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

 

[mamba]

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

if you think there are only some hundreds of DDB users, I have a surprise for you...

 

[Micah Sweet]

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.

Yup. Virtually all the comments on that "clarification" of theirs are variation on that same concern.

 

[mamba]

Seems like they chose the path of least resistance

more likely least effort for them

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.

guess we will see how well that works for the 30% or so of users who are not all that interested in upgrading, that could be a significant self-own if they let their subscription expire over this

 

[Micah Sweet]

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, they haven't changed anything. They saw that people were upset and felt corporately compelled to respond with a non-statement focusing on the wrong things, because they have no intention of addressing people's actual issue here.

 

[Micah Sweet]

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.

For what it's worth, I never felt the small degree of change they were willing to make, whether I personally liked the changes or not, was worth the squeeze.

 

[mamba]

No, they haven't changed anything. They saw that people were upset and felt corporately compelled to respond with a non-statement focusing on the wrong things, because they have no intention of addressing people's actual issue here.

realistically speaking, they cannot address those concerns other than by saying 'you are correct, that will no longer work'

 

[SkidAce]

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.

I feel you may be misreading the room.

We intend on upgrading when our campaign ends, and all three books are out (or at least DMG and PH).

But it appears the our 2014 characters will have all their spells updated to new versions mid campaign.

So we are not 2014 or die.

 

[Micah Sweet]

realistically speaking, they cannot address those concerns other than by saying 'you are correct, that will no longer work'

A wonderfully refreshing thing for them to say, in that it would be straight-forward and clear.

 

[John Lloyd1]

I assume they already had it (from Volo / MotM) and simply worked on nothing now

Absolutely. Where the functionality already existed to mix and match, they kept it. Where they needed to do a bit more work, they haven't. Probably focusing on the shiney features and 'must have' support for 2024.

 

[Parmandur]

more likely least effort for them

Right, same thing.

guess we will see how well that works for the 30% or so of users who are not all that interested in upgrading, that could be a significant self-own if they let their subscription expire over this

Maybe, maybe not, too many unknowns in thst equation (not sure 30% corresponds to anything): guess WotC is about to find out.