D&D 5E Question for folks who use D&D Beyond: How well does it work with the new rules?

[R_J_K75]

I give people the benefit of the doubt but I never know how much of it is unintentional and how much is just straight up cheating.

I think in this case it was straight up cheating. At the time I think we had myself DMing and six players. Of those payers, 3 were relatively new so I had to give them more attention and he exploited that knowing I probably wasn't going to call him out on it.

 

[R_J_K75]

I currently have the Master Tier subscription for D&DB and am hosting the campaign we are using. The only books I bought for it are the (3) 2024 core books, PHB, DMG, & MM. I only have those selected for content sharing with my other players. So, in theory I would imagine that those are the only books they can access to make characters (and the free basic rules), as long as I've deselected everything else, which I have.

Today I had a friend create a new PC and using the app and he told me he couldn't select the Tiefling species. I went into his character, and it was right there. So, it looks like what I'm seeing in my internet browser as opposed to him using the app are two different things. Further he created another character using the 2014 PHB, WTF? A few years back he was the one who bought some books, had a Master Tier Subscription and used content sharing for all of us to access the 2014 core books, Tashas, Xanathars and a few others. Since then, he no longer has a subscription so doesn't that revoke his ability to share content he owns with the rest of us? Apparently not as when I looked to see what content I had available to share and those legacy books showed up as shared in my campaign, even though I know they weren't there a few weeks ago when I set things up. I never purchased them.

I'm starting to wonder if when D&DB is updated if content sharing is reset and re-selects the free books they offer. I also have a feeling that he is logged in over multiple devices using 2 separate accounts one where he bought those old books and one where he didn't which may be causing confusion. I recall using my wizards.com account to log in when D&DB launched and then had to create a second D&DB account a few years later. Another possibility is if for some reason he's able to access the content sharing on the campaign page he's switching things on/off and just screwing with everyone. I'm just really confused how those 2014 legacy books are showing up in my content as I never bought them, and he only has a free account now.

 

[pukunui]

I currently have the Master Tier subscription for D&DB and am hosting the campaign we are using. The only books I bought for it are the (3) 2024 core books, PHB, DMG, & MM. I only have those selected for content sharing with my other players. So, in theory I would imagine that those are the only books they can access to make characters (and the free basic rules), as long as I've deselected everything else, which I have.

Today I had a friend create a new PC and using the app and he told me he couldn't select the Tiefling species. I went into his character, and it was right there. So, it looks like what I'm seeing in my internet browser as opposed to him using the app are two different things. Further he created another character using the 2014 PHB, WTF? A few years back he was the one who bought some books, had a Master Tier Subscription and used content sharing for all of us to access the 2014 core books, Tashas, Xanathars and a few others. Since then, he no longer has a subscription so doesn't that revoke his ability to share content he owns with the rest of us? Apparently not as when I looked to see what content I had available to share and those legacy books showed up as shared in my campaign, even though I know they weren't there a few weeks ago when I set things up. I never purchased them.

I'm starting to wonder if when D&DB is updated if content sharing is reset and re-selects the free books they offer. I also have a feeling that he is logged in over multiple devices using 2 separate accounts one where he bought those old books and one where he didn't which may be causing confusion. I recall using my wizards.com account to log in when D&DB launched and then had to create a second D&DB account a few years later. Another possibility is if for some reason he's able to access the content sharing on the campaign page he's switching things on/off and just screwing with everyone. I'm just really confused how those 2014 legacy books are showing up in my content as I never bought them, and he only has a free account now.

When the creator of a campaign enables content sharing, it shares all content each player in the campaign owns with every other player. Turning off certain books in the sharing screen turns them off in the compendium only. It does not turn off any player accessible content. Unfortunately, there’s no way to prevent a player from accessing content from any one specific book. The toggles are too broad.

