesting idea... isn't this thread about them removing old content so you can no longer buy it?

Not really. They aren’t selling those two specific books anymore, which are the source of a lot of discontent amongst their player base and mostly mechanically redundant with new reprints of monsters and races, and consolidated into 1 book instead of two, but you can still buy them and if you have them on ddb they still work just fine.

So, no.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Not really. They aren’t selling those two specific books anymore, which are the source of a lot of discontent amongst their player base and mostly mechanically redundant with new reprints of monsters and races, and consolidated into 1 book instead of two, but you can still buy them and if you have them on ddb they still work just fine.

So, no.

I would at least see your side even if I didn't disagree if it wasn't for

mostly mechanically redundant

it's the fluff and mechanic NOT redone that will be lost to new players. Yes you can buy a used book (but go look at prices for them, they are not as easy, and you have to find them). SOmeone that joins D&D in September will NOT have easy access to some mechanics... and that is a choice WotC made. so when you say they wont do it again I am leery.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

you don't think that +1 to a stat and not having a class feature from the (most uptodate) PHB means you need updating? what if the criminal background gives you a feat in 2024 but not in 2014? What if they change stealth back to hide and move silent? would those two changes (added to what we know) do it? what if they took the prof mtn dwarf give and replace it with a spell like ability?

How many changes before you think it's an issue?

Changing stealth would be a change to general rules, which we have seen no evidence of them doing.

A bonus feat at level 1 is already an optional rule, no update required. You just tell the player that the “level 1 feat” optional rule is in play, and maybe ask them to choose from a curated list if you’re worried about feat-related balance issues.

As for the +1 stat…you know they already had +1 more than anyone else in the phb, right? Why would that require updating?

Further, the whole idea of it being an “update” relies on the conclusion of a new edition, which I don’t agree with.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I would at least see your side even if I didn't disagree if it wasn't for

it's the fluff and mechanic NOT redone that will be lost to new players. Yes you can buy a used book (but go look at prices for them, they are not as easy, and you have to find them). SOmeone that joins D&D in September will NOT have easy access to some mechanics... and that is a choice WotC made. so when you say they wont do it again I am leery.

Okay.

 

[Remathilis]

oh man... that is a reach. it's one I will admit I am ashamed I didn't see coming.

Okay. so if the day the 2024 PHB comes out they relase a 100pg booklet to adapt the 2014 book to 2024 and just call it errata, you STILL wont be playing a character made useing the 2014 phb... you will be useing the 2014 PHB and the update document to make it into the 2024 phb.

still not playing the 2014 boo and 2024 book at the same table just taking more steps to get to the 2024 book

and again... you wont be useing the 2014 book you will be updating to the 2024 book... just with the steps of making a character from the 2014 book then updating it to the 2024 one.

So if I bring my Xanathar's guide with the original healing spirit spell from 2019 and the DM advises me that the spell is limited to 1+spellcasting mod per the update printed in 2020, my copy of Xanathar is not compatible and thus a separate edition?

 

[Parmandur]

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for 5e to be modular like they told us it would be.

Oh, it is, but people built a pie in the sky dream in their own minds. That they can take out the existing Races and put in new options is an example of how the rules are modular. The modular exceptions can be taken in and out easily.

 

[Parmandur]

You know, I suppose my real issue is simply that I don't want the new race and monster rules they're using, and don't want to re-buy the core books again. It's not really a compatibility issue.

3rd party products are already changing to match WotC's bad ideas, so that's annoying as well.

So, don't buy them or use them.

Preferences are fair, but just like a DM deciding they don't like Gnomes or SCAG, it isn't compatibility.

 

[Maxperson]

Oh, it is, but people built a pie in the sky dream in their own minds. That they can take out the existing Races and put in new options is an example of how the rules are modular. The modular exceptions can be taken in and out easily.

It has modular aspects in the DMs toolbox section of the DMG, but it's not really modular in the way that they described it to us.

 

[Parmandur]

Further, the whole idea of it being an “update” relies on the conclusion of a new edition, which I don’t agree with.

Honestly, even if one concedes for sake of argument that it is totally a new edition, your argument still holds based on the data at hand.

 

[DarkCrisis]

So much guff over learning older books might become more or less redundant when 5.5 comes out.

Every time I see someone showing off their huge 5E collection all I can think about is my larger 3E collection that became somewhat more/less useless when 3.5 came out.

And then even more so when 4E came out and everyone moved on.

By the time 6E actually does come and everyone moves on, at least you'll still have your old favorites sitting on your shelf collecting dust. Toom me forever to get rid of a lot of those old 3E books, but had to lighten the load.

Luckily nothing stops you from gathering some like minded people and playing a proper 5th ed game. Just like I like to get out and play some 2E. It's hard to go home again though, sometimes.

After 5E I pretty much decided I'll just buy the core 3 and thats it. That's all you really need.