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

 

[Imaro]

4e was not a popular edition (some strong fans notwithstanding) and had already fallen off a cliff. 5e otoh turned out to be very popular.

At a minimum 5e will have a much larger base left, even if 6e were to manage the same conversion rates.

Of course the problem is that everyone will have their own slightly different 5e semi-clone (sort of like the osr now but with much more complexity around rules and mechanics).

That's when we'll see the real answer to the what is 5e debate going on here. Can someone show up with a DC 20 character for a game based on TotV rules... or run a Talislanta 5e game with both Level Up PC's, Ruins of Symbaroum PC's and Kobold Press monsters?? I strongly doubt that' ll be the case though supposedly its all 5e.

If instead it becomes much harder to find players for any particular 5e based game because the Ruins of Symbaroum DM wants players who have RoS PC's and rules qhile the DC 20 DM wants the same for his game and so on...well then in reality what you have are disparate games that only have a loose commonality and are only compatible in the sense that things on the DM's side, if said DM is willing to put in the necessary work to figure it out or is will8ng to ignore whatever doesnt fit, might work in a different 5e game.

 

[mamba]

Of course the problem is that everyone will have their own slightly different 5e semi-clone (sort of like the osr now but with much more complexity around rules and mechanics).

That's when we'll see the real answer to the what is 5e debate going on here. Can someone show up with a DC 20 character for a game based on TotV rules... or run a Talislanta 5e game with both Level Up PC's, Ruins of Symbaroum PC's and Kobold Press monsters?? I strongly doubt that' ll be the case though supposedly its all 5e.

DC20 is decidedly not 5e compatible. That is like saying PF2 is 5e compatible. So that is out right there

I assume the rest are given the name (not familiar with them) and therefore would work in the same game with breaking anyone’s mechanics. Not sure they have the same power level / fit thematically, for that I would need to actually know them, but that is a different issue than rules compatibility

No one said that anything built off the 5e SRD is automatically compatible with the 5e universe, but assuming you do follow the encounter building and monster CR rules (which by extension define how strong a character should be) then yes, it is and you can mix and match, plenty of supplements can be mixed that way

If instead it becomes much harder to find players for any particular 5e based game because the Ruins of Symbaroum DM wants players who have RoS PC's

that sounds an awful lot like complaining that there are different settings and that someone creating one makes it harder to find players for the one you want to play. No sympathy from me here, and not the same as lacking compatibility either

 

[Azzy]

All it would take is 1 passionate billionaire to decide they want to make their own RPG and ~15-35% of the market would be theirs.

Just like corporations, billionaires are not your friend. Let's just say no to that whole idea.

 

[MerricB]

I assume the rest are given the name (not familiar with them) and therefore would work in the same game with breaking anyone’s mechanics. Not sure they have the same power level / fit thematically, for that I would need to actually know them, but that is a different issue than rules compatibility

I see a lot of DMs using monsters from several different sources in their 5E game. (So, Kobold Press, A5R, etc.) The DM side resources - those are easy.

Character-side resources are a lot more of a challenge. I would presume for most such campaigns that everyone chooses a lane and sticks in it (so solely A5R, or 5E or D&D2024, or ToV, etc.)

You want players on a similar power level. The player vs player balance is far more important than player vs DM, since the DM is always adjusting balance. (So, 3 5E orcs are the equivalent of 2 ToV orcs? I'll adjust numbers thusly!)

But the more a 5E-inspired RPG varies from the pack, the more it deals itself out. No-one is going to grab stuff from DC20 or the new Cosmere RPG and just integrate it wholesale into their 5E game.

Cheers,
Merric

 

[Minigiant]

Just like corporations, billionaires are not your friend. Let's just say no to that whole idea.

Never said there were.

My point was that if you bemoan the dominance of the billion dollar corporation in TTRPGs , only themselves or at least half billion dollar corporation can cut that market share.

The fan who wants Red Monkey Games to be the #1 doesn't realize they have to be like WOTC to do so. And Red Monkey Games would have their own OGL Scandal or not think converting Ape and Ape Beyond to cover 2 rulesets is worth the money and time.

 

[Minigiant]

I see a lot of DMs using monsters from several different sources in their 5E game. (So, Kobold Press, A5R, etc.) The DM side resources - those are easy.

Character-side resources are a lot more of a challenge. I would presume for most such campaigns that everyone chooses a lane and sticks in it (so solely A5R, or 5E or D&D2024, or ToV, etc.)

Of course the problem is that everyone will have their own slightly different 5e semi-clone (sort of like the osr now but with much more complexity around rules and mechanics).

That's when we'll see the real answer to the what is 5e debate going on here. Can someone show up with a DC 20 character for a game based on TotV rules... or run a Talislanta 5e game with both Level Up PC's, Ruins of Symbaroum PC's and Kobold Press monsters?? I strongly doubt that' ll be the case though supposedly its all 5e.

Yeah I feel there are 3 levels of 5e

PC side 5e
Monster side 5e
DM side 5e

Stuff like Level Up is compatible on all sides.

But you have something like ToV where MM and DMG they are compatible. but you could only have PCs from D&D5e, A5e, and ToV under certain circumstances.

Then you have stuff like Nimble5e which is likely not PC compatible at all but you could maybe use the monsters.

 

[mamba]

Character-side resources are a lot more of a challenge. I would presume for most such campaigns that everyone chooses a lane and sticks in it (so solely A5R, or 5E or D&D2024, or ToV, etc.)

I agree in principle, but I believe you can mostly mix and match these too. Not sure if eg Symbaroum offers a full set of classes and subclasses or just a few thematic subclasses, many settings do the latter

 

[mamba]

Then you have stuff like Nimble5e which is likely not PC compatible at all but you could maybe use the monsters.

I don’t think Nimble is compatible with 5e, deviated too much from the core rules for that

 

[Minigiant]

I don’t think Nimble is compatible with 5e, deviated too much from the core rules for that

Yeah I also think Nimble5e crosses the not 5e line.

 

[Imaro]

Yeah I also think Nimble5e crosses the not 5e line.

This is another issue with the... its all 5e thought process... the standard for deciding what does or doesn't fall into it isn't clear cut. Apparently it's not actually whether it cites/includes the 5e SRD... its not if it has 5e in its name...or if the designer/owner claims its based off 5e. So how are we really deciding whether it's 5e or not and what does it's all 5e even mean if you have to individually vet everything?