D&D (2024) WotC Announces 3rd Party Creator Partners

​

This content will be coming to the D&D Beyond marketplace--the selected publishers are The Griffon's Saddlebag, MCDM, Ghostfire Gaming, Dungeon Dudes, Hit Point Press, Kobold Press, and Free League. Generally, these are creators who have achieved million-dollar Kickstarters with 5E compatible products.

Notably, this also includes the official Lord of the Rings roleplaying game from Free League, who also produce The One Ring, the non-D&D version of the game. WotC will be selling the official D&D compatible Lord of the Rings TTRPG on its primary platform. Back in 1992, TSR (the then-owners of D&D) nearly acquired the rights to JRR Tolkien's work, and then passed on it, then-CEO Lorraine Williams saying it was "not worth our while".

 

[Parmandur]

Huh? What new MCDM thing could be heading to DnDBeyond?

So, currentlyy on Beyond:

• Flees, Mortals!
• Where Evil Lives

Not yet on Beyond (if 5E Middle Earth cam go on Beyond, anything vaguely 5E can, too):

• Strongholds & Followers
• Kingdoms & Warfare

 

[ngenius]

The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game from Free League is not standard 5e, shall we call it 5.15e then? Does that mean all 2014 5e should get digital play support alongside 2024 5e (ska 5.24e)? I read on social media WoTC is considering offering this now after complaints by some vocal 5e DMs, but for how long?

 

[darjr]

So, currentlyy on Beyond:

• Flees, Mortals!
• Where Evil Lives

Not yet on Beyond (if 5E Middle Earth cam go on Beyond, anything vaguely 5E can, too):

• Strongholds & Followers
• Kingdoms & Warfare

Or maybe the individual classes? Like the Talent?!

 

[Zaukrie]

Or maybe the individual classes? Like the Talent?!

I'd buy the Talent for sure!

 

[Micah Sweet]

These publishers already release these books via pdf and print. If you want them that way buy directly so the pub gets the money.

I do. So the answer is integration/rental fully subject to change then?

 

[Parmandur]

Or maybe the individual classes? Like the Talent?!

Very possible! The Lord of the Rings announcement makes it clear WotC is willing to work at getting very different rules worming on the platform.

 

[bedir than]

The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game from Free League is not standard 5e, shall we call it 5.15e then? Does that mean all 2014 5e should get digital play support alongside 2024 5e (ska 5.24e)? I read on social media WoTC is considering offering this now after complaints by some vocal 5e DMs, but for how long?

DnD Beyond has said that they are working with the current 3pp to assure that support for their materials continues with either rule set. Their experience, and of those who did the playtest, is that mixing and matching the two WotC versions of 5e doesn't break anything.

 

[occam]

The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game from Free League is not standard 5e, shall we call it 5.15e then?

Yeah, I really wonder how DDB will implement that. The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying (and Adventures in Middle-earth before that) are quite a ways from D&D in the 5e space, with significant differences in terminology and certain areas of the rules. Alternative rulesets like Tales of the Valiant are closer to D&D, so this potentially opens up the possibilities of what could eventually appear in DDB.

 

[bedir than]

I do. So the answer is integration/rental fully subject to change then?

Can you rephrase the question?

I have Tome of Beasts 1 both hardbound and in DnD Beyond. I've noticed no difference between the two.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yeah, I really wonder how DDB will implement that. The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying (and Adventures in Middle-earth before that) are quite a ways from D&D in the 5e space, with significant differences in terminology and certain areas of the rules. Alternative rulesets like Tales of the Valiant are closer to D&D, so this potentially opens up the possibilities of what could eventually appear in DDB.

Yeah. My concern is that Free League will compromise the creative vision of their game(s) to better align with WotC's current design philosophies. At least LotR RPG and AiME work hard to be a 5e version of Tolkien's world, or perhaps a 5e version of TOR (which is a great game). I worry that this deal will simply result in a Tolkien-flavored supplement for WotC 5.5.