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 be included. From the update:

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...

www.enworld.org

Last week we released a Changelog detailing how players would experience the 2024 Core Rulebooks on D&D Beyond. We heard your feedback loud and clear and thank you for speaking up.

Our excitement around the 2024 Core Rulebooks led us to view these planned updates as welcome improvements and free upgrades to existing content. We misjudged the impact of this change, and we agree that you should be free to choose your own way to play. Taking your feedback to heart, here’s what we’re going to do:

Players who only have access to the 2014 Player’s Handbook will maintain their character options, spells, and magical items in their character sheets. Players with access to the 2024 and 2014 digital Player’s Handbooks can select from both sources when creating new characters. Players will not need to rely on Homebrew to use their 2014 player options, including spells and magic items, as recommended in previous changelogs.

Please Note:

Players will continue to have access to their free, shared, and purchased items on D&D Beyond, with the ability to use previously acquired player options when creating characters and using character sheets.

We are not changing players’ current character sheets, except for relabeling and renaming. Examples include Races to Species, Inspiration to Heroic Inspiration, and Cast Spell to Magic.

We’re dedicated to making D&D Beyond the ultimate digital toolset for Dungeons & Dragons, continuously enhancing the platform to ensure you can create, customize, and play your game just as you envision it. From your first one-shot to multi-year campaigns and everything in between, we're grateful to be on this journey with you.

- The D&D Studio

 

[Oofta]

I mean, setting aside whether or not it's been precisely twenty-four months, there have been several instances of WotC shooting themselves in the foot in recent memory. Consider:

• The recent mixed messages about what Youtubers could show of the new PHB (which resulted in one reviewer getting a copyright strike on their channel).

People should know that they can't just show the entire book. Admittedly I don't know who is to blame.

• Sending the Pinkertons to someone's house to intimidate them into giving back Magic cards that had been legally acquired.

A MtG issue and also not all that straightforward. From what I've heard he knew he should not have had the cards and WotC replaced the item with a comparable item.

• The controversial decision to eliminate half-races (e.g. the half-elf and half-orc) because they were "inherently racist".

A decision and rule change you disagree with is nothing new.

• Removing Jeff Easley's signature from the promo image he drew for D&D:HAT (though that one might have been Paramount's fault; we're still not sure).

Paramount is not WotC.

• Removing the a la carte purchase options from D&D beyond.

A choice I hope they change in the future, but again it's just a policy change. I still have the things I bought a la carte.

• The Orion Black controversy.

Someone complaining about a former employer is not proof of bad behavior on part of the employer. Other ex employees have said they would be happy to work for WotC again.

• More than one controversy regarding AI-generated art.

They have a no AI art policy, someone in marketing f'ed up on a MtG promotion. Every company is struggling with this issue and it can be difficult to detect AI generated images.

• Trying to weasel out of their contract for new Dragonlance books with Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, to the point where the pair filed suit against WotC (which was eventually resolved, but still made WotC look bad).

To be honest I don't know the details of this one. It was also 2020, not within the past 2 years.

That's just off the top of my head.

So IMHO maybe the issue with copyright (again, you should know you can't legally share that much content) and the Dragonlance books which I simply don't know much about. The rest? We don't know the whole story and I much of it is overblown.

 

[Minigiant]

I think we all know why, and the question then becomes -

Why do you want to continue supporting such a company?

Do we?

Most of D&D scandals are bog standard corporate screwups that would happen with many big corporations.

 

[cranberry]

Do we?

Most of D&D scandals are bog standard corporate screwups that would happen with many big corporations.

You genuinely believe that most of the things WoTC does are innocent mistakes "or unforced errors"?

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Why do you want to continue supporting such a company?

I "support" them because I play D&D, and they make products I use.

It is my experience that if you do a deep dive into any corporation that supplies the products you use, or worse, go down the supply chain, you will find things that make you unhappy.

For that reason, and because I need to live in a modern world and purchase things made by corporations, I try to reserve my "I refuse to purchase things from X corporation," for companies that are doing truly evil things.

But if this is something you feel strongly about, more power to you. I hope that you employ the same moral clarity to all your purchases.

 

[Minigiant]

You genuinely believe that most of the things WoTC does are innocent mistakes "or unforced errors"?

Half of them yeah.

I worked and am working for multiple big corporations. People screw up here ALL THE TIME and preventing it by talking to higher ups is a crapshoot

 

[Micah Sweet]

People are discounting the manpower and work it would take to keep both 2014 and 2020 in the char builder and automatically chocking it up to malice.

Not at all the same thing as claiming people are saying that they own stuff for which they pay money to D&D Beyond.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

You genuinely believe that most of the things WoTC does are innocent mistakes "or unforced errors"?

Do you ever buy anything from Nestle? Because their CEO said that he didn't think that humans should have a right to WATER.

What WotC does is worth complaining about, but hardly worth a boycott.

While you have a right to boycott them yourself if you feel like, you should think before you judge any of the rest of us for not agreeing that they're all that bad. In particular when you compare them to many corporations. Some of which are near impossible to avoid giving your money to.

 

[Minigiant]

Not at all the same thing as claiming people are saying that they own stuff for which they pay money to D&D Beyond.

Live services are rentals.

 

[Oofta]

Late to the thread, but I've seen a number of comments that amount to: "They listen to the customer and reversed course, so what's the problem".

The fact that they reversed course is a good thing, but that's a really low bar to judge them by.

What people should be asking is WHY does WoTC do these things?

I think we all know why, and the question then becomes -

Why do you want to continue supporting such a company?

If you are so anti-D&D, why are you on this forum?

I happen to like playing the game and I don't expect perfection from any company. If I did I would have to be living in a cave somewhere hunting game with tools I made from scratch, which means I'd be dead before too long. In the grand scheme of things they're pretty average for a corporation.

 

[Imaro]

Tell me you don't support wizards screwing all 5.0 players without saying so. Why do you apologize for wizards?

I'm not apologizing for anything, theres nothing to apologize for... I'm stating facts. Tell me you don't understand terms of service without saying so.