D&D (2024) How D&D Beyond Will Handle Access To 2014 Rules

D&D Beyond has announced how the transition to the new 2024 edition will work on the platform, and how legacy access to the 2014 version of D&D will be implemented.

• You will still be able to access the 2014 Basic Rules and core rulebooks.
• You will still be able to make characters using the 2014 Player's Handbook.
• Existing home-brew content will not be impacted.
• These 2014 rules will be accessible and will be marked with a 'legacy' badge: classes, subclasses, species, backgrounds, feats, monsters.
• Tooltips will reflect the 2024 rules.
• Monster stat blocks will be updated to 2024.
• There will be terminology changes (Heroic Inspiration, Species, etc.)

D&D (2024) - Wizards of the Coast Backtracks on D&D Beyond and 2014 Content

Wizards of the Coast posted an overnight update stating that they are not going forward with previously released plans to require those wishing to use some 2014 content on D&D Beyond to use the Homebrew function to manually enter it. Instead, all the content including spells and magic items will...

www.enworld.org

 

[pukunui]

Right now it's about the only thing I use it for.

I suspect you're in the minority there. There are hundreds of people posting in the D&D Beyond forums who are upset that they're losing access to the 2014 rules in the digital tools.

 

[Daztur]

@SkidAce Thanks for the update.
@Morrus if you'd like to update the OP or can I? (since its on the front page now).

https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/news-announcements/204068-news-clarifications-on-the-2024-d-d-beyond

When updated, Spell descriptions on character sheets will default to 2024 Core Rulebook descriptions. All users, regardless of whether they have purchased the 2024 Player’s Handbook, will be able to access these updated Spells for free if they previously purchased the 2014 Player’s Handbook. All 2014 versions of Spells will still be accessible in the D&D Beyond Compendium and available for players to access.

Is this any different from what they were saying before? People before were upset about the tooltips not the compendium. Are they keeping 2014 stuff in the tooltips or is it still getting yanked?

 

[Remathilis]

So I have a question.

It's March of 2024. I have Curse of Strahd. I am reading it, and the text mentions a wraith in the text. I mouse over the bolded word. Which stat block should I expect to see?

The 2014 version because the book is pre-2024?
The 2024 version because that's the latest version?
Both? Neither?

 

[Remathilis]

I suspect you're in the minority there. There are hundreds of people posting in the D&D Beyond forums who are upset that they're losing access to the 2014 rules in the digital tools.

Hundreds? You're telling me all those D&D Beyond users are 2014 or die?

I guess WotC really misread the room. Should have just put out a new version of 2014 with the racial ASI's removed and left everything the same.

 

[darjr]

Is this any different from what they were saying before? People before were upset about the tooltips not the compendium. Are they keeping 2014 stuff in the tooltips or is it still getting yanked?

About the tooltips and the spells being updated in the character sheet. I think the forced character sheet update is the bigger violation really.

 

[darjr]

Is this any different from what they were saying before? People before were upset about the tooltips not the compendium. Are they keeping 2014 stuff in the tooltips or is it still getting yanked?

Yea, probably. I'd be upset too if I wanted to stick to 2014 and use the tools.

 

[bedir than]

Hundreds? You're telling me all those D&D Beyond users are 2014 or die?

It has millions of users, so hundreds of complaints isn't a big deal.

I still think they got this 'solution' wrong, by far. Especially while pushing the compatibility narrative.

 

[Parmandur]

It has millions of users, so hundreds of complaints isn't a big deal.

I still think they got this 'solution' wrong, by far. Especially while pushing the compatibility narrative.

Seems like they chose the path of least resistance and figured that covering it over with free stuff would work. Broadly speaking, that might work for the bottom line even of ot is a giant PITA for a bunch of users.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I sent that link to @darjr about 10 minutes ago.

Having read it, it still doesn't answer the question of can I have 2014 Sleep on my sheet without homebrewing it?

Because the answer is still "you can't". That was among the most empty corporate statements I've heard in a long time. It was practically a government press release.

 

[pukunui]

Is this any different from what they were saying before? People before were upset about the tooltips not the compendium. Are they keeping 2014 stuff in the tooltips or is it still getting yanked?

No, it's not any different to what they said in the changelog. They've just misread the room and are responding to the wrong thing. And no, they aren't keeping the 2014 stuff in the tooltips - that will all get yanked over the period of the next six months as the three 2024 books are released. You'll still be able to use 2014 content in the character sheet, but with limitations, and none of the tooltips will refer you to the corresponding 2014 rules.

Because it's an easy example, you'll still be able to make a 2014 warlock with a genie patron, but if you take any invocation that grants a spell, that invocation's tooltip will show you the 2024 version of the spell. If you want the 2014 version, you'll have to look it up in the compendium.

So I have a question.

It's March of 2024. I have Curse of Strahd. I am reading it, and the text mentions a wraith in the text. I mouse over the bolded word. Which stat block should I expect to see?

The 2014 version because the book is pre-2024?
The 2024 version because that's the latest version?
Both? Neither?

In March of 2025, the tooltip will show you the 2024 version of the wraith. Before February of 2025, it will show you the 2014 version. The tooltip will only show you the 2014 version of a monster if there is no 2024 equivalent (so for monsters that are unique to Curse of Strahd, like Strahd himself ... until he too gets an update to 2024, I expect. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they do another release of Curse of Strahd to bring it in line with the 2024 rules. I mean, it's even featured in the examples of play in the 2024 PHB!)

Hundreds? You're telling me all those D&D Beyond users are 2014 or die?

I guess WotC really misread the room. Should have just put out a new version of 2014 with the racial ASI's removed and left everything the same.

No, we're not all 2014 or die. A lot of us are just "we don't want to be made to switch before we're ready"! Who switches rules in the middle of a campaign, especially when it's not their own choice to do so? And why would anyone want to switch to an incomplete ruleset that will continue to change over the course of six months?