 

[R_J_K75]

When the creator of a campaign enables content sharing, it shares all content each player in the campaign owns with every other player. Turning off certain books in the sharing screen turns them off in the compendium only. It does not turn off any player accessible content. Unfortunately, there’s no way to prevent a player from accessing content from any one specific book. The toggles are too broad.

Thanks, sounds like that would explain it. So, it shares their content regardless of their subscription status? Had a feeling something strange was afoot.

 

[Burnside]

Thanks, sounds like that would explain it. So, it shares their content regardless of their subscription status? Had a feeling something strange was afoot.

Content sharing toggles in the campaign manager have zero effect on what gets shared in the character creator; this has been discussed extensively in this thread. It’s lame, but it actually does say this at the top of the content sharing area of the campaign manager.

To manage sources in the character creator, you have to use the toggles on the first tab of each individual character’s character manager tool.

 

[R_J_K75]

Content sharing toggles in the campaign manager have zero effect on what gets shared in the character creator; this has been discussed extensively in this thread.

I know, my apologies and as a matter of fact I was involved in a few of those discussions, but sometimes you don't understand what's going on exactly until it happens.

it actually does say this at the top of the content sharing area of the campaign manager.

Where, I dont see them in MS Edge

To manage sources in the character creator, you have to use the toggles on the first tab of each individual character’s character manager tool.

I did that, but suppose I didn't know that I had to do it every time for each PC to create a new PC. Well that sucks. For $5/mo, Im not concerned, just Im working on an adventure and I get players texting me, wny does my player have a Spelljamming Helm?

 

[pukunui]

Thanks, sounds like that would explain it. So, it shares their content regardless of their subscription status? Had a feeling something strange was afoot.

Yep! I currently have a character with access to a spell that had no source listed. I couldn't find it in my homebrew or anywhere. Took me a while to figure out it was a 3PP spell that the player has on his account from a previous campaign (Odyssey of the Dragonlords).

Also, I own the Acq Inc book, and while I like it, I don't want to use the content in every campaign ... but there's no way for me to block it from the character creator unless I also block a whole lot of other stuff too. So any time one of my players picks an Acq Inc spell or whatever, I just have to gently remind them that it's not available for this campaign.

It also came up when I was a player - one of the other players had some tanglefoot bags, which are an item only found in Dungeon of the Mad Mage and have no listed price or anything. I know that the DM didn't give him any, so he had just seen them in the inventory list and gave himself some.

Where, I dont see them in MS Edge

Click into your campaign and then click on "Content Management". It should look like this:

 

[Clint_L]

A great example of not understanding the game is the players on Critical Role. How many times has Matt had to explain how even basic things work? I don't expect them to understand all the rules of the game, but good grief, the least you could do would be read the section on your chosen character class and their spells.

So, I have seen every episode of Critical Role. And they are all outstanding players. Some still struggle with the nuances of the rules, but you are very much exaggerating the extent to which they struggle.

But, more importantly, you are not acknowledging something that every experienced teacher knows: people are all very different thinkers and learners, and what seems obvious to you might might be very obscure and hard to understand to someone else, and vice versa. For example, I very much doubt that you or I can intuitively role play and create story with anything remotely approaching the facility of an Ashley Johnson, even though she struggles with the rules the most of anyone on CR.

Being intuitive with games rules is one kind of intelligence, and being intuitive with role playing and story telling is another, and both are very valuable in D&D. I would not trade an Ashley Johnson for someone who knows the rules inside out.

Matt Mercer is exceptional in that he excels in basically every aspect of D&D. That is incredibly rare.

Sadly it's not just limited to them. I still have to correct one of my players about how sneak attack works, sometimes more than once in a single session. Then again this is the guy that refuses to use Steady Aim even when he doesn't move on his turn and won't get sneak attack without it. Then I have the player who runs a druid and the only thing she really uses of her abilities is to occasionally shapechange. In the first campaign I made a pregen champion fighter because it was simple but this time she wanted to play a druid. A druid that never casts a spell other than shillelagh so she can hit things. Unless she's shapechanged so she's better at hitting things.

