D&D 5E D&D Beyond - What's it for?

[The Hierophant]

So I see D&D Beyond is coming out soon with a discount for early adopters. What I don't understand is its actual purpose. It can make characters. It is the books in an app. But what else is it? It's not a virtual tabletop is it?

I'm intrigued but I am also struggling to understand the purpose.

 

[schnee]

Ultimately it's a campaign management tool that will eventually tie into a Twitch virtual tabletop interface that will integrate character data into on-screen information - with animations and live updating of things like your HP and showing status effects - alongside your camera stream.

 

[The Hierophant]

Thanks, but I am not sure I understood anything after "campaign management tool".

 

[pukunui]

Thanks, but I am not sure I understood anything after "campaign management tool".

It sounds like what he's saying is that, if you use Twitch to livestream your D&D game, at some point you'll have the ability to have information from your D&D Beyond character sheet show up on the screen for the audience to see.

That said, I don't think the plan is to introduce any sort of VTT function to D&D Beyond. It's not roll20 or Fantasy Grounds. It's a character / monster builder and rules reference app.

 

[BoldItalic]

It's because pencils are make of wood and paper is made of wood and cutting down trees to make pencils and paper destroys the rainforest and causes global warming, so it's not politically correct to play pencil-and-paper any more and you have to use your phone instead. Also, books.

 

[schnee]

Thanks, but I am not sure I understood anything after "campaign management tool".

Sorry, I keep forgetting that they haven't done a good job of sending around their visionary stuff.

[video=youtube;cU7YoDBn9wM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU7YoDBn9wM[/video]

Watch their demo reel...

If it works, it will be really cool.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

We can all be rock stars!

 

[akr71]

I'll skip what it it will do or is supposed to eventually be and go right to 'How I expect to use it."

1. Looking up spell descriptions at the table. The PHB is fine for this, but I have one of those ones with the crapping binding that fell apart. I'm too lazy to get WotC to replace it and it is now in a binder and takes up more space than a regular book, let alone a tablet or laptop.

2. Looking up monsters. I don't have the entire MM memorized - I don't know what each creature does. During combat, I either have to have a copy of the stat block or the book in front of me and I am constantly shuffling papers around. Having monster stat blocks available to me at a click of the mouse sounds much more efficient.

 

[robus]

I'll skip what it it will do or is supposed to eventually be and go right to 'How I expect to use it."

1. Looking up spell descriptions at the table. The PHB is fine for this, but I have one of those ones with the crapping binding that fell apart. I'm too lazy to get WotC to replace it and it is now in a binder and takes up more space than a regular book, let alone a tablet or laptop.

2. Looking up monsters. I don't have the entire MM memorized - I don't know what each creature does. During combat, I either have to have a copy of the stat block or the book in front of me and I am constantly shuffling papers around. Having monster stat blocks available to me at a click of the mouse sounds much more efficient.

Those are exactly the two use cases that are making me consider it also.

 

[akr71]

[MENTION=6801558]robus[/MENTION] I know some people will complain about having to "buy the books again" but I look at it as investing in tools to make running the game more efficiently. 3 books x $20 (or $19.99 ) If I buy right out of the gate. I don't see myself bothering with a subscription - if I need a tabaxi or Oath of the Crown, etc I can probably 'homebrew' it