D&D 5E D&D Beyond vs Print Books

[aco175]

Thanks for the responses. Is everything in the MM open content and posted elsewhere online or is there some stuff I can’t get online.

You can find a lot online and copy/paste some things. The basic rules are free from Wizards site here, and has many of the basic monsters to get you started.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Welcome to the boards. You are absolutely fine going without a Monster Manual or a Dungeon Master's Guide. Between the Player's Handbook and the material freely and legally available, you have more than enough for a full campaign.

The two posts immediately above this one have the links I was going to offer. YOu do not need D&D Beyond). Have fun!

 

[darjr]

If you clone a monster for home-brew it’ll be left alone.

I greatly value DnDBeyond but if you want to just try it the thankfully make it free to try quite a lot.

Also if you do like the game the DMG is a useful resource.

But yea you do not need it to try it out.

 

[LordEntrails]

I would add, that if you are considering going digital, then you should consider all the digital options and not just DDB. T me, DDB is kind of the half-way house, and is more like an introduction to what you can do with D&D digitally. It works great for many people. But for me, I went digital and I decided I wasn't going to invest in something that only went half they way towards what was possible.

Consider going to a full VTT that has D&D content. There are pro and cons to each one. To me, one of the big consideration is if you end up owning or just borrowing what you spend money on. If you want to go full digital, and want what you buy to not be able to be taken away from you, then Fantasy Grounds is your choice Just be aware, just lie everything, it has its cons too.

 

[darjr]

Oh good point on a vtt. DnDBeyond only has WotC stuff and homebrew if you add it or others there share it. (There are a few adventures that are from DnDBeyond)

Roll20 has WotC and third party material together.

 

[Malmuria]

All the monsters you need to get started are part of the SRD:

Monsters by Name - 5th Edition SRD

All monsters from the 5th Edition (5e) SRD (System Reference Document), organized by name

5thsrd.org

 

[Musing Mage]

I can't speak as to your gaming needs, but as an old coot with tactile needs, I most assuredly prefer to have physical books first and foremost. Even when DMing online I have hard copies within reach.

That said, I'm not so set in my ways that I don't see the value of an easily searchable digital form. Not having purchased from D&D Beyond, I do wonder - do you get to download and store your purchase as a PDF?

 

[Oofta]

I can't speak as to your gaming needs, but as an old coot with tactile needs, I most assuredly prefer to have physical books first and foremost. Even when DMing online I have hard copies within reach.

That said, I'm not so set in my ways that I don't see the value of an easily searchable digital form. Not having purchased from D&D Beyond, I do wonder - do you get to download and store your purchase as a PDF?

It's all online, you can download PC character sheets but that's it.

 

[D1Tremere]

For the sake of clarity I have both physical and D&D Beyond versions of each book. That said, the physical books I treat as a back up and archive, while D&D Beyond I treat as a service. With the license I have my players all have access to the library at the table, and the material is faster to search and easier to prep.

 

[Stormonu]

I like having both, Beyond takes a little practice to get used to for an old grognard like me, though the monsters are the closest to what you'd see directly in the book.

Also note it is possible to buy individual components from the books (such as a single monster, spell, etc.), and it will give you a slight discount if you decide later to buy "the whole thing". For example, I bought only the monsters from Fizban's book, not the whole thing on Beyond.