WotC D&D Beyond Reveals 'Partnered Content' Schedule

D&D Beyond has published a release schedule for partnered content in the first quarter of 2026. This includes products from Eberron creator Keith Baker, Beadle & Grimm's, and Kickstarter favourites Loot Tavern and The Griffon's Saddlebag.

Partnered content is existing D&D books from third-party publishers on D&D Beyond.

• Exploring Eberron (Visionary Production & Design)
• The Pugilist Class (Benjamin Huffman)
• Faster, Purple Worm! Everybody Dies, Vol. 1 (Beadle & Grimm’s Pandemonium Warehouse)
• Heliana’s Guide to Monster Hunting: Part 2 (Loot Tavern)
• The Griffon’s Saddlebag: Book One (The Griffon’s Saddlebag)

 

[SlyFlourish]

The one thing I can say with some certainty is that DnDBeyond integration has helped with legitimizing 3pp content with a larger selection of the player base. The blood hunter was essentially the D&D 13th class for a while, and there are people who will look at Grim Hollow or Crooked Moon or Varda's content in the same light as 1pp supplements. It at least resembles a mark of quality that the product is well known enough to have WotC recognize it. It's not an indicator of quality per se (WotC's own products run the gamut on that) but it does show it's at least good enough to have gotten their attention. And that's worth a lot when convincing a DM to allow it.

Yeah, this gets into the whole topic of what's "official" and what isn't, which drives me up the wall.

Dan Dillon's work at Kobold Press pre WOTC? Not official. Dan Dillon's work at WOTC? Official! Dan Dillon's 5e work post WOTC? Not official anymore.

Ugh.

 

[Remathilis]

Hence the "picking winners" thing that feels weird for WotC to do.

Rewarding success is how I rather view it. Almost all the 3pp on beyond was already successful via word of mouth or Kickstarter. Nobody is saying Flee Mortals! Was nothing until WotC promoted it. But it did make it much easier for DMs who have been burned by 3pp content of dubious quality to say "well if WotC is willing to vouch for it, it can't be that bad." And that's worth it's weight in gold when your DM is skeptical.

 

[Reynard]

Rewarding success is how I rather view it. Almost all the 3pp on beyond was already successful via word of mouth or Kickstarter. Nobody is saying Flee Mortals! Was nothing until WotC promoted it. But it did make it much easier for DMs who have been burned by 3pp content of dubious quality to say "well if WotC is willing to vouch for it, it can't be that bad." And that's worth it's weight in gold when your DM is skeptical.

That presupposes that WotC picks the "good ones." Since we know things are coming to Beyond as part of their crowd funding, it is clear they aren't weighing quality.

More to the point: something being "good" is not what gets it on the list. Some arcane process within WotC does that.

 

[Morrus]

Rewarding success is how I rather view it. Almost all the 3pp on beyond was already successful via word of mouth or Kickstarter. Nobody is saying Flee Mortals! Was nothing until WotC promoted it. But it did make it much easier for DMs who have been burned by 3pp content of dubious quality to say "well if WotC is willing to vouch for it, it can't be that bad." And that's worth its weight in gold when your DM is skeptical.

As a publisher I’m pretty uncomfortable with a narrative where another company decides whether my stuff is good or not. I’d be wary about normalising that sort of stance.

 

[darjr]

Rewarding success is how I rather view it. Almost all the 3pp on beyond was already successful via word of mouth or Kickstarter. Nobody is saying Flee Mortals! Was nothing until WotC promoted it. But it did make it much easier for DMs who have been burned by 3pp content of dubious quality to say "well if WotC is willing to vouch for it, it can't be that bad." And that's worth its weight in gold when your DM is skeptical.

It looks like crowd funding projects are allowed to say if they’ll be on dndbeyond.

D&D 5E (2014) Thread 'D&D Beyond Support Included In ‘Monsters Of Drakkenheim’ Kickstarter'

Mar 29, 2024

WotC has been including select third party products on D&D Beyond for some months now, including product from Ghostfire Gaming, Kobold Press, Critical Role, and others.

Monsters of Drakkenheim from the Dungeon Dudes (who are associated with Ghostfire Gaming)--who already have two million dollar Kickstarters to their name, with this one looking likely also--promises D&D Beyond support in advance. It's a 300 page monster book for their highly successful setting. There's also the usual selection of dice, minis, pins, bookmarks, dice bags, plushies, and so on...

• Morrus
• Replies: 46
• Forum: *Dungeons & Dragons

• 
• 

 

[Remathilis]

Yeah, this gets into the whole topic of what's "official" and what isn't, which drives me up the wall.

Dan Dillon's work at Kobold Press pre WOTC? Not official. Dan Dillon's work at WOTC? Official! Dan Dillon's 5e work post WOTC? Not official anymore.

Ugh.

You're never going to break the mentality that some things are more official than others. Some people will only buy dealership parts for their car or only use certified Microsoft products. Some people avoid fan patches for video games. The best you can do is have WotC give a thumbs up to 3pp materials they like.

As a wise man once said, "sometimes it do be that way."

 

[Remathilis]

As a publisher I’m pretty uncomfortable with a narrative where another company decides whether my stuff is good or not. I’d be wary about normalising that sort of stance.

Then the option is WotC ignoring you and most DMs remaining in the "no 3pp ever" stance that has been popular since the d20 glut exploded.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[Morrus]

Then the option is WotC ignoring you and most DMs remaining in the "no 3pp ever" stance that has been popular since the d20 glut exploded.

I don’t know what that means?

 

[Remathilis]

I don’t know what that means?

Cmon Morrus. There has been a strong strain of people who refuse to even entertain the idea of allowing third party content (especially player options) because of the long standing belief 3pp is broken and amateurish. And that stain was formed in the early days of the ogl and products today still suffer that stigma when you bring up their existence. So Beyond has, if nothing else, helped break the stigma that 3pp is inherently worse quality. If WotC had ignored them and kept Beyond purely 1pp, it would have reinforced that notion.

So while I can understand sour grapes that Level Up isn't on WotC's currated list, the fact that stuff like Taldorei Reborn and Crooked Moon is has made it a lot more palletable for DMs who would never have given them a 2nd glance.

 

[Morrus]

Cmon Morrus. There has been a strong strain of people who refuse to even entertain the idea of allowing third party content (especially player options) because of the long standing belief 3pp is broken and amateurish. And that stain was formed in the early days of the ogl and products today still suffer that stigma when you bring up their existence. So Beyond has, if nothing else, helped break the stigma that 3pp is inherently worse quality. If WotC had ignored them and kept Beyond purely 1pp, it would have reinforced that notion.

So while I can understand sour grapes that Level Up isn't on WotC's currated list, the fact that stuff like Taldorei Reborn and Crooked Moon is has made it a lot more palletable for DMs who would never have given them a 2nd glance.

I think that’s a reductive and fundamentally uncharitable misunderstanding of what I’ve been saying. But never mind; it’s not worth fighting about.