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.

 

[Azzy]

neither does yours... and again, if you can't find tables running them togather, it doesn't matter what the company says... and if the company makes a huge diffrence noone (or at least only a minor amount) will be

Whether or not you will find tables running them together is irrelevant to the two being compatible.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Whether or not you will find tables running them together is irrelevant to the two being compatible.

Compatible literally means able to use it with if you can't use it with it isn't compatible... however we have (over the last 22 years) found that sometime WotC say something will be or is compatible to sell it, then once sales are moving on remake class/feat from previous books updating them to the new paradigm because it wasn't really compatible... the canary in the Cole mine will ALWAYS be how the game is played not how it is sold

 

[Parmandur]

Whether or not you will find tables running them together is irrelevant to the two being compatible.

Exactly: just because a random DM won't allow Warforged in his Greyhawk game doesn't mean Rising from the Last War isn't compatible with 5E.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

The rule for Adventurer's League play is the most recent version of something is the only valid version allowed. So that means anything changed between the 1st printing and current printing of the PHB has to be the current version or you can't use it. Or anything that was changed/updated/given errata from SCAG or the EE Player's Guide when it was reprinted in a newer book has to be the newer version or you can't use it in an AL game. And so on. So while an entire book is not made incompatible, parts of it are, as two conflicting versions cannot be used in the same game. I do that in my home games and I am sure many other groups do too.

 

[Retreater]

For me "compatible" means the exact same. I have learned the hard way that merely "the same edition," "the same printing," a "word-for-word," or "photocopy" doesn't cut it.

Once my wife attempted to use her copy of the Player's Handbook because it had tabs put in it to help her find information more quickly. NO!!! I took her copy of the Player's Handbook and threw it in the nearest waste receptacle. It was not compatible.

One session when I was careless, I accidentally picked up someone else's copy of the Player's Handbook. My game quickly descended into chaos. There was a nick on the bottom right corner of the back cover. If I had been a good DM I would've noticed the disaster that would soon befall my games. I didn't open the book ... merely lifted it ... but - alas - it was too late.

One day, using replicating technology we may be able to clone my copy of the Player's Handbook, but until that happens - if you're playing in MY game, you will use the precise copy of the Player's Handbook that I use. If we are playing online, I will pay for postage and mail the Player's Handbook to you so you can look up what you need, then you will mail it back to me so play can continue.

 

[Parmandur]

The rule for Adventurer's League play is the most recent version of something is the only valid version allowed. So that means anything changed between the 1st printing and current printing of the PHB has to be the current version or you can't use it. Or anything that was changed/updated/given errata from SCAG or the EE Player's Guide when it was reprinted in a newer book has to be the newer version or you can't use it in an AL game. And so on. So while an entire book is not made incompatible, parts of it are, as two conflicting versions cannot be used in the same game. I do that in my home games and I am sure many other groups do too.

Yeah, but AL is just some random DM as far as actual compatibility goes.

 

[Parmandur]

For me "compatible" means the exact same. I have learned the hard way that merely "the same edition," "the same printing," a "word-for-word," or "photocopy" doesn't cut it.

Once my wife attempted to use her copy of the Player's Handbook because it had tabs put in it to help her find information more quickly. NO!!! I took her copy of the Player's Handbook and threw it in the nearest waste receptacle. It was not compatible.

One session when I was careless, I accidentally picked up someone else's copy of the Player's Handbook. My game quickly descended into chaos. There was a nick on the bottom right corner of the back cover. If I had been a good DM I would've noticed the disaster that would soon befall my games. I didn't open the book ... merely lifted it ... but - alas - it was too late.

One day, using replicating technology we may be able to clone my copy of the Player's Handbook, but until that happens - if you're playing in MY game, you will use the precise copy of the Player's Handbook that I use. If we are playing online, I will pay for postage and mail the Player's Handbook to you so you can look up what you need, then you will mail it back to me so play can continue.

You had me going in the first paragraph, A+

 

[Saracenus]

For me "compatible" means the exact same. I have learned the hard way that merely "the same edition," "the same printing," a "word-for-word," or "photocopy" doesn't cut it.

Once my wife attempted to use her copy of the Player's Handbook because it had tabs put in it to help her find information more quickly. NO!!! I took her copy of the Player's Handbook and threw it in the nearest waste receptacle. It was not compatible.

One session when I was careless, I accidentally picked up someone else's copy of the Player's Handbook. My game quickly descended into chaos. There was a nick on the bottom right corner of the back cover. If I had been a good DM I would've noticed the disaster that would soon befall my games. I didn't open the book ... merely lifted it ... but - alas - it was too late.

One day, using replicating technology we may be able to clone my copy of the Player's Handbook, but until that happens - if you're playing in MY game, you will use the precise copy of the Player's Handbook that I use. If we are playing online, I will pay for postage and mail the Player's Handbook to you so you can look up what you need, then you will mail it back to me so play can continue.

Bravo, bravo... the level of satire packed into this is both astonishing and brilliant. I went from being horrified by you as a person, spouse, and DM to laughing hysterically at the rapidly escalating absurdity of it all... What a ride, 10/10, would read again.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Compatible literally means able to use it with if you can't use it with it isn't compatible... however we have (over the last 22 years) found that sometime WotC say something will be or is compatible to sell it, then once sales are moving on remake class/feat from previous books updating them to the new paradigm because it wasn't really compatible... the canary in the Cole mine will ALWAYS be how the game is played not how it is sold

"Compatible: (of two things) able to exist or occur together without conflict."

A table not using it does not mean it's not compatible. Now I am going to back away from this argument. Because I am tried of saying the same thing over and over to you, and you not understanding it. And I feel like I will start with the insults unless I back out.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

"Compatible: (of two things) able to exist or occur together without conflict."

A table not using

no one (except maybe you) are talking about a single table... not me for sure.

it does not mean it's not compatible.

but again compatible also isn't 'cause wotc said they would'

compatible is what happens in the wild not at A table but at most tables.

if 80% of tables... wait that's way too high... 40%, nope thats less then half but still pretty good 25% that's 1 in 4... okay if 19% of all games run useing D&D 5e as published in 2014 (plus or minus some supplement errata/add ons) allowed you to walk in put your Level Up fighter on the table and let you play it, that would arguable be compatible in any meaningful way. If that orginal 80% allowed it we would most likely all include it in talk here, at cons (and that's at 80% not 100%) anywhere else you talk D&D.

now having said that I bet there is a higher then 1% of tables that WOULD allow a 3rd party fighter class (maybe even up to that 19% but I doubt it) and of those that would let one or more 3rd parties fighters in I bet Level UP gets a good showing... but even 40% of 19% (and I would have to be sold with some pretty good info to think it is 40% of 3rd party or that 19% of tables allow 3rd party) it would not be.


it's like someone selling you a brand new 8 track and telling you it is 100% compatible with millions of 8 track players made over decades, then getting it home to find you can't buy an 8 track and you don't own one and no one you know owns one... the statement in theory at a technical level isn't exactly a lie but if you can't use it, it is 0% compatible for you.