You can lead a horse to water but even if you explain how to do it you can't get them to drink.

See above. Everyone thinks differently. I'm amazing at learning and remembering games rules, and I test really well. I'm an idiot at lots of other things, though. I appreciate when people don't judge me too harshly because of it, though. I'm usually doing my best.

It's very easy to assume that someone is being lazy or stubborn when they struggle at something we find easy, but usually the issue is a lot more complicated. It's best to offer them grace as much as possible, IMO.

 

[plecostomus]

I think to get people to use the options you want when building their character, you will have to show them a slide of the first screen in the character builder with appropriate options toggled.

For example, in my campaign I want people to be able to use:

• 2024 species (can't turn this off anyway...)
• 2014 species from non-core books
  • But none of the Legacy versions of species (ex. there's a minotaur in Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica, and a minotaur in MotM, I only want players to use the most recent minotaur from MotM)

So I would show them this slide:

However, for some reason the Legacy toggle doesn't actually work for the Species page. So when the player goes to Species, they must also select a 2nd anti-Legacy toggle.

And then finally the species I want them to use appear, and there's no 2014 core content or extra Aarakocra entries or whatever.

I also did a bit of experimenting last night with 2014 species and stat bonuses from Species vs. Backgrounds. Beyond can absolutely avoid adding 2014 Species stat bonuses and will properly use Backgrounds even with 2014 species. The only oddity is that if you use a Custom Background, regardless of whether you are using a 2014/24 species, the Abilities page will say your stat bonuses are from your species. This is just a bit of display weirdness and I don't think it hurts anything.

I haven't looked at the interactions for Class options yet but I did check the Species part last night.

edit: Also worth noting I do not own MotM. I had my current DM who owns it join my test campaign to make sure I can borrow his stuff if he just has a dummy character present.

 

[Okland]

I currently have the Master Tier subscription for D&DB and am hosting the campaign we are using. The only books I bought for it are the (3) 2024 core books, PHB, DMG, & MM. I only have those selected for content sharing with my other players. So, in theory I would imagine that those are the only books they can access to make characters (and the free basic rules), as long as I've deselected everything else, which I have.

Today I had a friend create a new PC and using the app and he told me he couldn't select the Tiefling species. I went into his character, and it was right there. So, it looks like what I'm seeing in my internet browser as opposed to him using the app are two different things. Further he created another character using the 2014 PHB, WTF? A few years back he was the one who bought some books, had a Master Tier Subscription and used content sharing for all of us to access the 2014 core books, Tashas, Xanathars and a few others. Since then, he no longer has a subscription so doesn't that revoke his ability to share content he owns with the rest of us? Apparently not as when I looked to see what content I had available to share and those legacy books showed up as shared in my campaign, even though I know they weren't there a few weeks ago when I set things up. I never purchased them.

I'm starting to wonder if when D&DB is updated if content sharing is reset and re-selects the free books they offer. I also have a feeling that he is logged in over multiple devices using 2 separate accounts one where he bought those old books and one where he didn't which may be causing confusion. I recall using my wizards.com account to log in when D&DB launched and then had to create a second D&DB account a few years later. Another possibility is if for some reason he's able to access the content sharing on the campaign page he's switching things on/off and just screwing with everyone. I'm just really confused how those 2014 legacy books are showing up in my content as I never bought them, and he only has a free account now.

When I set up my campaign recently, I specifically only selected the 2024 core books, but somehow the legacy books are showing up too. One possibility is that D&DB might maintain content sharing permissions even after a subscription lapses if the person still owns the books. You might want to check if your friend has two accounts somehow linked to your campaign or if he's manually changing shared content settings. I'd recommend checking your campaign's content sharing page carefully, removing any players you don't recognize, and then re-selecting only the books you want to share.