D&D 5E D&D Beyond Will Delist Two Books On May 17th

D&D Beyond will be permanently removing Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes on May 17th in favor of the upcoming Monsters of the Multiverse book, which largely compiles and updates that material.

As per the D&D Beyond FAQ for Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse:

Can I still buy Volo’s Guide to Monsters or Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes on D&D Beyond?
Starting on May 16, you can acquire the streamlined and up-to-date creatures and character race options, as well as a plethora of exciting new content, by purchasing Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse. On May 17, Volo's Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes will be discontinued from our digital marketplace.

If you already own these two books you will still have access to your purchases and any characters or encounters you built with them. They won’t be removed from your purchased sourcebooks. Therefore, if you want the "fluff" and tables in those two tomes in D&D Beyond, you need to purchase them soon.

This is the first time books have been wholesale delisted from the D&D Beyond Platform rather than updated (much like physical book reprints are with errata and changes).

There’s no word from WotC on whether physical books will be discontinued and be allowed to sell out.

 

[beancounter]

This doesn't bother me. When the books originally came out, I was looking for more of a monster manual than a story book/culture book. And I didn't feel inspired by most of the monsters that were listed.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The fix is simple: if someone brings an old 2014 PC to a table, give them a free Feat or two. Balance restored.

or... the more likely at most tables, just give them the 2024 book and tell them to update.

I wonder why someone would WANT to sit at a 2024 PHB table with a DM useing the 2024 MM and 4 other players useing the 2024 PHB but keep useing the 2014 PHB (unless the cut a whole concept/class/race)

 

[beancounter]

In some way, this feels like an incremental step into a new version. A way to ease players into it.

IMO, they should just jump right into a new version and be done with it.

A "captive" audience will buy all of the new books anyway.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

In some way, this feels like an incremental step into a new version. A way to ease players into it.

IMO, they should just jump right into a new version and be done with it.

A "captive" audience will buy all of the new books anyway.

yeah that was my Lobster in hot water anology.

if every 3ish months they put out a new supplement or adventure and every OTHER one has a minor change to how things work (and remember monsters of the multiverse and Tasha are not seen universally as minor) that would be 4 more small incramental changes... if they keep putting out UA with testing the water on even 1 or 2 bigger changes then spring 2 new class/updated class in the 2024 PHB it will FEEL like it was just an evolution not a new change... but already people playing today are playing different then 2015.

I know someone else around here (@HammerMan) has the same 90's experience I had where there were people playing late 2e calling it 3e (although we are in same tristate area so maybe just we are close enough).

in my case it was players useing the updated PHB (black cover) along with skills and powers magic and _____ and skills and tactics. it allowed for alot of customization.

I also know that my buddy who played 1e before I met him had character sheets from his uncle (who taught him to play) that had things that looked more like 2e on them then 3e (and funny enough a concept from 4e as well...taking class features from other classes without full multi/duil classing)

and back when WotC had message boards there was a story going around (I can not confirm it is true) that before WotC bought TSR they had a frame work for a 3e useing skills and power and it had something called Thac10 instead of Thac0 but most of it was scrapped and WotC started over with there d20 system.

so incremental changed leading to edition changes is nothing new... I think Bo9S was a test for 4e fighters myself.

 

[Blue]

By that definition, the 2024 PHB will be fully compatible with the 2014 PHB. Absolutely nothing they've previewd, hinted at, tested, or otherwise indicated towards, is more different from stock 5e than existing bits of 5e are from other existing bits of 5e. And that will still be the case, in 2025.

The example I used several times is an errata'd spell.

So, going with your narrowing of scope to just PHB to PHB, which is just a third of the core books we are talking about, there would need to be no changes to anything in the 2024 PHB that is not reflected in errata 2014 PHB.

Okay, we'll see.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The example I used several times is an errata'd spell.

So, going with your narrowing of scope to just PHB to PHB, which is just a third of the core books we are talking about, there would need to be no changes to anything in the 2024 PHB that is not reflected in errata 2014 PHB.

Okay, we'll see.

I mean maybe... but I doubt they took class and spell surveys and said "Wow game is perfect as is no need to change"

heck with 0 surveys I can't believe that Mearls and Perkins are sitting at there home games (or work games) and 8 years later saying "Nothing I would do different"

 

[Parmandur]

I didn't say "clean break", I said "fresh start". To clarify: an entry point into the hobby, which doesn't assume the buyer has any previous experience, but also doesn't go out of its way to start from scratch. Something carefully positioned to attract new fans without alienating the ones you have, in theory. Comics do this a lot, relaunching Batman or Spider-Man titles or the like with #1 issues, despite the comics still following from earlier storylines and not actually representing a reboot.

Keep in mind also that the "completely compatible" marketing is aimed at us, the internet-aware current player of 5E. The 2024 core books will be aimed at a general audience, and such backwards compatibility will have limited appeal to those folks. Also, as previously noted, post-Tasha's books seem to have forward compatibility in mind already... so if you let the older books lapse out of print, what marketing need is there for the 2024 core books to help convert anything? You should be able to use MOTM or the like as is, and clearly they don't plan on supporting VGTM or MTOF through official channels anymore...

Again, if the change needed I'd "give your older character an extra Feat," it's not exactly hard to put that in somewhere.

 

[Parmandur]

or... the more likely at most tables, just give them the 2024 book and tell them to update.

I wonder why someone would WANT to sit at a 2024 PHB table with a DM useing the 2024 MM and 4 other players useing the 2024 PHB but keep useing the 2014 PHB (unless the cut a whole concept/class/race)

The point is rather that one could, and it would work. The main benefit for WotC there is thzt if they stick to that standard, all the evergreen Adventures and do continue to be relevant and can keep selling.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The point is rather that one could, and it would work.

and with slight tweeks I made a 2e wizard work in 5e... doesn't mean that is a very different edition. It also doesn't mean most, many or even some tables would let me...

The main benefit for WotC there is thzt if they stick to that standard, all the evergreen Adventures and do continue to be relevant and can keep selling.

sigh... saying something is evergreen doesn't mean it will still be supported. It doesn't even mean that it will stay evergreen 10 years later (I mean I am sure they hoped it would)

the world, the gaming community, and the D&D fan base in 2024 will look different then 2013 when they talked about ever green products. this will be a new edition.

 

[Parmandur]

and with slight tweeks I made a 2e wizard work in 5e... doesn't mean that is a very different edition. It also doesn't mean most, many or even some tables would let me...


sigh... saying something is evergreen doesn't mean it will still be supported. It doesn't even mean that it will stay evergreen 10 years later (I mean I am sure they hoped it would)

the world, the gaming community, and the D&D fan base in 2024 will look different then 2013 when they talked about ever green products. this will be a new edition.

Again, I am not saying this singing to be a new Edition. But TSR still kept selling 1E and Basic material in the 90's, because they had an audience for it. The base Vore can be Evergreen with the tweaks of an "Edition" change, WotC simply handled that badly in the past.

WotC has put out new Printings of 5E Adventures recently, and they have no motivation to invalidate anyone's pirchases or cut off sources of future revenue.